FTP is Back!

Here's some welcomed news for those of you who've missed the ability to use FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and those of you unfamiliar with FTP: From home, you should be able to access your work in your network folder once again using FTP. There are two (2) ways you can to do this.

Method One

Method Two

Open any of the Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Next, click on File, Open and, where it says "Look in", click the drop down button and scroll all the way to the bottom. Select "FTP Add/Modify Locations" and type  206.135.101.25 into the "Name of FTP Site box**. Click OK and the Open window reappears with the 206 address. Double click on 206.135.101.25 and a FTP logon box appears. Type in your username and password, click OK and you'll see all the S Drive folders appear in the Open window.

Select your folder. At the bottom of the Open window, you'll see "files of type". Select "All Files". Now, open your folder and the file you want to work on!

**Students of employees should use a different FTP address:        206.135.101.8

You can download a program called FreeFTP using the Quick Link on the Resources page and install it on your computer.  The first time that you use it, you must fill in the following information:

FTP URL      206.135.101.25

User ID         your  SMES  logon ID

Password     your SMES password

Click on connect and you will be connected to the S:Drive folders.  Navigate to your folder listed in the FTP Site Files window, highlight the file that you want to transfer to your computer, and click receive.  The file will be transferred to your computer into the folder listed.  After you have completed working on your file, you must transfer your file back to your folder on the school network.  Highlight your file listed in the Your Files window and click send.  There is a status box in the lower left hand corner that displays messages about the status of your requests. 

When you are finished, click disconnect.   If you need additional assistance, please notify the Helpline at ext. 697 or type "help" in the "To" section of a new email.

Chinese New Year 4700 

We are exiting the Year of the Snake and entering  the Year of the Horse on February 12, 2002.

If born in the years 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, or 1990, you are a Horse person.

Your capacity for hard work is amazing. You are your own person-very independent. While, intelligent and friendly, you have a strong guard against being egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet, or politician. Some Horses: Louisa May Alcott, Chopin, Davy Crockett, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Sandra Day O'Connor, Rembrandt, Teddy Roosevelt.

Want to know more about the Chinese lunar calendar?  Interested in Asian culture? Please visit the following links:

http://www.chineseastrology.com/wu/index1.html                  http://www.mandarintools.com/calconv.html

http://webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-chinese.html

Viruses: Real or Hoax, What to Do?

In the past few weeks, several of you have noticed something in your Outlook inbox that might have made you wonder: Is this a real virus or is it a hoax? Others of you got a message on your computer indicating a virus infection and attempts by TrendScan to clean or move it. When either of this happens, do you wonder what you should do? 

First, a word about virus and other email hoaxes. It's relatively easy to find out if the warning you're reading is genuine or a hoax. Typical hoax warnings include something like "Do not open! Doing so will result in the deletion of all of the files on your hard drive!" and especially this one: "Forward this message to all your friends." The whole point of a hoax is to get the widest audience possible. But you can always double check by referring to an online source like

 http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html; or   http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/hoaxes/hoax.asp;  
or http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org (bookmark these sites)

If, in fact, your computer has a virus, rest assured Technology has been automatically notified by our software provider, TrendMicro. If you are suspicious about an email, don't open it. Simply delete it and be sure to delete it from your "Delete" folder. There is nothing else you need to do. SMES has several types of anti-virus software installed to protect our servers and network, but we always appreciate hearing from you as it indicates your awareness of the situation. 

XIX Winter Games

The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat! It's that time of the year again when athletes from around the world converge in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Winter Olympic which begins on February 8.

Official SLC Olympic Site: http://www.saltlake2002.com/x/f/frame.htm?u=/news/slocmain_front.asp

Official Olympic Site: http://www.olympic.org

Interesting Olympic Facts: http://history1900s.about.com/library/misc/blolympicfacts.htm

St. Margaret's Enters the Wireless Age!

Here's wonderful news for teachers who need a computer lab only to find them all booked:  Technology now has a cart that contains 20 wireless laptops and a wireless printer, and  is available to all divisions on campus. In order to use the wireless lab, however, you will need to receive training in its' setup and use (see February Classes below). At the end of a successful training, you will receive an Operator's License enabling you to check the cart out to your classroom.

Parent Generosity in the Classroom

It's mid-year and you're finding you could use a new computer, a new printer, new software, books, videos, art supplies, P.E. or lab equipment, digital movie camera, etc. Don't just dream about the "what if's". Apply for a PTF grant before the February 15 deadline.

Monies generated through Parent Teacher Fellowship fundraising efforts are given back to the school through a grant request process.  The PTF goals are to support the best programs that serve the needs of the student body at all levels over the long term. Please refer to the time table below and, if you are interested in applying for a grant, use the link below to fill out the online form.

http://www.smes.org/staff/Grant.asp

Educators: Beware of "Mousetrapping"!

Children commonly misspell popular websites (e.g., Britney Spears’ web page, encata [omitting the "r" from encarta],  and the Cartoon Network’s site), and some opportunists are trying to profit off of it. They are known as "sleaze merchants" and their practice is called "mousetrapping". The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) claim that one cyber-scammer is using common misspellings of internet addresses to target unsuspecting visitors with a barrage of pop-up pornography and gambling ads has K-12 decision makers discussing what should be done to prepare students for such internet traps. If you want to know more about this and what you can do to help children and their parents deal with these unsavory situations, please go to the following website: http://www.eschoolnews.org/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=3396

February Classes

This month, the only training offered will be on the setup and use of the Wireless Lab.  These lunch sessions will be offered in two parts and limited to 7-8 participants per class. You must successfully complete both parts in order to receive an Operator's License. That license will be necessary in order to check out and use the Wireless Lab.

Feb 5 and 12      Lunch Sessions        12:30          Lower School Lab (Rm. 25)

Feb 13 and 20    Lunch Sessions        12:15          Lower School Lab (Rm. 25)

To reserve a place in either of these classes, email

londa.posvistak@smes.org