Three Scott 2 schools receive recognition as Apple Distinguished School

Three Scott 2 schools receive recognition as Apple Distinguished School
Posted on 11/18/2017

Three Scott County School District 2 schools —  Scottsburg High School, Vienna-Finley Elementary School, and Scottsburg Middle School — received the distinction of Apple Distinguished School for 2017-2019. The honor signifies that each recipient demonstrates innovative academic excellence and leadership through technology integration.

Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence that use technology to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. They showcase innovative uses of technology in learning, teaching, and the school environment and have documented results of academic accomplishment.

Three Scott 2 schools receive recognition as Apple Distinguished School

For the third consecutive year, SMS has received the recognition.

"It's a real testimony to the passion and dedication of the staff that we continue to grow and lead. Being honored in 2013 and 2015 and then now in 2017 demonstrates that SMS is continuously learning and striving to offer the best education for kids," Principal Kristin Nass said.

This year's Multi-Touch book, Scottsburg Middle School: All In, features the 2016 school-wide Bicentennial Project and the Digital Literacy course. The book is available for download on the iBooks Store at no cost, Nass said.

Three Scott 2 schools receive recognition as Apple Distinguished School

For the first time, SHS and VFES were recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools for 2017-2019.

"SHS is an academically challenging campus that utilizes a technology-enriched environment.  We provide different pathways for students to pursue for their future," Principal Ric Manns said.

The road to becoming an Apple Distinguished School started six years ago after SHS followed a vision to prepare its students for college, training, and a competitive job market by shifting away from using only textbooks and instead, offering students real-world and real-time learning opportunities in the digital world, the SHS Multi-Touch book said. In the spring of 2017, 100 percent of full-time certified teaching staff achieved Apple Teacher status.

“We knew that our learners would be more challenged and engaged by the digital content that our staff began to curate and to create, and we knew that we had students who would flourish in opportunities to explore their creativity and passions. Our teachers and students navigated the steep learning curve by mastering digital literacy and citizenship skills and rigorous course content simultaneously,” the SHS Multi-Touch book said. 

Scottsburg High School is a unique campus with multiple paths provided by Scott County School District 2. The campus strives to create the best academic environment for its students and to prepare them for a successful future. The high school features two schools on campus, High Schools That Work and New Tech, which both utilize technology to help students find and succeed in their career path.

"Vienna-Finley offers many amazing learning experiences, and our staff is exceptional at creating an environment that is rich with opportunities for our students," Principal Tiffany Barrett said. 

VFES offers clubs and opportunities for students to engage and collaborate, including Tech Warriors, which allows students to create and collaborate to develop self-guided projects to help the school community. Vienna-Finley Elementary School features the WatchDOGS and HERO programs, which allow family members to volunteer at the school and be a part of their students' day.  

The selection of SHS, SMS, and VFES as Apple Distinguished Schools highlights our success as an innovative and compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic accomplishment. Scott 2 teachers create opportunities for students to collaborate and engage with one another through a variety of experiences.

Scott 2 is our students’ path to a brighter future in college and in the workforce.

Enroll today to see how Scott 2 can be “Your Path to a Brighter Future.”  We’ve helped thousands of students find their path. We will help your students find theirs.