It is normal for our children today to be seen playing/researching in internet cafes or in their own personal computers in most of their working hours. It is ironic that given this situation, our schools continue to operate as if these advanced technologies are nonexistent. Teachers forbid their pupils to bring out their cellphones in the classroom for fear that these may be used for cheating. Teachers are hesitant to use these technologies as teaching aids in the classroom or as sources of information and knowledge due to lack of confidence and skill in its operation. If we would relevant as educators, we must be attuned to , the tools of the present times and be competent in its usage in the classroom.

In this note, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mayor Jose Enrique S. Garcia III for including the City Division of Balanga in his TEACHnology Project which provided websites to the City Division and all the elementary schools therein. The websites serve as electronic newspapers for the whole division where the vision and mission, goals and objectives, planned activities for the year, events, pictures, etc. of the schools are published for the whole community to have access to and read. It is a dream come true for all educators because education stakeholders everywhere would understand their schools better, could interact with anybody on issues and concerns relating to the schools and could enter the schools anytime to offer their support and assistance.

We hope that our websites will bring our schools closer to the community, be sources of information and knowledge to our pupils/students, teachers, as well as other people and be avenues for interactive communication for all education stakeholders.

We invite everybody to have access to our websites anytime. Happy surfing!!!

JESSIE D. FERRER
Schools Division Superintendent
Officer In Charge