PRINCE ALBERT CATHOLIC SCHOOL DIVISION
Prince Albert Catholic School Division Grade 7 Students Receive a Laptop

The Prince Albert Roman Catholic Separate School Division is pleased to announce that each grade 7 student will receive a laptop courtesy ComKids.

The Prince Albert Catholic School Division, in partnership with ComKids, is offering computer literacy and online safety course for all Grade 7 students this year. Students from St. John Community School, St. Michael Community School, St. Francis School, École Holy Cross and École St Anne School participated in lessons, activities, and videos by the ComKids program created in partnership with the Toronto Police Service. Almost 250 laptops were provided to the student participants within our school division this week and coming days. Students are able to own the laptop upon completion of program. 

The program's core principles are to develop digital literacy skills and learn to use technology safely and effectively. The masterclasses have connections to the grade 7 curriculum within Health Education, English Language Arts, Career Education, and Social Studies. Topics included:

1. Online safety and maintaining digital footprints
2. Computer literacy
3. Becoming engaged and educated citizens in a digital world
4. Computer tools and how to use them
5. Becoming a responsible person online

Throughout the masterclasses, students were provided with opportunities to learn technical skills and instruction while maintaining a digital footprint.

The Board of Education would like to thank our teaching staff, Gwen Clyke Consultant and IT Manager Sean Kenny for their dedication to overseeing the program. The Board would also like to thank ComKids for their support, 250 laptops, and resources for this initiative. The School Division is excited about the program and expects to maintain the program to the new group of grades 7 students in the next school year!

Background

ComKids reached out to the Director of Education to see if the students in our system would benefit from the use of the computers and online safety education experiences. ComKids had learnt through an article in the Toronto Star that our School Division sought to provide technology to every family in our school division who needed it during the pandemic.