NASD Technology Update

June is finally here and with it comes graduation and summer!

The NASD IT Department would like to share an update on what is going on with end-of-the-year procedures and some new things coming soon!

Congratulations to the NASD Senior Class of 2022!

Please note that you will need to return your Chromebook and charger to the NAHS Library between June 1st and 3rd. During this time, you will also need to pay any outstanding fees for damaged or lost Chromebooks. If you miss out on this window, please call the IT helpdesk to coordinate the return of the device and make any payments needed.

All students will keep their Chromebooks over the summer. With our LevelUP program and summer programs, many of the devices will be needed even during the summer. Additionally, we would like to keep the technology available to our students even in the summer months!

Students moving from elementary school to middle school and from middle school to high school will bring their devices with them. Each Chromebook is assigned to the student and not the school.

In April 2022, the NASD School Board of Directors approved the lease-purchase of 2000 Chromebooks. These devices will be used as new devices for the Freshman at NAHS and Roosevelt, 5th Graders at ESTLA, ENMS, and Stewart, and our Kindergarteners across the district. Our 5th and 9th-grade students will keep and use these devices for 4 years, Kindergarteners will use them for 5 years.

Going forward, new devices will be purchased and given to the same grades to keep the devices new and rotating. After they are done with their 4-5 year window, they will become parts and replacement devices.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) is a federal program to assist in making sure students have the ability to connect and learn remotely. This fund has already provided NASD with additional Chromebooks and Internet Connectivity via Hotspots from Verizon and T-Mobile.

After 2 funding waves, Money still remains to be used, So ECF has requested districts submit for the 2022-23 school year. We submitted to have the remaining 1463 Dell 3120 and 3180 Chromebooks be replaced and for another full year of unlimited internet services for the 599 Hotspots.

We are waiting patiently to see if we are approved or not in wave 3!

NASD IT uses Square as our payment processor. We have a register here at the Administration Building that we used during COVID to collect payments.

Recently, we have been issuing invoices to emails that we have on file here that allows for digital payments saving the trip to the school or administration building.

Starting last week, our Helpdesk and Ticketing website can now link directly to Square. You will now get an email from our Helpdesk IncidentIQ with a link to make a payment directly.

If you need to pay with cash, you can still do so at the school or here at the administration building.

As a reminder, we offer a free repair for every device each school year, up to $40. We will complete any accidental repair at school. Each student can either submit a ticket for repair or their teacher can submit it on their behalf. An NASD technician will pick up the device from the school and complete the repair, then return it. No need to drive up to the Administration Building Loading Dock!

Eagle-Net has officially launched!

At the beginning of the school year, we hosted a Red-Cross shelter in the NAHS Gymnasium. We opened our wireless network so the families that were taking shelter could have internet access. During this time, the students were also connecting and using it. When we eventually disabled the network, we heard loud and clear that they wanted it back.

After a lot of planning and implementation, we now have an official wireless network for students to use, Eagle-Net!

You can read more about it here:

https://www.nasd.k12.pa.us/Eagle-Net

Email: ldesrosiers@nasd.k12.pa.us
Website: https://www.nasd.k12.pa.us/domain/56
Location: 401 North Whitehall Road, Norristown, PA, USA
Phone: 610-270-2923
Twitter: @NASD_Technology