FAQs & Support

Chromebook support

Each school has a Chromebook Central which is based in each school's library.  Chromebook Central is the place where all students who are being educated face to face should take a Chromebook that is experiencing issues for initial support or for the swap of a loaner Chromebook.  Information for who manages each school's Chromebook Central is below.

• Durham Nockamixon Elementary School - Mrs. Rodd

• Springfield Elementary School - Mrs. Gehman

• Tinicum Elementary School - Mrs. Snyder

• Palisades Middle School - Ms. Doster

• Palisades High School - Mrs. Virnelson

If you are being educated through the Palisades Cyber Academy at home and are experiencing issues with your Chromebook please fill out the form at http://cbrepair.palisd.org and someone will contact you as soon as we can to support you remotely or to schedule a Chromebook swap.  Please keep in mind that we are experiencing much higher than normal support tickets so we will try to get to your issue as soon as possible.  Please submit only one ticket for your issue as multiple tickets for the same issue will only complicate matters for technicians trying to work through the requests in the system.

FAQs

Q: What if my child did not receive a Chromebook?

A: Please contact your child's school office and they will request a Chromebook for your child.

Q: What is covered under the optional Chromebook insurance fee?

A: Unlimited incidents of accidental damage, theft or vandalism (require a police report), hardware failures, and manufacturer defects are covered under this fee.  If the damage appears to be due to negligence (ie. Chromebook is not kept in its protective case) you may be held responsible for the cost of the parts for the repair.  District technicians will perform the repair minimizing the cost to you as much as possible.  Insurance is offered through a third party provider and only credit card or PayPal payments are accepted.

Q: What will I have to pay if I don't take the insurance option?

A: You will be required to pay the full cost of the parts needed to repair the damage plus a $25 per incident labor fee.  We purchase all parts from the vendor with the least expensive cost, and often times they are purchased off of eBay so that we are able to minimize the cost of the repair.  All repair invoices can be paid for through MySchoolBucks with a credit card, or through a check made out to Palisades School District.  No cash payments will be accepted.

Q: I am interested in purchasing the accidental damage option for my child’s Chromebook. How can I pay for this option?

A: You can pay online using a credit card or PayPal.

Q: What if my loaner device is lost or stolen?

A: If it is believed the device was lost please notify the principal or a teacher as soon as possible so measures can be taken to track down the location of the device through surveillance cameras and geolocation. If you believe the device has been stolen please notify your local police so they can file a report that we can use to submit an insurance claim.  We do have the ability to generally locate a device based on where it was last connected so notifying someone right away is of paramount importance.  Depending on the circumstances, such as negligence, the family may be financially responsible for the full cost of the device minus the optional $26.00 technology fee if you chose to pay it.

Q: Why was it decided to purchase Chromebooks as a loaner device?

A: There are a few reasons we chose Chromebooks.  Cost is a major factor since a Chromebook can be purchased for less than $250 making it a fiscally responsible choice for a student device.  Chromebooks can all be managed from a single management interface by IT personnel minimizing the burden of managing thousands of devices.  Chromebooks also have no moving parts which helps to minimize hardware failures.  Chromebooks, unlike a tablet such as an iPad or Android Tablet, have a keyboard making it easier for students to do type written work.  Chromebooks also are fully integrated in to the Google Workspace ecosystem which we as a District use extensively.

Q: My child has his/her own device at home. Can my child bring his/her own laptop to school instead of using the school issued Chromebook?

A: Yes, students may bring their own devices; however, please consider the following:

• There will be times throughout the year that students will have to use the school issued Chromebooks for assessment purposes, so all students will still need to go through the training modules so that they are familiar with proper care and operation of a Chromebook.

• Teachers will assign work based upon their knowledge of Chromebooks and the fact that a vast majority of the students in their classes are using Chromebooks. While the majority of apps used on a Chromebook can also be accessed through the Chrome browser on a laptop, there may be some being used in the classroom that cannot.  

• The device they bring in should be a laptop type device (i.e. Macbook or PC laptop). Tablet devices are discouraged due to limited functionality.

• Chromebooks can hold a charge for a full school day while a laptop may not hold a charge throughout the day. Charging stations are not available in classrooms. 

• If a student brings in their own device they are solely responsible for care and maintenance of that device. District technicians will not be able to assist in troubleshooting personal device issues.  Also the district is not responsible for a lost, stolen, or damaged personal device.  In addition, we are not able to geolocate or track down a student's personal device.

Q: How do I connect my own device to the network at Palisades?

A: From within any building in the District you can connect to the psd-guest network with your personal device.  You will be taken to a splash webpage where you can simply check a checkbox and click the Connect button if you agree to abide by the District's Acceptable Internet and Electronic Technology Use Policy which can be found by clicking here.  There is no password required to connect to our guest network.

Q: My child has his/her own device at home and I do not want to send them into school with that device. Can my child use the Chromebook at school, leave it at school, and work on their schoolwork with their own device at home?

A: Yes this is an option. Each student that chooses this option will need to return their device to Chromebook Central (library) at the end of each day for charging and security. Students may not leave their Chromebooks in their lockers because they will not be charged and ready to go the next day. Each morning students will need to pick up their Chromebooks prior to their first class.

Q: Will the Chromebooks be password protected?

A: The Palisades Chromebook will be protected with the student's Palisades School District username and password - the same username and password they use to sign into other district technology. Students will be issued their own individual Chromebooks, which are not to be shared with other students.

Q: Should students have an expectation of privacy while operating their Chromebook?

A: As per the Palisades School District Acceptable Electronic Technology Use Policy, students should not have any expectation of privacy when using district devices or networks or when using district-hosted communications systems like email. Palisades School District has the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review and store any usage of the district's devices or network or any information transmitted or received at any time. This information applies to all users of the district's resources, including the adults who work at the school.  This does not mean, however, that Palisades employees will ever monitor student activity while outside the District using the video, audio, or location tracking capabilities of these devices.  We do have the ability to turn on location tracking in the event a Chromebook is believed to be lost or stolen and will do so under these circumstances only.

Q: Where should students store their Chromebooks during times when they will not be needed?

A: Each Chromebook comes with a protective case to limit wear and tear to the device. Students should carry their devices with them for most of the school day. During PE classes, students will be asked to place their Chromebooks into a locked laptop cart in the locker room or gym. When students need to put their Chromebooks away, they should store them in their lockers in a way that is safe for the device. PALMS students should store Chromebooks in the “upper” part of the locker.  High School students also have access to lockers to store their Chromebook and athletes can store their Chromebook in their sports locker for practices and athletic events.

Q: Can my child print from their Chromebook to our network printer at home?

A: Yes it is possible to print from your Chromebook to a printer at home. Instructions for setting up your printer can be found here.

Q: How can I keep my family safe online?

A: Here is a link to a good resource on Internet safety https://wetheparents.org/internet-safety-for-parents.  You can also install the GoGuardian Parent app and manage your child's Chromebook usage after school hours.  You can find instructions here on installing and using the app.  It provides the ability to block sites and even disable the Internet from the device after a specific time of your choosing.

Q: Can I split the screen on a Chromebook to see a video conference on one side and a document on the other?

A: Yes you can do this a couple of different ways.  See the article at this link https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/snap-windows-chrome-os.

Q: If my child's Chromebook charger is lost where can I get a new one.

A: You can purchase a new charger on Amazon at this link https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Original-Laptop-Charger-Adapter/dp/B07SPG6B7H.  The charger needs to be an original Lenovo charger as third party knock offs can damage the Chromebook, or worse start a fire.