Coming up next Tuesday night (Oct 27th) is our annual "iPad Setup Night" - an optional school event for Year 3 parents, kicking off at 7pm sharp in the Nano Nagle Centre.
Please aim to arrive 10-15 minutes or before 7pm, so you can find a decent carpark, sign in, pick up all your goodies, catch up with your friends and bag the best seats. Latecomers may have to resort to that (
horrifying) front row. Please bring your child's iPad if you have it. The meeting will conclude by 8.30pm.
What happens at Setup Night?
1. Welcome and Intro - 20-30 minutes
Paul and Maria will address all parents with an update on school procedures and policy around the 1 to 1 program. You'll hear a rundown on our
Handbooks (this will be your only chance to pick up a
printed copy of the setup guide) and the
Forms that must be signed and submitted before your child begins the program next year. You'll also hear some quick pre-holiday tips for managing iPads at home. There'll be a chance to ask burning questions before the group disperses to the 'Genius Tables'.
2. Genius Table sessions - own choice, 10-minute rotations
Emulating AppleStore practice, you will be invited to attend a series of 'Genius Tables' of your choice, to participate in 10 minute workshops on various iPad management topics. Each table will be 'personned' by one of our many experts who will take you through a particular procedure or impart some iPad tips and tricks. Most (but not all) of the Genius Table topics are covered in our
iPad Setup Guide (available for download from our school's
Parent Portal).
You won't have time to visit
all of the 'Genius Tables' before the event concludes at 8.30pm (our geniuses need their sleep to stay sharp). Some of the topics on offer you'll already know about and if you're an absolute beginner with an iPad, you won't want to be overwhelmed by too much too soon. So, choose from the menu those topics and procedures that you consider most urgent, move to your selected tables in any order and be ready to move on to the next table when the bell sounds.
Some of the topics on offer are:
- Configuring the Mail app for BCE student accounts
- Using Restrictions for home use
- Checking Safari history for visited sites
- Creating folders and moving apps to the dock
- Keyboard tips and tricks
- Using multi-tasking gestures for more efficient use
- Managing Purchased items in the App Store
- Setting up Family Sharing
- Creating an Apple ID
I've been using an iPad for years, why would I bother coming?
You certainly are not obliged to attend. We offer this event to help parents feel more comfortable and competent to manage and supervise the device that their children will be required to use for school learning from next year. But keep in mind, even if you only stay for the initial 'whole group' address, this may be a welcome chance to brush up on the program and ask any questions. Maybe you missed our Contemporary Learning information session in July? Maybe you've thought of more questions since then?
You might choose to stay for only one or two 'Genius Table' sessions (see list above) - for example, you might wish to set up your child's email account in the iPad's Mail app, create your child's Apple ID ready to go next year, or learn more about Family Sharing. You can head for home as soon as you have what you need.
What's this I hear about a "CyberSafety Boot Camp" in January?
Our Boot Camp is a
compulsory event, held the night before school starts in January. All Year 4 (2016) students
plus at least one of their parents/guardians must attend. The focus is Digital Citizenship, in particular, encouraging safe and responsible practices when our students are using their iPads at home and school.
