Technology Personnel
The De Queen School District’s IT crew shows off the school’s new website they helped to develop. Pictured from left to right are Erick Angeles, Gary Stewart, Jay Carver and Nina Land.
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By Patrick Massey
"I don't have any homework" may not work any longer for kids attending De Queen schools now that parents will have access to lesson plans and a host of other classroom information with the district's newly-unveiled website.The slick and expanded website will offer visitors a much more user-friendly experience.
"The old site wasn't the best looking and it wasn't the easiest to use," said Nina Land, who recently came to the district as its new information technology supervisor. "I think everyone is really going to enjoy this site and find that it's a really neat resource.
Dequeenleopards.org will offer parents with a wealth of information, from school calendars and job vacancies to school board minutes and teacher-specific pages.
"Parents can subscribe to a teacher's mailing list to see what their kids are doing," said Land. Teachers will be encouraged to keep their pages up-to-date with homework assignments and class projects. Land said she hopes to work with teachers and the website developer to sponsor a contest with a prize for the teacher who runs the most active page.
By providing an email address or phone number, parents can also subscribe to the district calendar to receive alerts during emergency closings and other events.
The website is compatible with mobile devices, so its pages can be viewed by anyone with a smart phone or tablet. Teachers and school administrators can also update or edit the website using their phone or home computer.
“There’s a lot of flexibility in the website and it’s geared to do anything we want to do with it,” said Land. She said future features could include live broadcasting of graduation or other school events. She also mentioned the possibility of an online gift shop featuring Leopard-themed memorabilia.
Anyone visiting the page can also find links for local community groups, common core standards and a host of other information. The site can also be translated into just about any language by the click of a button.