GRADES 6-8 ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROGRAM

Program Overview

Every student in grades 6, 7, and 8 receives a school district issued Chromebook and charger. Students will be assigned a Chromebook and charger for the entire school year. Students will take the devices home with them every day.
ETR students need to pay the program fee and complete the online AUP form every year.
Chromebooks will be distributed to incoming 6th grade students and new students who have paid the program fee and completed the online AUP form. Please contact the main office at 610-938-6300 if you have questions.
Assessed fees for repairs will be added to HAC:

Accident Forgiveness – a fine will not be assessed for the first cracked screen
$75 cracked screen fee after Accident Forgiveness
$20 plastics fee
$40 lost charger fee
Intentional damage fees will be determined by administration

Program Requirements

The following steps must be completed for each student to receive an electronic device:

Required: Review the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) information below and complete the online form below.
Required: Pay the Electronic Device Program Fee ($30) and any outstanding technology fines from the prior year via PaySchools Central.

There is an annual maximum program fee of $100 per family.
Online payments – please visit our PaySchools Central instruction page to make an online payment.
Cash/Check payments - please visit HAC to check your balance prior to submitting payment. If you are new to the district, a HAC welcome letter has been sent with your login credentials.
**CASH/CHECK PAYMENTS MAY TAKE UP TO 48 HOURS TO PROCESS**

Example: Payment made at 10 AM Monday; student receives device on Wednesday. Payment made at 11 PM Monday; student receives device on Thursday.

PaySchools Central Instructions for Online Payments

Students must complete steps 1 and 2 by Thursday, August 24^th at 3:00 pm to receive their Chromebooks on Tuesday, August 29th.

After August 24^th, there will be a 48-hour turn-around time for pick-up.

6TH GRADE STUDENTS AND STUDENTS NEW TO SSD

Complete Steps 1 and 2 by Thursday, August 24^th at 3:00 pm to receive Chromebooks on Tuesday, August 29th, 2023.

After August 24^th, there will be a 48-hour turn-around time for pick-up.

7th and 8th Grade Students

Complete steps 1 and 2 by Thursday, August 24^th. If steps 1 & 2 are not completed by September 8^th, 2023, your device and @ssdstudent account will be disabled.

Any damages from the summer will be assessed upon return to school.

ETR ACCEPTABLE USE (AUP) INFORMATION

Please review the following information.

Once reviewed, fill out the form below and click SUBMIT to acknowledge reading and agreeing to the information.

Required: Please review Acceptable Use Policy
Required: Please review Electronic Device Program Agreement
Required: Please review Electronic Device Computer Policy/Permission Form

For more information about the appropriate use of technology:

Video Conferencing Guidelines & Best Practices
Common Sense Parent Packet
Common Sense Family Media Agreement
Family Media Agreement and Device Contract helps to set realistic rules that make sense for your family so you and your kids can make the most out of media and tech time.

Reminders:

Parents assume full responsibility for the care and return of the district device, as stated in the Acceptable Use Policies above.
There is no expectation of privacy when using a school district issued device, whether at school or at home. All internet activity is filtered and monitored by the district in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Be sure to have your children log out of their firstname.lastname@ssdstudent.org Google accounts when they are finished their work on any home devices, to ensure they are no longer connected to our platforms/filters.

Additional Information

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can my student bring their own electronic device in to school?

No. Due to software, network, repair, and liability considerations, students may not use their own electronic device on the school network.

2. If the Electronic Device is in for repair, are there "loaner Electronic Devices" available?

Yes, they are available upon student request.

3. Will the electronic device work on my home network?

As a rule, the electronic device should find wireless networks and allow connection. If your wireless network is password protected, you will need that password to connect to your network.

4. What happens if my student forgets his/her electronic device?

In grades 4-12, students should charge their Chromebooks each night and bring them to school each day. This is considered being prepared for class, similar to having your textbook and homework for class. Please refer to the Spares and Repairs found on this webpage for more information.

5. Who do I see about a problem or a concern?

Please contact your student's school or teacher, or email your school's Chromebook support at:

E.T. Richardson Middle School: ETRChromebookSupport@ssdcougars.org

6. How many electronic devices have been lost or stolen?

Approximately a tenth of one percent.

7. Does the electronic device have a webcam built in or an active remote (off network) monitoring system installed?

SSD Chromebooks have built-in webcams. Although we can monitor the use of the Chromebook while it is connected to the SSD network, we do not remotely access the device when it is off of the SSD network. In order to be CIPA (Child Information Protection Act) compliant, all devices are filtered through the SSD network, while in school as well as at home.

The electronic device is property of the Springfield School District. Students using an SSD device or an @ssdstudent.or account should not have an expectation of privacy. Contents of the hard drive, a student’s @ssdstudent.org Google account, and/or browsing history may be retrieved for administrative purposes at any time.

Reporting Lost or Stolen Device

Please follow the procedures listed below if your student’s Chromebook is lost or stolen.

Student should notify their homeroom teacher or main office that their device is lost or stolen.
The device will be disabled so no one else can log into it once we are notified.
Download and complete the SSD Tech Incident Report.
Email the SSD Tech Incident Report to Sergeant Christopher Chermak, the Director of Safety and Security for Springfield School District (Christopher.Chermak@ssdcougars.org). Sergeant Chermak will notify the Technology Department once the incident report is received, and a fine of $75 will be issued.
- Once the fine is issued, payment can be made via Payschools Central, or cash/check can be submitted to the Main Office of your student’s school.
Your student may check out a Chromebook each day to use during the school day and must return it at the end of each day prior to leaving school.
Your student will be issued a replacement Chromebook once the incident report is submitted and payment is received.
If, after 2 weeks, the incident report is not received and the fine is not paid, the $75 fine will be replaced with a fine for the full amount of the Chromebook and student technology access will be limited.
- If a financial hardship exists, please reach out to your student’s guidance counselor or the school administration.
If the device is found, the fine will be removed from HAC or payment will be refunded.

Spares and Repairs

Electronic devices that are in need of repair should be brought to the school's LMC or main office. Spare devices are available but are not automatically assigned and must be requested by the student.

In the event that the electronic device is forgotten by the student, they may also sign out a spare in the LMC.

Please remember that if a student forgets an electronic device more than three times in a marking period, the student will lose take-home privileges.

Please keep in mind that although we strive for a quick turnaround, other factors may influence the speed with which the electronic device is repaired. If it appears that the electronic device will be out of service for a prolonged period of time, students are encouraged to obtain a spare.