December Digital Citizenship

Adapting. Balancing. Collaborating.

Each month, we will share with families a Digital Citizenship newsletter. We would like to share with you information around the technology being used in Mentor Schools along with resources to support your child's education. Please reach out with topics you would find helpful in this newsletter.

Current Operating Systems

MacBook - 12.6.1

ChromeBook - 107

iPad - 15.7.1

as of 12/19/22

High School Device Plan

Over the last two months, the district's Technology Steering Committee has been reviewing the possibility of moving from MacBooks to Chromebooks for high school students.

After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with a transition to Chromebooks. The Chromebooks allow students to access our web-based resources, Schoology, and all things Google (Drive, Docs, Slides, etc.) Rising costs for MacBooks, reduction in buy-back price, and increased costs for repairs are all factors that were considered in this decision.

Here is the timeline for moving forward:

May 2023 - Current 9th-grade student MacBooks will be exchanged for new Chromebooks. Current 8th-grade students will also receive a new Chromebook.
23-24 School Year - 9th and 10th-grade students will have Chromebooks. 11th and 12th grade students will have their current MacBooks.
24-25 School Year - 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will have Chromebooks. 12th-grade students will have their current MacBooks.
25-26 School Year - All students will have Chromebooks.

Family Resource Corner

Tech to Help Support Kids and Families at Home

This time of year, we often give and receive a slew of new tech as holiday gifts. For our kids, cell phones, tablets, laptops, video games, and game systems are usually at the top of their lists, and all of these can be great gifts. But with awesome tech comes awesome responsibility - for us and for our kids. That’s because all that tech gives our kids access to digital spaces like social media, direct messaging apps, and in-game chat features that, unfortunately, can be really dangerous. Keeping our kids safe online is an ongoing and ever-changing process that can sometimes feel scary and confusing. Here are a two resources that can help:

Does your family have a specific tech need? A resource that you love? Let me know about it!

Contributed by: Tricia Zeedrich, Mentor Schools Parent Mentor & Family Engagement Coordinator zeedrich@mentorschools.org 440.974.5359

Technology Used to Support Learning

Canva is a web-based tool recently added to Clever for all students and staff. This online graphic design tool allows you to easily create presentations, fliers, logos, and other materials to share ideas and show what you know about a topic. After clicking on the Canva icon in Clever, you will be prompted to sign in with Google. After entering your Mentor School's credentials, you will then be able to start creating!

Parents Guide to Roblox

There are so many different social media apps and platforms available for children to access and use. As parents and educators, having knowledge about these apps and talking to kids about proper use can help make their experiences more positive if they are using them. Last month we covered Snapchat. This month we focus on Roblox. Visit this Common Sense Media site to learn everything you want to know about this online gaming platform. Make sure to visit the section "Are there Parental controls for Roblox"?

As a district, all social media sites are blocked on student devices. We still want to provide our families with this information as we know many students also have personal devices or phones.

Mentor Public Schools

6451 Center Street

Mentor, Ohio 44060

Phone 440.255.4444

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