Students in Grade 8 at SLMS are currently in a pilot program which will allow for the students to use the "borrowed" laptops during the month of January, 2010. The computers will be rotated from classroom to classroom so that all of the students have an opportunity to use the computers at school. When the PPEL vote is successful, computers will be immediately ordered for teachers and students in Grades 5-12 will receive their laptops next fall.
The plan now does not call for students to pay anything for the laptops. However, parents may be asked to sign a plan and attend training. If the laptop is damaged an insurance deductible in the $250-$500 range may be charged for the repair. In schools where this is the "policy" few if any computers are damaged because the students feel a sense of ownership for the laptop.
If your battery runs low at school, you will have an opportunity to plug it in. Students will be expected to charge their computers each night so this doesn't happen often during the school day. In addition, there will be designated "charging areas" for students to use at school.
