Technology Times

If you have children in multiple grade levels, you may see some that have devices that they bring home daily starting on day 1 and others that will slowly be phased in. Please see below for full details.

If your child is expected to bring a device to school daily, please support them in ensuring the devices are charged every night in preparation for the school day.

• Current 7th-12th graders have kept their chromebooks from the 20/21 school year over the summer. They are ready for use immediately this school year. Students are expected to bring their Chromebook to and from school daily. Updates may be required for devices that were not used regularly over the summer. See below. Students that are new to the district will be assigned a device during the first week of school.
• Current 4th-6th graders will be getting their chromebooks during the first week of school. Parents can expect these devices to travel to and from school on a daily basis starting almost immediately depending on teachers' procedures and expectations.
• Current 3rd graders (IEC) will be getting their chromebooks during the first week of school. Students will not be required to bring these devices home on a daily basis right away. More information to come.
• Current PEC students will be assigned an iPad during this week. Students will not be required to bring these devices home on a daily basis right away. More information to come.

* If your child is part of a grade level that does not bring a device home daily at this time, we will make arrangements to get them a device in the event of a quarantine.

It is absolutely vital that you ensure that the district has up-to-date contact information in PowerSchool. You will miss out on important district communication if there is not an accurate email and/or phone number listed. It is a good idea to have an email listed for each parent/guardian whenever possible. Usually documentation is sent home from each building describing how to set up your parent portal account and/or how to update your information. Click here for a short tutorial.

When a district-wide communication is sent out (usually on Friday afternoons) it is shared in several ways:

A. Email is sent to each parent/guardian listed.

B. A link posted on our website COVID 19>District Communications.

C. A link texted to each parent/guardian listed.

D. A link is posted on Twitter @LewPortCSD. Please follow us!

E. A link is posted on our Facebook page

F. A copy is shared on our Family App which can be downloaded here for Android and here for Apple.

If your child is working in Google Classroom, you can get periodic guardian email summaries that will provide you with useful updates about assignments and grades. Most of our parents have this set up already but if you are a parent that is currently NOT receiving these emails, you should expect a new invite by the end of September.

Click here to learn more about guardian summaries.

*You do NOT need a Google account in order to get guardian summaries; however if you have difficulty getting them, Google support has recommended that if you create a Gmail account. If you do that, please call the school so they can update your email in our system. Another benefit to having a Google account is that you can set the preference for your guardian summaries.

Q. How do I help my child if they have login trouble?

A. Login trouble can be frustrating for all people involved. This should help solve these issues quickly. In the High School, Middle School, and IEC, student passwords follow the same pattern:

Lp and the last six of the student ID (example: Lp123456). You can find your child's student ID in Parent Portal.

Logins for many programs run through Google or Clever. If you are unsure of your child's login information, please reach out to their teacher for assistance. Certain programs, especially at the elementary level may have alternate login procedures.

Q. What if apps are not working on a Chromebook?

A. Chromebooks are very popular in schools because their cost effective and they're simple. There is not much that can go wrong. USUALLY if a Chromebook is having trouble, it needs to be updated. Most of these Chromebooks have been powered down all summer and would not have been updated. It needs to be charged, connected to WiFi, and updated to work. Please follow this process if you think your Chromebook needs an update.

Updating Chromebooks

Throughout the year, these issues will be minimal since devices will be regularly used and automatic updates will keep them running at an optimal level.

Q. What do I do if my child has a device that is malfunctioning even after it is updated?

A. While rare, It is possible that your child's device may have some hardware defects at some point. The most common defects that are usually not associated with software updates include:

• Battery not charging or not holding a charge
• Keyboard/mouse not working
• Defective screen
• Microphone not functioning

If you believe there is a hardware issue with your child's device, you may contact the school librarian to troubleshoot and/or arrange an exchange while the device is repaired.

HS: tfaut@lew-port.com

MS: kpax@lew-port.com

IEC: hkazulak@lew-port.com

PEC: hzielinski@lew-port.com*

Q. What can I do to help my child keep their device safe while traveling to and from school?

A. Please make sure they are safely stored in some compartment of their school back, cushioned if possible. DO NOT keep an iPad or Chromebook in the same bag as a lunchbox. We've seen library books get ruined as a result of spilled juice boxes and thermoses. Please try to keep these things separated as best as possible especially if there is liquid in the lunch.

See 1:1 Device Policy and User Agreement for more information

Q. What happens if my child loses or breaks their assigned device?

A. Families are responsible for any lost or damaged devices. Please see the Shared Devices Agreement (for Parents) for more information.

If your child misplaces a charger to their assigned device, use the links below to find safe, reliable replacement chargers on Amazon. It is generally easier and more economical if you are able to find a replacement charger on your own rather than having the district charge you for a replacement.

Chromebook (Round Plug)

Chromebook (USB-C Plug [Flat])

iPad Plug

iPad Cable

Director of Technology & Data

Lewiston-Porter Central Schools

Email: nhill@lew-port.com
Website: www.lew-port.com/technology_services
Phone: (716) 286-7295
Facebook: Facebook.com/LewistonPorterCentralSchools/
Twitter: @lewportcsd