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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What grade levels are doing the 1 to 1

    We have a 1 to 1 Chromebook program for grades 3 - 12 for students who attend Fairview.

  • Our Repair Process

    We hold our repair process to a very high standard. Only Central Local School District's IT Staff perform repairs on the devices, and we only use quality genuine OEM parts for repairs. We will never use lower quality generic, or after market compatible parts for our motherboard, battery, charger replacements, or other electrical components in our 1 to 1 Chromebook program. All parts are ordered through reputable educational dealers that share our high standard. Students are not permitted to take district owned Chromebooks to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance.

  • What is a Chromebook
    Chromebooks are laptops engineered specifically for cloud computing. Chromebooks are designed to be ultra portable and have excellent battery life. They run a light and secure operating system called Chrome OS that runs apps similar to a smartphone. They are best used with an internet connection, but also have limited offline capabilities. They can be used to surf the web, utilize productivity and collaboration tools within the Google Apps for Education Suite, create web content, edit audio/video/images, and do just about anything that you can do in a web browser on a traditional laptop. Chromebooks are such a good fit for education in fact that they are recently in the news with the following article Chromebooks Pass Up All Other Devices Combined in U.S. Schools. Here is a video introduction to the Chromebook.
  • What is Google Apps for Education
    Google Apps for Education is a suite of products which includes classroom, mail, calendar, sites, word processing , presentations, drawings, spreadsheets, forms, etc. that lets you create different kinds of online documents, collaborate in real time with other people, and store your documents, as well as your other files, in the cloud. With a wireless Internet connection, you can access your documents and files from any Chromebook, anywhere, at any time, no matter where you are.
  • Are other districts around us doing this?
    Yes, over 75% of the 23 districts closest to us in Northwest Ohio are implementing some sort of 1 to 1 student device program. We've been in contact with other districts close to us that have done 1 to 1 technology rollouts for students. We've sought advice on how to move forward from other 1 to 1 districts, learning from them what has worked well and how to avoid certain problems.
  • My student already has a personal device, can they use it instead of a chromebook at school?
    No, students may not bring their own personally owned device to school. All students will be issued a chromebook whether they participate in the $40 Chromebook Protection Plan or not. They need to use their school issued device. We have very carefully tested and selected devices that meet our requirements for
    • Battery Life
    • Heat Tolerance
    • Noise Tolerance
    • Seamless WIFI compatibility (Certain non-enterprise WIFI cards can have quirks that cause unnecessary downtime)
    • Speed and RAM so that we know all students can handle running the same amount of apps simultaneously for class projects
    • It is also much easier for teachers to teach knowing that everyone is using the same device, and this helps minimize downtime due to quirks from untested devices. School issued chromebooks are managed for our students and have certain apps and policies pushed out by the district. They also have all of the applications and security that is needed for class work and online testing.
  • How is one student's Chromebook identified from another student?
    All the Chromebooks are the same, so they look very much alike. However, each Chromebook will be tagged with asset tags including the student's name, student ID, and device serial number for management purposes. The district keeps all that data, so if a Chromebook is misplaced, we can determine who it is assigned to get it back to the student user. Any ID stickers that are on the Chromebook when issued must stay on the Chromebook. No additional permanent markings of any kind (stickers, engraving, permanent ink pen, tape, etc.) shall be placed on the Chromebook or it's carrying case at any time. While the devices are issued to students, they are still district-owned property. Additional permanent markings on the device or its case will be considered vandalism. Students can add non-permanent identifying items to the case such as ribbon, key chains or other removable items to their chromebook carrying case. Each carrying case will also have an ID tag attached to it, which should also stay on the exterior of the bag at all times.
  • If a student must take it to another room, how will they carry their Chromebook?
    Chromebooks should always be safely closed and placed in the travel case provided by the district before they are taken from one location to another. Students must use the travel case provided by the district, no other cases are allowed. The cases provided will have both a shoulder strap and a handle for easy carrying.
  • Will the Chromebooks ever leave the building?
    Students can bring home their chromebook if they choose to purchase the $40 Annaul Chromebook Protection Plan plan by selecting "WOULD" on the Chromebook Protection Plan Agreement in FinalForms. If students don't get the Chromebook Protection Plan then they will need to check out/in their chromebook every day before and after school. Chromebook Protection Plans cover accidents/repairs according to the repair cost grid in the documentation below. Chromebook Protection Plans start over every year.
  • My child forgot to charge their Chromebook before school. Now what?
    Students are expected to charge their Chromebooks nightly at home and bring them to school fully charged. Students who do not bring a charged Chromebook to school may be issued a loaner device for the day, which cannot be taken home. Students are not to bring their AC chargers with them to school. Students are not allowed to charge their chromebooks at school. Repeat violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action
  • What login will students use to get into the device operating system?
    Students will each be assigned a Google Apps for Education account that is their primary login and username.
  • Can the Chromebooks be used with another username?
    No, students and staff cannot access a district-owned Chromebook with any other login other than their district-assigned email. For example, students will not be able log in to their personal Gmail account on a district-provided Chromebook. However, if a student logs into another device with their school username (a PC laptop, a school lab computer, a loaner Chromebook, etc.) all of their information (bookmarks, emails, documents, applications, etc.) will be available to them on that device when using a Chrome browser.
  • Will unsafe or inappropriate websites be filtered on the devices?
    We do our best to ensure our child's online experience is safe. Before each Chromebook device connects to the Internet, it must pass through district network web filter. This happens whether the device is browsing on campus on school-owned networks, or off campus. Because of security settings built into the device, it must first route it's Internet connection back through our district security settings before any website or online resource is accessible. If your child is using the Chromebook at school, at home or at a public library, it will always pass through our web filtering system before they can see or access web content. Our web filters are programmed to block inappropriate content as much as possible.
  • What happens if students have been visiting inappropriate websites?
    While we do our best to stay on top of things, some websites are not blocked or are able to bypass our filters. Teachers and parents are encouraged to randomly check the browsing history of student Chromebooks on a regular basis. Browsing histories cannot be deleted by the students. If you discover any inappropriate web activity, please contact your child's teacher, building principal or associate principal. Inappropriate web browsing is a violation of the district Authorized Use Policy and may result in disciplinary action.
  • How much storage do students have?
    Students have unlimited storage in Google's cloud (Google Drive) with their educational Google Apps for Education account. There is also a 16GB internal SSD used for the operating system and offline mode syncing. Students can choose to store a few files locally on this internal storage if needed, but it is discouraged. Students should always store their files to their unlimited Google Drive. If your device needs repairs, it may require a reload of the operating system which will delete all locally stored files on your Chromebook. Doing a reload of the device will not affect any files in Google Drive.
  • Can students download apps?
    Yes students can download their own Chrome apps and extensions when needed. We maintain a list of blocked apps and will continue to add to that list as the year proceeds. Blocked apps are automatically removed from devices that have them currently installed.
  • Can you Print from the devices?
    Digital online file sharing between staff and students is one of the great advantages of the Chromebooks and is an easy and efficient way to distribute and turn in assignments without printing. It also saves on paper, ink and toner use, thereby saving the district money. There are ways to print from the Chromebooks, but it's not encouraged. Most printing of schoolwork should be done at school. However, we are encouraging staff to try and limit printing of assignments going forward.
  • How can students submit work or assignments via their devices?
    Yes, students and teachers will utilize Google Classroom to facilitate delivering, collecting, grading, and returning assignments electronically.
  • What if a student is out of school for an extended period (illness, travel, family emergency, etc.)?
    With the devices, it will become even easier for students to receive work from their teacher. Assignments, readings, and other resources can be placed online and shared with the student who is absent. The student can do the work online from home and share it back with the teacher.
  • Can the devices be used at home?
    Yes, if your home has a WiFi network, the devices will have the same filtered web access as they would at school. If you don't have a WiFi network at home, then students can still use them, but in a limited capacity. Some applications like Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets will work offline which allow you to write papers, create presentations, and use spreadsheets. You can also read PDFs while offline if they are stored in the device's local storage or a usb drive.
  • Will devices be kept by students over summer?

