iPad Setup Guide updated for iOS8

The Parent Handbook - iPad Setup Guide has now been updated for iOS8. The changes are minor but procedures may be easier for you with access to the updated screenshots and information in the newest version of our Setup Guide. Please visit the Documents page on the Launch Pad blog to preview the Guide, or click this link to view, download and/or print required sections.

For those families who may have young members unwrapping iPads from Father Christmas, the new Setup Guide will enable busy minds to start setting up and downloading school apps over the long break. Please see the Free Apps List for 2015 on the Documents page of the Launch Pad blog. You will not have to have ALL of these downloaded in the first week but many may be of interest for exploration over the Christmas break. The class teachers will let students know in the first few days of school, which apps will be required for the first few weeks.

New iPads purchased some weeks or months ago (depending on the model and vendor) may have shipped with iOS7 installed (Apple's previous mobile operating system). It is advisable to upgrade to iOS8 as soon as possible for the best app performance and features. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. The iPad must be plugged into power and connected to internet via wi-fi. As a rule, always keep your iPad's operating system up to date. All Apple's OS upgrades and minor updates are free.

Check for iPad software updates in Settings > General

For those families hiring a school iPad, rest assured your child's iPad will be installed with the latest updates and ready for pick up at the first iPad Boot Camp event on January 27th* (if that is the evening you plan to attend) or from the school library on the first day of school. You might like to send a sticky label with your child's name so the iPad can be labelled immediately in the style they prefer. If your child does not bring their own name label, the school library will print a plain label with the child's name and class.

*Parents, there will be a second Boot Camp event held on the evening of the first school day (January28th). You only need attend ONE of these events, WITH your child - it's the same program both nights. The evening's program starts at 7pm sharp and will conclude by 8.30pm.

In order to ensure roughly even numbers at both events, bookings will open via our online booking system in the week leading up to these events. 

Student Email Account Details

Parents we sent home BCE student account details for the following classes today (Tuesday):

• 3 Blue
• 3 White
• 4 Blue
• 4 Orange

Please check school bags if you haven't received the note. 

Account details for students in 3 Orange and 4 White will be sent home on Wednesday.

You need your child's student account details for the Apple ID creation process for two reasons:

1. You must use their BCE email address (ending in @mybce.catholic.edu.au) create the Apple ID. Students cannot use a family or shared Apple ID for their school program.
2. You need to login to your child's email account (with the username and password provided) to access the verification email from Apple. Click the link in the verification email to complete the Apple ID creation process.

If your child already has their own Apple ID you may be able to change the primary email address to their school email. Click here for instructions.

We strongly discourage the students from using their email accounts over the break. Once school begins next year we will have more time for specific instruction about appropriate use. If your child is using their email account, we ask that you please monitor their activity at home.

Important documents now available for download

Thanks to those parents who have responded this weekend, it has come to our attention that documents hosted on the Scribd website can no longer be downloaded by users without paid accounts.

We are now in the process of moving all supporting documents for St Catherine's Contemporary Learning program over to SlideShare, so you will be able to easily view them online and download the documents for printing at home if necessary.

All supporting documents can be found embedded on Launch Pad's Documents page (visit the Launch Pad blog and use the tabs to switch pages). These documents include:

• iPad Setup Guide for iOS 7 (an update for iOS 8 will soon be available)
• Parent Frequently Asked Questions about our 2015 program
• Parent Handbook - Policy & Guidelines (soon to be updated for new Privacy Legislation)
• iPad Hire Agreement form (due date has been extended to Friday, November 28th)

Please also note the links to quality Digital Citizenship resources for students and parents in the right hand pane. You will not see these if you are reading this as an email update. You need to visit the Launch Pad blog to access these links.

A final reminder that you will need students' school email account details to create Apple IDs. These will be sent home before the end of term. Thank you parents, for your patience and continued cooperation.

Apple IDs for Students

Parents we have just received word from Apple that introduction of the new process to streamline creation of Apple IDs for schools has been delayed. It now seems highly unlikely that Australian schools will be able to create Apple IDs for students under 13 years of age before Term 1 begins next year. This process, which has been available to schools in the US for the past year, is yet to be introduced in Australia. 

Why am I only hearing about this now?

When we held our information night for parents in early August, indications from Apple that the new Apple ID creation process would be accessible to us for next year’s program were very positive. We delayed our Setup Night events and held off on providing information about email addresses as we believed that we would be able to streamline this process for you. Now that we know this will not be the case, we must ask you to create an Apple ID on your child’s behalf, as parents have done in previous years.

When do I need to create my child's Apple ID?

