Technology @ Hong Kong International School
11 Aug
Dear 6th - 12th Grade Parents:
Please signup for a “out of the box” laptop distribution session
A brief reminder that you should signup for one of the “out of the box” sessions for the HKIS one to one program. Each student (and one parent or guardian) must attend one two hour session between the 14th and 28th of August.
http://ets.hkis.edu.hk/laptop/
The sessions on the 14th of August are now opened for any students grades 10-12 as advertised. Signups for sessions on the 14th will close at Midnight 11th August.
For more information please click here:
Parent education sessions
There are two parent education sessions, one on supporting your child at home with technology and the other on parental controls. If you would like to signup please go here:
http://tinyurl.com/hkis-parent-ed
Laptop accessories sale
Senco our Apple partner will have a sales booth open all day on the 14th, 21st and 28th of August. They will have stock of laptop bags, portable hard drives and other accessories. There will also be order forms if you would like to purchase other Macs or accessories they do not have in stock at school. Please click here if you would like to see the order form.
10 Aug
Repeat of an Aug 6th email.
Dear 5th Grade Parents,
Welcome to fifth grade and the first year of our 1:1 laptop program! As we begin the year we want to communicate our plans to you.
Fifth grade students will have their laptops in class from the start of school. Each laptop will be labeled with their name and individualized for each student with a login account. We will begin with training sessions about how to care and handle their laptops. Your children’s laptops will be stored and recharged in fifth grade classrooms in secure carts that will be locked up each night.
Students should not expect to take their laptops home right away. Based on the experience of other schools which have laptop programs, students must first learn the fundamentals of safe use and have developed the behaviors of responsible users. We need to be sure students are ready to handle the responsibility of taking their laptops between school and home. Like owning a pet, having a laptop is a significant responsibility. Currently we are planning that it will be Christmas break and second semester before students to begin taking their computers home.
We will be offering parent workshop to help you prepare for laptops coming home. We will cover topics like setting parental controls, learning the Apple platform, setting up a safe supervised and successful study environment, and supporting you as vital partners in this 1:1 program. Before we regularly allow students to take their laptops home, we will have parent sessions similar to those for grade 6-12 parents that will orient you to our school’s expectations.
Based on our fifth grade pilot last year, your children will adapt well and quickly to a 1:1 laptop learning environment. We want this program to enhance your children’s learning experience in the most positive and constructive way possible. We thank you for your support and participation.
Sincerely,
Bruce Kelsh, Principal
Virginia Udall, Associate Principal
George Kaye,Instructional Technology Specialist
5 Aug
Dear Parent of a Grade 6-12 Student:
Parents of 5th grade students please read this letter from the Upper Primary concerning 5th grade laptops
This post will provide an overview of the “Out of the Box” laptop distribution sessions, and will give you information about the online signup process. The link to the signup page is provided within this post, but please read through the email in full before you try to sign up, as there is essential information provided that may answer some questions you have.
Information about the Laptop Distribution Sessions
HKIS is running two-hour distribution sessions during the first two weeks of school. As the content of these sessions is extremely important, each session is limited to a small group of students and parents. Each student MUST be accompanied by a parent, as the sessions contain information for both student and parent concerning expectations for laptop use at HKIS, as well as procedures for service and support.
During the session, students and their parents will learn about the behavior expectations at HKIS concerning laptop use, and will modify their student accounts and customize certain file systems. The passwords for the student Standard User account, as well as the student Admin account will also be set. The student Admin account holds the commands for Parental Controls, so parents should consider if they wish to oversee management of the computers before they arrive at the distribution session.
The sessions will not be able to cover every aspect of our laptop program, so each family will be provided with a comprehensive booklet (“Learning With Your Laptop”) that provides additional important information. We strongly advise that parents and their children read through the booklet at home after their session.
Continued Student and Parent Education Opportunities
Parents are being offered parent education sessions on August 14th, 21st and 28th, after they attend a distribution session (although they are not limited to those parents). These education sessions are entirely optional, and are designed to support parents in their role as guardians and role models for their children’s use of technology, and are led by HKIS counselors, ICT Faculty and Apple personnel. There will also be sessions offered for parents during the school year. These sessions require early signup at
http://tinyurl.com/hkis-parent-ed
Optional Session 1) Creating a Safe Home Environment for Technology Use.
This session will inform parents on how they can best help their child get the most out of having a laptop for school use. Suggestions and structures for home guidance will be provided. These will be run by HKIS counselors and ICT faculty, and similar sessions will be offered later in the year.
Optional Session 2) Using Parental Controls
Each MacBook comes with a set of controls that Administrators can invoke which will provide structure by turning off the laptop at certain times, disallowing internet access, as well as other functions. This session will provide instructions and guidance on how to use these controls, as well as the advantages or disadvantages of their use. They will be led by Apple or HKIS staff.
Students will receive additional information and training at school via homeroom and counseling programs, during PCG and other venues throughout the school year.
Information about the Online Signup Process
The online signup will be activated August 6 before 12 noon.
You can signup for any session, as well as change sessions if you need to.
Signups for any one session will be closed 48 hours before the session begins in order to allow adequate time for preparation.
Please be patient with the signup system, especially for the first few days. We anticipate a large number of people will attempt to access the system at the same time. If you experience difficulties, please try later when there are less people online.
Your child will NOT be at a disadvantage if they collect their laptop closer to the end of the signup period. Teachers are planning lessons with the expectation that some students will not have a laptop until the end of the second week of school.
HKIS is requiring that at least one parent/guardian be present with the student during the distribution session. If there is no parent or guardian present the student will not be allowed to collect their computer.
If you have two children in the same division you can signup for the same session for both children.
If you have a child in both middle school and high school you will need to attend seperate sessions for each child. The content of each session is different due to the age group of the students.
The link to the signup system is http://ets.hkis.edu.hk/laptop/
Click here to get a full list of all the session times
If you have problems with the online signup website please contact: YH Gan: ygan@hkis.edu.hk
If you have problems with the process for signups or laptop distribution, please email Justin Hardman: jahardman@hkis.edu.hk
Before you attend the session:
Bring HKIS student card or other photo ID
If you intend to attend optional parent sessions please RSVP before hand so we will have accurate numbers
Looking forward to seeing you.
25 May
Welcome to the brand new HKIS ETS Website! This site should provide a hub for information on the services of ETS as well as information and resource for technology in general.
The first up-to-date items on the website are:
What to expect:
Please visit often for updates from ETS.
Justin Hardman
Director of Technology