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About Chromebooks

Chromebook Handbook

Use the link at the right to download a copy of this handbook.

The policies, procedures, and information within this document apply to all Chromebooks used at the Warwick Valley Central School District by students, staff, or guests, including any other device considered by the Administration to fall under this policy. Teachers may set additional requirements for Chromebook use in their classrooms.

Introduction

This handbook and attached agreement provides information concerning the Chromebooks used at the Warwick Valley Central School District. Students in grades K-4 will utilize a Chromebook stored in district learning spaces. Students in grades 5-12 will be provided with a district-issued Chromebook for the 2026-2027 school year, as part of our 1:1 learning initiative.

Receiving Your Chromebook

Chromebooks will be distributed in the Fall of 2026. Parents & students must sign and return the Chromebook Policy Sign-off document before the Chromebook can be issued to their student. This document will need to be signed before or during the pick up appointment.

Return

Any student who transfers out of the Warwick Valley Central School District is required to return their Chromebook and accessories. This includes graduating students as well. If a Chromebook and accessories are not returned, the parent/guardian will be held responsible for payment in full.

Taking Care of Your Chromebook

Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook they have been issued by the school. While these devices are provided to enrolled students free of charge, they remain district property and must be treated with care. Students in grade 5 and higher are responsible for their assigned chromebook, whether it’s on school premises or elsewhere.

General Precautions

There are several things you can do to make your Chromebook last longer and offer you a trouble-free and rewarding learning experience.

  • No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
  • Cords and cables must be inserted carefully into the Chromebook.
  • Students should never carry their Chromebook while the screen is open unless directed to do so by a teacher.
  • Chromebooks should be shut down when not in use to conserve battery life.
  • Chromebooks should never be shoved into a locker or wedged into a book bag as this may break the screen.
  • Do not expose your Chromebook to extreme temperatures or direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Extreme heat or cold may cause damage to the laptop.
  • Always make sure your Chromebook is at room temperature prior to turning it on.
  • Do not use your Chromebook as a folder to store papers.
  • Use your Chromebook on a flat, hard, stable surface.
  • Do not insert things, especially metal objects, into the openings of your Chromebook.
Carrying the Chromebook

The rubberized shell of the Chromebook will only provide basic protection from everyday use. It is not designed to prevent damage from drops or abusive handling. Carrying the Chromebook in a padded backpack or padded book bag is acceptable provided the backpack or book bag is handled with care. For example, you shouldn’t toss the bag or drop the bag if your Chromebook is inside. 

Screen Care

The Chromebook screen can be damaged if subjected to rough treatment.The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.

  • Do not lean on top of the Chromebook. Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen. 
  • Do not place anything in the carrying case that will press against the cover.
  • Do not poke the screen. Do not leave the Chromebook in direct sunlight or near a heat source.
  • Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks).
Cleaning

Clean the screen with a soft, dry anti-static, or micro-fiber cloth. Do not use window cleaner or any type of   liquid or water on the Chromebook. You can also purchase individually packaged pre-moistened electronic/eyeglass lens cleaning tissues to clean the screen. These are very convenient and relatively inexpensive.

  • Close your Chromebook carefully-from the center of the screen---don’t slam it shut.
  • Wipe surfaces lightly with a clean, soft cloth.
  • Do NOT use water or other cleaning solutions on your Chromebook.
  • To keep the screen clean, do not touch the screen with your fingers.
Power Cable
  • The Power Cable should be lined up straight with the connector when inserting and removing.
  • Be careful not to jerk/pull/ twist your Chromebook around when the cables are attached.
  • It is an expectation that the Chromebook will be fully charged every evening. 
Wireless Internet
  • Your Chromebook is a wireless only device.
  • A wireless network is required to use the device
Using Your Chromebook

At School:
The Chromebook is intended for use at school each and every day.  In addition to teacher expectations for Chromebook use, school messages, announcements, calendars, academic/student handbooks can be accessed using the Chromebook. 

At Home:
Once the Chromebooks are distributed, all students are required to take their Chromebook home each night throughout the school year for charging. Chromebooks must be brought to school each day in a fully charged condition. If fully charged at home, the battery should last throughout the day. Students need to charge their Chromebooks each evening.

Managing Your Files and Saving Your Work

Students must save their documents to their Google Drive. Saving to Google Drive will make the file accessible from any computer with internet access. Students using Google Drive to work on their documents will not need to save their work, as Drive will save each keystroke as the work is being completed. It will be the responsibility of the student to maintain the integrity of their files.

Email

Students in need of email for academic reasons will only be allowed email access through an address assigned and subject to monitoring by the WVCSD. This email access will be through the WVCSD Google Apps for Education system and managed by the WVCSD. The interface can be monitored by network administrators and is subject to filtering of inappropriate content. The WVCSD Google App for Education account will be set up to allow students to email students/teachers internally in our own domain for safety’s sake. Students will not be able to email external email addresses, unless a change in this policy is made by the WVCSD.

Students should only login to the Chromebooks using the official WVCSD Google account login given to them. Students should not login or attempt to login to any other private Google account of their own on the school Chromebooks.

General Guidelines
  • Always use appropriate language.
  • Do not transmit language/material that is profane, obscene, abusive, or offensive to others.
  • Do not send mass emails, chain letters, or spam.
  • No private chatting during class without permission; the Google Chat app will be turned off for all students, unless a teacher requests the app be turned on for an educational purpose which must be approved by the WVMS school principal.
  • Email is subject to inspection at any time by school administration.
  • Students will only be able to communicate with other WVCSD students and faculty.
Personalizing the Chromebook

Chromebooks must remain free of any decorative writing, drawing, stickers, paint, tape, or labels that are not the property of WVCSD. Spot checks for compliance may be done by administration and staff.

