AI Task Force Next Steps - JOIN US!

In the 2025–26 school year, we plan to focus on deepening Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills among students. We plan to introduce lessons and experiences that teach students and support teachers on how to use AI effectively, learn with the support of AI tools, and validate information from AI resources critically. Students will learn not only how to engage with AI, but how to do so thoughtfully, ethically, and responsibly.

We plan to focus on skills such as:

• prompt engineering—communicate clearly with AI
• lateral learning—use AI as a learning assistant
• critical evaluation—detect bias, misinformation, or incomplete reasoning in AI use

The spectrum of AI tools available in education is evolving rapidly. In Barrington 220, we are committed to continuous evaluation and adaptability, ensuring that our instructional practices, professional learning offerings, and AI tool selections reflect the latest research, emerging technologies, and best practices. By remaining flexible and reflective, we can continue to lead in preparing students for a future shaped by innovation—a core cultural value in Barrington 220.

Through the next phases, we will continue to lead with intention, preparing students not just to succeed with Artificial Intelligence, but also with their Human Intelligence.

If this interests you and you'd like to help create opportunities and supports for developing these skills using AI, please email Joe Robinson (jjrobinson@barrington220.org) to join our AI Task Force.

This video provides an addendum to our focus on AI in education.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH3npL4WTDM&list=WL&index=39

Registration for 2025-26 School Year is OPEN!

Online Registration for the 2025-26 school year opened on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 10 a.m.! Families planning to attend Barrington 220 Schools in August need to register and update student and family demographic information before May 31, 2025. Students cannot be officially registered for the 2025-26 school year until Online Registration is completed.

If you are a Barrington 220 parent, the registration link will be in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. Once logged in, refer to the left side of the page, and click to select the More option. Once the list expands, click to select the Online Registration option.

Parents are asked to update contact information, medical information, and answer all required annual parent permission questions. Once you SUBMIT and our staff reviews your registration documents, a confirming email will be sent. Please allow 5-7 business days for an email confirmation to arrive.

Little Broncos Registration Is Paperless for 2025-26

We are excited to announce that beginning the 2025-26 School Year, Little Broncos parents/guardians will be participating in Online Registration via Infinite Campus. 

Please provide feedback regarding your registration experience to registration@barrington220.org.

Collaboration in Apple Apps is Coming Soon!

Starting soon, students and staff will be able to collaborate in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote to boost creativity and multimodal literacy, using new Managed Apple IDs!

Managed Apple IDs also include

• 200 GB of iCloud storage
• easier sharing of Apple documents between staff and students
• and more secure data privacy.

Last week, some staff/students received an email from Apple with an important action item. 

Please read the directions below carefully and use the steps below.

August Camps, Meet School Store

The Barrington 220 Student Information System (SIS) team, in collaboration with the August Camps Administrators, is excited to announce the launch of a pilot program that introduces a new way for families to register for August camps. Beginning May 1, 2025, registration for August Camps will be available directly through the School Store in Infinite Campus, offering a more streamlined and convenient experience for parents.

This pilot is designed to simplify the registration process by integrating it into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal—where families already access grades, attendance, and other student information. By using the School Store feature, parents will be able to view camp offerings, select sessions, and complete payments—all within one familiar platform.

The SIS team and August Camps Administrators will be closely monitoring this pilot to gather feedback and assess the effectiveness of the new system. If successful, this approach may be expanded to additional programs in the future. Families interested in registering for August Camps should log in to their Infinite Campus Parent Portal and visit the School Store to get started.

Decrease the Google Docs Tools After Using Command + to Enlarge

Some Mac "power users" have learned various keyboard shortcuts over the years to save time and make everyday tasks more efficient. However, a few users have observed that one common shortcut sometimes goes awry in the Safari web browser: using the command + shortcut to make the Google Docs view bigger, and command - to make the view smaller. (Technically, the "make larger" command uses the = key that shares the + key, but most users remember these shortcuts as command - and command + .)

Occasionally, when using command +, the Google toolbar stays HUGE on the screen and only the document window gets smaller when using command - to make the view smaller:

After a great deal of searching, trial, and error, we discovered that the secret to returning the tools to normal is to add the shift key to the shortcut:

shift command -

This key combination will make the entire screen, tools and document window, "zoom" smaller. Please note that you may occasionally need to close Safari and reopen it to make this shortcut work properly.

Key's Quick Tips - Options for Word Prediction in the iOS Keyboard

Key's quick tips are provided by Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220.

Have you seen the words that appear above the iPad keyboard to help you and your students type faster? That’s called word prediction!

Did you know you can customize several features in your iPad settings to make word prediction even more helpful for your students, like having the iPad read the suggested words aloud before selecting one?

Explore this and other powerful word prediction options below to better support your students' writing!

Hold to Speak Predictions

Open the Settings app on iPad and navigate through the following settings:

Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content  > Typing Feedback > Hold to Speak Predictions > Turn on Speak Words > Turn on 

 
This feature will allow the student to press a word in the prediction bar and hear it out loud. It will also say each word out loud when the student types. Many students have shared that this keeps their attention on their writing task and also helps them catch errors while writing. 

Change the Predictions to Grammatical Predictions with Additional Choices

Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Assistive Touch > [scroll all the way down] Extended Predictions

Alternate Add-on Keyboard - Co:Writer

Do you have a student who needs a keyboard with additional choices and phonetic spelling support? Check out the Co:Writer add-on keyboard! Click here for directions and see the video demo below!



Please reach out to me if you have any questions or need additional support!
kkey@barrington220.org

Did You Know About This? Tips That Could Change Your Life!

Have you ever accidentally closed a Chrome window and lost a deeply organized set of tabs? 

Do you create Google Slides presentations with sloppy screenshots that include ugly borders from your screen? 

Have you pasted text from another source and created a Franken‑fonted document? 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, we have solutions for you—today!

Chrome’s "Where‑Did‑My‑Window‑Go?" Undo

1. Open a new window, then click History.
2. Navigate to Recently Closed and select Restore All Tabs.

Fix Sloppy Screenshots with Masks

1. Double‑click any image → an instant crop mask appears.
2. Drag the black handles to refocus or swap shapes (arrow ▼ next to the crop icon) for circles, stars, or other shapes.
3. Hit return to lock the mask. No extra menus, no right‑click hunt.

Paste and Match Style (No More "Franken‑Fonts")

1. Press and hold: shift+option+command and simultaneously press V

[I find it helpful to place my left pinky finger on shift, my left middle finger on option, my left index finger on command and press the V with my right index finger.]

If you know another helpful tip, please let us know. Any shared tips we include in future blog posts will be credited to you! You'll be a published blog contributor!