Connections help students get new classroom computers

COSTA MESA — There’s an unspoken lesson this year at California Elementary School: Being in a sorority pays off.

In December, the Costa Mesa school officially opened its new computer lab, featuring 35 state-of-the-art models with a number of student-friendly programs. The school’s foundation paid for them with funds from a silent auction in May, but if not for a personal connection, the lab might only be half as full.

Donna Swift, the foundation president, once belonged to a sorority with Kathryn Kolder, the executive vice president of Fry’s Electronics. When Swift’s school began seeking a technological upgrade, then, Swift turned to her old friend for a discount.

“Because of the friendship, we weren’t looking for anything for free,” Swift said. “We just said, ‘We know you understand because you have children at school.’ ”

California Elementary ended up getting each computer for around $500 — and received so many that administrators put new units in classrooms after the library ran out of space. A few weeks ago, students worked on old Macintosh models that stalled during lessons. Now, they can access Kid Pix, Accelerated Reader and other programs as quickly as the touch of a button.

Classes work in the computer lab three days a week to take quizzes, make PowerPoint presentations or do Internet research. On Friday, library aide Patty Wayte showed a group of fifth-graders how to navigate the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s website. Fifth-grader Thanh Nguyen said the new systems were more user-friendly than the old ones.

“There’s more shortcuts,” he said. “You don’t have to go to the server website.”

The foundation raised the funds for the computers at its annual May auction at the Mesa Verde Country Club. Last year’s event raked in a record $32,000, and the foundation put together a committee over the summer to set up the lab. The computers were set up by October, but the school held the official opening right before winter break.

“I’m still shocked that we were able to do it,” Principal Kelli Smith said. “It took a whole community effort to get all these computers together.”