Dear Atholton families,

In an effort to continue expanding our authorized set of digital tools for virtual instruction, HCPSS has curated a new set of supplemental digital tools that are available only through Google’s menu of additional services. These supplemental digital tools are approved by HCPSS and comply with federal, state and Howard County Board of Education student data privacy policies. Due to Google’s settings, students must access this set of tools by utilizing Google’s menu of additional services, which requires consent by a parent or guardian.

To provide consent:

1. Log in to HCPSS Connect.
2. Select More Options from the left panel.
3. Select HCPSS Google Menu from the middle of the page.
4. Click the check box to provide consent. Changes are saved automatically.

A parent or guardian must provide consent for each student by selecting the student’s name at the top of the page. 

The digital tools currently included are: Book Room, Word Work, Scratch BluBot, Scratch JR, Sketch-Up, Collector Classic, JamBoard, Google Earth and Minecraft: Education. After a parent/guardian provides consent, students using a HCPSS Chromebook can access the tools through the Google Play Store icon on the Chromebook when logged in with an HCPSS account. There may be a delay of up to three days before the apps appear in the Google menu and some tools may automatically appear on the Chromebook once consent is provided by a parent or guardian without the need to install them. If your child has not been issued a Chromebook, please make the request following the information found online.

Please note:

• HCPSS cannot guarantee that apps are available on devices other than HCPSS Chromebooks.
• Teachers may or may not choose to use any or all of these apps during instruction. Students will be notified when a particular app will be used for instruction.
• If you do not provide consent for your student’s access to these digital tools, your student’s teacher will provide alternative enrichment activities.
• In addition to these Google tools, HCPSS has approved a robust set of supplemental digital tools. Your child’s teacher will notify you of the particular supplemental digital tools being used in each class via email or on their Canvas course page.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Muir, Instructional Technology Teacher or Mrs. Albert, Library Media Specialist.

Sincerely,

Shawna Holden

Principal