WPS Technology Hub
Devices & Technical Support
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A MIS Technician will contact all middle and high school students once they are enrolled and the proper paperwork is submitted.
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Damage and Fees:
If a child's device cannot be repaired by a WPS technician, it will be sent out for repair. Each device is allowed a certain dollar amount worth of repairs. Once that limit has been reached, families are responsible for the Chromebook repairs.
Theft is not covered for most grade levels. However, we have options to lock down the device if the device is lost or stolen with directions on where to return the device. If your device is missing, please let your child’s teacher know ASAP so this process can be started.
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Waltham Public Schools Chromebook Care Policy: Daily Expectations & Care for Students
Last Updated: September 24, 2024
Daily Expectations
- Use Chromebooks Daily: Your Chromebook is a powerful learning tool! Utilize it in class to access assignments, participate in activities, and collaborate with peers.
- Secure and Lock Your Chromebook: Keep your Chromebook safe. Log out whenever you leave it unattended and secure it with a school-approved lock when not in use.
- Charge Regularly: Develop a charging routine. Fully charge your Chromebook whenever possible, ideally overnight, to ensure uninterrupted use throughout the school day.
- Bring to Every Class: Unless instructed otherwise, bring your Chromebook to every class prepared to use it for learning activities.
- Follow Teacher and Digital Citizenship Guidelines: Respect your teachers' instructions regarding Chromebook usage in the classroom. Additionally, adhere to the principles outlined in the Waltham Public Schools Digital Citizenship Student Contract.
Chromebook Care
- Handle with Care: Treat your Chromebook as the valuable learning tool it is. Avoid rough handling, dropping, or placing excessive pressure on the device.
- Protect Your Chromebook: Use a designated, well-padded backpack to transport your Chromebook. Keep your backpack free of food, drinks, heavy objects, or sharp items that could damage the device.
- Food and Drinks: Avoid eating or drinking near your Chromebook to prevent spills and potential damage.
Device Acceptance Form & Digital Citizenship Contract
These documents outline important information regarding Chromebook use:
- Educational Purposes Only: Chromebooks are provided for learning activities aligned with the curriculum.
- Appropriate Use: Access websites, apps, and content that are educational and appropriate for school settings.
- Student Responsibility: You are responsible for any damage or destruction to your Chromebook. Consequences will be determined based on the severity of the issue, as outlined in the Device Acceptance Form.
- Digital Citizenship: Be respectful and responsible in all digital environments when using your Chromebook.
- Charger and Case: Take good care of your charger and case. You are only issued one of each. Lost or damaged chargers can be replaced at MySchoolBucks.
Remember: Your Chromebook is an important learning tool. By following these expectations and guidelines, you can ensure its continued use for academic success.
Need Assistance?
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All students in grades 1-12 are provided a Chromebook for school use.
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If your child's Chromebook is not working, contact your child's teacher to ensure the student drops off their Chromebook with our technicians.
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Chargers are available for purchase at My School Bucks. Sign up for a free account and choose Waltham Public Schools when signing up. After you purchase a new charger, please give our team 1-2 weeks to deliver the charger to your child's school.
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The general cost to replace is around $320. We offer flexible pricing plans allowing families to pay on a schedule.
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Aspen is available to enable school administrators and teachers to easily share data and engage with parents and students in a secure environment.
How do I get access to Aspen?
Your account will be automatically created and you will receive an email with login information. If you need assistance with your account please use the following link.
My information is incorrect in Aspen
Please contact your child's school secretary.
The grades on my child's report card do not match what I see in Aspen.
If you see a discrepancy between your child's report card and what is shown in PlusPortals, it is likely because your child's teacher edited your student's grades after the report card was created. If a grade change was officially submitted, this change will only be reflected in the final report card. Please contact your child's teacher regarding grades in Aspen.
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Our schools rely on Apptegy for daily or emergency communications.
If you believe you are not receiving communications, please contact your child's school to ensure your phone and email information is up to date. Please note, we cannot add new families to WPS over the summer until our student information is rolled over to the new year. This normally happens in mid-August. Until then, please check walthampublicschools.org for the most up to date information.
If you have multiple children, make sure your information is up to date for each child and each school.
Apptegy - District Communications
You can opt-out of any future messages by responding “STOP” to the text message you received from number 98900.
