Farmingville Elementary School is about to get a technological boost, thanks to a donation to the Board of Education by the school’s PTA.
The board accepted a gift of $7,260 to purchase 20 ultra-portable HD document cameras and eight wireless flyers — called Ladibugs.
Both items are cameras that allow teachers to display books, documents or even physical objects to the entire classroom from anywhere in the room, in a capacity similar to the older technology of projectors that use slides or transparent pages.
“Smart Boards have crossed the threshold; Chromebooks are crossing the threshold,” said Superintendent Deborah Low. “These haven’t crossed the threshold, but they will eventually.”
Each grade will receive one of the “Ladibugs,” while the three remaining will go to the library, the music teacher and the art teacher.
“These enhancements of Farmingville’s classrooms will benefit every child in the school,” said Principal Susan Gately.
The board also accepted a donation of $1,079 from Mrs. Alyssa Davi to purchase equipment for the school’s sound system.
Farmingville wasn’t the only school to accept gifts at Monday night’s meeting.
Barlow Mountain Elementary School also received a $2,000 grant from the Whole Foods Foundation to maintain and improve the school’s garden, “the Blooming Bobcats.”
Barlow Mountain is one of 2,100 school in the United States, Canada and England that is a part of the Whole Foods Foundation’s gardening program.
