Tech Support

Weblink:  https://sspssd.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/sstpaul.jsp

The Campus Parent Portal is a confidential and secure website for parents to:

• Update contact information
• Manage emergency contacts
• Track your child's attendance
• View student schedules
• View report cards
• View district and school notifications

Set up your account:
Contact your school office for your activation key.

• Instructions for setting up your account
• Instrucciones en Espanol

Get the app for your phone:

• (Apple) App Store
• Google Play

Tips for navigating around the Parent Portal:

• For all parents: Where to find things in the Portal/one-pager
• For K-5 parents:  Navigating around the Portal
• For 6-12 parents:  Navigating around the Portals:  Campus & Schoology

All of your contact information in ParentSquare comes from your Infinite Campus- Parent Portal account. If you notice your contact information is incorrect in ParentSquare or if you need to update your contact information- Make the changes in your Parent Portal account. The systems will sync overnight and the changes will be reflected the next day.

Download the App for the best user experience:

• iOS App - Apple Store
• Android App - Google Play Store

Common Troubleshooting Problems

I am Not Getting Text Messages

You may have accidentally opted out of receiving texts. To restart them:

Text the word 
START to 66458

I am Not Getting Emails

1. Check your spam folder for emails from donotreply@parentsquare.com.
2. Add the domain ParentSquare.com or the email address donotreply@parentsquare.com to the safe senders list in your email client (Gmail, Yahoo, aol, etc.) You can search online how to do this. If using Gmail:
   • Go to Settings.
   • At the bottom of the pane, click Mail.
   • In the left pane, select Mail > Accounts > Block or allow.
   • Under Blocked Senders, select the address or domain you want to unblock, and then select.

Check your notification settings in your account:

1. Check your email and phone number in ParentSquare.
   • Click on your name in the top right and click My Account
   • If corrections need to be made, please contact your child's school with the correct information.
2. Check your Notification Preferences on My Account page. Are your notification preferences on?

The default setting is typically Digest, (you receive all notices and post messages in one notification once a day in the evening). All emergency notifications still come through instantly, and a school can override settings as needed for an urgent message. 

I'm Having Trouble Logging In

• If you receive an "account not found" error when signing in with your email address or phone number, contact parenttechhelp@sspps.org.
• If you do not receive this error, click "forgot password" and try resetting your password before contacting Parent Tech Help.

Teachers and students in gr. 6-12 are using Schoology, our Learning Management System. Teachers post the assignments and course content to Schoology and students access the site to complete their learning activities. Parents will be able to view the following up-to-date information for their student:

• Upcoming, current and overdue assignments
• Calendar of assignments and events
• Gradebook for each class
• Directions for Setting up a Schoology account (in English)
• Instrucciones en Espanol

Tips for navigating around Schoology:

• Where to find things/one-pager
• Navigating around the Portals:  Campus & Schoology

Parent Link for Schoology:
https://app.schoology.com/

Deposit money directly into your child's meal account.  Visit the Nutrition Services webpage for information on creating an account and depositing money. Log into your account here: https://www.schoolcafe.com/

The goals of our Student Chromebook Program are to enhance and accelerate learning, leverage technology for personalized instruction, promote collaboration and increase student engagement, strengthen the current age skills necessary for future success, and to provide digital tools for completion of assignments and projects. 

About the Chromebook Program

The changing landscape of the world’s information to digital form requires our students to have a different set of skills than what was required in the past.  Future graduates must be equipped with current age skills of problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and information technology literacy.  Our rigorous curriculum is a great framework for achieving these skills. This framework, together with access to digital devices, will give students the tools required to quickly find, synthesize and communicate information. These tools will allow for greater collaboration not only within their school, but the global community at large.

South St. Paul Public Schools’ goal is to help students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to responsibly navigate our changing world.  In an effort to achieve these goals, South St. Paul Secondary has a 1:1 (student to computing device) program for the students using district Chromebooks. 

