Coxsackie-Athens is pleased to announce that each of it’s four schools has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022–2025 for our emphasis on developing our learner dispositions of: critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication and being self-directed through the implementation of Apple technology.
Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking in learning, teaching and the school environment, and have documented results of academic accomplishment. “Though this global recognition is from Apple it is not about Apple products specifically or hardware in general; instead, it is about our wonderful teachers engaging, enabling and empowering students to learn in ways that were previously inconceivable,” said Superintendent of Schools Randy Squier. He added, “Our mission is to create personalized learning opportunities and our teachers have taken the many lessons from the pandemic and are redefining how learning takes place by creating opportunities for students to have more ownership of their learning.”
Since 2015 C-A has been a 1:1 iPad school district allowing us within 2 days to pivot to full remote learning during the early stages of the pandemic. When we transitioned to a dynamic model in the fall of 2020 our students who chose to learn from home easily integrated into our in-person classes each day using their iPad devices. We are proud that over 90% of our teachers are Apple Educators.
This year the HS ESPY Awards was live streamed and presented by students using Keynote. The scholarship awards for graduation were pre-recorded using the iPad camera, and edited using iMovie. Finally, the drama advisor used GarageBand to act as the sound effects for the play Into the Wild.
In our middle school a 5th grader researched and created a Clips video on the extinction of animals. Another 5th grader describes the horrors of animal abuse. 8th grade students wrote short stories that include the elements of a story and published the story using iMovie.The American Sign Language class extensively integrates technology. Middle school students created a virtual ABC book recording themselves signing.
Coxsackie Elementary kindergarten uses iMovie to teach us how we can improve the planet. First graders equipped with green screen technology, the app PhotoSpeak and iMovie on our iPads, sent a heartfelt message to our community about protecting the Short Eared Owl. Additionally, 4th Graders and Community Service Members created an iMovie highlighting the roles of the 4th Grade Community Service Program.
EJA kindergarteners wrote memoirs and then elevated their project by animating and recording their voice in Keynote. Their projects were combined in iMovie so that students can play it back and listen to their classmates' books. In addition, third graders used Book Creator to turn their research into informational texts. Each student recorded themselves reading their books and shared them with family and peers.
The selection of all four of Coxsackie-Athens Schools as Apple Distinguished Schools highlights our success in putting all students first while creating a compelling learning environment that engages students, and provides tangible evidence of academic achievement.