2022 - 23 Secondary Student Digital Readiness

Why does VSA suddenly implement this Laptop Readiness Program?

School management team has researched the effectiveness of our laptop program, and believe that the follow issues are the reasons why we need to implement this program:

• Not all student has the necessary software needed for their learning,

• Student’s software version are not in-sync, which incompatibility issues while submitting homework.

• School’s related resources (e.g. learning-related bookmarks) and settings (e.g. Chinese input method) are not standardised among all students’ MacBooks.

In order to ensure everyone student’s MacBook are equipped with the complete set of learning tools, school management has decided to ask all students to submit their MacBook for standardized software and resources installation.

This process are being executed by a number of international schools across Asia Pacific for the last few years and it does reduce the rate of incompatibilities issues in school.

What does “re-imaging” means?

Re-imaging means to replace all existing contents of the hard disk with standardized software titles and settings for use in VSA.

Does this mean all the files in the MacBook are to be erased? Will the school provide backup and restore service for student?

Re-imaging will erase all content currently in student’s MacBook. Therefore, it is very important that student backup their important files before bringing their MacBook in for reimaging.

The school does not provide backup service for student, but we can offer suggestion to student regarding their backup strategy. It is also worth to mention that the school has provided Google Drive to all Secondary students which allows them to use it as backup media.

We (parents) have installed additional software for our child’s MacBook. What will happen after re-imaging?

If you have installed additional software for your child’s MacBook, it will be necessary to re-install these software after re-imaging. Parents will be able to perform software installation as parental admin account will be recreated for them to supervise their child’s MacBook.

What software is installed during reimaging?

Please refer to the lower section for complete software and setting lists.

What user account(s) will be created during re-imaging? What are the purposes for these accounts?

During reimaging process, three user accounts will be created:

• Student account – Normal user. No authority to install software or modify essential computer settings

• Parent account – Administrator. Full administrative right in MacBook control (e.g. software installation, parental control). Parent account’s details will be sent to parent direct after re-imaging process.

• School Admin account – Administrator. Only to be used for school-related administrative functions.

Laptop usage in VSA

What is the battery life? What will happen if the laptop’s battery runs out during class?

Laptops nowadays have an excellent battery life and if fully charged at the beginning of the day should serve the students well. Experience has shown that one full charge is generally enough for a whole day of school. Therefore, students are expected to come to school with their computer fully charged.

However, to meet our students’ need, there are power points in all VSA classrooms and in public areas. Over the coming school year, VSA will do a full study to ensure that there is appropriate accessibility to power where and when students need it.

Will students have access to all the same services at home as they do at school?

Like now students will be able to access all VSA website and network resources from home. Accessing personal files should be easier than before as they will be stored on the laptop and not on the school network. Because students will have the laptop loaded with the software that they need for classes in our one-to-one environment this will be a substantial improvement over the current situation in which students only have access to software during class time, and when the teacher is able to book the computers.

Will the files on my child’s laptop be backed up?

Similar to the consumer market, data backup is user’s responsibility. However with the school’s approach to utilize Google as our educational backbone, student’s classroom will be expected to stored on Google Drive while it will be backup by Google automatically.

What happens if my laptop is lost or stolen?

As with other school property issued to students such as books, the family will be responsible if the item is lost or stolen. This means the student will need to purchase another laptop through the school.

What happens if the laptop is damaged accidentally?

If there is any damage to the laptop, students should bring it to the school’s IT Office for immediate inspections.

MacBooks, purchased through the school purchase program, are entitled to receive repair services through the school’s IT Officer as well as a loan unit for use during repair.

AppleCare+ extended warranty coverage is bundled with all MacBooks purchased through our partner vendor Senco-Masslink.

AppleCare+ for Mac extends the coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a reduced service fee. (The exact service fee will be quoted on a case-by-case basis.)

MacBooks which are not purchased through the program will only receive technical advice from our IT Office.

Does parent need to purchase additional software for student use in school?

The school has been migrating towards crowd services, in which the need for software has been shifted towards online services. Therefore the school has confirmed to not ask parent to purchase software for use in the coming school year. The school, however, is looking into a subscription-based educational resources for learning purpose and will inform parents about this when appropriate.

Will students be allowed to install software onto the laptops?

Only I.T. Admin or parent login accounts have right to install software or perform other system configuration.

What software will be installed into student’s MacBook?

(Click on link above)

In addition to software title, specific settings will be implemented into student MacBook during notebook cloning stage, such as: Student Wi-Fi setting, frequently used bookmarks, parental admin account, etc…

Will all student’s MacBook require cloning? When will it happen?

Please refer to section 2021- 22 Secondary Student Digital Readiness for details of re-imaging exercise for student’s existing MacBooks.

MacBooks, purchased through school program, will be pre-imaged with these software and setting before arrive school for distribution. These MacBooks can be collected on school start date, according to schedule as outlined in 2021 - 22 Secondary Student Digital Readiness.

What about bags for the computers?

VSA does not provide laptop carrying bag because the majority of students already have backpacks to store their belongings when they are at school. Feedback from the community and research into peer schools that are 1:1 has indicated that it is not ideal for students to carry another bag in addition to their regular school bag. Parents should evaluate their child’s school bag to ensure that it provides adequate room and protection for the laptop and consider getting a protective case if they deem such a case necessary. Such cases which will help individualize a student laptop are readily available in Hong Kong.

In fact, since all the computers are identical, we highly recommend that each MacBook be made distinct by using color cases or other means for easy identification.

What about security for the computers?

Students should have the computer either with them or in a “locked locker.” VSA is committed to providing secure storage for students during the school day.

As a parent can I login to the computer?

All school issued computer contains three (3) accounts:

1. I.T. Administrator

2. Parent

3. Student

Only the parent and I.T. Admin login may install or change the configuration of the computer. We highly recommend that the parent account password should NOT be given to the student. Doing so will compromise both the school’s and your ability to safe-guard against possible abuse of usage.

Parents are welcomed to contact the IT Office for technical enquiries.