Getting Started
Old Saybrook Public Schools utilizes Google for Education and has recently migrated from Microsoft Office 365 to Gmail for emails.
Teachers and students can communicate and collaborate through applications accessible through their G suite such as Gmail, online file storage, productivity tools and more.
Gmail
Click the logo to access your school-issued Gmail account.
Google Classroom
Click on the logo to access your Google Classroom.
Signing in with Gmail
Obtain your school-issued email address and password from your homeroom or main office.
Select the Gmail logo above and enter your email address.
A Microsoft page will follow, prompting for your email address to be entered again. Enter your provided password on the following page.
At this point, you should see your Gmail account. If the sign-in was performed on a school-issued Chromebook and Chrome browser, students will remained signed in.
Select the grid icon at the top-left of your screen to display your available applications as shown below.
Families assisting students with Gmail access or pre-ordering meals can sign into students' accounts on any device. Please be sure to sign out of your student's account afterwards to avoid associating non-school related activities with the account.*
*All usage and activities on school-issued Chromebooks and email accounts are monitored by Old Saybrook Public Schools.
Google Classroom Initial Setup
Select the grid icon at the top-left of your screen.
Select the Classroom application and select that you are a Student if this is the first time you are using Google Classroom with Old Saybrook.
If your teacher has invited you to join a classroom, you will see the classroom listed with the Join option. Select Join.
If you do not see any classrooms listed to join, contact your teacher for the class code.
Click on the + sign at the top-right of your screen and select Join Class. Enter the code provided to you.
To further understand what each application offers, click here to visit G suite for Education's product page.
All set up?
Let's get learning in Google Classroom!
Google Classroom is a learning management system that allows teachers to provide students with an online platform to communicate with their class along with access materials to review and complete assignments.
Click here for a quick video guide by Maria Galanis on understanding the features of Google Classroom.
Classwork & Folder Drive
At the bottom of each classroom tile gives students the ability to quickly see their classwork and access their classroom's specific Drive folder.
Classwork will display all work that has been assigned, returned with a grade or missing. To stay on top of assignments, always be sure to view this page.
Viewing Assignments via To-do
Selecting the three lines at the top-left of the screen will display your classes in a list view on the left of your screen.
Selecting To-do will give students a list of assignments with or without due dates across all enrolled classes along with completed assigments.
Google Classroom Settings
Students can toggle the ability to receive email and class notifications for new posts and assignments, returned grades and due date reminders.
By default, all notifications are toggled on.
Stream provides a communication page where teachers can post information and materials to students and if enabled, students can post and comment as well. The Stream page also provides a quick glance at Upcoming work that may be due soon. Selecting View All under Upcoming will bring students to the To-do page to see assignments.
Classwork provides students with the class' assignments, materials, quizzes and questions. Content will be organized by topics to help students identify where to access certain materials. Students will also be able to access the classroom's Drive folder for any supplemental material that is not listed under Classwork.
Students have the ability to open Google Calendar under Classwork. The calendar view will list all assignments that are due or in progress. Students can toggle the visibility to see other classes' assignments as well.
People allows students to see who are the teachers instructing the class along with the names of their classmates. Please note that teachers nor students will be able to utilize the internal email feature as it will launch Gmail, a service that Old Saybrook Public Schools does not utilize. Emails will need to be sent through Microsoft Office 365's Outlook.
Completing & Turning in Assignments
Assignments can range from open-ended questions, participating in discussions to requiring students to submit work. To view assignments, select Classwork or To-do. As shown below, available assignments are indicated by colored charms to indicate that they are active for students to complete.
Each assignments has its own descriptions and details such as when it was posted and if it has a due date. To begin the assignment or submit work, expand the assignment and select View Assignment.
Students can comment publicly on an assignment or send a private comment to the teacher with questions pertaining to the specific assignment. Students can see when the assignment was posted, instructions for the assignment along with the due date. If teachers are also using a rubric to score the assignment, it will show each critereon and respective score for students and families to further understand the rubric.
If the assignment requires work to be submitted, select + Add or Create. A dropdown menu will allow students to submit work that has been uploaded onto their Google Drive, submit a URL link or attach a file that is on their computer. Teachers will provide instructions should work be completed in a Google Docs, Slides, Sheets or Drawing. Once student work is attached, the Mark as done button will be replaced with a Turn In button to submit the work.
If the assignment does not require work to be submitted, simply select Mark as done to indicate that the assignment has been completed.
Graded assignments will be can be viewed by navigating to the To-do page and selecting Done to see returned assignments and grades. We recommend that students and families communicate with their teachers to best understand grades received on assignments and rubric scores, if applicable.
Additional Student Tools & Resources
Our school district offers many educational tools and resources which can be easily accessed on our Student page. From reading and math activities to research material, we empower our students with tools to learn and connect with the world around them.
Click here or select the Student Page tab above to view our offerings. Please contact your teacher for login information for programs that require logging in.