Dear St. John's Families,

As we progress with our emerging Imagine iPad program, I am becoming even more excited at the promise of full implementation in the fall. The two classroom sets of iPads -- generously donated by the Parents Association -- are in constant use in classrooms, and faculty are hard at work with research, exploration and planning. I hope you are following notes about our progress on the 1:1 News section of the St. John's mobile app and website.

The purpose of this Head's Note is to provide you with information about device ownership in preparation for the 2013-14 school year.

The charts below provide a per-grade outline of device ownership and related responsibilities. I have worked with the Imagine policy and procedures committee, our director of finance, and the Board of Trustees to arrive at these carefully considered decisions.

Device Ownership

Pre-k through second grade students will be assessed an annual technology fee with tuition, and the school will own the iPads. Each student will be assigned an iPad, but the devices will remain in the classrooms. They will not go home with students after school or during holidays. Students may not use their own iPads at school.

Each third through seventh grader must have a family-owned iPad. Students will take the devices back and forth from home to school. The devices will remain with students during holiday breaks.

For the 2013-14 school year only, eighth graders have the option of paying a technology fee and being assigned a school-owned device that will travel with them throughout the school year or of using a family-owned iPad. School-owned devices must be returned to the school before graduation. Current seventh grade families will receive more information about their options in January, at which time we will require a decision from each family on whether their eighth grader will use a school- or family-owned device for his or her last year at St. John's.

Device Specifications

We recommend that family-owned iPads for third through eighth graders be full-size, 64GB iPad 3 (fourth-generation); however, if your family already owns an iPad 3 third-generation or one with less memory, an iPad 2, or an iPad mini, you may choose to use that as long as possible. We will not support original (i.e., first-generation) iPads. Student iPads need only have Wi-Fi (not Wi-Fi plus cellular).

Mobile Device Manager

Fundamental to our Imagine iPad program is the implementation of a Mobile Device Manager (MDM), which is school-controlled software that will secure, monitor, manage and support student and faculty iPads. Without exception, student iPads will be enrolled in the MDM.

Required Enrollment Sessions

We will hold required device and program enrollment sessions for all families the weeks of June 3-7 and August 5-9. Details and reservations will be available in January. During the enrollment sessions (which will likely be a few hours each), you will also receive information related to program policies and procedures.

I hope this information answers your questions about our Imagine iPad program. This move is an important development for St. John's as we continue to create an even better educational experience for our students.

Best regards,

Mark Crotty 

 iPAD OWNERSHIP AND RELATED INFORMATION

*The only eighth graders who have the option of using a school-owned iPad are those in the Class of 2014. 

**Apps must meet the Acceptable Use Policy criteria, which will be distributed at the required enrollment sessions.

ENROLLMENT SESSION TOPICS

The information below will be discussed in detail at the required enrollment sessions.

stjohnsschool.org