Waterford Public Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What do I do if my child qualifies for the free/reduced meal program but the protection plan fee still shows $20 in MySchoolBucks?
A. Please confirm that you have completed a free/reduced application for the 2023-2024 school year. The F/R lunch applications are required to be submitted each year. Click link below for application.
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Please contact the WPS School Dining and Nutrition Services Department at 860-444-5862 or dvirga@waterfordschools.org with any questions on the free/reduced application process.
Q. How do I select coverage for more than one child?
A. Once you have selected WPS Device Protection from the School Store, please e-sign after reading and agreeing to the terms of our program. Then use the drop down arrow to select your first student. Click Add to Cart and repeat this process for each student. When you are ready to check out, click on the cart in upper right corner of the screen. Debit/credit card information can then be entered for payment.
Q. If I am purchasing device protection for more than 3 children, how do I receive the capped price of $60?
A. Families with more than 3 children living in the same house should select coverage for each child and the discount will be applied when you "Checkout". The total cost will not exceed $60.
Q. Is there a fee to replace a lost or damaged charger?
A. The Student Device Protection Program does not cover lost chargers, so there is a fee. With or without Device Protection, the current replacement cost is $22. Replacement chargers must be supplied by the school system to ensure proper fit and correct wattage for the device. If your child loses a charger and needs to purchase a replacement, visit the Technology Store in MySchoolBucks to purchase one online. Once payment has processed, the charger will be delivered to your student's school. Please allow for processing and delivery time.
Q. Can families renew/purchase additional coverage within the policy term?
A. No. Families can only purchase coverage once per year per child. After the two claims, or if the damage is determined to be intentional, families are responsible for full cost of repair or replacement of device.
Q. Is device protection offered for all grade levels?
A. Student device protection is offered for students in grades 4-12. These students are responsible for taking devices home.
Q. In the One-to-One Device Program will students be getting new devices?
A. Students in Grades 4 - 12 are issued a Chromebook. These devices are used by students for up to five years. Students are expected to take home this device each night to access homework assignments and school resources. They are also expected to bring it to school each day, charged and ready for use.
At the beginnning of each school year, students entering grade 4 will be issued a device that can be taken home.
Q. When can I use a personal device?
A. Privately-owned technological devices may only be used during instructional times, as specifically permitted by instructional staff for a specific purpose. Students may use their privately-owned device during non instructional times, such as before and after school and study hall. Only school issued devices will be allowed during instructional times. All devices using our public wifi are subject to web content filtering.
Q. What electronic communcation (i.e.-"chatting", email, etc.) is allowed on a school issued device?
A. Electronic communications should be used for educational purposes only to collaborate with teachers and fellow students on a school based project.
Q.Will Chromebooks be going home with students over the summer?
A. Students currently in grades 4-12 will keep their device at home for next school year. While at home, just as during the school year, families are responsible for safe storage of the device and are responsible for following all WPS Board Policies. Seniors will turn in their devices prior to graduation and are responsible for any outstanding technology fees.
Q. What is considered improper use of a technological device?
A. Use of any such device for an improper purpose is prohibited. Improper purposes include, but are not limited to:
Sending any form of harassing, threatening, or intimidating message, at any time, to any person (such communications may also be a crime)
Gaining or seeking to gain unauthorized access to Board technological resources
Accessing or attempting to access any material that is obscene or contains pornography
Cyberbullying
Using such device to violate any school rule, including the unauthorized recording (photographic, video, or audio) of another individual without the permission of the individual or a school staff member
Taking any action prohibited by any Federal or State law
Using technological devices in a manner that disrupts the educational process
Q. What should you know about having a Waterford Public Schools email account?
A. All Waterford students in Waterford Public Schools are issued an email account starting in sixth grade (username@my.waterfordschools.org). For students in Grades 6-8, email can only be sent and received within the Waterford domain. For students in Grades 9-12, email can be sent and received outside of the domain.
The primary purpose of the student electronic mail system is for students to communicate with school staff and fellow students to collaborate on school activities.
School email should only be used to sign up for school related accounts and other collaborative Internet tools as directed by your teacher.
Student email is provided by the district and is district property.
Waterford Public Schools reserves the right to archive, monitor and/or review all use of its email system, and users should not have any expectation of privacy in any electronic message created, sent or received on the District's email system.
Students are responsible for good behavior while using school email (at school and at home), just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway.
Students are responsible for messages sent from their accounts.
Students should not share their passwords.
Students should not give out personal information over email, including telephone numbers, home addresses or passwords.
Students will not use email to bully, harass, or threaten other students or individuals.
Students will report any unusual activities such as "spam" communications, obscene email, attempts by adults to lure them into dangerous behaviors to any school staff member (including Administration or School Resource Officer).
Students will not use email to send chain letters, viruses, hoaxes or forward social or non-school related email to other students or staff.
Q. Is online gaming allowed on a school issued device?
A. Online gaming is not allowed on the device unless you have been given permission by a teacher or school staff member. Any games must be in support of the district's educational program.
Q. Can movies or videos be watched on a school issued device?
A. Watching movies/YouTube videos on the device is only allowed with permission from a teacher or school staff for educational purposes only.
Q. Can students customize backgrounds/wallpapers on a school issued device?
A. We encourage students to personalize their background, but any images set as a device or browser background must be school appropriate. Inappropriate media may not be used as a device background; presence of guns, weapons, pornographic materials, inappropriate language, alcohol, drugs, or gang-related symbols is not permitted.
Q. What are the copyright and plagiarism guidelines for online research?
A. Students are expected to follow all copyright laws. The distinction between what is fair use and what is infringement in a particular case will not always be clear or easily defined. There is no specific number or words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission.
Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission. Copyright protects the particular way authors have expressed themselves. The safest course is to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material.
Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone else's original ideas. To "Plagiarize" means that you are stealing and passing off the ideas or words of another as one's own. You should never use another person's work without crediting the source. In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
*“U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index.” U.S. Copyright Office, http://www.copyright.gov/fair-use
*Plagiarism.org: Home, http://www.plagiarism.org.