1:World Handbook

K-4 students will be oriented to their Chromebook during class time with their teachers. Students in grade 5 will be oriented to their Chromebook during the first few weeks of school. Additional orientation materials will be given to the students at that time. This handbook will serve as additional information and logistics provided by the GMSD Technology Department.

Support procedures will vary based on grade level. Governor Mifflin Middle School and Governor Mifflin High School students (grades 7-12), or a teacher on their behalf, MUST submit a Tech Support ticket to report any issues or damages. The ‘Tech Support’ link can be found in the Chrome browser in the building bookmarks on the Bookmark Bar. Once a ticket is submitted, students should bring the device to the Chromebook Service Desk.

Governor Mifflin Intermediate School students and elementary students (grades K-6) should report the issue to their teacher, who will submit a Tech Support ticket on their behalf. The ‘Tech Support’ link can be found in the Chrome browser in the building bookmarks on the Bookmark Bar. Students may remain in the classroom, the technician for the building will arrive to pick up the Chromebook requiring service.

Spare devices will be issued to students with a damaged or stolen Chromebook. Students must follow all guidelines listed under the “Caring for your Chromebook” section of this handbook for any Chromebook or spare device issued to them. Students will be contacted when the repairs are completed and their Chromebook is ready to be picked up. Damages will be communicated with the student’s parent/guardian.

GM Gold students must submit a ticket using the ‘Tech Support’ link found in the Chrome browser bookmarks on the Bookmark Bar or email helpdesk@gmsd.org. Be sure to select ‘GM-Gold Student’ when submitting a ticket. The Chromebook service technician will contact the student’s parent or the student via email to arrange for a repair and/or to distribute a spare device.

Elementary students’ Chromebooks will be provided in their classrooms. Chromebooks will remain stored in the device carts; K-4 students will not be expected to take the Chromebooks home, unless required by the District.

Incoming grade 5 students will receive their device on the first day of school. Teachers will assign the Chromebooks to each student. Each student will receive the Chromebook, charging cord, a copy of the Chromebook handbook and the insurance information. Students will keep this device for the duration of grades 5-8.

Incoming 9th grade students will receive their Chromebook for grades 9-12 at the end of their 8th grade school year. Devices will be distributed during school hours. Announcements will be made during the last few weeks of school alerting students and parents of this distribution. During this distribution, students will be expected to return their previously issued device in full working condition, along with the issued charging cord. If there is an issue with the student’s previously issued device, they must submit a Tech Support ticket prior to picking up their device for grades 9-12.

Incoming 9th grade students who have outstanding Technology fees will not be issued the new device until those fees are paid in full. The previously issued device will remain with the student until the new device can be issued.

Students taking classes through GM Gold will be issued a GM Gold Chromebook at the time of enrollment. This distribution will be coordinated by the GM Gold Coordinator.

Graduating seniors will have the opportunity to take their Chromebook with them after graduation. Upon doing so, the device will be released from all GMSD licensing and support. A few weeks in advance of the last senior day, announcements will be made informing the graduating class of the process for taking the device with them after graduation.

Students leaving during the school year MUST return the Chromebook to either the school counseling office, building main office, or the front desk at the Education Center. If a device is not returned, the full cost of replacement will be charged to the family.

1. Care for your device (see “Caring For Your Chromebook”)
    
2. A students’ Chromebook includes a charger. Students in grades 7-12 are responsible for maintaining the condition of not only the Chromebook, but also the assigned charger. If the school issued charging cord is lost or damaged, students must get a replacement from Tech Support. If applicable, the fee will be covered under the insurance policy, otherwise the cost of replacing the charging cord will be charged to the family. If the charging cord is found to be defective, a one time replacement is given to the student at no cost. The charging cord is the property of GMSD and must be replaced by GMSD Tech Support. Third-party charging cords purchased by the student or family are not supported. Elementary students’ Chromebooks will be stored and charged in the classroom carts; as such, elementary students will not be responsible for damages to the charging blocks/cords.
    
3. GM Gold students will use the Chromebook at home; however, they should regard the Chromebook as the property of Governor Mifflin School District.
    
4.  Protect your Chromebook from damage or theft.
    
5. The Chromebook is a learning tool and should accompany the student during each school day. Students in grades 7-12 will be required to take the device between school and home. All guidelines for caring for the district-issued Chromebook apply whilst at home as well as on campus.
    
