- By Dan Veaner
- News
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Bill Currie, President of the Corporate Development Committee (CDC) presented Lansing's Board Of Education with a check for $60,000 Tuesday. The money will be used to purchase six electronic white boards, a CAD controlled pneumatic cutter for the technology program, and a broadcast center for the elementary school. "Bill Currie has been working tremendously hard along with the committee to bring this to fruition," says Lansing School Superintendent Stephen Grimm. "We want to thank them greatly for this wonderful, unprecedented donation."Currie presented the oversized check to School Board President Anne Drake. "Our sole mission is to support and further the educational opportunities of Lansing students by providing equipment and technology," he said.
 (Left to right)Rick Page, Glenn Cobb, Glenn Swanson, Anne Drake, Dick Thaler, Stephen Grimm, Bill Currie, Michael Cheatham, Sandi Dhimitri, Dan Ferguson |
The Promethean Activboard white boards are electronic boards. It allows teachers or students to write with special pens and other tools and what they write or draw appears on a screen at the head of the classroom. Currently Promethean says more than two and a half million children in schools in over 70 countries are being taught using their technology. Each school will get two of the boards.
A Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine will go in the technology building behind the middle school. Students will design objects using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program on a computer. The machine will take that data to produce the objects using a lathe that cuts materials to computer design specifications. Initially it will be integrated into the middle school's technology program, with opportunities for high school students in the future.
Bobbi Wasenko
"I think it's a wonderful step for our students and for the whole technology education program," says middle school Principal Jamie Thomas. "It really helps us enter the twenty-first century in terms of doing CAD drawing programs even on a simple level, and doing design work with computers. I think it's going to be a wonderful and exciting tool for us."
The broadcast center in the elementary school will enable students to broadcast morning announcements via television building-wide. Principal Chris Pettograsso used a similar system in the school she taught at before coming to Lansing.
"Our librarian would like that to be part of her technology library program, so it will be something in the building that all of the students will be able to use," she says. "It will be exceptional for some of the reports they do. When they do book reports we'll be able to show them in various classrooms. We're pretty close to being able to do this. CDC is helping to finalize it by providing us with the hardware."
Over the years the CDC has donated more than $400,000 to the Lansing schools. Each year their premier fund raising event is a themed auction/dance that includes both a silent and a live auction. This year CDC member Bobbi Wasenko says more than 100 items are pledged for the silent auction, and 13 items are set for the live auction in the 12 annual event, to be held October 25th at the Lake Watch Inn. This year's theme is 'Red Carpet Premier,' which will be a formal dress-up event.
"It's a prom for the adults of Lansing," Wasenko says. "We've deviated from our theme from the last two years and gone back to a more formal event. Of course that doesn't mean you have to go out and rent a tuxedo."
The Promethean boards will cost $26,880. $12,606 will go for broadcast center equipment, and $20,000 for CNC machine. The CDC is a not for profit organization. The group consists of Bill Currie, president, Debbie Cretney, Glenn Cobb, June Losurdo, Rick Page, Karen Parkes, Jamie Ferris, Steve Ruoff, Dan Ferguson, Carolyn Shaw, Doug Firth, Janice Streb, Greg Hartz, Bobbi Wasenko, Debbie Jordan, and Sean Whittaker. Each member assists with the annual auction/fund raiser. They all participate in collecting donations and planing the event.
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A Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine will go in the technology building behind the middle school. Students will design objects using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program on a computer. The machine will take that data to produce the objects using a lathe that cuts materials to computer design specifications. Initially it will be integrated into the middle school's technology program, with opportunities for high school students in the future.
Bobbi Wasenko
"I think it's a wonderful step for our students and for the whole technology education program," says middle school Principal Jamie Thomas. "It really helps us enter the twenty-first century in terms of doing CAD drawing programs even on a simple level, and doing design work with computers. I think it's going to be a wonderful and exciting tool for us."
The broadcast center in the elementary school will enable students to broadcast morning announcements via television building-wide. Principal Chris Pettograsso used a similar system in the school she taught at before coming to Lansing.
"Our librarian would like that to be part of her technology library program, so it will be something in the building that all of the students will be able to use," she says. "It will be exceptional for some of the reports they do. When they do book reports we'll be able to show them in various classrooms. We're pretty close to being able to do this. CDC is helping to finalize it by providing us with the hardware."
Over the years the CDC has donated more than $400,000 to the Lansing schools. Each year their premier fund raising event is a themed auction/dance that includes both a silent and a live auction. This year CDC member Bobbi Wasenko says more than 100 items are pledged for the silent auction, and 13 items are set for the live auction in the 12 annual event, to be held October 25th at the Lake Watch Inn. This year's theme is 'Red Carpet Premier,' which will be a formal dress-up event.
"It's a prom for the adults of Lansing," Wasenko says. "We've deviated from our theme from the last two years and gone back to a more formal event. Of course that doesn't mean you have to go out and rent a tuxedo."
The Promethean boards will cost $26,880. $12,606 will go for broadcast center equipment, and $20,000 for CNC machine. The CDC is a not for profit organization. The group consists of Bill Currie, president, Debbie Cretney, Glenn Cobb, June Losurdo, Rick Page, Karen Parkes, Jamie Ferris, Steve Ruoff, Dan Ferguson, Carolyn Shaw, Doug Firth, Janice Streb, Greg Hartz, Bobbi Wasenko, Debbie Jordan, and Sean Whittaker. Each member assists with the annual auction/fund raiser. They all participate in collecting donations and planing the event.
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