Technology

VISION STATEMENT

The Ardsley Union Free School District’s philosophy is guided by the vision of the cultivation of a globally connected digital citizen who is proficient, resourceful, conscientious, and acts with integrity in the use of technology.

This vision emphasizes the development of a framework based on 21st-century skills and digital citizenship. We strive to inspire excellence in every student by providing an educational environment that not only challenges minds but also helps build character. We believe every child is inherently curious with a desire to learn, explore, create, and solve problems. It is our responsibility to appreciate the diverse interests and needs of our student body and to help every student recognize their full potential as lifelong learners in a globally connected
world.

To help our children succeed in a world of rapid change, we believe that our curriculum must continually evolve to incorporate new learning technologies. We believe it is part of our role to instill the values of ownership, accountability, and responsibility as students build their online presence. We must also support our teachers with ongoing professional development programs and encourage them to maximize their talents, passions, skills, and knowledge for the benefit of our students.

Student Tech HuB

Help Desk for Faculty

Parent Portal

Pantherslink

Technology in Our Schools

Device Distribution Plan

Grades K-4:

Each Concord Road classroom will be equipped with a dedicated cart of Chromebooks available for use during the school day, which will remain on the premises.
Additionally, shared carts of iPads will be accessible for classroom use when necessary.

Grades 5-8:

Students must use school-issued devices; personal devices are not allowed on school grounds.

Grades 9-12:

Students have the option to bring their own devices. However, the District will provide a school-issued Chromebook upon request. If your HS student requires a Chromebook please complete this form.

All students in Grades 5-12:

Device Responsibility: Students are responsible for ensuring their devices are charged at home, and must bring a fully functional Chromebook or laptop to school.
Optional Accessories: While not required, students may find earbuds/headphones useful during the school day. These are not provided by the school, but students may bring their own.
System Access: Only Ardsley students can access the system on school-provided laptops. Personal Google account credentials will not be accepted.

How to Sign in to your Chromebook

Please note that additional restrictions based on grade/age are in place. We currently maintain an allowed list for District-approved software and colleges, as well as a walled garden. Students are restricted to sending and receiving emails exclusively from users within the ardsleyschools.org domain. Each student utilizing a school-supplied device is required to sign a Chromebook Usage Agreement, which will be provided.

Student use of Chromebooks is subject to the rules and regulations outlined in the District’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for technology.

Help Desk & Support

Parents/students can email Tech Support to report issues and get assistance.
If parents encounter difficulties accessing the parent portal, please contact Erin Newton.

Chromebooks

Insurance for Chromebooks

If your student is using a school-issued Chromebook, we would like to encourage you to purchase insurance for the device, regardless of age, as each one is valued at approximately $320. The Ardsley School District has partnered with Worth Ave. Group to offer an affordable insurance program for school-issued student devices for the upcoming school year. Insurance is highly recommended. Worth Ave. Group provides a high level of affordable service that is coordinated throughout the district so that families do not have to be involved in handling claims for damaged devices covered by the insurance. The price for the upcoming school year is $32.00.For situations where insurance has not been purchased for a Chromebook that is damaged or lost, families will be held responsible for the cost of replacement or repair of the stolen/damaged device. Students will be given a loaner device for use at school until the problem is resolved.

Insurance coverage

Insurance coverage provided by Worth Avenue Group will protect the Chromebook against:

Accidental Damage
Cracked Screens
Liquid Spills
Liquid Submersion
Theft/Burglary/Robbery (with a police report)
Fire/Flood Damage
Vandalism
Natural Disasters
Power Surge Due To Lightning

The insurance policy does not cover the following situations:

When a student has lost their Chromebook and/or its accessories
Damage caused by intentional misuse or abuse, or cosmetic damage.

NEXT STEPS

Purchase or renew coverage
from Worth Ave Group.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT DAMAGES A CHROMEBOOK?

If you encounter any problems with your school-issued Chromebook, we kindly ask that you generate a ticket using the One to One Plus Student Help Desk. This dedicated platform ensures a streamlined process for reporting and resolving technical issues. To learn more about how to generate a ticket and access the One to One Plus Student Help Desk, please refer to this document.

