Forest Lake Elementary School wins first in the nation
Contributed by Intel Corp, Scholastic Schools,
and Forest Lake
Elementary School

Forest Lake Elementary School won first prize in the nation for technology excellence. The school has worked hard to build connections with parents. The school has won numerous awards for excellence. Students create PowerPoint presentations and use many other complex applications. They broadcast a daily news show from a technology rich studio. Students work the cameras, sound board, and serve as on air personalities presenting the news.

There are many opportunities for faculty to learn about technology. Tech Tuesday classes give teachers specialized training, and after school and summer classes for faculty keep them up to date. One of the yearly evening parent meetings is called Technology Night. Staff members attend national and state conferences highlighting technology.

Sixteen elementary and secondary schools across the United States were honored August 22 as recipients of the 2006 Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards. The annual awards program, sponsored by Intel Corp. and Scholastic, honors schools for implementing innovative and replicable programs that support positive educational outcomes and impact student achievement.

To honor each school's extraordinary commitment to educational excellence and innovation, each school will receive a $10,000 cash grant from the Intel Foundation in addition to a host of prizes ranging from curriculum materials and professional development resources to software and hardware valued at more than a million dollars.

Representatives from the winning schools will attend an awards gala in Washington, D.C., on October 5, 2006, at which one elementary and one secondary school, selected from among this year's 16 honorees, will be named "Best of the Best." These two winners will each receive an additional $15,000 grant from the Intel Foundation. Schools winning this award must have a comprehensive program addressing technology; involvement of parents and the community; professional development and teamwork; and consistent achievement of high academic standards.

For more information about the Schools of Distinction Awards, visit www.schoolsofdistinction.com.