Intensive Site School
in Virginia

SEIR*TEC Home | About SEIR*TEC | Partners | SEIR*TEC Region |
Search | Site Map

School Facts Principal- Bristol Martin, Jr. Contact- Grades: 7-8 # of students: 900+ # of teachers: 87 classroom computers: 90 media center computers: 25 computer lab computers: 188 Internet points: 4 Technology team: yes Technology plan: district

Halifax County Middle School 1011 Middle School Circle South Boston, VA 24592 804/572-4100

Halifax County is located in the south central part of Virginia near the North Carolina border. The district middle school, Halifax County Middle School (HCMS), occupies two main buildings constructed in 1953. In the fall of 1993, the district adopted the middle school concept and HCMS opened with grades 7-8. As the only middle school in the county, HCMS has an enrollment of over 900 students with 48% African-American and 1% Hispanic or Asian. The technology resources at the school include five computer labs in the main and vocational buildings; however, there are no computers in the core academic classrooms. Two of the labs are Jostens labs for work in reading, math, science, keyboarding, and several other areas. The media center-called the Info Center-has two research labs and search stations in the main circulation area. Five digital cameras, scanners, and color printers are some of the newer peripherals available for the students and staff to use in the Info Center. The school buildings are networked, with four access points for Internet connection through dedicated phone lines. Halifax Middle School is committed to working on technology issues. They participated in SEIR*TEC's 1999 Leadership Academy to create a design for a curriculum driven after school technology program for at-risk middle school students.

A Story to Tell: Learning Together
Entering the Info Center side door from the tree-shaded, front circle drive, visitors to Halifax County Middle School (South Boston, VA) are greeted by a real (stuffed) turkey, a view into the two research computer labs, and a buzz of teachers and students using the search stations, printers, and cameras. Not so long ago, the hour after school had dismissed was a quiet time in the schools Info Center. Now the former media center/library is in steady use as teachers search the Internet, print posters, and produce PowerPoint presentations. The change has occurred as the staff has gained technology skills through training by their school peers, their students, district trainers, and SEIR*TEC staff. Yet, what has made the real difference is not having the training opportunities but the chance to learn together. At workshops, representatives from the teams in the eighth grade have worked on technology applications within their content areas and then shared with the other team members. Likewise, representatives from the seventh grade teams have attended sessions together and then shared their new skills, ideas, and products with their team members. With each learning session, their comfort level in using technology has risen, even to the point of teaching each other and having students as the hands-on helpers. By learning together within the framework of acquiring resources useful to their own classrooms, the teachers of Halifax County Middle School are becoming technology-proficient educators.

  Go to Halifax Middle School Home Page
Go to other Intensive Site Schools