A Chromebook is a personal computer running the Chrome OS as its operating system. The devices are designed to primarily be used while connected to the Internet and support applications that reside on the Web, rather than traditional applications that reside on the machine itself.

Minimum Tech Requirement: Intel Celeron with 1.1GHz/4G RAM/32G HD (Zoom’s minimum system requirements call for 1GHZ processor and 4G RAM).

• A minimum download speed of 5.0MBPS (Zoom uses 3.0MBPS for HD audio and video)

• Google Chrome browser

• When wireless is being used, work as close as possible to the wireless router to maintain excellent signal strength (5 bars)

• Close out of unnecessary tabs and applications to free up memory and processing speeds

• If multiple family members are using the internet for school work at once, turn off other devices that are not being used like cell phones, televisions, and speakers to help with transmission rates and possible interference.

• If your signal is week in a certain room you might want to think about purchasing a wifi signal booster.

Students have unlimited storage in Google's cloud (Google Drive) with their educational Google Apps for Education account. Apps include documents, spreadsheets, calendar and slides. There is also a 16GB internal SSD used for the operating system and offline mode syncing. Students should always store their files to their unlimited Google Drive. If your device needs repairs, it may require a reload of the operating system which will delete all locally stored files on your Chromebook. Doing a reload of the device will not affect any files in Google Drive.

Please refer to this link for instructions on how to work on your docs off line while not connected to the Internet.

Digital online file sharing between staff and students is one of the great advantages of the Chromebooks and is an easy and efficient way to distribute and turn in assignments without printing. It also saves on paper, ink and toner use, thereby reducing the impact on the environment. There are ways to print from the Chromebooks, but it's not encouraged. Most printing of schoolwork should be done at school. If you would still like to print see the troubleshooting section for help on installing a printer.

Students and teachers will utilize Google Classroom to facilitate delivering, collecting, grading, and returning assignments electronically.

The Responsible Use Policy is in the Student Handbook and posted on the parent portal in Veracross. Please also refer to the COPPA notice and list of approved school applications.

Your Chromebook is considered to be a tool for learning. If you forget it, like homework, you will miss out on important classroom opportunities. Loaners may not be available and you may be without a Chromebook for the day. You will need to tell your teacher and then check in with the tech office.

The plan is for a student to keep the same device throughout their middle school years. The Chromebook models are supported by Google for 5 years from date of purchase; the replacement cycle planned at this time is 4 years. Replacement cycles help avoid performance and battery life issues that typically occur with mobile technology keeping pace in rapidly changing software needs.

Yes, the school device will still be needed. The school device will provide managed access to the school's resources, monitor student use, ensure a full day's battery life and create a common learning environment.

Students will be expected to charge their Chromebooks nightly at home and bring them to school fully charged. If one is available, students who do not bring a charged Chromebook back to school may be issued a loaner device for the day, which cannot be taken home. If your device needs to be charged during school hours there are charging locations located throughout the school.

If you should lose or damage your power supply you will be responsible to purchase a replacement. These can be found online at Amazon if you search USB Type C AC Charger Fit for Acer or visit any electronics store.

Students are responsible for bringing their Chromebook to school, fully charged, each day. You will need to charge the Chromebook every night at your home and then bring it back to school every day. Leave your charger at home, we encourage you to not bring it to school. We recommend transporting your Chromebook in the provided laptop case. You can use your home devices as well offsite, but do not bring them into school.

Never leave your Chromebook unattended unless it is in a secured location. We discourage you from taking your Chromebook to other locations other than school and home.

No, it is always fun to decorate and make something your own, but the school will continue to service the machines and we must keep them all standard looking.

Each Chromebook will have an identification number on the front. The number will be inventoried to your name. A luggage tag with your ID number will be placed on the laptop case to assist with identification. You may personalize your luggage tag if you wish.

It’s important to clean commonly touched surfaces like keyboards, computers, chromebooks, touch screens, iPads, phones, etc. Be sure to unplug all external power sources and cables when cleaning. All students should wash hands prior to using a device and make sure to carry the device with two hands. Please do not use hand sanitizer as this can leave streaks on the screen or keys. Please also do not put any stickers on the device or personalize the exterior. Please avoid eating or drinking at the same time as using a device, or make sure nearby beverage containers are covered tightly. Please try to keep the device out of the reach of other children and pets. We recommend charging the device in a parent’s room at night if possible, or developing a routine that makes sense for your family for device use and charging. We also recommend not using the device within the hour prior to going to sleep.

• Never spray cleaner directly on an item

• For screens use a lint-free or microfiber cloth, or a cleaning pad made specially for screens.

• For keyboards and outer surfaces use an alcohol wipe containing 70% alcohol

• Avoid excessive wiping and submerging item in the cleanser to avoid damage.

• Do not use aerosol sprays, bleach or abrasive cleaners.

• Ensure moisture does not get into any openings to avoid damage.

• Do not use bleach to disinfect electronics.

• • The protective cases provided with devices have sufficient padding to protect the device from normal treatment and provide a suitable means for carrying the device within the school. The guidelines below should be followed:

  • Devices should always be within the protective case and secured.

  • Students should be careful placing devices on desks and do not stack materials on top to avoid placing too much pressure and weight on the device screen.

