Chromebook Policy

Students will transition from consumers of information to creative producers and owners of knowledge. The team will establish collaborative professional learning communities, based on integrative professional development for teachers, so that this program enhances classroom environments implementing high-quality instruction, assessment and learning through the integration of technology and curriculum. Technology immersion does not diminish the vital role of the teacher. To the contrary, it transforms the teacher from a director of learning to a facilitator of learning. The Board, staff and community members will all play a key role in the development of effective and high quality educational experiences.

Device Purpose

Island School is supplying middle school students with a Chromebook device. This device is property of Island School. The supplied instructional device’s function will provide each student access to required educational materials needed for each student to be successful. The Chromebook allows student access to Google Apps for Education, MyVoyager, educational web-based tools, as well as many other useful sites. The supplied device is an educational tool not intended for gaming, social networking or high end computing.

The policies, procedures, and information within this document apply to all Chromebooks used at Island School by students, staff, or guests including any other device considered by the Administration to fall under this policy.

Teachers may set additional requirements for Chromebook use in their classroom.

List of 9 items.

Receiving Your Chromebook

Chromebooks will be distributed each fall during the first week of school. Parents & Students must sign and return the Chromebook Policy Sign-off before the Chromebook can be issued to their child. This document will need to be signed during student registration.

Return:
Student Chromebooks and accessories (charger and battery) will be collected at the end of each school year for maintenance over summer vacation. Students will retain their original Chromebook each year while enrolled at Island School.

Any student who transfers out of Island School will be required to return their Chromebook and accessories. If a Chromebook and accessories are not returned, the parent/guardian will be held responsible for the replacement cost of the device and, in addition, the student’s records will not be released until payment is received.
Taking Care of Your Chromebook
Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook which they have been issued by the school. Chromebooks that are broken or fail to work properly must be taken to the Technology Coordinator’s office. If a loaner Chromebook is needed, one will be issued to the student until their Chromebook can be repaired or replaced.
General Precautions:
- No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
- Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the Chromebook.
- Students should never carry their Chromebook while the screen is open unless directed to do so by a teacher.
- Chromebooks should be shut down when not in use to conserve battery life.
- Chromebooks should never be shoved into a locker or wedged into a book bag as this may break the screen.
- Do not expose your Chromebook to extreme temperature or direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Extreme heat or cold may cause damage to the laptop.
- Always bring your laptop to room temperature prior to turning it on.
Carrying the Chromebook:
The protective shell of the Chromebook will only provide basic protection from everyday use. It is not designed to prevent damage from drops or abusive handling. Carrying the Chromebook in a padded backpack or padded bookbag is acceptable provided the backpack or bookbag is handled with care. For example, you shouldn’t toss or drop the bag if your Chromebook is inside. Protective padded cases are provided and must be used at all times.

Screen Care:
The Chromebook screen can be damaged if subjected to rough treatment. The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure.
- Do not lean on top of the Chromebook.
- Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen.
- Do not place anything in the carrying case that will press against the cover.
- Do not poke the screen.
- Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks).
- Clean the screen with a soft, dry anti-static, or micro-fiber cloth. Do not use window cleaner or any type of liquid or water on the Chromebook. You can also purchase individually packaged pre-moistened eyeglass lens cleaning tissues to clean the screen. These are very convenient and relatively inexpensive.
Using Your Chromebook

At School:
The Chromebook is intended for use at school each and every day. In addition to teacher expectations for Chromebook use, school messages, announcements, calendars, academic handbooks, student handbooks and schedules will be accessed using the Chromebook. Students must be responsible for bringing their Chromebook to all classes, unless specifically advised not to do so by their teacher.

At Home:
All students are required to charge their Chromebooks at home each night. Chromebooks must be brought to school fully charged each day. Students need to charge their Chromebooks each evening. If students leave their Chromebook at home, they must immediately phone parents to bring the Chromebook to school. Repeat violations of this policy will result in referral to administration and possible disciplinary action.

It is recommended that students not carry the AC Adapter power cord (charger) to school. If fully charged at home, the battery will last throughout the day.

Sound:
Sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes. It is recommended that student bring personal headphones for any audio projects they work on.

Printing:
At School: Printing functionality will be available on a limited basis at school and subject to classroom requirements. Teaching strategies will facilitate digital copies of homework.

At Home: The Chromebook will not support a physical printer connection. Instead, users may print to their home printers using the Google Cloud Print service. A wireless home network is required for this. http://google.com/cloudprint
Managing Your Files and Saving Your Work

Students may save documents to their Google Drive, or they may save to an external memory device such as a miniSD card or USB flash drive. Saving to Google Drive will make the file accessible from any computer with internet access. Students using Google Drive to work on their documents will not need to save their work, as Drive will save each keystroke as the work is being completed. It will be the responsibility of the student to maintain the integrity of their files and keep proper backups. Students will be trained on proper file management procedures.
Personalizing the Chromebook

Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, or stickers. An unaltered identification label with the student’s name is the only acceptable exception in the Chromebook case. Spot checks for compliance will be done by administration at any time.

Students may add appropriate music, photos, and videos to their Chromebook. Personalized media are subject to inspection and must follow the Island School acceptable use policy.
Software on Chromebooks

Originally Installed Software:
Chromebook software is delivered via the Chrome Web Store. These are web-based applications that do not require installation space on a hard drive. Some applications, such as Google Drive, are available for offline use. The software originally installed on the Chromebook must remain on the Chromebook in usable condition and easily accessible at all times.

