Chromebook:
FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
Information on Issuing Chromebooks
All Blue Ridge Middle School students will be issued a Dell/Lenovo Chromebook.
All of the Chromebooks being issued to students appear the same; however, each Chromebook has a unique serial number and a bar code sticker on the bottom with the students name and school ID number.
If a Chromebook is misplaced, we can determine who the Chromebook belongs to. Any stickers or labels that are on the Chromebook when issued must stay on the Chromebook.
No additional permanent markings of any kind (stickers, engraving, permanent ink pen, tape, etc.) should be placed on the Chromebook. While the devices are issued to students, they are still district-owned property.
Chromebook Technology Fee
Students will be charged a $25 technology fee to help cover the cost of repairs. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch will have a reduced technology fee of $5.00. A fee must be paid before a student can receive a Chromebook. Students who owe fees will not be able to participate in some of our student activities.
Accidental damage is covered by the yearly technology fee. Excessive damage or multiple repairs per year are not covered. Students will be required to pay for those additional damages. A new Chromebook may not be issued unless the charge of the repair or the full price of the Chromebook is paid.
**Please note accidental damage also does not cover the replacement for a lost or missing Chromebook or Chromebook charger. Students, under limited circumstances, will have a stolen Chromebook replacement cost waived IF they file a timely police report that includes verification of documented theft.
Chromebook Repair Procedures, Damage, and Loss
What happens if the device is damaged?
Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook issued to them by the District. Chromebooks that are broken or fail to work properly must be taken to Dr. Kauffman's Office between 8:10 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. (ROAR Time) each school day.
Many issues with Chromebooks can be resolved with simple troubleshooting steps. Students and parents can refer to the Chromebook Troubleshooting Guide for a list of suggestions and simple steps that will resolve the majority of issues not relating to damage.
Damage should be reported immediately. Students should not attempt repairs themselves or take the Chromebook to a third party vendor for repair.
What should students do if they lose their Chromebooks?
Students should report the lost Chromebook to Dr. Kauffman. The student must complete and return a missing chromebook form. Once the form is returned, Dr. Kauffman will review replacement options with the student and his or her parents.
The technology fee does not cover the cost of replacing a missing or lost Chromebook or Chromebook charger. Students who are issued a replacement will be responsible for paying Blue Ridge Middle School the $286.00 replacement cost prior to receiving a replacement.
General Care
Chromebooks are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen. The Chromebook screen can be damaged if subjected to rough treatment. Protect the Chromebook screen by following the rules below:
Close the Chromebook screen before moving it. Do not lean on the top of the Chromebook when it is closed.
Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen. Do not poke the screen. Be careful about placing books and other items against the Chromebook in your book bag as it may be damaged.
Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, or flash drives).
Clean the screen with a soft, dry cloth or an anti-static cloth.
Do not bump the Chromebook against lockers, walls, car doors, floors, etc. as it will eventually break the screen.
No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
To conserve battery life, Chromebooks should be shut down before moving them. This also help to keep their software up to date.
Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, stickers, or labels that are not the property of the Blue Ridge Middle School. Chromebooks must never be left in a car or any unsupervised area.
Chromebook Cases
Cases are not provided with the Chromebooks. Students should purchase a case and may personalize that case as long as the personalization does not alter the Chromebook in any way.
Charging Chromebooks
Each student is expected to bring his/her Chromebook to school every day fully charged. A fully charged Chromebook has an average battery life of 8 hours. Students should leave their chargers at home. We will be unable to charge students' Chromebooks for them and cannot issue temporary loaners if students do forget to charge. It is essential that students include charging their Chromebooks at home as part of their daily routine.
Submitting and Saving Work on Chromebooks
How can students submit work or assignments via their devices?
Google Drive has features built into it that allow work to be “shared” between teachers and even classmates. Students can create documents, spreadsheets, drawings, photos, presentations and even videos. Each item can be “shared” with a teacher prior to its due date. The teacher can then see the work on his or her own computer to review it or grade it for the student.
Teachers will also guide students on how to submit their work when using Google Classroom.
Can home printers be used for Chromebook printing?
If your printer is connected to your WiFi network and supports the Google CloudPrint protocol, you should be able to print from your Chromebook to your home printer. Unfortunately, connecting your printer via a USB cable to your Chromebook will not work. Chromebooks print wirelessly. You may also be able to enable Bluetooth on your Chromebook and print wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled printer.
Setting up CloudPrint differs by manufacturer and model, so you will need your printer's documentation (usually available via the manufacturer's web site if you no longer have the manual). Before attempting CloudPrint setup it is important to ensure that your printer's firmware is up to date. Refer to your user manual or the manufacturer's website for instructions on updating your printer.
Home Wi-fi Access
Parents should contact their Internet provider on instructions for how to add the Chromebook to their wi-fi network. Students will need to select the black padlock icon on their Chromebooks bottom toolbar and authenticate their school login prior to connecting to a different wi-fi network. Should this not work at home please contact your wi-fi provider.
Will unsafe or inappropriate websites be filtered on the devices?
We do our best to ensure each student's online experience is safe. Before each Chromebook device connects to the Internet, it must pass through district network firewalls and filters. This happens whether the device is browsing on campus on school-owned networks, or off campus using another WiFi router that is providing the Internet connection. Because of security settings built into the device, it must first route its Internet connection back through our district security settings (firewalls and filters) before any website or online resource is accessible. If your child is using the Chromebook at school, at home or at a public library, it will always pass through our web filtering and network firewall system before they can see or access web content. Our web filters are programmed to block inappropriate content as much as possible.
What happens if students have been visiting inappropriate websites?
The district has access to student browsing history whether sites accessed are at school or occur at another location. Inappropriate web browsing is a violation of the district Authorized Use Policy and may result in disciplinary action.
Additional questions?
Please contact Dr. Kauffman at dkauffma@greenvilleschools.us