If at any time in the future you would like to opt back in and start receiving the communication messages from the school, you can do so by sending “START” to 98900.
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After a student is cleared for enrollment, the Waltham MIS team is alerted. Our team then creates a Google accounts (grades 1-12) and begins the process of preparing a Chromebook for the students (grades 6-12).
If your child has started school and does not have a Google account and/or Chromebook after 1-2 weeks, please contact your child's teacher or principal.
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If your child is experiencing problems accessing a classroom assignment at home, please contact your child's teacher first.
If your child's teacher cannot resolve the problem, they will consult with their school's digital learning lead.
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Teachers & Staff Technology
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Training Tutorials
Click here for slideshow
Tools & Apps Guides
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ParentSquare is used by all educators in Waltham to communicate important information for your child's classroom. Please do not unsubscribe from notifications.
You can visit ParentSquare or download the free iOS or Android app.
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Google Classroom simplifies creating, distributing, and grading assignments. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students. Google Classroom is used by grades 2-12. If a student does not remember their login information, please contact your teacher.
Student Guides:
- How do I get to Google Classroom?
- How do I get to Google Classroom? [Spanish]
- How do I use Google Classroom on my iPad?
- What is the difference between Stream and Classwork?
- How do I check for upcoming due dates?
- How do I turn in an assignment?
- My teacher said I submitted and empty assignment. How did I do this?
- How do I reduce the number of email notifications I get for Google Classroom?
- How do I check my grades?
- How do I access Google Meet from Classroom?
- How to Manage your Google Classroom Email Notifications?
Parent Guides:
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Gmail is Waltham's email app. Gmail is enabled for grades 4-12 only. Students in grades 4-5 can only email with teachers. They cannot receive emails from other students or outside of Waltham Public Schools.
- How to sign into your Gmail Account
- How to use your Gmail
- Inbox Management
- How to create a Label
- How to write an email
- Managing Google Classroom notifications
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Clever is an app that makes it easy for students to access many online learning programs and resources with their Waltham Public Schools Google account.
How do I access Clever from home?
- Go to the clever website
- Click "Log in with Google"
- Type your WPS email address and password (If you do not know your Waltham Public Schools Google account, please contact your child's teacher.)
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Below is a collection on Chromebook and Accessibility supports for students.
Google Read&Write is an extension purchased by Waltham Public Schools that provides comprehensive reading and writing supports for Google Docs and the web as well as PDFs:
- Google Chrome:
- Google Read & Write:
- Accessibility:
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Google Drive is Waltham's file organization tool in grades 2-12. Google Drive stores files like Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Forms, and Google Sheets.
- Google Drive Guides:
- Google Docs Guides:
- Google Slides Guides:
- Google Forms Guides:
- Google Calendar Guides:
Troubleshooting
Performing a Hard Reset
While working from home, or even from school, you may encounter issues with your Chromebook. While some issues need to be taken care of by Waltham Public Schools technicians, much can be done on your own. See below for some fixes to common Chromebook problems.
Cycling a Chromebook through a hard reset with often solve many issues with your Chromebook, including freezing, keyboard and touchpad issues, sound and mic issues, and general glitches. To perform a hard reset:
- Locate the Refresh key (above the 4) and the Power key (often on the upper right side of the keyboard).
- Press Refresh and Power at the same time and hold them down for 5 seconds.
- Release the buttons, and wait 10 seconds before powering the Chromebook back on.
Chrome OS Missing
If this error pops up on your computer screen, then your Chrome operating system isn't working properly. Try following these steps to see if the issue can be resolved:
- Plug your computer in using the charger.
- Turn it on and give it one minute.
- Turn the computer off using the power button.
- Wait about 5 - 10 seconds, then repeat steps 2 and 3 until the login screen returns.
This may not work on the first try. If your computer will still not go to the login screen after about ten tries, then you will need tech help from the school.
Mic, Camera, and Sound Issues
Resetting Browser Settings to Default
If you are having issues with the Chrome browser, it may be caused by recently installed Chrome extensions. These often becoming outdated or cause issues with the browser, which can glitch some websites. To reset browser settings:
- Click the stacked circles in the upper right corner of the web browser.
- Select settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the settings page and select Advanced.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced page and select Restore setting to their original defaults.
- Select Reset Settings
For more help, watch the video provided.