Connectiong Families - Common Sense Education

From cyberbullying and photo sharing to digital footprints and online safety, the Connecting Families program helps parents and kids address important topics and have meaningful conversations about making great choices in their digital lives.
This free, year long program includes everything parent facilitators need to encourage their schools and communities to use connected technologies in ways that are both fun and safe. Our resources include a step-by-step hosting guide, conversation topics, and printable resources to share -- all carefully researched and crafted by Common Sense educational technology experts. Get started with the Program Overview.  Give it a try . . .
 

Back-to-School Night - September 18

There will be an informal Question/Answer Session in the Middle School Large Group Instruction Room from 6:30-7:00 PM prior to the start of Back-to-School Night.  Should you have any questions regarding the iPad Program, feel free to stop in . . . otherwise teachers will be presenting information on the integration of the devices in the classes you attend this evening.  Hope you are planning to come "Back-to-School"!

Note Taking

Here are a few note taking apps that we use . . . aks your kids to show you!

Notability 

 “We rely on this sleek powerful note-taker to annotate documents, record lectures, sketch illustrations, and more.” - Apple ®

Google Docs - Collaborate with others  in real time on documents, spreadsheets, and mo

Dragon Dictation  

is an easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon® NaturallySpeaking® that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. In fact, it’s up to five (5) times faster than typing on the keyboard.

iPad Cases

New cases have been purchased for iPads. They are "Sunggs"  You are certainly more than welcome to purchase your own case.  If you choe to use your own case, it must be as study and durable as the Snugg.  We would be happy to take a look at it.  If you can leave the Snugg on and fit it in your own case, that is even better!  No iPads are to be out of a case at any time!  Just a reminder, if you have not turned in your Acceptable Use Form and Insurance indication, be sure to do that!

The 2014-15 School Year!

 

Welcome to the 2014-15 school year!  Teachers are planning lessons, iPads are being formatted and things are moving along ready for the arrival of students on Monday!  

Some things - in 7th grade, students will be starting with the Digital Citizenship course on Wednesday during Extension and Related Arts periods and will receive their iPads during the week of September 1.  The devices will NOT be sent home right away, but before the end of September.  No device will be able to be taken home IF the appropriate paperwork has not been returned.  All the paperwork was sent home in the Back-to-School packet. Students and families should contact homeroom teachers for that information if needed.

in grade 8 - students will receive their iPads on September 2 and are permitted to take them home IF the appropriate paperwork has been returned. All the paperwork was sent home in the Back-to-School packet. Students and families should contact homeroom teachers for that information if needed.

Please be sure to consider purchasing a study, durable case AND insurance for your child's iPad. 

We are so very fortunate to  be able to provide this opportunity for our learners!. 

Back-to-School Forms 2014-15

Here are the forms for insurance purchase and the claim form (hopefully that one will NOT be necessary!)

Just a reminder . . . Back-to-School

 

Just a reminder, for grades 7 & 8, if you picked up your Back-to-School packets, there was information about iPad insurance and acceptance of the use of the device.  Be sure to return these important forms within the first few days of school.  If you did not have the opportunity to pick up the packet, it will be given to students in homerooms on the first day of school.
We are looking forward to continuing this Program with our students.  Happy Back-to-School!