Walkathon at St. Margaret’s

Students at St. Margaret’s were unfazed by chilly temperatures on the morning of Oct. 24 as they circled the school and its courtyard for a walkathon to raise money for the school’s iPad program. 

“It’s tiring, but it’s fun,” said 9-year-old Ian Mulvey as he entered the courtyard. 

Students stopped at tables set up along the route, where they received stamps on a piece of paper to signify how far they had walked. 

The school started the program four years ago, second grade teacher Patricia Hund said. Her students at the time, who are now in sixth grade, were the first “experimental” class to use the iPads in the classroom. 

“Life has changed — all the electronics they use, it’s harder to keep their attention now. You have to grow with the changes,” she said. 

One of the challenges that arises in classrooms, she said, is being able to attend to both students who are struggling and students who are performing at above-average levels. Educational applications where you can set the level of learning are useful in those cases. 

“It’s really great for differentiated instruction,” she said. 

Thirteen-year-old Karen Clughlan, an eighth grade student at the school, said she and her classmates use maps on the iPad in social studies, and can access the iPad calendars to keep organized. 

“I didn’t have an iPad at my house, so I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she said. 

First grade student Justin Gordon, who had already gotten about 16 stamps on his paper around 9:30 a.m., said he liked playing games on the iPad during free time in class. 

“They help to make it be a fun school,” he said. 

Meanwhile, 10-year-old Thomas Breslin said he uses the iPad mainly for its math applications. 

“They’re a great learning tool,” he said. He prefers the devices to traditional textbooks. 

“They’re lighter, and they have everything in them,” he said. 

And Ms. Hund said that students appreciate having the devices for academics, as well as games.    

“They really understand that it’s a privilege to have them and that they need to care for them,” she added.