| Don Estridge High Tech Middle School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2004 |
| Type | Public |
| Principal | Karen Whetsell |
| Asst. Principal | Mr. Mcurdy, Ms. Trejo, Mr Poorman, Mr. Peavler |
| Students | 1223 [1] |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Location | 1798 NW Spanish River Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida, USA[1] |
| District | The School District of Palm Beach County |
| Colors | Red, Black, and Silver/Gray |
| Nickname | The Don |
| Mascot | Dragon |
| School hours | 9:30 A.M. - 4:05 P.M. |
| School Grade | A[1] |
| Website | Edline |
The front entrance of the Don Estridge High Tech Middle School. |
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Don Estridge High Tech Middle School is a technology-infused public middle school in Boca Raton, Florida that opened in 2004. Integrating technology into all aspects of education, using SMARTBoards (in some classrooms), Classroom Performance Systems (often abbreviated as CPS), mobile laptop labs, and in-ceiling sound systems in every classroom, the school is able to infuse technology into every subject.
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Don Estridge offers a range of courses including:
The main school building was formerly called "Building 051," south of IBM's main complex (now T-REX Corporate Center). After IBM abandoned most of their operations in Palm Beach County, it was left vacant until being gutted into the academic building of the new school. Other buildings on the school's campus were built new, including a cafeteria, gymnasium, and other small utility buildings. Also on the school's campus is the Safe Schools Institute, a branch of The School District of Palm Beach County that is used for district training and can be rented out as a conference center. The Safe Schools Institute works with the school and on testing student management strategies such as CHAMPS, which is used as part of the "Single School Culture" program at Don Estridge.
All of the original IBM buildings, including the main school building, were designed by architect Marcel Breuer. The other buildings on the school campus, which were constructed specifically for the school, are designed to incorporate elements of the modern architecture of the original IBM buildings. These buildings were designed by the West Palm Beach division of BRPH Architects,[2] and built by Boynton Beach-based Catalfumo Construction and Development, Inc.
The school was officially dedicated to Don Estridge (known as the "father of the IBM PC") at the school dedication ceremony on May 11, 2005. This event, which was attended by over 300 people, was simulcast to every classroom by the Broadcast Communications class. A video known as "The Dedication Video" was produced by the same class and shown at the event to promote some of the technology that used at the school. A central event at the dedication ceremony was the presentation of Don Estridge's own original IBM PC, which was previously in the possession of his family. Plans to showcase the PC in the school office are currently underway.
Each year the school is rated by the students performance on the FCAT.
| Year | School Grade |
|---|---|
| 2005 | A |
| 2006 | A |
| 2007 | A |
| 2008 | A |
| 2009 | A |
| 2010 | A |