The goals of the Student Chromebook Program are to:

• Enhance and accelerate learning
• Leverage technology for individualizing instruction
• Promote collaboration and increase student engagement
• Strengthen the current age skills necessary for future success
• Provide digital tools for completion of assignments and projects

This program will increase access to digital curriculum. It will supplement or replace some traditional print textbooks and classroom equipment, such as graphing calculators. Using devices will give student access to anywhere, anytime learning–in classrooms, at Internet cafés, and at home.

Apps

Some programs and applications (apps) will be provided by the District for academic use and are the property of South St. Paul Public Schools and must not be removed.

Google Applications may be added by the students as needed, but must be appropriate for school. Apps that are a distraction to the classroom environment will be removed.

Student's Use & Care of the Device

1. Never leave a device unattended.  When not in your personal possession, the device should be in a secure, locked area.  Unattended devices will be collected and delivered to the Media Center.
2. Do not lend your device to another person.  Each device is assigned to a student and the responsibility for the care of the device solely rests with that individual. 
3. Each device has a unique identification number/tag and at no time should the numbers or labels be modified or removed.
4. Students will use their school computer account to access their device.  To help secure their personal information on the device, students should not share their username and/or password.

Device Care

• Use care in transporting your device to school every day.
• Always keep and carry it in the protective case AT ALL TIMES.
• Avoid placing weight on the device.
• Never throw or slide a device.
• Never expose a device to temperature extremes or direct sunlight.
• Never keep your device in a vehicle where it could be stolen.

Device Screen
While the device is durable, it not indestructible.

• Never throw a backpack that contains a device.
• Never place a device in a book bag that contains food, liquids, heavy, or sharp objects.
• Never place heavy objects on top of the device.
• Do not apply pressure to the device screen, that will damage it.
• Never drop your device.
• Careful placement in your backpack is important.

While the device screen is scratch resistant, it is not scratch proof. 

• Avoid using any sharp object(s) on the device screen. 
• The screen can be cleaned with a soft, slightly damp lint-free cloth. 
• Avoid getting moisture in the openings. 
• Do not use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, alcohol, ammonia, or abrasives to clean the device.

Device Cameras & Microphone
The device comes equipped with audio and video recording through a built-in microphone and rear-facing camera.   All recordings created with the device must comply with District policies and State and Federal laws.  District policy prohibits the use of electronic recording devices in a manner that compromises the privacy interests of other individuals (District Policy #523).  District policy also prohibits harassment and bullying (District Policy #514).   Use of the device in a manner that violates district policy may result in revocation of the device and may result in further disciplinary consequence.

Use of the school device and any other devices with audio and video recording capabilities during the instructional time is at the discretion of the teacher. The student must obtain prior approval to use the device for such purposes.  Recordings obtained with the device may not be shared, published or rebroadcast for any reason by the student without permission.   Students should be aware that State and Federal laws in many instances prohibit secret or surreptitious recording undertaken without the knowledge and consent of the person or persons being recorded.   Violations of State and Federal laws may be reported to the proper authorities and could result in criminal prosecution.

Device Cases
When students check out their device, they will be given a district case. The device MUST ALWAYS REMAIN IN THE CASE. 

If they lose it or if it stolen, students will need to purchase another one from the Media Center.  No stickers or any other items should be attached to the device itself or the case unless placed there by school staff.

Device Battery
The device must be charged up every night so that it is ready to go for school use in the morning.  Fully charged device batteries will typically last 6-7 hours.  Failure to bring a fully charged student device and their charger to school may result in the student’s inability to participate in classroom learning activities. Classroom teachers are not expected to provide capacity for plugging in device for charging.

Lost, Stolen, Damaged Devices
If the device is lost, it must be reported to the student’s teacher and the Media Center staff IMMEDIATELY.   It may be the responsibility of the student and family to recover or replace the lost device.  If necessary, the District and the police will assist in recovery.