We follow these protocols when a student breaks their school device:

Student fills out a ticket using the Chromebook Kiosk.
Our Systems Engineer assesses the device and finds out if the device has coverage.
If the device is insured, the device will be sent out for repair, and there no fees to the families.
If the device isn't insured, the district will send an invoice to the family to cover the cost of repair. The average cost for repair is approximately $200. The district strongly suggests purchasing the insurance for $32.
While devices are being repaired students will have to borrow a loaner Chromebook from the HS library on a daily basis. Please keep in mind that we have a limited supply of spare Chromebooks.
If a student doesn't have access to a computer at home, a more permanent loaner would be made available.

Policies and Plans

Parent Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

Parents and students have the right to specific safeguards concerning the confidentiality of student information. The District is dedicated to ensuring that personally identifiable information is protected against unauthorized access or disclosure.

Video Tutorials for Teachers

FAQs

If the image on the monitor is flipped, make sure you are logged into the computer then press CRTL + ALT and the UP arrow key at the same time.

How to Create an MP3 file using GarageBand

How to share your Google Contacts using the Delegate feature

How to clean your Chromebook

How to Take a Screenshot

How to Adjust the Resolution for NWEA MAP Testing

GSuite - Help and Tutorials

How to Create a shared Doc for Parent Teacher Conferences

How to Create a Google Form for Parent Teacher Conferences

Phone System

How Do I Access My Voicemail From Home?
In order to do so you have to call the main District number (1-914-295-5500) and then press the star on the keypad once the automated message begins. It will then ask you to enter you ID and then pound. Your ID is your 4 digit extension. After that, it will prompt you to enter your Voicemail PIN and then pound. Then you're in. From there you can follow the prompts to change your outgoing message. All voicemails will be sent to your inbox.

Technology Newsletters

Software Subscriptions

Edlaw 2d

Data Privacy -What is 2d compliance? During the 2014-2105 fiscal year, the New York State Education Department enacted Education Law 2-d, which includes a series of provisions designed to enhance protections surrounding personally identifiable information (PII) held by schools and school districts.

Chrome Extension and Apps - Approved, Pending, Denied list

To proactively protect the security and privacy of our student’s data, we will use EdPrivacy by Education Framework. EdPrivacy is an online software solution that will help us quickly vet EdTech learning resources. It is designed to help you understand if our district, and you as a teacher, can use an app, website, extension, or any online learning resource to be used in the classroom.

Step 1: Please learn how to complete the Education Framework EdPrivacy user registration process by watching this video.

Step 2: Click on this link to begin the registration

Step 3: Once you register and sign in, I encourage you to watch the entire video training series to understand the EdPrivacy features that are most useful to you.

Please refer to this link for the district's approved applications, websites, etc.

Our Team

Sabrina Rich - Director of Technology
Erin Newton - CIO/Database Specialist
Ramon Santos - Operations Manager
Larry Martinez - Systems Engineer, AHS
TBA - Systems Engineer, AHS
Carlos Rodriguez - Systems Engineer, AMS
Jordan Lee - Systems Engineer, CRS

Please email Tech Support for any technology-related issues.

Please email Erin Newton for issues with the eSD Parent/Student Portal.

Director of Technology

Sabrina Rich

MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES

The educational landscape is undergoing a profound change, with technology reshaping the way our students learn and introducing a wealth of new resources into our classrooms. Chromebooks, interactive boards, Google Workspace, and iPads empower both teachers and students to tap into applications and information that extend far beyond the confines of their classroom. I find great inspiration and joy in contributing to the ongoing transformation of learning within our district.

In my role as the Director of Technology, my primary objective is to assist teachers and students in seamlessly integrating technology into the curriculum. I am dedicated to offering training opportunities that equip today's educators with the skills needed to meet the evolving needs of tomorrow's digital learners.

Yours truly,

Sabrina Rich
Director of Technology