Grant helps students think, design, print in 3-D

Students watched eagerly to see the 3-D printer begin to form their design. Once complete, their project had to be evaluated and possibly redesigned. The process of designing, evaluating and redesigning is one of the valuable lessons students learned in the Technology Education class. Photo by Marlene Colgan

Three-dimensional printers are changing the way scientists and inventors solve problems. They can be used to create prosthetic limbs, replacement parts for many types of equipment, and build small models. Some of the young inventors being impacted by 3-D printers are at Mission Trail Middle School.

Students in Richard Hinderliter’s Technology Education classes got their first taste of 3-D printing this fall thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Olathe Public Schools Foundation. Only one other middle school has a 3-D printer at this time.

“I’d read about the technology of 3-D printing and seen cool projects that students were doing with the printers elsewhere,” Hinderliter said. “The more I found out about them, the more I wanted one for my students.”

Special Ed services overview on tap for school board meeting

During their regular monthly meeting in January, members of the Olathe Board of Education will hear a presentation on the district’s special education services. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5 in the Education Center, 14160 Black Bob Road, Olathe.

The presentation by Director of Special Services Lanie Fasulo and Assistant Superintendent of General Administration Erin Dugan will cover student enrollment, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act categories, staffing, and funding in special services. District programs are provided for students from early childhood through post-secondary.