WSD Ascend - Chromebooks at SOJH

Parents and Students –

By now, most all of our students have been issued Chromebooks.  These have been checked out to each student and, just like a library book, they are the responsibility of the student to care for it and ensure it is free from damage.  Each student is responsible for the care of their Chromebook.  As such, there are some guidelines students are asked to adhere to:

1-Please do not put stickers, letters, or markings on your Chromebook.

2-You may purchase a protective cover, if you desire, at a reduced cost through a vendor with a contract for Weber School District students.  A cover is not required.  More information can be found at:

https://www.cdwg.com/shop/custompages/default.aspx?CustomPageKey=DD8D1C0A91BE465D9357C045DBCB5C69

3-Damage to the Chromebook – outside of normal wear and tear – is the responsibility of the student to cover the cost.  Please take care of, and be careful with your Chromebook.  In order to help students care for their Chromebook, SOJH has changed our policy on backpacks.  Students are now allowed to have backpacks with them in classes.  This ensures students have a safe and protected way to transport their Chromebooks.

 If their Chromebook is damaged or broken, there will be a charge to repair it.  The student is responsible for the costs to fix the damaged or broken Chromebook.  We encourage parents to purchase the optional Chromebook Repair Assist Program for $25.  This can be purchased online through your students’ portal account or in person at the school.  This reduces the repair costs by 50%.  For more information on this program see the following on the District website:  http://wsd.net/ascend/resources/repair-assist-program

Students will be using their Chromebooks every day in most classes, so it is important they keep them in good working order, charged, and with them as they move from class to class.  

Our teachers are excited to have access to this great resource and integrate this technology into their classrooms.  We know that these devices cannot replace good instruction and experiences, but we are excited to see students use them to deepen their learning. Students will still be doing labs, working with their hands and minds, collaborating verbally with each other, and expressing themselves artistically. We envision students using Chromebooks as a tool to make learning more relevant, collaborative, and meaningful. We hope to see students interacting with the world in a broader way.

For more information or answers to frequently asked questions, please see the District website:

http://wsd.net/ascend/resources/chromebook-faqs

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Velden Wardle

Principal, South Ogden Jr High

WSD Aspire (One to One)

Students and Parents –

Next year, the 2019-2020 school year, South Ogden Junior High School will be issuing a Chromebook to each student.  At the beginning of the year, each student will be issued their own Chromebook to use throughout the school year.  Students will be able to keep the Chromebooks during the course of the school year.   In preparation for this, there is some additional training and work our teachers are required to do beforehand.  As a result, our teachers will have 4 half-days of training during March and April.  This means that school will dismissed at 12:15 PM on those 4 days.  We know this is an adjustment to the published school calendar, but hope that with this advanced notice, it will not be an inconvenience for families.  We have scheduled these teacher trainings on Wednesdays to coincide with elementary school early-out days in hopes that this makes it better for families with students at multiple schools. 

The dates classes at South Ogden Junior High will be dismissed at 12:15 PM for teacher training are:

March 6

March 20

April 10

April 17 

Please make note of these on your calendars and with your students.  Buses will run their normal routes at 12:15 PM to take students home (just like any other early-out day).

We are excited for this upcoming move toward more personalized instruction and being able to provide this resource for our students.  Much more information will be coming for both students and parents as this happens.  We will have a parent night in August to answer questions as well as provide information about each student being issued a Chromebook.  There will also be additional emails and information sent as we prepare for this in the upcoming school year.

We appreciate your support and would love to answer any questions or discuss any concerns that you might have.   

Velden Wardle

SOJH Prinicpal