Sentinel High School students recently submitted an idea for the Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge and won the award for best in State.

MCPS Superintendent Mark Thane said the computer science classes were instituted as part of the STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program, and that Sentinel students have excelled in the technology.

“They have a cadre of students who are extremely talented and very interested in applying the skills they are learning,” Thane said. “They submitted to the Verizon Challenge and are the statewide winners and are now advancing to the national competition.”

Thane described the winning project.

“The students designed an app called ‘Class Assistant’ that allows them from mobile devices to access their grades, their class schedules, or any assignments they may have, so it’s really an opportunity for them to stay organized and connected to their school,” he said. “Certainly, that’s of interest to Verizon as they work to support students in the classroom and also look for utility on their mobile devices.”

Representatives from Verizon will present the Best in State award and prizes to Dan Lande, Sentinel High School math and computer science teacher, and the student team members, Preston Stevens, Zayne Sharrard, Cody Curtis, Christopher Brady, Anthony Gilley, Alexander West and Domanic Mills following the close of all competition on February 15.

Thane said everyone in Missoula can help the Sentinel team win the national prize of $15,000 by simply texting the code for the Classroom Assistant app concept – CLASSASST - to 22333 using a mobile device by midnight on February 14.

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