Superintendent Brian Gasper discussed the upcoming year.

What’s newJim Thorpe Area High School is looking forward to the new school year, with an increased focus on STEM and technology in the classroom.“The major change for the district this year is the infusion of a new schedule for the Jim Thorpe Area High School,” Gasper said. “The new ‘Fusion Schedule’ combines a traditional schedule with a modified block schedule. It will support project-based lessons and add a weekly opportunity for common collaboration time for our teachers. The change was made to enhance the offerings of our Project OLE (1:1 Olympian Learning Environment).”Gasper also said that students in grades four through six will be able to bring home their iPads this year. Last year marked the introduction of Project OLE (1:1 Olympian Learning Environment), where each student in the district was given either an iPad or a MacBook. Each grade will gradually be permitted to take home their devices during the first quarter, whereas previously the students could only take them home occasionally.GoalsGasper also said that the district is setting a goal for 100 percent of the staff to become Apple Teacher Certified throughout the school year.With the increased focus on technology, Jim Thorpe will be exploring more learning opportunities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.“We are expanding our STEM offerings in the district for the upcoming school year,” Gasper said. “Our plan is to continue integrating STEM related options for our students in grades four through 12, and kindergarten through third grade in the near future.”ChallengesWith the well-known difficulties surrounding the state budget and its effect on education, many districts are concerned about getting by in the next year. Jim Thorpe is no different, but Gasper is confident that they can surmount the challenge.“As you know, the uncertainty of the state budget causes concern for all school districts. Otherwise, every year is a challenge, but we like to focus on the positives of the district as we realize there will always be challenges in public education. We have a great school district and community that are doing great things for students. This is what helps us get through the challenges,” he said.— Brian Myszkowski