All Chromebooks are supplied with the latest build of Google Chrome Operating System (OS), and many other applications useful in an educational environment. The Chrome OS will automatically install updates when the computer is shutdown and restarted.

From time to time the school may add software applications for use in a particular course. This process will be automatic with virtually no impact on students. Applications that are no longer needed will automatically be removed by the school as well.

Virus Protection:
Virus protection is unnecessary on the Chromebook due to the unique nature of its design.

Additional Software:
Students are unable to install additional software on their Chromebook other than what has been approved by Island School.

Inspection:
Students may be selected at random to provide their Chromebook for inspection. The purpose for inspection will be to check for proper care and maintenance as well as ensuring that no inappropriate material is being carried into the school.

Procedure for Restoring the Chrome OS:
If technical difficulties occur, technical support staff will use the “5-minute” rule. If the problem cannot be fixed in 5 minutes, the Chromebook will be restored to factory defaults. In a 1:1 environment it is impossible for support staff to maintain a working environment for all if too much time is spent fixing every glitch that may arise. Restoring the Chrome OS will restore the device to the state in which the user originally received it. All student created files stored on an external miniSD card, USB flash drive, or Google Drive will be intact after the operating system is restored. All files saved on the chromebook that have been synced to Google Drive will be intact. However, all other data (music, photos, documents) stored on internal memory that has NOT been synced will not be restored unless the student requests that an attempt be made to salvage it.
Protecting & Storing Your Chromebook
Chromebook Identification:
Chromebooks will be labeled in the manner specified by the school.

Chromebooks can be identified in the following ways:
- Record of serial number and Island School asset tag
- Individual’s Google Account username
Under no circumstances are students to modify, remove, or destroy identification labels.
Storing Your Chromebook:
When students are not monitoring their Chromebook, they should be stored in their lockers with the lock securely fastened. Nothing should be placed on top of the Chromebook, when stored in the locker. Students need to take their Chromebook home with them every night. The Chromebook is not to be stored in their lockers or anywhere else at school outside of school hours. The Chromebook should be charged fully each night at the student’s home. Chromebooks should never be stored in a vehicle.

Storing Chromebooks at Extra-Curricular Events:
Students are responsible for securely storing their Chromebook during extra-curricular events.

Chromebooks Left in Unsupervised / Unsecured Areas:
Under no circumstance should a Chromebook be stored in unsupervised areas. Unsupervised areas include the school grounds and campus, the main hall, unlocked classrooms, library, hallways, bathrooms, bus, in a car, or any other entity that is not securely locked or in which there is not supervision.

Unsupervised Chromebooks will be confiscated by staff and taken to the Technology Coordinator’s office. Disciplinary action will be taken for leaving a Chromebook in an unsupervised location.
Repairing or Replacing Your Chromebook
Chromebooks Undergoing Repair:
- Loaner Chromebooks may be issued to students when they leave their Chromebook for repair with the Technology Coordinator.
- If repair is needed due to malicious damage, the school may refuse to provide a loaner Chromebook.
- Repaired Chromebooks will end up with the original factory image as first received. It is important that students keep their school data synced to cloud drives so documents and class projects will not be lost. Personal information that cannot be replaced should be kept at home on an external storage device.
- Students and parents will be charged for Chromebook damage that is a result of misuse or abusive handling. Parents will be billed for Lenovo parts and labor.
Lenovo Warranty:
Lenovo warrants the Chromebook from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year. This warranty is only valid for the first 12 months from the date Island School takes delivery of the Chromebook. This limited warranty covers normal use, mechanical breakdown, or faulty construction and will provide replacement parts necessary to repair or, if necessary, replace the Chromebook. The Lenovo warranty DOES NOT warrant against damage caused by misuse, abuse, or accidents. Please report all Chromebook problems to the Tech Office.

If a Chromebook becomes defective (at no fault of the student) after the Lenovo warranty expires, Island School will replace the Chromebook at no charge with a refurbished Chromebook of the same age or newer.

Accidental Damage or Loss Protection:
As part of the 1:1 Chromebook initiative at Island School, we are recommending the purchase of accidental damage insurance prior to the deployment of the Chromebook to your child. Island School recommends using Worth Avenue Group as the insurance provider.

Parents/Students will be charged for full replacement cost of a device that has been damaged due to intentional misuse or abuse. Insurance is optional on the device. https://my.worthavegroup.com/ischoolhi may be used to purchase insurance if desired.

Lost, Stolen or Intentionally Damaged Device and Accessories:
A Chromebook or any of it’s accessories that are lost (whereabouts unknown) or intentionally damaged is the responsibility of the student and parent involved in the loss of property. The replacement costs are listed below. The user will not be given another device or accessory to use until the replacement cost of the lost/damaged device or accessory is paid to the school.
- Replacement of the Chromebook - $220
- Case - $30
- AC Adapter & power cord - $30
Failure of the parent, legal guardian or student over the age of 18 to pay any fees from an intentionally damaged, lost or stolen Chromebook may be turned over to a collection agency.
Chromebook Technical Support
The Technology Coordinator’s office will be the first point of contact for repair of the Chromebooks. Services provided by the Technology Coordinator’s Office include:
- Password Identification
- User account support
- Coordination of warranty repair
- Distribution of loaner Chromebooks
- Hardware maintenance and repair
- Operating System or software configuration support
- Restoring Chromebook to factory default
- System software updates

Download Chromebook Policy & User Agreement