From the Administration office of Lutheran High School of Indianapolis

Concerning: LHSI 2012-13 School Year

Lutheran High School of Indianapolis is going through an exciting transformation in education. The change does involve technology and expectations for next year. By the grace of God, plans have been made and it is to your advantage to prepare for the coming year. Please review the below communication to better understand the expectation for the 2012-13 school year.

1.  Success of LHSI

Lutheran High School opened its doors in 1976 with five teachers and fourteen students. In those early years successful technology meant the lights came on, the furnace heated, and phones could access an outside line.

In the intervening 36 years, our school has moved into its own building and been blessed with more teachers and students. Students from Lutheran High School of Indianapolis (LHSI) can literally be found around the world – taking the education they received in the center of a state, in the middle of the country – to succeed in a variety of professions and disciplines.

Alumni are serving others as doctors, teachers, nurses, clergy, attorneys, bankers, moms and dads, and volunteers in the communities where they live.

While the history is short – it is one blessed with success. Success we are looking to build on as we seek to inspire through dramatic innovation in classrooms during the second decade of the 21st century.

While the methods teachers use has changed dramatically since 1976, our mission remains the same: to prepare young adults for a Christian life while providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment.

2.  Innovation Project DEEP

As part of the Hoosier landscape that embraces freedom of choice for parents and students in choosing a place to learn and leaders to innovate… we are moving forward with a Digitally Enhanced Educational Plan (DEEP).

This plan will change what it looks like to teach and learn at Lutheran High.

Digitally Enhanced Education means…

*  foundational growth in technology discernment.

*  students engaging collaboratively in project-based courses.

*  teachers and students making the most of digital resources and digital presentation tools.

*  students using a learning management system to move through each class any time day or night.

*  access 24/7/365 to education resources and differentiated learning techniques that brings students knowledge at their level of understanding.

*  a data enriched curriculum that is not only up to date, but accessible in multiple formats.

3.  Laptops in Every Hand

It is important to meet the expectations of academic excellence for our students, parents and donors. We have been working aggressively to research opportunities that would enhance the learning experience of our students and the curriculum delivery by our faculty. The DEEP project calls for us to provide laptop technology for every student in every class, propelling LHSI to lead in 21st century education and become one of the most innovative private schools in our community.

This transformation into the digital classroom will require a team effort. We are asking participation from our leadership, faculty, parents, students, and donors to make this important vision a reality. We have thoroughly researched different technologies including laptops, software, security, connectivity, the experiences of other schools, and of course, flexible investment models.

4.  System Requirements and Purchasing Options

Based on our analysis, we know the Apple MacBook and Apple MacBook Pro offer the most appealing solutions on all levels to make this important change a realistic solution for our students and families. The options for acquiring an Apple laptop for the 2012/2013 school year will be as follows:

I.   Bring your own Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro Laptop

a.    System Requirements

1.     OS X Lion

2.     Surrender of local administrative rights Lutheran High School will need to manage each laptop’s network connectivity, security, and installation of licensed educational software. All laptops used at Lutheran High School will be imaged with a LHSI software build. No exceptions will be granted. This process called imaging erases anything currently on a laptop’s hard drive and installs a software image onto the computer that contains:

- The apple operating system

- All software needed in courses at LHSI

-All network settings necessary to access the Network and internet

Imaging is required and your student’s laptop will not work at LHSI without this process. At the end of LHSI enrollment local administrative rights and the laptop’s image will be restored to factory settings. It is the owners responsibility to backup any personal data before surrendering local administrative rights.

b.    A “used” Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro is acceptable but must have and support the system requirements as described above.

c.     The iPad, MacAir laptop or smartphones will not be acceptable to fulfill student requirements. These devices use a different operating system.

d.    PC laptops (dell, hp, vizio, acer, sonyvio, etc.) are not feasible options.

II.  Purchase through Lutheran High School.

a. The 13" Apple MacBook will be available to purchase at an educational rate. This purchase will need to be made and paid in full before beginning classes.

b. Reservation information will be forthcoming.

III.  Lease contract through Lutheran High School and Apple Inc.

a.    The 13" Apple MacBook will be available to lease through Lutheran High School. This lease arrangement will provide a buy out option of the laptop at the end of LHSI enrollment.

b.    Although the laptops remain the property of LHSI during the leasing program, the student will be able to take the computer home to have 24/7 access throughout the year.

c.    The student will be responsible for any non-warranty repair or replacement due to damage, theft, or loss

Our mission at Lutheran High School is to prepare young adults for a Christian life while providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment. These important innovations are designed to accelerate learning and not hinder any of our committed student families.

We look forward to working together to make this tremendous innovation a reality that helps grow and challenge our students while providing new and exciting opportunities to further the mission and vision of Lutheran High School.