March 20, 2010 |
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Father Lopez High School goes hi–techFinal preparations are underway for the Aug. 15 opening of the state–of–the–art, $30 million addition to the campus of the Daytona Beach high school. 
Father Lopez High School theology teacher, Leigh Svajko practices using a wireless digital tablet that is part of the state–of–the–art technology equipment installed in the new classroom and labs at the high school. As teachers write on the portable tablets with a stylus, the information is transmitted to a computer and projected on screens in the classrooms. DAYTONA BEACH | The teachers and staff at Father Lopez Catholic High School are fully prepared to deal with the prospect that the students will be more than usually “distracted” on the first day of school this semester, according to Bishop Thomas Wenski. After all, he added at a media event the afternoon of the official dedication of the new campus Aug. 6, they’ll have plenty to explore on the new, $30 million campus on LPGA Boulevard in Daytona Beach. Complete with a cyber-age media center and 21st-century smart classrooms, the new state-of-the-art school replaces the nearly 50-year-old original. The campus is not only much larger, but is equipped with amenities including a computer lab, a television production studio, a much larger gymnasium and a 1,000-seat football stadium. 
JENNIFER SURGENT | FC Just before the dedication, Bishop Wenski got a chance to test some of the high-tech distractions himself during a tour that included demonstrations of the technology available to the teachers. Along with members of the local media, the bishop was introduced to such wonders of modern technology as the Mobile Presenter, a computer tablet a teacher can write on while moving around the room, with the writing appearing on a white board in front of the room. Principal George Pressey emphasized that almost everything on the campus is new, “We didn’t bring anything from the old buildings except the teachers,” he said. A few things actually did make the transition – plaques commemorating gifts from alumni, a few select statues and the team name. Father Timothy Daly, pastor of the Basilica of St. Paul and president of the school for the past four years, pointed out, “We’ve kept the name, the Green Wave, but we changed the logo.” Father Daly, who presided over the capital campaign and the construction effort for most of his presidency, announced that he had resigned, effective right after the dedication. Pressey reported that 265 students were registered so far but added more are expected to enroll as school gets started. The school, one of just five Catholic high schools in the diocese, was built to accommodate up to 500 students with the ability to expand to hold up to 1,000 in the future. Bishop Wenski made it clear that while everyone was very proud of the new technological wonders on the new campus, the core Catholic principles are still what make the crucial difference at Father Lopez. He added that he hoped voters would recognize the value of Father Lopez and other Catholic schools as an asset to the general community and support in November the amendments that would allow the state to provide some forms of financial assistance to families with children in Catholic schools. (See the related article here.) At the formal dedication, attended by about 600, including parents, students and alumni, Bishop Wenski, the main celebrant for the Mass, said, “Catholic education is valued and treasured because it can teach the whole truth – and in doing so hopes to form and shape the whole person. “We teach our kids how to do well; but, more importantly, we are also teaching our kids how to do and be good,” he added.
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