School Laptop Program
Introduction
Students in Year 7 to Year 12 are required to bring a laptop to school as Digital Technologies are integrated across the curriculum to enhance learning. These devices, if cared for and looked after appropriately, should last your child for a three-year period. It is recommended to evaluate replacing the device at the beginning of Year 10.
The school provides the necessary infrastructure and support for students to safely access learning materials, school resources and the internet from their device at school, with most services also being available at home.
Parents and Teachers work in partnership to guide students in the correct use of technology in the classroom and develop skills for good digital citizenship. We do ask that you play an active role in guiding your child's use and care of the laptop. We encourage students to take care handling their laptop and store them in a protective cover.
We urge parents to consider having an appropriate personal effects, accidental loss or damage and theft protection insurance policy that covers your child’s tablet device and other belongings, whilst at both home and school. The School does not accept any liability for damage or loss of any personal possessions.
School Laptop Purchasing Portal
Parents have a number of purchasing options. An online purchasing portal facilitated by the school in conjunction with an IT supplier provides parents with a suitable device with the required specifications as well as insurance and finance options.
Parents also have the option to purchase locally and the school has liaised with local retailers regarding our requirements. If you choose to purchase locally, please ensure you meet or exceed the required minimum specifications: (It may help to print this letter and take it with you to your retailer of choice)
- Form Factor: Laptop - Must have a keyboard and trackpad/mouse (Required)
- CPU: Intel i3 (Minimum Required) or greater (i5 Recommended)
- RAM: 8GB (Minimum Required) or greater
- HDD: SSD 120GB (Minimum Required) or greater (Must be SSD or NVMe)
- Battery: 8 Hours (Minimum Required)
- Network: WiFi 'n' (Minimum Required)
- Display: We recommend 13.3-14” size for better portability and battery life (13.3" Minimum Required for SACE Exam compatibility)
- Camera: At least one (Required)
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit (Required)
- Warranty: 3 Year onsite with local provider (Required) and insurance (Recommended)
- Protective Case/Bag (Recommended)
Please note, you do not need to purchase Microsoft Office or Antivirus software as this is supplied by the school. Apple MacBook devices are not fit for purpose as they do not meet the minimum Operating System requirements.
If you have any questions please feel free to read the FAQ below or contact our ICT Team.
Setup Documents
Please find instructions for setting up your device below. Devices are set up in lesson time at the beginning of the year or you can follow these instructions.
- 1 - Initial Setup & Add Your O365 Account
- 2 - Setup Your Email
- 3 - Setup Your Documents - Students
- 4 - Install Microsoft Office
- 5 - Map Drives
- 6 - Print From Your Laptop via The Intranet
- 7 - Print From Your Laptop via Mobility Print
- 8 - Sync OneDrive
- Minimum Spec Letter For Printing
- Student Device Parent Guide
Software
Students enrolled at St Joseph's School Port Lincoln are provided with an Office 365 account which allows them to install Microsoft Office on their personal device. See the instructions for doing this in the Setup Documents section of this page.
School Antivirus (Microsoft Defender - Advanced Threat Protection) is set up when students add a "Work or School Account" by following the instructions in the Setup Documents section of this page.
Below is a list of software that is used in the curriculum that can be downloaded and installed free of charge on student's devices as required.
General
Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Powerpoint and Publisher.
ClickView App - Available via the Windows Store.
Pearson Bookshelf - Access textbooks offline.
Read and Write Gold - Must be installed from the School Intranet.
HP Classroom Manager - Must be installed from the School Intranet.
ICT
Tipp10 - TIPP10 is a free 10-finger touch typing tutor.
Scratch - Create stories, games, and animations and learn to code.
Maths
Geogebra - The Graphing Calculator for Functions, Geometry, Algebra, Calculus, Statistics and 3D Math! Requires Java
Music
LMMS - Making beats has never been easier.
MuseScore - Create, play and print beautiful sheet music.
Audactiy - Audio software for multi-track recording and editing.
Design & Technology
Inkscape - Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor.
Blender - 3D modelling, animation and much more.
Multimedia
OpenShot - OpenShot can take your videos, photos, and music files and help you create the film you have always dreamed of.
Paint.NET - Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software.
GIMP - Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do we do with the device once we purchase/receive it?
As you will probably be purchasing/receiving your device in the school holidays please feel free to unpack, charge and start using your device.
We strongly recommend that you keep Windows fully up to date via Windows Update, this will help with the setup process. You will find setup documents on this page that you can use to begin to configure the device if you wish.
Please ensure your child's device is charged and ready to be used at school each morning.
How will I know what my child is doing on their device/What safety mechanisms are available?
You can configure a built in Windows feature called Family Safety to monitor your child's use of the device. We also recommend you set up Find My Device as an extra layer of security for the device.
There are instructions on setting up that I do not understand, how do I get help?
The school will go through the setup instructions with all students at the beginning of the year so don't panic if you run into a problem, just make sure the laptop is charged and tell your child to seek help from the teacher once at school.
Does the school provide any support for the devices?
Yes, if your child is having problems with their device please get them to speak to their teacher who will direct them to ICT Support at an appropriate time to get the problem resolved. ICT Support will be able to help with Software and configuration issues and warranty claims. We also log insurance claims if you have purchased via the portal.
Why do you have the "required minimum specification" and what does it mean?
The required minimum specification is the most cost effective set of features in a laptop that will ensure it will be suitable for school use for a minimum three year period. We see three years as the liftime of a laptop when used at school due to wear and tear and standard ICT practices in business.
Please feel free to purchase above the minimum specifications if you wish, you may decide to do this if your child's subject choices will include Music, Technology, Photography or Design in senior secondary.
Why is a MacBook not fit for purpose?
At the school we use certain features that are Windows only, a MacBook will not be able to connect to these features or install some of the curriculum software used in the school. All support documentation, instructions in class and software is focussed on Windows. Standardising on Windows allows us to train teachers to support minor issues so they do not disrupt the classroom.
The devices are all too expensive for me, what can I do?
The portal offers finance as an option, please investigate this and contact the school finance department to discuss you situation in more detail.
When will I have to have a device?
We will provide details via email contact throughout Year 6. Please contact the school and update your details to ensure you don't miss out on important communication.
What Antivirus does the school use and am I eligible for it?
The School has a license for every student to install Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection on their personal device which is an additional licensed product on top of the standard Microsoft Defender built into Windows. This will be pushed out using Intune, the School's Mobile Device Management System when the school account is added to Windows see 1 - Initial Setup & Add Your O365 Account.
What is Intune / Why Add a Work or School Account / Does the School change any settings on my Laptop?
Intune is the School's Mobile Device Management System which is used to configure student's Laptops and install required software. When you enrol a Laptop into Intune by Adding a work or school account we will apply the minimum settings required for us to configure a Laptop for student's use at school. This should not be done on a shared/family computer.
How do I get remote support?
School ICT Staff can be contacted by email on ict@sjspl.catholic.edu.au where we can organise to support your child remotely via screen sharing in Microsoft Teams or using Quick Assist in Windows 10.