FAQ

 The $275 yearly fee covers the following:

• Use of BRHS iPad (currently the 64GB iPad Air 2)
• BRHS iPads are replaced every two school years
• A protective case (that must be used)
• Mobile Device Management software (see question, What is Mobile Device Management....?)
• All required apps (see question, Will students have to buy apps...?)
• 8am to 8pm Apple telephone support
• AppleCare+ warranty (see question, What happens if the BRHS iPad is damaged?)
• In-school support and warranty replacement with loaner iPad

All students who are current with tuition payments, have paid the Technology Fee, and have completed the Technology Use Agreement will receive their BRHS iPads on their assigned schedule pickup day (August 25 or 26). Students will setup their BRHS iPad, participate in a one-hour boot camp, and receive access to additional resources for use at home.

It is imperative that students are prepared for class on the first day of school! Students will be in danger of starting out far behind if they miss their assigned pickup day.

BRHS iPads will be the only devices permitted to be used in the classroom and the only devices permitted to access the Internet on BRHS WiFi. Refer to the Parent Student Handbook for more information on cell phones and other personal devices.

For several reasons, the school will benefit from all students (and teachers) having the same model and running the same software. 

Students are expected to take their iPads home each day to have access to their notes, eBooks, and other resources used for homework. Additionally, students are expected to charge their iPads for the next school day.

As outlined in the Technology Use Agreement, if iPads are left at school for any reason, they must be kept in the students' academic lockers (not gym lockers).

BRHS iPads must be kept in the STM Dux case that is provided by the school - students cannot switch to different cases. 

While not mandatory, keyboards can be a helpful addition when typing longer assignments or for students who find the on-screen keyboard inefficient for taking notes. See our Accessories page for more information about keyboards.

In addition to the one-hour boot camp in which all students participate, there will be several in-school opportunities for students to learn new iPad productivity skills:

• Study hall and study lunch sessions for underclassmen.
• Assistance from iPathlete (student iPad club) in the ARC or during scheduled sessions before and after school.
• Assistance from Instructional Technology Facilitators (faculty iPad coaches).
• Assistance from Technology Staff in the Tech Office (ARC).

Also, as part of AppleCare+, students have 8am to 8pm access to Apple experts who can assist them with questions about using the iPads or Apple apps.

Each enrolled student will be assigned a BRHS iPad to use as a tool in support of their learning endeavors. As outlined in the Technology Use Agreement, students will bring the iPad to school each day, fully charged, just as is expected for all required materials. Students will take care of the iPad...

Like any other learning tool, iPads will not be used 100% of the time. iPads are mobile devices used to enhance student learning. As with any instructional tool, teachers will use their content area knowledge and pedagogy to determine how to integrate the iPad into classroom instruction.

Students are expected to treat their BRHS iPad with care but accidents will happen!

Damaged BRHS iPads are already covered by AppleCare+ (see complete details). Under this warranty program, Brother Rice will facilitate up to two instances of damage to BRHS iPads by repairing or replacing the iPad. Depending on the circumstances of the damage, a deductible of up to $50 may be charged to the family's account. The AppleCare+ program does not cover lost or stolen iPads!

As an optional purchase, families can enroll in third party insurance through the Worth Avenue Group. This insurance program is $50 per year with no deductible and covers all damage, including lost or stolen iPads, while offering an unlimited number of incidents. Enrollment details will be made available to parents around the time of iPad distribution.

iPads that are repaired under either of these programs entitles the student to use of a BRHS loaner iPad for the duration of the repair.

The AppleCare+ warranty does not cover lost or stolen iPads. Brother Rice is making third-party insurance available through the Worth Ave. Group. Additionally, parents can check with their homeowner's insurance carrier about the cost to add coverage for iPad loss or theft.

BRHS will assist students in attempting to locate their missing iPad using the Find my iPad feature of their Apple ID. This is usually only effective if the iPad is in the school building or at home.

In the event that the iPad cannot be found, families will be required to replace the BRHS iPad through the Business Office. The replacement cost will be determined based on the amount of time left in the iPad's useful life, but could be up to the full retail value of the iPad ($599). BRHS iPads must be replaced through the school; they cannot be purchased at a retail location.

The goal of the Technology Fee is to cover all iPad related expenses including mandatory apps. These apps will automatically be loaded to each student's BRHS iPad as required, at no additional cost to the family. Examples include productivity apps that all students will be encouraged to use for note taking, presentations, and collaboration, a motion analysis app required for Honors Physics, or a vocabulary app for Latin. Mandatory apps will be referenced in each teacher's syllabus.

eBooks and textbooks are not included in the Technology Fee and must be purchased separately.

Students may purchase other apps and content (music, video, etc.), but these purchases are not covered under the Technology Fee. Parents looking for options for allowing or preventing these additional student purchases are invited to contact the Technology Office.

Students are encouraged to personalize their BRHS iPad so that it becomes a tool they are more likely to use daily.

Students will be able to download any apps, music, videos, or other content that meets the standards outlined in the Technology Use Agreement. BRHS will have visibility into all downloaded content and will notify students if there is any content that is not permitted.

Not all courses will be switching to eBooks for the 2015-2016 school year. Many courses, including all of Theology, will utilize eBooks. Other courses will offer a mix of resources that are both digital and traditional (text).

Apps and iBooks, whether provided by BRHS or purchased by the family, are assigned to a single Apple ID; for this reason it is necessary for each student to have their own, personal Apple ID. This account should not be shared with other family members. To facilitate sharing, Apple has created Family Sharing which allows up to six Apple IDs to be grouped in a Family for the purposes of sharing and parental approval of purchases. See apple.com/icloud/family-sharing for more information.

Note: digital resources that are not provided by Apple typically do not permit sharing.

Brother Rice is investigating the possibility of making BRHS iPads available for purchase by the Class of 2016 at graduation time. This decision will be announced after the start of the second semester in February 2016.

Brother Rice is investigating the possibility of making BRHS iPads available for summer use by students who have re-enrolled for the 2016-2017 school year. This decision will be announced after the start of the second semester in February 2016.

Brother Rice students who attend classes at Marian will be able to request access to Marian's WiFi system and use their BRHS iPads in accordance with Marian classroom rules.

It is possible to accomplish all school related tasks on the BRHS iPad. Still, some students may find that having an additional computer at home will allow them to be more productive when it comes to longer word processing assignments and activities where the iPad is being used to view the eBook.

Also, students will greatly benefit by having Internet access at home, but it is still possible to complete assigned work by downloading materials at school and using applications at home in an offline mode.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a software package that is preloaded on BRHS iPads to facilitate the following:

• Automatic deployment of apps and iBooks
• Enhance collaboration between students and teachers
• Enable teachers to lock a student into an app during a lesson, quiz, or test
• Monitoring of iPad content (apps, music, etc.)

Answer coming soon!