iPad Expectations & Responsibilities

Expectations

All students are expected to bring their assigned devices fully charged to school every day. Families should establish an iPad charging area for charging the iPad in the evening or overnight.

Students are expected to take reasonable care of their iPad and keep it secure at school and off school grounds. Students are to keep their device with them or locked in their locker at all times while at school. Students are not to leave their iPad in the hallways or take them outside during lunch. Any iPad left in the hallways or outside will be removed and the student will face consequences.

Students must read the Acceptable Use Policy, Expectations and Responsibilities, complete the online questions with parents or legal guardian then sign the state-mandated Acceptable Use Policy each year and acknowledge that violations can result in disciplinary consequences.

The device is assigned directly to each student with the expectation it will be used throughout middle school. If a student moves to a different school within APS, he/she will take the iPad with them. At the end of 8th grade, or if a student leaves APS, he/she returns the iPad with all accessories (charger, cable & case) to the assigned teacher (social studies).

Protecting the devices:

Cases

The iPads come with sturdy cases that do a good job of protecting the device. Students are required to keep them in the APS issued case at all times. If a student colors or breaks their case, the family will be responsible for a replacement in line with the AUP.

Backpacks

Students should be careful when putting their iPad in heavy backpacks. The weight of heavy books or other objects pressing against the iPad’s screen can break the screens. The iPad should always be placed on top with the screen facing inward preferably, against a hardback book.

Heat, Cold and Liquids

All electronic devices are vulnerable to humidity and extreme temperatures (above 80°F, below 50°F). Never leave your device in a car overnight or any time the weather is hot or cold. Keep devices away from bathrooms, saunas, or indoor pools where humidity is high. Take a break from electronics when eating or drinking! Liquid damage causes system failure and voids the warranty. If a device comes into contact with liquid, wipe the liquid up quickly and do not attempt to turn it on. (Power down if possible.) Tape a note of what happened, along with your ID number, first and last name to the iPad and put is in Mr. Seals’ mailbox right away!

Managing the devices:

iPads

Apps are distributed to devices from the MDM (Mobile Device Management) without the need to sign into iTunes. Students are only allowed to install apps available in the App Catalog. Downloading apps and games from the public App Store or the internet is not permitted and is a violation of the Acceptable Use Policy.

Students are to run software updates from “Settings” when they are available. Students are not to use personal Apple IDs on their iPads.

Troubleshooting problems on an iPad –

Hard reboot – hold the power and home button at the same time until the iPad restarts. This resolves most problems.
Wifi issues – toggle wifi on and off. If that doesn’t help, go to Settings – Wifi, tap on the name of the wifi and choose “Forget This Network.” Then log into the network again using your username and password.

What about lost, stolen or damaged devices?

Damage is a concern at Swanson, due to this year’s growing number of cracked iPad screens. An extremely high number of crack screens are the result of students removing their iPad case screen cover, leaving their iPad in the narrow hallways or taking the iPad outside during lunch, however, now that students know of these violations and the damage and inconvenience they cause, we expect those numbers to go down. At this time APS is not currently asking families to pay for repairs or replacements, however, with the continuous rise in the number of damaged and lost devices, APS is reevaluating this practice. We will notify families of any changes.

If the iPad is stolen, please report the theft to the police to receive a police report number. Then notify your STAR teacher who should submit a 2847 ticket. In general, if student’s lose their device, it’s damaged, or if they are experiencing any other issues with the device, they should speak to their STAR teacher who can submit a ticket if needed. Sometimes there is a simple solution or the device may need to be wiped or replaced.