Logistics and Home Use

Will students be able to take their Chromebooks home?

Yes. Because the Chromebook represents a deliberate effort to expand learning beyond the boundaries of the school walls and schedule, the district has planned for them to be taken home as part of this program. This also helps us extend the formal learning community to include parents, siblings and other people important in the lives of each student.

What if the Chromebook is not connecting to our home wireless network?

Unfortunately, the district technology staff can’t troubleshoot your home network. However, we can make sure the device is appropriately connecting to a wireless network. If we do show that the Chromebook has no problems connecting to a wireless router, we encourage you to read this information and then reach out to your Internet Service Provider for troubleshooting.

• Double check the authentication needed to connect to the wireless router and that it is being typed in correctly.

• Wireless routers have limits on the number of devices they can physically support. This can be as few as 15 in home grade equipment.

• Turn off other wireless devices in your house (remember the game systems, TV’s, Cable/Satellite boxes, cell phones, etc) then reboot the router and see if the Chromebook can connect.

• Confirm there are enough IP addresses in the DHCP scope of your router. How to do this will be specific to your Router. Each device on the network uses one.

• Research your Router to see how many devices the manufacturer says it should support concurrently connected.

• Take your device to another network (such as a friends house or a public place that offers it as a service) and confirm you are able to get the device to connect.

What if a parent or guardian does not want the device coming home?

The Chromebook is a learning device in the Fort Zumwalt School District. The expectation is that all students who have paid the mobile device protection plan fee will be required to take the device home and charge it daily. At the beginning of the school year, teachers might spend a few days helping the students understand how to care for the device and how it works before sending it home.

What happens if my child forgets his or her Chromebook at home?

The Chromebook will play an integral role in classroom instruction, so it is extremely important that students bring their Chromebooks to class every day. The Chromebook will become part of a student’s necessary classroom supplies similar to a pencil and notebook paper. If a student forgets his or her Chromebook, specific procedures and expectations will vary from school to school.

How often does the Chromebook need to be charged?

Students are expected to fully charge the Chromebook each evening at home, which should provide sufficient battery life to use the device throughout the school day. Students should also try to preserve battery power during the school day by closing the lid whenever the device is not in use.

Will students be able to charge their Chromebooks at school?

One of the strengths of the Chromebook is its exceptional battery life. When fully charged, the Chromebook battery should last the entire school day. Chromebooks should be charged nightly at home so students can bring a fully charged device to school each day. The District will be providing a limited number of charging stations in common spaces throughout each building, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Can students access the internet at home using their own internet provider?

Students may connect to any Wi-Fi network, whether at home or in a public place.

What if we do not have Internet access at home?

Google Docs allows the user to work in offline mode so students can complete classwork at home, even without internet access. Files are saved locally to the Chromebook, then automatically updated the next time a wireless connection is detected. So a student can start a project at school and finish it at home, even without an Internet connection. When the student returns to school the next day, anything he or she worked on at home will be automatically updated to their Google Drive. Offline mode must be enabled before students can use it. In offline mode, students can edit their documents and presentations.

All St Charles City-County Public Libraries have free internet and can be a place for students to go and work during off-school hours. We have also identified some locations on this map that show businesses with open wi-fi internet access. There are also options for families that qualify for reduced rate internet service. Please visit affordableconnectivity.gov for more information. This program is not run by the Fort Zumwalt School District. We cannot provide assistance or direction regarding the information on their site.

Our schools also have a limited number of Wi-Fi HotSpots available for checkout. Supplies of these devices are extremely limited and provided on a first-come, first-serve checkout basis. Please discuss internet needs with your child's school for possible options.