    No, devices will be turned in at the end of the school year so the district can do maintenance on them. Students will retain their original Chromebook each year while enrolled at Central Local School District. Devices will be re-issued at the start of the school year to continuing students. Devices issued to students who leave the district (move, graduate, etc.) will be reformatted and re-issued to other students on an as-needed basis. Students leaving the District must return district owned Chromebooks to Central Local School District's technology staff. Any Chromebook not returned will be considered as stolen property and law enforcement agencies will be notified.

  • How long should Chromebooks last?
    We are expecting that our devices will be in production for four years. Throughout their lifespan the devices will automatically update themselves to the latest software and security features without anything needing to be done by the student. Google has confirmed that they will support updates to chromebook devices for five years, after the manufacture date.
  • Can the district track web history?
    Yes. The district can track information on what sites students were on, and when they were on them. Students should only visit sites that are not in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. Violations of the policy can result in disciplinary action, including the student being suspended from using the school network and device use.
  • Can my child opt out of having a Chromebook?
    No, chromebooks are expected to become an integral part of the education all students receive at Central Local School District, and we want them to take advantage of the powerful learning resources available with it.
  • What about computer viruses getting onto the Chromebook?
    Chromebooks are extremely secure. Here is a video on Chromebook security. Chromebooks utilize a verified boot feature which will automatically reinstall the operating system with a fresh secure version from google if malware is detected. This will not affect any files on the student's Google Drive stored in the cloud.
  • What does my child do if they can't log in to their Chromebook?
    If your child can't log into their Chromebook, the first step should be to completely turn the Chromebook off. Try to log back in after shutting down and turning the computer back on. If the student is still unable to log on, they should inform their teacher and they will troubleshoot with the student.
  • Backgrounds and Passwords
    Inappropriate media may not be used as a screensaver or background. Presence of guns, weapons, pornographic materials, inappropriate language, alcohol, drug, gang related symbols or pictures will result in disciplinary actions. Take care to protect your passwords. Do not share your passwords.
  • Sound Policy
    Sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes. Headphones may be used at the discretion of the teacher.
  • Printing Policy
    Digital sharing of documents is encouraged, printing is discouraged but available when needed.
  • Chromebook Technical Support
    Technical support will be handled through Central Local School District's Technology Department. Services provided include the following:
    • Hardware maintenance and repairs
    • User account support
    • All repairs must be completed by the CLS Technology Department
  • What happens if the device is damaged?

    Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook they have been assigned by the district. Chromebooks that are broken, or fail to work properly, must be reported to a classroom teacher or technology staff member as soon as possible so that they can be taken care of properly. Do not take district owned Chromebooks to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance.

    The devices will be maintained by Central Local School District's IT Staff. Only Central Local School District's IT Staff can perform repairs on the devices. Normal part failures outside of the control of the student and device damage are dealt with differently. The judgement call is left up to the district's technology staff. If damage occurs to the device that requires a part replacement, then students are responsible for the replacement costs according to the repair cost grid below.

    However, the liability on families/students can reduced significantly by taking part in the optional Chromebook Protection Plan. For $40 (non-refundable, non-prorated) per year, per device, the Chromebook Protection Plan will repair or replace the device at a significant savings to the student and his/her family according to the repair cost grid. Also by participating in the Chromebook Protection Plan, students are allowed to take the chromebook home with them. Otherwise they will have to check-in/check-out the device every day.

    The costs will be reviewed and adjusted annually per device model supported. If the device is stolen, then students are responsible for reporting this to the Principal. A loaner device will be issued while the student's device is being repaired. Students and parents will be responsible for district-owned technology property that is issued to them, just as they are for other district-owned items such as textbooks, calculators, cameras, athletics equipment or library books.

  • What if another student damages my student's device?
    In such cases, circumstances will be investigated on a case-by-case basis. School administration may be involved if it is suspected to an intentional act or act of vandalism.
  • Do repair fees need to be paid up front?
    Paying for repairs is preferred to be done up front, but in certain situations arrangements can be made for payment plans. If you would like to setup a payment plan then please contact the high school secretary with your request.
  • Cleaning your Chromebook

    Keyboard
    To clean your keyboard use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe it down. If your keyboard requires more cleaning than this, then please bring your device to the district's IT staff.

    Screen, Trackpad, Outer Shell of Device
    Only clean the screen, trackpad, and outer shell of the device with these steps. Do not clean the insides any of the ports or around the seams of the screen or trackpad. To clean the chromebook first shut down and unplug all cables and devices from the chromebook. Then you can use a damp microfiber cloth with plain water. Most of the time water alone is sufficient, but if it isn't then a gentle cleaning solution comprised of 50% water and 50% white vinegar can be used. Never use any cleaning products containing bleach, alcohol, or ammonia. To clean apply a small amount of water or the cleaning solution directly to a microfiber cloth so that it is damp, but not so wet that it would drip liquid onto the device while cleaning. Make sure to ring out the micro fiber cloth well, do not allow liquid to drop into the device while cleaning. Do not spray liquids directly onto the device. Also, if a device needs blown out then, bring the device to the district's technology staff. You can turn the device back on after everything is completely dry.

    List of Don't for Cleaning Chromebooks

    • Don't use a vacuum on a chromebook, it creates static electricity which would damage the device
    • Don't soak, pour, or spray liquid on the device
    • Don't clean the ports of the device

  • Storing Your Chromebook
    Students should carry their Chromebook with them to class. During school hours when the device is not being used in class, the Chromebook should be secured in the student's locker. Chromebooks should never be left unattended. Nothing should be placed on top of the Chromebook when stored in the locker. Chromebooks should not be stored in a vehicle for security and temperature reasons.
  • General Precautions
    • No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
    • Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the chromebook
    • Never transport your Chromebook while the screen is open, or when the power cord plugged in.
    • Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, or stickers.
    • Vents CANNOT be covered, allow proper ventilation to flow under the Chromebook.
    • Chromebooks should never be left in a vehicle or any unsupervised area.
    • The Chromebook screens can be easily damaged! The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.
    • Do not lean or put pressure on the top of the Chromebook when it is closed.
    • Do not store the Chromebook with the screen in the open position.
    • Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen.
    • Do not place anything in a carrying case or backpack that will press against the cover.
    • Do not poke the screen with anything that will mark or scratch the screen surface.
    • Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, headphones, or disks).

Contact Us

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Fairview Elementary School
Phone: 419 658-2511   |   Fax: 419 658-2302
Address: 14060 Blosser Rd., Sherwood, Ohio 43556

Fairview Middle School
Phone: 419 658-2331   |   Fax: 419 658-4010
Address: 06289 U.S. Highway 127, Sherwood, Ohio 43556

Fairview High School
Phone: 419 658-2378   |   Fax: 419 658-4010
Address: 06289 U.S. Highway 127, Sherwood, Ohio 43556

Superintendent
Phone: 419 658-2808

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