Students receive their school-issued MacBook at the beginning of Grade 6, and they will use this device throughout their entire Middle School experience (Grades 6–8).
Transitioning from iPad to MacBook
While iPads provide an ideal, tactile platform for foundational digital literacy in Elementary School, Middle School marks a shift toward complex creation and digital independence. MacBooks offer full desktop operating systems, precise physical keyboards, and multi-window multitasking - essential tools for managing a more demanding academic workload such as:
Advanced Content Creation: Editing multi-track audio projects, constructing detailed video assignments, and drafting multi-page research documents.
Complex Organization: Navigating online learning management platforms, managing complex file systems, and operating dual-window layouts for concurrent research and note-taking.
Technical Skills: Introductory coding, computational thinking projects, and managing complex cloud-based collaborative documents.
We take a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to online safety, combining active education, network safeguards, and hardware management tailored for Middle School students:
Category-Based Network Filtering: On-campus network controls actively restrict access to inappropriate websites, unsafe content, and high-risk categories to ensure a safe learning environment during the school day.
Mosyle MDM Protection & Management: Utilizing Mosyle Mobile Device Management (MDM), we enforce system-level security profiles, restrict unauthorized software installations, push required security updates, and apply internet filtering rules on every school-issued MacBook.
In-Classroom Supervision & Expectations: Tech use is paired with active teacher oversight in the classroom. MacBooks are designated specifically as learning tools, helping students build healthy boundaries around screen time and focus.
While school measures protect devices on campus, active partnership at home is essential for establishing long-term, healthy digital habits.
Apple Screen Time Controls: Parents are encouraged to set up Apple Screen Time on their child’s MacBook. This allows you to set daily usage limits, schedule "Downtime" (such as locking the device during dinner or overnight), and track daily app activity.
Central Charging Location: Establish a rule where all school devices are charged overnight in a common area of the home (like the living room or kitchen) rather than in bedrooms to protect sleep habits.
Open Dialogue & Shared Spaces: Encourage device use in shared family spaces where you can stay casually engaged with what your child is working on, and maintain an open conversation about digital safety and online etiquette.
Shortly before a student completes Grade 8 or departs St. Mary's, all school-issued MacBooks are prepared for transition back to the family:
Removal of School Management: The school releases the device from Mosyle MDM (Mobile Device Management). This completely removes all St. Mary's administrative restrictions, network profiles, and school internet filters, transferring full control of the device back to parents.
Family Safety Controls: Once released, parents can set up native macOS Parental Controls and Apple Screen Time to manage content access, enforce downtime, limit specific applications, and require approval for software downloads.
Family Resources: Detailed guidance on setting up family management controls for macOS is available on Apple's Families Portal.
**These services are not usable when a device is being managed by St. Mary's International School **
In addition to parental controls provided free of charge by operating systems, device manufacturers and ISPs, there are multiple parental control apps available from third parties. The below list includes some examples (please note St. Mary's is unable to recommend or provide support for these services):
St. Mary's offers parents the opportunity to register with the National College to receive access to many resources around the area of Digital Citizenship and Online Safety. Some courses we recommend are: