Lynn English celebrates $200,000 award from Intel

LYNN-Lynn English High School has been named the country’s top “school of distinction” in mathematics by the Intel software company, school officials announced Thursday.Speaking before the School Committee, English Principal Andrew Fila, Vice Principal Jennifer Mancaniello and Math Department Head Kathleen Bonnevie presented the details of the award that will net the school nearly $200,000 in software upgrades from a variety of technology corporations.The Schools of Distinction contest recognizes two elementary, two middle and two high schools from a pool of nationwide applicants ass the top in the country in science and mathematics categories. Chosen as a finalist this summer, LEHS was selected this month as the top school of distinction in mathematics from a pool of over 1,000 public and private schools.Superintendent Catherine Latham joined school officials in an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. this past Sunday, where the school was officially presented with the award.”This is just an absolutely spectacular achievement,” she said. “Just unbelievable.”English entered the contest by submitting a 40-slide PowerPoint presentation detailing the technology used to enhance mathematics at the school, and describing Lynn’s unique demographic.Unlike many schools that entered the contest, English has a diverse student body, with 58 percent of its students of an ethnicity other than Caucasian and 16 percent still taking English as a second language courses.All English language learners at the school who have been in the country under a year are taught math in their native languages to help ease the transition.The technology awarded to the school ranges from virus protection software to new, portable Smart Board systems for classrooms.Bonnevie said the award will duplicate some of the technology that the school already enjoys, but will ensure that every student will now have an opportunity to enhance their learning by using the resources.”This is a nice award. It is good to know that kids at Lynn English High School will be more engaged in technology as will some of the staff,” she said. “We have some of this stuff already, but it is not in every classroom. Hopefully now every student will have the opportunity to use this new technology, and hopefully it can help us to continue to improve our MCAS scores.”The award is just the latest in a long line of national recognition for the school, which has been named one of the top high schools in its category nationwide by US News and World Report, along with Lynn Classical, for two years running, and was named best low-income school in Massachusetts by Business Week in 2009.