The Sunnyvale Sun

News

Photograph by Diana Diroy

Students (from right) Sotaro Kawanishi, Nicole Kirk and Nicholas Klein work on match exercises in the new computer lab at Cherry Chase Elementary. The PTA paid for the lab through seven years of fundraising.

Lab excites students, teachers

By ERIN HUSSEY

After the weekly Friday morning stretch and dance led by principal Erica Tukeman Gilbert, more than 50 parents, city officials, a few Sunnyvale Elementary School District board members and representatives from Advanced Micro Devices waited for the unveiling of the new Cherry Chase Elementary school computer lab and website.

"It's definitely been a goal for a couple of years," Gilbert said. "The PTA and the school have been putting away money to make this happen, and that's why it's so exciting."

When Gilbert began as a principal seven years ago, the Cherry Chase computer lab was brand-new. Within four years, though, the computers started to break down, some beyond repair.

"I was spending 20 to 30 hours maintaining the lab besides teaching third grade," said Cherry Chase teacher and resident IT go-to person Don Pearson. "I now can go in from the server and fix all the computers in three minutes as long as they are online."

Teachers are excited each student will now have access to his or her own computer when they work in the lab. First grade teacher Caitlin O'Brien said, "As the computers got older and stopped working, students had to partner up to do activities, and that made it difficult for teachers to plan activities and projects for the students."

Educators and parents alike believe up-to-date computers are essential to a student's education. "These kids are learning technology the same way we learned how to use a pencil and a pen," said parent Brenda Hendricksen, who is also community affairs program manager at Applied Micro.

Applied Micro, a Sunnyvale-based company that makes computer processors, has had a 15-year partnership with the Sunnyvale Elementary School District, donating approximately $100,000 each year to the district. Most of the $50,000 cost came from the PTA; inside each computer runs an AMD microprocessor.

In addition to the new computers, Cherry Chase and each of its 30 teachers now have their own individualized websites. "I am very excited about it," said Kathy Besser, parent, graphic/web designer and now webmaster of cherrychaseschool.com.

After only a few tutorial sessions, several of teacher websites are already up and running, and many parents have commented on the look and ease of the new site.

Gilbert wants parents to know the school will still send home some hard copy information and newsletters. "We want to get as much information out as possible," she said. "This is a community, school, and because of the community it's a wonderful place to be and work."