Technology Support for Families

During enrollment and each year after during verification, parents must review and sign the Technology Acceptable Use Policy(AUP). Students in grades 4-12 will also sign an AUP when they complete their digital citizenship activity in the classroom at the beginning of the year. New students enrolling during the school year will sign one before receiving their school-issued laptop. 
 

One-to-One Technology Acceptable Use Policy (full text)

Student Use

• I will be responsible for my device and take good care of it. 

• I will charge my device’s battery every day before I bring it to school. 

• I will bring my device to school every day that I am in attendance. 

• I understand that sound must be muted unless earbuds are used, or permission is obtained from my teacher. 

• I will know where my device is at all times and only use the device provided to me unless otherwise permitted by my teacher.

Basic Care and Handling 

• I will not loan out my device and cords to other individuals. 

• I will keep my device in its protective case/sleeve. 

• I will transport my device securely. Laptops only: I will carry my laptop closed in its protective sleeve when it is not in use or being charged. I will not carry it by the screen. 

• I will keep my device off the floor where it could be stepped on or tripped over. 

• I will keep food and liquids away from my device. 

• I will not deface my device in any way. This includes, but is not limited to, marking, painting, drawing, attaching stickers, etc. 

• I will not tamper with the hardware or software, disassemble any part of, or attempt any repairs of my device. 

Student Expectations for Responsible Computing 

• I will keep my login and password information private and only share it with my teacher, school officials, and parents/guardians. 

• I will only use the login and password information provided to me and will not attempt to login as any other person. 

• I will use appropriate language in all digital products and communications. 

• I will not give my name, address, phone number, school, or my teachers’/parents’ names, addresses, or phone numbers to anyone online. 

• I will not fill out any form or sign up for anything online that asks me for any information about my school, my family, or myself without first asking permission from my teachers/parents/guardians. 

• I will not use any articles, stories, or other works I find online and pretend it is my own. 

• I will not make use of materials or attempt to locate materials that are inappropriate in a school setting, or that may offend others. 

• I will only locate and use school appropriate content in my digital work. 

• I will not use screensavers, backgrounds, and/or pictures with offensive language and/or materials. 

• I understand that my device is subject to inspection at any time without notice and remains the property of the Park Hill School District. 

• I will follow the expectations outlined in board policy EHB, associated board regulations, One-to-One Parent/Student Handbook, and the Student Code of Conduct at all times. A copy of this policy and regulation can be found online at www.parkhill.k12.mo.us. 

• I agree to keep my device and other peripherals in good working condition. 

 Parent / Guardian Agreement 

• I acknowledge that I will be responsible for any damages to the device. Optional insurance is available. Incidents that occur at school involving multiple parties will be investigated by district administration. 

• I acknowledge that my child and I are to follow the expectations outlined in the Board Policy EHB, and associated board regulations, and that a violation of these guidelines could result in the student facing disciplinary action. 

• I will be responsible for monitoring my child’s use of the Internet when he/she is not at school, and that my child’s use of the school network and device may be monitored for compliance with school policies and applicable laws. 

• I acknowledge that fraudulent reporting of theft will be turned over to law enforcement and result in prosecution. 

• I acknowledge that my child must return the device, protective case/sleeve, power charger, stylus (if applicable), and any other items provided to him/her in good working condition. 

• I acknowledge that my child will have access to web-based tools, digital resources, and applications that support curricular objectives, and that these online services may collect, use, and disclose personal information (such as student names and email addresses), but only for the use and benefit of the school for the purpose of student learning. In accordance with Board policies and regulations, students will be strongly discouraged from providing any other personal information, and I will instruct my child not to provide any other personal information. I will contact my child’s teacher and/or school if I need additional information about the applications and online services that are used for learning in my child’s classes. 

I have reviewed the Board Policy EHB and EHB-R, and the terms of service and/or policies for each of the applications and online services listed in the Student Application Privacy Information document on the Park Hill School District website and consent to my child’s use of same. I understand that I may opt-out of my child’s use of these applications and online services in the future at any time. 

This handbook lays out our policies and best practices for student device use and care. Parents and students should review it together at least once per year, ideally before the school year begins.

download Student/Parent Device Handbook (PDF)

General Damage Information

The parent/guardian is responsible for the cost of repair or replacement if a laptop, iPad, or their accessories are damaged, not returned, lost, or stolen. We offer optional insurance to help reduce the cost of any needed repairs. 

Damage to district devices should be reported within two days. Technology staff will perform periodic inspections to ensure no damage goes unreported. Incidents which result in laptop damage involving multiple students will be investigated by building administration to determine fault. 

Insurance Details

Please note: The previously free technology insurance offered to students in Kindergarten-fourth grade has ended. For protection against unwanted costs due to device damage or loss, be sure to opt-in to technology insurance during Online Verification. The costs are reflected below.

Parents choose to accept or deny insurance coverage during enrollment or verification. The premium payment is due 30 days from when the student begins to attend school. If you deny insurance coverage or do not pay the premium within the time allowed, all damages will be charged at cost. A chart of the most common damages and their repair costs can be found on page 15 of the One-to-One Student/Parent Laptop Handbook (PDF).

