Technology FAQs

Technology FAQ’s

Below you will find a list of questions you may have as to the distribution, use, and application of the use of technology for Manchester Academy students beginning the school year.  This list will be continually updated as needed.  

Will students be allowed to take their devices home?

Students with Macbook Airs (grades 7th-12th) will be allowed to take their computer home.

What applications can students install on their Macbook Airs?

Students will be prohibited from adding applications to the assigned devices.  Manchester Academy will periodically conduct maintenance.  The software originally installed by Manchester Academy must remain on the device at all times.

Are there printers available on campus that students can print to?

There will be a few printers that students in grades 7th-12th can print.  The primary location for student printing will be announces closer to the date of one-to-one device initiative.

Will student files be backed up?

Students in grades 7th-12th are responsible for all data on their student assigned device.  Only the student and technology department have access to the data on each device.  The student should not expect privacy of his/her files.   

Where can students store data?

Students in grades 7th -12th can store data in their home folder, which is located on their student issued device.  Students may also store data on an external hard drive, flash drive, Google Apps, or use ICloud backup.

What accounts will students have?

Students in grade 7th-12th will have the following accounts.

Device account for logging into student issued device

What is the philosophy behind this initiative?

To best prepare our students to live in this ever-changing global environment, Manchester Academy believes there is a need to supplement our traditional curriculum with more technology and our traditional teaching methods with more flexible and collaborative methods.   A foundational goal of our Strategic Plan is as follows: 

Meet the goals of the Manchester Academy mission statement by building an educational program designed to build knowledge-based skills needed for success in the 21st Century.

Manchester Academy identified several crucial skills needed to satisfy this goal:

Awareness and appreciation for technology:

Collaboration skills

Communication skills

Creativity

Critical thinking

Flexibility

Learning differences

Problem solving

Service and learning

Strong character development

Use of time and scheduling

How will Manchester Academy handle misuse of technology?

MA has outlined what is expected of a student’s technology use in three documents.

Acceptable Use Policy

Laptop User Agreement

Laptop Care Guide

 Discipline procedures are outlined within the Acceptable Use Policy as it applies to technology use on or off campus.

Who is required to have a computing device?

Grades 7th-12th will use the Macbook Air.  Theses devices are required of all students.

Can students customize their Mac?

Students may customize their Mac experience as long as they meet the guidelines set forth in the Laptop User Agreement. 

What will be the cost to me?

The student’s tuition and technology fee covers the cost of acquisition and use of the devices.  The only thing not covered in the cost is a method of backing up student’s data.  The student will be responsible for backing up this/her Macbook Air.

Who owns the devices and why?

The school has full ownership of the devices.  The most important part of this initiative is to focus on teaching and learning.  We believe that we must remove all obstacles when introducing technology.  By having every student with the same device all hardware and software will be consistent.  This will also cut down tremendously on the repair costs and/or replacement of a device that is having technical issues.

 Will parents need to buy any additional items?

Students will be issued a hard shell case that is to remain on the Macbook Air at all times.  

Students will also need to purchase some sort of backup device.  This device may be a flash drive, external hard drive, or online backup service.  

We highly suggest that parents have high-speed Internet access at their home and potentially wireless service in addition.  Internet access at home will allow students to work on assignments that require an Internet connection.

Manchester Academy Technology room/ MA Help Center will be available Monday-Friday of school days from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. to provide a time for students with limited or no internet at home to complete projects and/or print documents if necessary.  

What if we already own these Apple devices or a similar device?

The most important part of this initiative is to focus on teaching and learning.  We believe in removing all obstacles when introducing technology.  By having every student wit the same device all hardware and software will be consistent.  

 There is much more that comes with each device other than the hardware itself.  Manchester Academy has licensed software that is pre-loaded on all devices.  MA will offer technical support, troubleshooting, and repair services.  We could not offer these extra benefits if MA did not own the device.

 What comes with the school issued Macbook Air?

The following is supplied by the school for those students in grades 7th-12th.

13″ Macbook Air

45W Magsafe power adapter

Speck Hard Shelled Case 

AppleCare via Manchester Academy Tech Center

Support and repairs via the Manchester Academy Tech Center

Preloaded software

What should be done if the devices are damaged?

In order to have the Device repaired, the Student will take the Device to the Manchester Academy Tech Center.  Under no circumstance should the Student take the Device to a third party repair location, including the Apple Store.  The Device will be assessed, and if further repair is required, a loaner Macbook will be issued to the Student.  The Student’s Device will be repaired in-house or sent out for repair.  The Help Center will e-mail the Student’s parents to inform them that a repair is being done and how much the applicable deductible is.  Once the device is ready to be picked up, an e-mail will be sent to the Student.  The Student will have two school days to exchange the loaner MacBook for his/her own.  In order to receive the repaired Device, the Student must pay the applicable fee to the MA Help Center.

Is there any type of insurance with the device?

The school owns each device, so there is no need for families to pursue additional insurance.

 Is Manchester Academy getting rid of textbooks?

It is MA’s goal to begin filtering out physical textbooks with digital versions of textbooks.  This process will take several years to accomplish.   MA will not sacrifice curriculum in order to get a digital version of a textbook; thus the process may take longer.  MA also understands that students have different learning styles.  While getting the weight out of the backpack is a great move forward, some students learn better with a physical textbook.  MA will work to meet both needs.

Who pays for repairs to the devices?

The Student is responsible for maintaining a fully working Device at all times. The Student shall use reasonable care to ensure that the Device is not damaged. Refer to the Laptop Care Guide for a description of expected care. Where the damage occurs (on campus or off campus) does not affect the application of these policies.

If the Student’s Device is damaged requiring repair, the Student will be responsible for paying a flat deductible (shown below) regardless of the actual cost of the repair.  These rates are based on damage repairs within the same school year.

First damage repair: $150

Second damage repair: $200

Third damage repair: $250

An exception to this flat deductible may be made for minor repairs on the Device.

Manchester Academy reserves the right to charge the Student and Parent the full cost for repair or replacement when damage occurs due to gross negligence.  

See section 3.5 of the Laptop User Agreement (LUA) for more information.

Is there any internet filtering on the devices?

Manchester Academy has an internet filter that will filter inappropriate sites as well as those that may interfere with the teaching and learning process.  Student devices will be filtered both on campus and off campus.  The filter filters websites based on the category that our system assigns.  There are different levels of filtering based on time and location.  By offering this filtering service, Manchester Academy is making its best effort to protect students.  However, it is impossible to filter or restrict access to all sites that may contain questionable information.  We recommend parents oversee their child’s device activities at home.

What software is pre-installed on student Macbooks?

Student Macbook Airs given to 7th-12th graders come pre-loaded with El Capitan (10.11).  The following applications will be pre-installed on the Macbook Airs

iLife Suite ’11 (iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband)

iWork Suite  (Pages, Numbers, Keynote)

iTunes

Firefox

Quicktime Player

Photo Booth

Grapher

Students may install additional software if desired.  However, this software will not be re-loaded in the case of a major technical issue with the Macbook Air.

 How can I get my home printer to work with the MacBook Air?

Many printers will “just work” after plugging in your printer to the MacBook.  There are some however that requires administrative privileges in order to install printer drivers.  If this is the case, please bring your laptop as well as the make and model of the printer to the Tech Center and we will load the drivers for you.

To Download/Print this policy, click here.