Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Off and Flying in 2012!





It's been a wee while since I've added on the new and fresh things happening with Computers In Homes for Auckland - terrible I know!  Here I am!

2012 is shaping up to be a VERY busy year - exciting new projects starting and many more families participating this year.  I am delighted to welcome aboard:  Wymondley Road School (Otara), Flat Bush School (Otara), Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Puau Te Moananui-a-Kiwa (Glen Innes), Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School (Mangere East), and, last but by no means least, Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School (Otara)!!  Watch this space for upcoming paparazzi moments with these schools.

The participating families will be in training during Term 1 and Term 2, with graduations beginning in April.  Graduates will number at 85!

New things in the upcoming Projects:  NETSAFE

What is NetSafe?  NetSafe is an independent non-profit organisation that promotes confident, safe, and responsible use of online technologies.


To offer the best possible advice and information to our families participating - Netsafe will assist in a training session with CIH families - to take place before graduation.  I am delighted to share this with you all and, if you happen to be near a school hosting a NetSafe session - please join in! Big thanks to Lee Chisolm at NetSafe for arranging representatives to visit our projects.

NetSafe is supported in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education and Internet NZ.  Don't forget to check out their websites.

Before I forget!  What about those February storms?!  Who caught the amazing waterspout touching down in Browns Bay?  I'm sure I'm not the only one that loves storms but we have a couple of our Franklin families with modems that fell victim to those lightning strikes - a couple modems fizzled out joined shortly by a couple monitors!  Be careful during those storms - do you have a surge protected power-board?

Just before I sign off - if you have a new experience or question to share with us since gaining your computer - don't be shy!  You will likely encourage other students and pick up new ideas and challenges!