South Effingham Elementary School hosted its first “Plugged in to Technology” celebration last Tuesday, to show parents the technology tools the school is using in educating students.

SEES offered eight different classes to parents, and about 100 people signed up. The course subjects were chosen after letters were sent home to parents asking which topics would most interest them.

Teachers shared information about the I-Pass program to improve math skills, the parent portal, Brain Pop educational Web site, Accelerated Reader program and the Web sites and apps used in the classroom for each grade level.

Principal Susan Hartzog discussed the Chromebooks that are available to students. The school’s PTO has purchased 30 Chromebooks — lightweight personal computers used for accessing the Internet — and the Effingham County School District plans to buy 30 more for SEES, she said.

“This night was a refreshing time to be able to talk about all of the advances both our system and our school have made with instructional technology,” Hartzog said. “Thanks to staff, parents and students working together, learners are being equipped for the challenges of the future. So many parents expressed a desire to learn how to support their children’s learning at home. This makes all the difference.”

SEES’ technology night was held in conjunction with its September PTO meeting. The second-graders provided the evening’s entertainment.