Dear Parents: The Atlanta Girls! School Technology Department welcomes you! We are excited to provide you the opportunity to take part in one of the most exciting educational endeavors available today. The technology program offers a variety of opportunities designed to meet the educational needs of our students, while allowing everyone to leverage the technology resources AGS has to offer. Through this program, we plan to use the laptop as a digital hub of student learning. Everything we now design, plan, or implement takes into consideration simplicity, functionality, and access, both during and outside the school day. We hope that by introducing the power and mobility of a laptop we will change how and when students learn, increase learning opportunities for all students, and engage our most important stakeholders directly into the education process, you! Atlanta Girls! School students will receive a new industry standard Apple laptop computer as a part of this experience. This information packet will help guide you through the essential steps needed to make your participation in the program pleasant and hassle-free. Laptop orientation will be conducted by members of the Atlanta Girls! School Technology Department. The AGS Technology Department is our school!s support mechanism for our Apple 1 to 1 program. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 404-604-2803 or by email at crichardson@atlantagirlsschool.org. Sincerely,
Cathleen Richardson Director of Technology
Atlanta Girls’ School 2009-2010 Technology Program Technical Specifications Hardware
Apple MacBook
Processor
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory
2GB
Hard Drive
160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive
Operating System
Mac OSX 10 Leopard
Screen
13.3 LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; 1280 x 80 resolution
Optical Drive
8x slot-loading Super Drive (DVD+R DL/DVD+RW/CD -RW)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Wireless
Built in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); built in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module
Networking
10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet
Video
Built in iSight camera; Mini Display output port with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (requires adapters, sold separately)
USB
Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
Audio
Built in stereo speakers, built-in omnidirectional microphone, combined optical digital input/analog line in, combined optical digital output/analog line out
Hardware Accessories
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, lithium-polymer battery
Warranty
The AppleCare Protection Plan is a uniquely integrated service and support solution that extends the complimentary coverage on your Mac to three years from the computer’s purchase date.
Atlanta Girls' School 2009-2010 Technology Program Overview Laptop Model: The following is the Atlanta Girls' School issued laptop model, which will be fully supported by the school’s Technology Department and Apple.
Apple 13” Aluminum MacBook Please refer to the model specification sheet for complete configuration and cost details. All models come with the standard AGS educational software package that includes: • iWork '09 (Keynote, Pages, Numbers) • iLife '09 (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, Garageband and iWeb) • Microsoft Office Suite • Aperture • Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator • Geometer's Sketchpad • Math Type • Inspiration • Schoolhouse • Bee Docs Timeline • Quicktime • Web Browsers (Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Flock) • Google Earth and much more! All laptops also come with AppleCare Protection warranty. The AppleCare Protection Plan is a uniquely integrated service and support solution that extends the complimentary coverage on your Mac to three years from the computer’s purchase date. Additionally, the laptops include 3 years of accidental damage insurance and annual updates during the lease term. A case is included with the laptop. This case has been specifically selected for the quality, size and superior protection that it will provide to the laptop. All students are to use this case on a daily basis to protect their laptop.
Student Agreement: As with all other aspects of school life, there are rules and polices that govern computer usage. In addition to the Community Trust Agreement, the school has a Technology Acceptable Use Policy. Students will also be bound by the terms and conditions of the software they use. Copies of the policies and conditions will be provided to students at the “Out-of-the-Box” Laptop Distribution and Orientation meetings that will take place this summer. We hope that you will use the laptop in all aspects of your school life, but
commercial use of the laptop or use of the laptop to illegally share software violates our software agreements and is strictly prohibited. Each student is responsible for the care of her computer. Atlanta Girls' School will carry insurance for each leased laptop, however there is a $150 per incident deductible, which is required to be paid prior to having the laptop repaired (due to accidental damage). The laptop is the property of Atlanta Girls' School; therefore students MAY NOT deface the laptop in any way (no stickers, coloring on the unit, etc.) The computer must be kept in full working condition and if necessary repaired through the authorized repair program. Students must immediately report any issues with the laptop to the AGS Technology Department by filling out a Tech Help Desk Ticket.
Fee Specifications and Included Items: Year 1: Technology Fee $775 Deposit: 50% by July 1, 2009 Remaining balance: August 18, 2009 For this Technology Fee you will receive: • A new Apple 13” Aluminum MacBook laptop (software included) that is able to utilize our wireless network and school network resources. You will have full use of this laptop, including all vacation breaks (aside from a two-week annual update during the summer). • Full accidental insurance with a $150 deductible per incident. • Full service and a 3-year AppleCare Protection warranty on the laptop. Loaners will be available for students from the Help Desk, if repairs cannot be made within one day. Please note: if a loaner is damaged while in use the same rates are applicable for repair. • Help Desk support (generally available from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday Friday) • A Laptop Bag for safe transport of laptop. • An External Storage Device for backing up all personal data.
Your Next Steps: Carefully review this document and send your 50% deposit by July 1, 2009 to: Atlanta Girls' School 3254 Northside Parkway Atlanta, Georgia 30327 Attention: Lorri Palko Director of Planning and Operations
Confirmation of Participation: Once we have received your signed form and payment, you will receive a confirmation email. You will also receive information about the dates of the “Out-of-the-Box” Laptop Distribution and Orientation meetings and how to register.
Laptop Distribution: The “Out-of-the-Box” Laptop Distribution and Orientation meetings will be scheduled for early August. Parents and students must attend two of the orientation sessions to be able to pickup your laptop. The orientation/distribution process includes training and orientation so please allow at least 3 hours for each parent session and 6 hours for each student session. During the orientation we will cover warranty and insurance information, Mac basic features and functions, Internet safety, how to connect to the AGS community and much more. We will also have time set aside for a question and answer period.