Mr. Ned Lapo

Welcome Viking students and parents!

This is my seventh year here at Amundsen (sixth teaching Computer Science), and I’m excited to be back for what I’m sure is going to be another fun and productive year.

Parents/ guardians:

1. If you haven’t already joined your student’s Google Classroom, and would like to, please let me know so that I can add you to our class. You’ll receive an email asking you to participate in Google's “Guardian Summary” - this feature will allow you the option of receiving ‘daily’ or ‘weekly’ notifications from Google Classroom to better monitor your student’s progress in this class and others. Notifications include any/ all missing work, posted announcements, and assignments.

2. In addition to Google Classroom, here’s a link for how to register for ASPEN's Parent Portal. Creating an account will allow you to view/ monitor your student's grades and attendance record(s).

3. Lastly, I took the liberty of attaching the (official) 2023-2024 CPS academic calendar for your own record/ reference.

Students:

1. If you haven't done so already, PLEASE download the Grade Corner App on your mobile device. We're going to be checking our grades regularly and I'd love for you to have quick and easy access to your graded work, due dates, missing assignments, etc.

2. Please look over the attached syllabus (see below). We'll also go over this the first week, so if you don't get a chance to look it over, we'll do so together!

Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns at any point this year, please do not hesitate to let me know. I can be best reached via email at [email protected]. I look forward to working with you and your student this year!

Exploring Computer Science (ECS):

This year-long course is designed to introduce students to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S.T.E.M.) through an exploration of accessible and engaging topics to broaden their understanding of everything computer science encompasses. The goal of this course is to develop students' critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, writing, listening, and speaking skills to better prepare them for their post-secondary education. Students will learn how the internet works, analyze big data, build and stylize web pages, produce interactive computer games, strengthen keyboarding skills, and participate in several project-based activities that demonstrate the real-world applications of computing.

Units Covered:

1. Human/ Computer Interaction (9 weeks)

2. Problem-Solving (8 weeks)

3. Web Design (11 weeks)

4. Introduction to Programming (10 weeks)