As managed devices, additional extensions cannot be loaded onto student chromebooks. Screen time is indeed an important topic and one that does not have a one-size-fits-all solution. On a related note, in terms of online safety, the chromebooks will have Internet content filtering in place on and off campus. Finally, screen time on the chromebook may also be managed in a more deliberate/physical way rather than relying on software. Chromebooks will need to be charged each night and, to accomplish this, a routine will need to be developed by students. By establishing a defined charging time and location at home, students will not only ensure a fully charged device but also limit their overall time on the device.Parents are encouraged to be engaged and discuss usage with students. Please read more at Screen Time in the Age of the Coronavirus

The apps/extensions originally installed by BDS must remain on the device at all times. From time to time the school may add software apps/extensions for particular use.

The information in Google Apps for Education is private and secure and is not used or sold in any way http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/benefits.html

The school does not actively ‘watch’ students but, instead, utilizes software to prevent access to inappropriate online content, assist teachers with instruction, assist in recovery of a lost or stolen device, ensure devices are running the latest software versions, and to assist with troubleshooting. All activity on any school device is recorded and searchable if needed by the tech office.

The Chromebooks will include Internet filters to block inappropriate websites when connected to any WiFi network, at school or at home. This also provides for tracking missing devices and reporting on student activities to check for responsible use. While the software filter protects students in most cases, the best filter is adult supervision and students making good choices, and being responsible digital citizens.

No, the settings on the Chromebook won't allow you to log on with any account other than your school Google account.

The device is to be used for educational purposes only by the student to whom it is issued.

If a Chromebook is lost or stolen, the family should notify the technology office at techgroup@belmontday.org

The family should notify the technology office at techgroup@belmontday.org and the device should be brought to the IT drop box outside Mr. Smith’s office in the Barn.

If you should lose or damage your power supply you will be responsible to purchase a replacement. These can be found online at Amazon if you search USB Type C AC Charger Fit for Acer or visit any electronics store.

Onsite: When you arrive at school, take your Chromebook to the IT drop box outside Mr. Smith’s office in the Barn with a note explaining the issue taped to the case. You will be given a replacement Chromebook at that time.

Remote: You can use any machine at home. First, you want to contact your teacher and give them a heads up that your machine is not working along with a description of the problem to see if they can fix it. Our teachers have a good basic understanding of troubleshooting and sometimes they are able to get you up and running so you don't miss class. If the teacher cannot troubleshoot the problem they will send a tech request to the tech team, who will either work with you to solve the problem or set you up with a replacement Chromebook at that time. You will need to make arrangements to come pick the device up at school.

You will drop your Chromebook into the IT drop box outside Mr. Smith’s office during school hours. You will be given a replacement Chromebook at that time. The Chromebook needing service will not be redistributed back.

If you can’t log in to your Chromebook, your first step should be to completely turn the Chromebook off. Try to log back in after shutting down and turning the computer back on. If you are still unable to log on, please inform your teacher and they will troubleshoot with you. If your teacher can't reset your account they will send a tech request to the tech team, who will work with them or you to fix the issue.

Chromebooks use what is known as “Google Cloud Print” to do their printing. Many modern printers come “Cloud Print Ready”, and for those printers the setup is pretty straightforward. For older or “non-Cloud Print Ready” printers, you will need a computer in addition to your Chromebook. To know if you have a “Cloud Print Ready” printer, see your printer manual or check on this page.

• Connecting “Cloud Print Ready” printers:

  • https://youtu.be/JH0NHaxnGZk

• Connecting older “classic” printers:

  • https://youtu.be/53Qkw-9OHIQ

There are many situations that can lead to "no sound". Below are some things we need you to try before contacting your teacher or the tech office:

• Internal hardware issue that can be fixed with an EC Reset- do that now - it won't hurt anything.

• Extension interference that can be fixed by doing a Chrome Browser Reset

• Cache problems that can be fixed by clearing the cache

• Sound was switched to a Bluetooth or other device that is no longer active or plugged in.

• Wrong output device selected - go to Status menu > click on the arrow next to the volume slider > click on internal speaker output or headphone or other device. NOTE: The active audio node depends on previous selection you've made, and the status (active/inactive) when previously unplugged. Thus if you unplug the headphone jack at time you listen to the Internal speaker(being selected manually from the audio menu), next time you plug the headphone jack you'll still hear the internal speaker, till you manually switch to Headphone.

• For Bluetooth devices - try resetting the Bluetooth device to factory default and pairing again.

• Not powering off regularly - simply closing the lid doesn't count. Try it now - do a “Shut Down” by clicking on the Shut Down button on the status menu, or press the power button for a second, and then click on “Power off”. Then power up again and log in.

• Accidentally pressing the mute key, or turning down the volume on the Chromebook

• Selecting mute or turning down the volume on specific websites. Note that Youtube and other websites with embedded content, will have audio controls that are in addition to the ChromeOS system controls. You must enable sound in both places.

• Headphones defective, not fully plugged or incompatible with the Chromebook

• Using an HDMI connection to a TV or monitor and not switching back to Chromebook speakers after unplugging

To troubleshoot this further, the Tech Office will need some basic information from you:

• Is the Chromebook running an up to date version of ChromeOS (that's why we ask for the ChromeOS version number - saying "latest version" is meaningless - use chrome://version/ and tell us the first three lines)

• Do you hear sound with headphones plugged in?

• Does the problem happen in Guest mode (if Guest mode works, then it is an extension problem)?

• Does the problem happen after you do a complete power down and restart (don't simply shut the lid)?

• Did you try to adjust the volume with the volume keys and slider (did the system respond when you pressed the volume keys, did the slider just snap back to where it was)?

• Can you fix the problem, but it returns after a short time (that indicates you have a profile sync problem)?

• Does the problem happen on all websites, on specific websites, or randomly?