Mother Seton School freshened up its learning facilities by adding a new media center.
The Emmitsburg school met what it described as a “longtime goal” in February with the unveiling of the Ed and Helen Reaver Family Media Center on Feb. 3.
The school integrated its existing library, built in 1965, with its computer lab to create a versatile media center.
The new learning and meeting space, which cost nearly $140,000, was made possible by a major grant from the Reaver family as well as grants from the Knott Foundation and Delaplaine Foundation.
“Our old computer lab was outdated, small and closed off from the rest of the school,” said Dr. Kathleen Kilty, principal. “This allows for a new, fresh space for students to use the library and computer lab all in one room.”
It also allows the school to continue to meet the changing technology needs of students.
“The space allows for growth as new technology becomes available,” Kilty said. “It also sets us up for a lot of collaboration and group work. We will have plenty of flexibility and show students how to use technology appropriately.”
Carmel Kelly, the son-in-law of Ed and Helen Reaver, said the family got involved because it valued Catholic education and wanted to show support to a school that educated all nine of the Reaver children and two of the Reavers’ in-laws.
“The entire Reaver family values Catholic education, and we wanted to show our support,” said Kelly, a New Freedom, Pa., resident who owns MultiCam East, a supplier of cutting equipment. “One of my Mother Seton classmates recently did something for the school, and we said, ‘Why can’t we do something like that?’
“Catholic schools are so important, and if we don’t give back, they aren’t going to continue to be here much longer. We have to support Catholic education,” said Kelly, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in New Freedom. “The center looks great, and we hope it will help the students for years to come.”
Kilty said the integration with the library was important. “It’s no longer a separate room. It allows us to integrate technology in all that we do,” she said. “It has breathed new life into how we are able to integrate technology into learning.”
Parents, faculty and other school groups also will be able to utilize the media center as a meeting space, according to Kilty.
The original space was expanded by more than 220 square feet to nearly 1,500 square feet. It is centrally located and now has two separate entrances to facilitate ease of movement between classes.
The center has a dedicated staff and houses a library of 11,000 books and 30 audiobooks; digital resources for student learning, such as devices for 1:1 computational learning; technology for
presentations and screenings, including a Promethean Board; and five high-powered computers.
The Cyberpatriots Cyber Security Club meets in the media center, and students use the resources there for robotics, coding and 3D printing.
Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@catholicreview.org
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