Ideally your child will start school in 2015 with their Apple ID set up. If families can take care of this at home, any delays to classroom learning in our 1 to 1 classes next year will be minimised. Please email Maria at mmead[insert at sign here]bne.catholic.edu.au if you anticipate any difficulties.

Why does my child need an Apple ID?

An Apple ID is a secure account with Apple that allows the user to purchase and download apps, books and music. There are also many free apps available. Students will need to install school apps under their own Apple ID so that they can be kept separate from family recreational apps that may be owned by a family account. Some apps that are only temporarily required may also be distributed via managed licenses through the school's Volume Purchasing account. This is best achieved using the student email addresses which we have on file. An Apple ID account also includes free access to iCloud, which is Apple’s online (cloud) storage facility.

What do I need to create an Apple ID?

You need a computer or iPad with access to the internet. You can create an Apple ID using:
• The Apple website
• The iTunes program on any computer (Mac or Windows):
• Settings > iTunes & App Store on the iPad
• The App Store app on the iPad
(Note - click the links for more detailed information)

The step-by-step instructions provided in the Parent Handbook – Setup Guide will be useful if you are using the iPad.

Do I need to use a credit card?

You will be asked to enter payment details to create the account. This can be a valid credit card or an iTunes card. However you will not need to pay for school apps through the App Store. Most of the apps required for school are free. Paid apps are purchased by the school on your behalf. The cost of these is covered via the booklist levy.

There are ways to avoid entering payment details when creating Apple lDs, documented here on the Apple website.  If you do enter your credit card details to create the account, you can immediately edit the account details to remove the card by clicking the ‘None’ button under Payment details.

Do I have to lie about my child’s age?

Your child will use their Apple ID throughout the three-year program, and most probably throughout their lives, so it is strongly advised that you enter their personal details during the setup process. However, due to child privacy legislation, children under the age of 13 are ineligible to own and manage an Apple ID in their own right. For this reason we ask that you enter your own year of birth, rather than your child's. This may seem irregular but technically the Apple ID account is owned and managed by you until they come of age. The practice has been accepted by our educational representatives within Apple and is currently undertaken by many schools implementing 1 to 1 programs.

Parents do need to be aware that Apple stores user data offshore.

What email address should I use for the Apple ID?

You will be asked to enter a primary email address. This must be your child’s BCE email address. Student email addresses and passwords will be sent home with the students before the end of this term. The Apple ID must be verified via your child's email address, which means you need to be able to receive an email in their BCE account. Instructions for setting up an email account in the Mail app on the iPad are in Section 3 of the Setup Guide. Alternatively, you can access your child’s BCE email account from the School Portal.

For further information about Apple IDs:

Apple Help Links

• iTunes accounts for Students
• Apple IDs for students
• Changing your Apple ID (primary email address)

Year 3 CyberSafety sessions

Parents, we posted a few weeks about about our Term 4 CyberSafety sessions with Year 3 and 4 students. You can read that post here, to find details about the Year 4 session material and some useful Australian cybersafety resources for parents and families.

Year 3 sessions began this week and will continue through until Week 7 of term. Feel free to watch the videos below with your child again at home and start some conversations. You will have your own valuable experiences and advice to add. Every year we find students more aware of the pitfalls of online activities and better prepared for safe and responsible digital citizenship. It's wonderful to know families are talking about this important subject!

Topics addressed in these sessions are:

• Information Privacy: What information is OK to share? What personal information should NEVER be shared online?
• My Digital Footprint: Everything I do online leaves a 'trail'.  How can I make sure I'm leaving a positive digital footprint?
• Cyberbullying: How should I deal with it, as a victim or as a bystander? The importance of reporting cyberbullying to a trusted adult.
• Uncool Content: How to recognise and avoid scams, phishing and malware.

For Year 3 students:

Today we viewed the first of the adventures of Faux Paw, the Techno Cat from the iKeepSafe Kids website: "Adventures in the Internet". This is a US website however the cartoon format is appealing and reinforces the messages we are aiming to convey.

"Hector's World" is a series of short animated videos available on the Federal Government's CyberSmart website. There are also some very useful resources there for parents if you take the time to explore the site.

Parents you will also see links to some useful resources for families in the right hand pane of this Launch Pad blog. Please note: If you receive posts via email updates, you will not see these extra features. But you can always visit the Launch Pad blog by clicking the link in the email footer (in tiny pale print). You may also need to 'allow' images to load in your email application, before you can view any visual content in these email updates.

Thanks always for your email subscriptions and your support! Keep spreading the word about the importance of subscribing to Launch Pad.