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Teacher Spotlight: Sam Skifton

My name is Sam Skifton, and I am an ELA and technology middle school teacher at Father Allouez Catholic School. I am currently in my 4th year at FACS and am proud to be part of the GRACE school system! I have no formal background in technology, but I always love to experiment with new technology and incorporate it into my technology class.

What did you enjoy about being a presenter at the GRACE Technology Inservice?

When I was invited to be a presenter for the GRACE Technology Inservice, I was initially nervous but excited. It was such a joy to share my experience with Adafruit’s Circuit Playground Express with other GRACE teachers! My group and I covered the basics of the Circuit Playground and coding, and we even were able to test a new aspect of it that I hadn’t tried yet. I really appreciated that they had fun experimenting with me!

How are you currently using the technology you presented about in your classroom?

I am currently teaching an Adafruit class this trimester as an elective class. FACS has been teaching elective classes such as Robotics, Leadership, and Career Exploration for two years, and it has been so much fun using the Circuit Playground for my Adafruit class. The kids love the creativity that the class involves, and they run with it! Students have created hot potato games, magic wands, nightlights, and even music boxes just with one little piece of technology.

What should teachers do if they want to learn more about Adafruits?

If you want to learn more about Adafruit and the Circuit Playground Express, please feel free to email me or click here for general information.


Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, visit their website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.