Teachers take pride in new, improved Web site

NORTH CANAAN — A new Web site for North Canaan Elementary School could promote better communication between the school, home and community.

The school is touting the site’s expanded capabilities, ease of use and a better address; what used to be northcanaanelementaryschool.org is now nceschool.org (with one “sâ€).

The new Internet provider also offers the school improved Web management services for less money.

It’s adding up to good news all around.

School board members were given a “tour†of the site  by technology teacher Patricia Palmer at their Dec. 10 meeting.

Palmer logged on and navigated the site on one of the school’s SMART Boards (a blackboard-sized touch screen monitor that is part of the school’s investment in technological advancements).

Principal Rosemary Keilty praised Palmer’s hard work. She attended vendor demonstrations last year and worked over the summer and fall to get the new Web site up and running and to train school staff to set up and edit their pages.

Staff have indicated that they are delighted with the training and its results. A look at some of the Web pages shows how they have been able to add photos, seasonal graphics and other embellishments that make the pages unique and interesting.

In the past, editing was difficult and time consuming, so teachers stuck with basic text. They now have the option to work on pages during brief windows of time, and to save updates that can be published later.

The Web site also offers downloadable forms — all in a PDF format that any computer can open — for documents such as address changes, medication permission forms, field trip permission slips — and the announcements that often get lost in the bottom of backpacks.

The entire school handbook is available at and downloadable from the site.

A “school closing†button takes viewers to a calendar of scheduled days off. Unplanned closings, such as last week’s snow day, are posted in red on the home page.

The new site is part of the school’s initiative to go as paperless as possible. The school calendar, lunch menu and announcements will be e-mailed to most families.

The PTO also has a page on the site, with pictures from and news of events.

Palmer suggested the community also check out the Web site for useful information such as Nutrition Nuggets.

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