6. Begin each day with a fully charged Chromebook. Bringing a charged Chromebook to school is part of being prepared for class. Tech Support will not charge devices for students who arrive at school with an uncharged device. The classrooms have been supplied with charging blocks for this purpose.
    
7. Do not remove any district tags or stickers from the device.
    
8. Do not lend your Chromebook to another student, or use another student’s Chromebook.
    
9. Repeatedly forgetting your Chromebook or bringing it to school without being fully charged may result in disciplinary action.

Beginning in 5th grade, students are granted access to Google email through the district domain (@ gmsd.org).

Students in grades 5-8 may only send and receive emails from email addresses listed on the allow-list, as well as any email message from a gmsd.org account. Parents’ emails are considered an external email account and will not be delivered to student email addresses.

Students in grades 9-12 may send/receive email outside the district domains for educational purposes and purposes of contacting higher-education institutes.

Accounts of students in grades K-4 will appear as an email address, however they will not have access to the email app or be able to send or receive email of any kind.

Per the GMSD Acceptable Use Policy (School Board Policy 815), students should have no expectation of privacy. All messages sent and received through the GMSD Google domain are archived and searchable. Students’ accounts are not used for commercial purposes. Google Chat or other direct messaging services are disabled for all students.

The district utilizes an Internet content filter that is in compliance with the federally mandated Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). All internet activity is protected and monitored by Governor Mifflin School District, both on and off campus.

The ChromeOS is, by design, well protected from viruses and their behavior as of late. Very few pieces of software actually execute locally on the Chromebook, because the Chromebook is designed to be a conduit to the internet and browser-based content. The OS continuously seeks updates upon each boot up. Certain brands of Chromebook will run hardware checks for tampering upon each boot-up.

Each web page runs separately from the other and each tab is its own instance of the OS. Should one be infected, it will not infect the others.

All data on the device is encrypted for each account. A user must be signed in to access their data. No other person can access data from a different account.

1.  Do not drop, hit or throw the device.
2.  Do not remove the keys from the keyboard.
3. Do not allow the device to be placed in an area where it may be stepped on or sat upon.
4. Do not leave the device in a room or car unattended.
5. Do not leave your device in a hot car or unheated space. Avoid excessive temperature changes.
6. Do not use your device in wet environments, such as kitchens or bathrooms.
7. Chromebooks should never be left in an unsupervised area. Unsupervised Chromebooks will be confiscated by staff. Disciplinary action may be taken for leaving your Chromebook in an unsupervised location.
8. Carry your device in a secure manner. If permitted, bags designed to carry laptops are preferable. Other options include laptop/neoprene sleeves, binders with a laptop compartment etc.
9. Students may place stickers or decals on the Chromebook; however it is not recommended. In the event the Chromebook must be repaired and the top or bottom cover replaced, any decoration attached to the exterior of the device will not be restored.
10. Do not write on or mark the device with any permanent marker, paint etc.
11. Do not place anything over the camera lens.
12. Do not use liquid cleaners of any type to clean the device. A dry rag, microfiber cloth or soft cloth may be used to dust the keyboard or remove smudges from the screen.
13. Do not have food or drink near the device.
14. The charging cord must be carried with the device, and on occasion, may be used by the student during class if the device is not charged.
15. Do not tightly wrap the charging cord as that may weaken the cable and damage the charging block.
16. Do not rest or leave your device on soft surfaces such as beds, couches or carpeted floors.
17. Do not leave the device unattended near pets.
18. Do not attempt to repair your device. Each device is covered by a warranty. Bring all damaged devices to the Tech Support located in each building.
19. If you suspect that your device has been stolen, report it immediately to Tech Support personnel or the main office of your building. A POLICE REPORT MUST BE FILED AND A COPY OF THE REPORT SUBMITTED TO TECH SUPPORT TO AVOID ANY PENALTY.

As with any school property issued to a student, there is a responsibility to take appropriate care of these valuable resources. The Chromebook is no different. While the Chromebooks will have a minimum manufacturer’s warranty, there needs to be a replacement insurance plan in place to help students when there is loss or an accident that causes damage to the device.