Students may add school-appropriate music, photos, and videos to their Chromebook, if allowed by their teacher(s). Personalized media are subject to inspection and must follow the WVCSD acceptable use policy (AUP).

Additional Software

Students are unable to install additional software on their Chromebook other than what has been approved by the Warwick Valley Central School District.

Protecting & Storing Your Chromebook

Chromebook Identification:
Chromebooks will be labeled in the manner specified by WVCSD. Chromebooks can be identified in the following ways:

  • Record of serial number and WVCSD

Under no circumstances are students to modify, remove, or destroy identification labels.

Chromebooks Left in Unsupervised/Unsecured Areas

Under no circumstance should a Chromebook be stored in unsupervised areas. Unsupervised areas include the school grounds and campus, the cafeteria, unlocked classrooms, library, locker rooms, dressing rooms, hallways, bathrooms, extra-curricular bus, in a car, or any other entity that is not securely locked or in which there is no supervision.

Unsupervised Chromebooks will be confiscated by staff and taken to the Principal’s office. Disciplinary action may be taken for leaving a Chromebook in an unsupervised location on multiple occasions.

Repairing or Replacing Your Chromebook 

To maintain the sustainability of our 1:1 program, we have implemented the following system. This system  promotes student responsibility for the devices and establishes accountability for proper care and handling.

Accidental Damage & Associated Charges

The district understands that accidents happen or mistakes occur that result in accidental damage to the Chromebook. Accidental damage will be handled as follows (incidents are on a per school year basis):

  • First accident (most students fall into this category): No charge
  • Second and third accident: $75
  • Fourth or more: $150

The technology department will keep electronic records, tied to each student profile, of any accidental damage incidents. Parents/guardians will receive invoices for all incidents, including a $0 invoice that serves as a notification that the students’ first accident has occurred. Invoices and payment instructions will be delivered digitally to parent email addresses on file within the WVCSD Parent Portal.

Intentional Damage or Loss of Property

These are incidents where a student shows a lack of care or respect for the device or loses the device completely. Examples include but are not limited to, leaving the device where it may be sat or stepped on, slamming the lid closed, physical damage that would have been prevented if the protective case was not taken off, and witness to the device being thrown or used inappropriately. These incidents include if one student damages another student’s device. Intentional damage and loss of property cases will be invoiced as such:

  • Intentional Damage (minor): $100
  • Intentional Damage (major): $250
  • Intentional Damage (reckless or entire device): $500
  • Loss Of Device: $150

Here are the definitions for the damage types:

  • Minor: intentional damage to one of the following: screen, keyboard, charging port, trackpad, charger, or device enclosure
  • Major: intentional damage to more than one of the above components or damage that requires replacing critical structural parts
  • Reckless or entire device: intentional damage resulting in a total loss of the device, rendering it unsalvageable or beyond economical repair. 
Damaged or Loss of Accessories

Accessories include the protective case and charging adapter. In the case of lost or damaged accessories, we will suggest the family replace the accessory on their own as many have found they can source them faster and less expensive. If a family chooses to have the district provide the replacement, there will be a $25 charge per damaged/lost accessory.

Chromebooks Undergoing Repair:

  • Loaner Chromebooks may be issued to students when they leave their Chromebook for repair at the school media center.
  • If repair is needed due to malicious damage, the school may invoice the student/family for the full price of the chromebook ($500)
  • Repaired Chromebooks will be restored with the original factory image as first received. It is important that students keep their school data synced to cloud drives so documents and class projects will not be lost. Personal information that cannot be replaced should be kept at home on an external storage device.
  • Students and/or their parents will be charged for Chromebook damage that is a result of misuse or abusive handling. Such misuse includes major scratches and damage to the unit itself, etc. 
Loss Protection

If a theft happens then please report it to the main office or media center immediately. The district is capable of tracking all devices and we can usually find the device if reported quickly.

Chromebook Technical Support

Actions Required in the Event of Damage or Loss:

Report the problem immediately to the main office or media center. If the computer is stolen or vandalized while not at either Warwick Valley Central School District or at a Warwick Valley Central School District sponsored event, the parent should file a police report. 

Services provided by tech services:

  • Password Identification
  • User account support
  • Coordination of warranty repair
  • Distribution of loaner Chromebooks
  • Hardware maintenance and repair
  • Operating System or software configuration support
  • Restoring Chromebook to factory default
  • System software updates
Substitution of Equipment
  • If an extended repair is needed, a substitute Chromebook will be issued.
  • The student may NOT opt to keep a broken computer or to avoid using the computer due to loss or damage
  • The Warwick Valley Central School District reserves the right to charge the student and parent the full cost for repair or replacement when damage occurs due to gross negligence as determined by the administration

Examples of gross negligence include, but are not limited to:

  • Leaving equipment unattended and unlocked. This includes damage or loss resulting from an unattended and unlocked laptop while at school.
  • Lending equipment to others or using equipment in an unsafe environment or unsafe manner.
  • Purposely breaking the device or its components
Disclaimer

Given the nature of technology use and applications, provisions are subject to change over the course of the school year. If such changes occur, students and parents will be notified via school publications and web postings.