Optional Annual Insurance

Laptops(grades 2-12):

• $50 premium for full year coverage
• $25 for free/reduced program participants

iPads (grades k-1):

• $30 premium for full year coverage
• $15 for free/reduced program participants

Claims and Deductibles

$50 damage deductible per incident
$150 deductible for stolen(police report required) or irreparably damaged laptop

Items Below Insurance Deductible (charged at cost)

$20 charger/power adapter
$10 pen/stylus
$20 protective sleeve

Items Not Covered by Insurance

$25 fee for removal or damage to asset tags and other official labels.
$25 cleaning fee for laptops that have been drawn, painted, or marked on, defaced, or had unapproved stickers attached. School approved stickers are acceptable.
Insurance coverage also will not apply in cases of:

• Damage due to dishonest, fraudulent, malicious, or criminal acts
• Damage due to usage not in accordance with district policies and procedures.
• Additional damages due to failure to protect device from further harm after initial damage occurs.
• Disappearance of device not reported to law enforcement
• Loss due to negligence
• Failure to return device or accessories at the end of school or prior to leaving the district

If you have questions about insurance or device damage policies, please contact the technology Help Desk at 816-359-5000.

As part of our commitment to ensuring success for all students, Park Hill School District is offering free wireless hotspots to families without reliable internet access at home. High-speed internet access is essential to one-to-one learning, as it allows students to have continuous access to school resources and to make full use of their district-issued laptop or iPad for learning.

Families who do not have high-speed or reliable internet access at home are encouraged to apply by contacting their student's teacher, social worker, school counselor or filling out the .pdf form below and emailing it to servicedesk@parkhill.k12.mo.us.

Wireless Hotspot Fillable Form.pdf

Notes about Hotspots

• Hotspot service is provided for the 2022-2023 school year by T-Mobile's Project 10Million.
• Students will be issued hotspots as they become available. Early signup up is ideal for getting a hotspot sooner.
• Hotspots have 100GB of data for the entire year, which is about 1200 hours of basic internet browsing. Please note that streaming and downloads use up more data than basic browsing. Once the data is used up there is no way to renew, so please keep hotspot usage to schoolwork. 
• Students who are returning to school the following year may keep their hotspot through the summer. If a student leaves the district, they must return their hotspot along with their school-issued device.

The Park Hill School District is a CoSN certified Trusted Learning Environment, which signifies that we have taken strong and measurable steps to help ensure the privacy of student data.

Learn more about the TLE Seal

The Park Hill School District and the Department of Technology believe that data privacy and security are crucial to the safety of our community in our increasingly connected world. We have been entrusted with private information about our staff and students and we will protect this data and the trusted relationship with our users to the utmost of our ability. The following policies, along with all applicable state and federal laws, govern our use and management of student data:

Board of Education Policy EHBC - Data Governance and Security (PDF)
Board of Education Regulation JO-R : Student Records (PDF)
Notification of Privacy Rights under PPRA (PDF)

Our teachers strive to provide students with a robust and meaningful classroom experience, which often includes the use of various web-based technology tools, applications, and services. Each application must be vetted by the Department of Technology. We evaluate the application’s privacy policy, terms of service, technical quality, etc., to ensure our student, staff and district data is kept secure and confidential.

As each course, classroom, and teacher has unique technology needs, it is important that teachers and students have input when choosing which applications meet their educational needs. This is why our vast list of approved applications may include many programs that have similar functionality, and newly approved applications are constantly being added. Technology ensures the applications are safe, and teachers choose the application that best meets the needs of their classrooms.

View the Approved Applications List

According to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): 

Digital citizenship is about much more than online safety — or a long list of don’ts. It’s also about the do’s that help create thoughtful, empathetic digital citizens who can wrestle with the important ethical questions at the intersection of technology and humanity. Those do’s include:

• Using technology to make your community better.
• Engaging respectfully online with people who have different beliefs than you.
• Using technology to make your voice heard by public leaders and to shape public policy.
• Determining the validity of online sources of information.

This new lens focuses on empowering learners to be in community with others in online spaces and showing them that digital citizenship goes beyond conversations about personal responsibility. It’s about being active citizens who see possibilities instead of problems and opportunities instead of risks as they curate a positive and effective digital footprint.

In Park Hill, we use Neptune Navigate's digital citizenship modules to provide a comprehensive and thought-provoking learning experience for our students.

The following resources are a snapshot of the variety of online tools available to teachers, parents, and students concerned about digital citizenship. We encourage you to use them as a starting point for essential conversations about online behavior and safety. 

Common Sense Media
Information for parents and educators about what kids are encountering and consuming online. Includes a robust digital citizenship curriculum to reinforce good technology habits in the classroom and at home.

Be Internet Awesome
Developed by Google working with the Family Online Safety Institute, this site has tips and guides for families, and a fun interactive game for kids to learn about digital safety. 

START (Stand Together And Rethink Technology)
START equips parents and community members to be mentors and guides so kids can grow up happy and healthy in an increasingly digital world.

Family Online Safety Institute
Tools and rules for navigating the web confidently with your family.

NetSmartz
Tipsheets, videos and lesson plans for online safety.

Internetmatters.org
From age-specific online safety checklists to guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices, you’ll find a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world.

Parenting in a Digital World
Advice for the connected family from Verizon Wireless.

Stop.Think.Connect.
Resources from the National Cyber Security Alliance on digital safety for everyone.

PBS Technology Literacy
Videos, lesson plans, and more about many different facets of digital responsibility for students.

Through Infinite Campus, Parents/Guardians have the ability to stay up to date on grades, attendance, schedules, announcements, and much more.  To access Campus Parent, please contact your student's school to receive your unique Campus Parent Activation Key, then see Getting Started below.

Schoology serves as a “digital hub” to keep classwork organized and easily accessible. Some teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online or give assessments. It provides a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects and for teachers to assign and collect assignments electronically.

Park Hill School District parents/guardians have access to a READ-ONLY version of their students Schoology accounts so they can keep up-to-date on what's happening in the classroom. Please note that not all teachers use Schoology in the same way or to the same degree, so speak with your student's teacher if you have questions.