The optional insurance fee is recommended for students’ devices in grades 7-12. Students in grades K-6 will not be required to bring their devices home; therefore the district will handle the cost of repairs. However, if the student is found to have deliberately damaged or lost the Chromebook, the cost to repair or replace the device will be charged to the family regardless of the student’s grade level.

The optional insurance fee is $20.00 paid annually, per device (if student is a “free” or “reduced status student, the fee will be $5.00 annually, per device). This fee is non-refundable. The insurance fee will be collected at the start of the school year. Announcements will be sent to families advising them of when the insurance fee is due. Families can pay for and renew the insurance online through SchoolPay (available on the district website). GMSD will also accept checks, money orders or cash. Checks or money orders should be made to “Governor Mifflin School District.”

For online payments, login to Campus Parent and click Fees at the left. Select the Chromebook Insurance and follow the rest of the prompts to pay for the insurance online using a credit or debit card. Cash or money orders can be submitted to the building office or the front desk of the Education Center.

Insurance is for accidental damage and covers basic wear and tear and minor damages (see “Repair Coverage Schedule” below). All loss or damages will be investigated and assessed for cause and severity. Governor Mifflin School District administration will determine if the loss or damage is intentional or the result of gross negligence. Damages will be assessed and communicated to the parent/guardian.
Insurance does not cover the following:

• Damage, theft or loss of another student’s device.
• Damage, theft or loss of a spare device.
• Gross negligence or intentional damage.
• Theft of a device unless a police report has been filed and a copy submitted to Tech Support.

Insurance renewals will begin in August prior to the first day of school. This will be announced to families prior to the renewal start date.

Google Workspace for Parents

• Our Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice describes how Google products and services collect and use information when used with Google Workspace for Education accounts. (workspace.google.com)
• Information about the legal commitments Google makes for Google Workspace for Education Core and Additional Services is available in our Help Center. (apps.google.com)
• Information about how Google’s products work to protect privacy is available in our Product Privacy Guide (policies.google.com and at privacy.google.com). Note that Google does not use any user personal information (or any information associated with a Google Workspace for Education Account) to target ads for Google Workspace for Education users in primary and secondary (K–12) schools, and any statements about ads on those pages are overridden by this restriction from our Privacy Notice (see workspace.google.com>privacy settings).
• Information about Google’s compliance with international legal obligations on data protection can be seen in the Data Processing Amendment to Google Workspace and/or Complementary Product Agreement (see workspace.google.com>data processing), which describes extensive measures for data security that Google and its customers have agreed.
• Answers to many top questions about privacy and security appear on our Google for Education Privacy and Security Center (see edu.google.com>privacy and security).
• Internet services - for qualifying families or families unable to get internet service to their dwelling, please consider these other services/programs:
  • Verizon ACP (verizon.com)
  • Learn more at everyoneon.org
• Internet filtering apps: For parents interested in learning about filtering tools for the home, please peruse the links below (Note: these are suggested services only, and are not sanctioned or vetted by GMSD):
  • https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security/
  • https://ikeepsafe.org/parentsquare-earns-ikeepsafe-coppa-safe-harbor-ferpa-and-california-student-data-privacy-certifications/

Is the Chromebook filtered/monitored by the District after school hours?
Yes. Filtering and logging of internet traffic happens 24x7, so long as the GMSD Chrome management license is active on the device.

How do the students communicate with each other and teachers?
Students grades 5-12 have access to the Gmail app. Only students in grades 9-12 may email outside
the gmsd.org or gostangs.org domains. Students may also communicate with their teachers through
Google Classroom posts.

Do students have access to Youtube?
Yes. Youtube is part of the Google Workplace. Teachers will use Youtube for streaming various classroom resources.

Can students be blocked from certain Google Workplace apps?
On a case-by-case basis, students can be restricted from certain apps or features of the Google Workplace. Such requests are fulfilled through a request to Tech Support from the building Principal. Parents should first speak with the building Principal.

What if another student damages my child’s Chromebook?
This situation will first be handled as a discipline issue. If the damage was deliberate and not accidental, then the offending student will most likely be charged for the damages. Students in this situation may not use the insurance fee to cover the damage cost(s) to another student’s Chromebook.

Will students in K-6 be charged for damages or theft of a Chromebook?
The Chromebook will be treated like district property. In the event the damages or theft are deliberate, the situation will first be handled by the principal as a disciplinary act. The family of the offending student may be charged for the cost to repair damages or replace the device.