Bishop Stang Principal Peter Shaughnessy said that summers at Stang are more than just clinics and camps for students. It’s about upgrading the school’s technology for the next academic year.

“Every summer we try to invest some money into improving our network and our infrastructure. We’re increasingly trying to become a wireless campus,” said Shaughnessy.

For the past few years, Stang has been working on an iPad initiative. This has involved training staff to incorporate the technology into lesson plans and phasing the iPads into the school curriculum slowly.

“This year, all of our freshmen, sophomores and juniors will bring an iPad to school every day. They get their textbooks on them. It’s a way for them to connect to the Internet. All of our students use Google Apps for Education. It’s a great communication tool,” he said.

Students purchase their own iPad and have to keep track of it, teaching them a little responsibility along the way.

The devices were initially brought into the mix because administrative staff thought daily technology use has become an integral part of classrooms and the workplace. Rather than ignore that reality, Bishop Stang staffers are trying to teach students to use technology responsibly.

As to whether having an Internet-ready device in the classroom is a distraction, Shaughnessy thinks that has everything to do with the content of the course.

“For our teachers in a classroom in which you have a well-planned, well-executed lesson plan that differentiates instruction and appeals to multiple learning styles, students aren’t going to get distracted,” he said.

Looking at the school year ahead, Shaughnessy said Stang is in the process of developing a strategic plan to help direct the school for the next three to five years.

While the plan will be officially announced in October, he said it will likely include renovation to the facilities, such as a new science lab and an athletic field expansion.

This year, the school will have about 620 students, which Shaughnessy said is an average number for the school. It’s also an ideal number because it allows for more diversity in the school’s academic program. He said it enables the school to have a robust selection of other activities, too, like varsity sports, theater and fine art programs.

Shaughnessy is also anticipating what the student council will achieve in the year ahead.

“Student council each year chooses a special focus. Sometimes it’s service. Sometimes it’s a cause. Last year the cause was substance abuse awareness.”

He said such initiatives can help the school identify possible obstacles that could affect students’ lives.

“Our student council is one of the most decorated in the state,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with the services they participate in.”