Required laptops - Page 2

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by Anirbas 

That's another reason to homeschool, hth!

How on earth is this helpful? This is forum for parents who've chosen (for whatever reason) a brick and mortar school. Homeschooling does not work for everyone. If you wish to tout the benefits of homeschooling, please keep your comments to the homeschooling board.

[Cynthia Mosher]

Anirbas, your participation is showing itself to be for adversarial purposes. Your membership is no longer welcome.

[meemee]

velochic also see if you know a teacher or proff. i cant remember if you are a proff or not. with a teachers discount and your child using it for school discount its quite a large discount. also check the univ. store in your city. they have large discounts too - in my city i think its around april if i remember right. do you also have to buy the editing and other programs?

on the backpack issue. is your dd interested in changing backpacks every year. or is she perfectly happy with one for the next few years?

there are lots of roller backpacks out there. the gap or old navy one is crap. get a decent one with decent wheels. but yeah definitely get a rolling backpack. i have noticed the ones in dd's school mostly are jansports. for 4th grade dd will have two backpacks. one rolling for all the heavy books and the shoulder for her other lighter books and school supplies. they get hw over the weekend for the first time so they have to bring heavy books home. i would not try to get one giant roller bp, rather two mediums. i have noticed 4th graders struggle to use giant rolling backpacks. 

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by velochic 

They want to go with one platform and have a standard set of software that will be installed by the school (yes Lioness, there will be some restrictions, but as this is new, dh and I *are* curious how they are going to enforce that).

That makes sense to me. I can really see why they want all the kids to use the same platform and software.

Laptops are optional at my kids private school and they have strict rules about what can and can't be done on them while at school. It's enforced the same way as other rules. If a child is seen doing something that isn't allowed, they get talked to, their parents get talked to, etc. Since they are not required but considered a privilege, kids who continue to break the rules are not allowed to have them at school.

Since your school will be loading software on them and I suspect, networking them, they may be adding in ways to check what is done on them. My DH's company does this. His IT department monitors how many internet hits each user has each month, for example, and can check ALL email.

It does seem odd to me that they aren't buying them in bulk to get a discount.

[lindberg99]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move 

It does seem odd to me that they aren't buying them in bulk to get a discount.

That's true. And if the school bought them, couldn't they avoid paying sales tax?

I think for carrying a laptop, I would want a hard side case, maybe something like an instrument case? My daughter has banged her clarinet case around and the clarinet has always been fine.

[greenemami]

Not sure if this is what you need, but I saw backpacks in the Lands End catalog with built-in space for lap tops :)

[velochic]

Originally Posted by greenemami 

Not sure if this is what you need, but I saw backpacks in the Lands End catalog with built-in space for lap tops :)

This is what we ended up getting.  (Free, with cc points!!)  Thanks for the tip!   The laptop sleeve is removable, so for this year, we can keep the sleeve out and use it next year.

Linda - we are getting a group discount when we buy them.  I agree about the school buying them.  That was the ORIGINAL plan.  The school would buy them.  But then they changed their tune.

A lot of things have happened this new school year that I am NOT happy about and this laptop initiative is one among many.

[rabrog]

You need to tell the school to look into this more.  It will be a hardship for some families to get the machine in the first place, but the school is not doing anything to help if they are not going to do a bulk purchase to get the best price.  I'd talk to the principal or board.  They need to negotiate the best price for the school and do the purchase.  Also, unless one person purchases all the machines, they won't have everyone on the exact same platform, specs, etc.

Jenn

[velochic]

Originally Posted by rabrog 

You need to tell the school to look into this more.  It will be a hardship for some families to get the machine in the first place, but the school is not doing anything to help if they are not going to do a bulk purchase to get the best price.  I'd talk to the principal or board.  They need to negotiate the best price for the school and do the purchase.  Also, unless one person purchases all the machines, they won't have everyone on the exact same platform, specs, etc.

Jenn

It's kind of funny that you say that the school needs to look into this more.  They did research for 2 years prior to instituting this policy, including going to Apple's 1:1 workshops to see how it works in action.  I honestly don't think they could have looked into it any more.  They did their homework.  Thoroughly.

Originally, the school was going to pay for it.  But it was still going to be included in the tuition.  Instead, they negotiated a deal with an Apple dealer and we DO get the group discount.  I don't understand what you mean when you say they won't be on the same platform and specs.  Obviously, they'll all be on the same platform because they're all Apples.  The specs have been given to the dealer, so he knows exactly what each student needs.  The IT department gets the computers and will put a standard software install (school's license) on all of the computers. 

We've already expressed our concerns to the Headmaster of the school.