Media Center and Technology
Academics
Mount St. Mary Academy views technology as a foundational skillset for high school students as they prepare for their futures. Because of this core belief, we provide each student with a new laptop at the beginning of their freshman year and another new laptop at the beginning of their junior year. We use Chromebooks and the Google Workspace for Education Platform. This comprehensive set of tools includes a full complement of Office and productivity products as well as online document storage to ensure that their work stays safe and backed up.
In the classroom, our teachers use Google Classroom to send assignments, provide course documents, and collaborate with students. Grades are kept through PowerSchool. For in-classroom monitoring, Mount utilizes GoGuardian to ensure students stay safe and on task. In many classrooms, teachers use 75” Promethean Board touchscreen televisions that function as classroom chalkboards. Additionally, teachers often allow and encourage students to project, present, and collaborate on this state-of-the-art technology.
Media Center
Mount St. Mary Academy's library has evolved into a more broadly functional Media Center. Within this space, students can browse through fiction, nonfiction, and research books. There are spaces for students to work together as well as areas for quiet study and focus.
Our Multimedia Department is also housed in our Media Center. Multimedia students produce, film, and edit Mount's daily news broadcast, BelleTV, and complete additional video projects for the school in this space.
The Makery
Relatively new to Mount St. Mary Academy is The Makery, our very own makerspace. Within this space, students can tinker and test the bounds of their creativity. We have technology, tools, and faculty to help the students experiment with the following:
3D printing
3D modeling and design
Laser cutting and engraving
Vinyl cutting and sticker production
Multimedia content creation
Graphic design
Product photography
Tinkering and making in various substrates
Through this space, we encourage students to push their creativity and entrepreneurial skills. We encourage them to visit the space, familiarize themselves with new ways to be creative, and learn through making. These skills build confidence in their abilities, lessen the anxiety of failure, and demonstrate methods of problem solving.