Do not attempt to gain access to the internal electronics or repair your device. If it fails to work or is damaged, please bring it to the Media Center. Device repair or replacement options will be determined by Technology Department staff.  You may be issued a temporary device or other materials until your device is working properly or replaced.  If the device is experiencing technical difficulties outside of school hours, you will need to wait until you return to school to fix it.

Replacement fees may be assessed for stolen, lost, or damaged items in accordance with the District’s Student Fee Schedule: 

• Replacement case is $30
• Replacement charger is $30
• Repair fine for a damaged screen is $50
• Replacement device is $250

To help families protect against some of these damages, a district insurance program is available through the District to cover the device damages, not the accessories or lost or stolen devices.  More information is on the Student Device Agreement.

Students who leave South St. Paul Public Schools during the school year must return the device, along with any other accessories, at the time they leave. The device and all accessories should be returned to the Media Center.

In an effort to maximize student access to teacher information and instructional content, South St. Paul Secondary has a 1:1 device program. We have standardized on Chromebook devices. The District recognizes that a very effective plan for school use would be a device that the student/family owns, cares for, and has access to 24/7, 365 days a year. For this reason, our schools wish to partner with parents by allowing for family-owned devices to be part of our 1:1 computing initiative through a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program.

Students MUST register their device with our Technology Department.  The top portion of the Chromebook Agreement must also be completed and returned.

While a specific device has not been mandated by South St. Paul Public Schools for the BYOD program, a device brought to school is recommended to meet the following minimum standards:

• The device should have a minimum screen size of 7", however a 8.9" screen or larger is recommended. The device shall run Google Docs (Drive) (note:  any Windows, Mac, Android, or Linux device will meet this requirement). Many of our district apps do not function on the iOS completely.
• The device shall be able to connect to a wireless network (WiFi) and must support 802.11G or 802.11N networks (devices that list the new 802.11AC connection are acceptable as long as it supports the G or N network).
• The device should have a physical keyboard  (note: this could be a separate keyboard that works with the device, such as a Bluetooth keyboard).
• The device shall have a microphone and a headphone jack (note:  this could be two separate jacks for the microphone and headphone, or it can be a combined microphone/headphone jack) with audio recording capability.
• The device should have a minimum of one web camera with video recording capability.
• The device should have a minimum battery life of five to six hours (this can include battery swapping, if necessary).
• Note that personal Chromebooks are not acceptable because they are not compatible with some of the new tools we are using this year.  

In addition: 

• A student should bring a headset or earbuds with his device (the earbuds can include a built-in microphone).
• A student should have a protective case or padded bag for their device (take time to pick a good case--corner protection is important for tablets).
• A student will need to access broadband Internet outside of school, either through WiFi or a physical connection, to complete homework assignments. Access is available at all public buildings in South St. Paul and at a number of private businesses. Programs for reduced cost access are made available through Comcast and other providers for qualifying families.

Families may purchase devices that meet the recommended specifications from the vendor of their choice.

Note: South St. Paul Public Schools is not responsible for damaged, lost or stolen student property. Please refer to your school's Student/Parent Handbook for more information.

South St. Paul Public Schools recognizes with the implementation of our Student Chromebook Program there is a need to protect the investment by both the district and the family. The participation cost for those choosing to purchase the District Insurance Plan is $30 per student device per school year. Families who have completed the Educational Benefits application and qualify for free or reduced price meals will see a discounted insurance premium listed for their student when purchasing insurance online.

**Please contact the Technology Department (ParentTechHelp@sspps.org) if the Maximum Family Cap applies to your family.**

Student Chromebook Agreement

Student Chromebook Agreement must be completed yearly by all students in grade 6th-12th.

The Insurance Plan provides coverage for ACCIDENTAL damage such as drops, broken screens, fire, flood, natural disasters, and power surges due to lightning. The insurance payment is non-refundable.  This annual coverage begins upon receipt of the payment and ends at the conclusion of the school year.

Insurance covers your accidental damage to the student’s device for the entire school year.

The Insurance Plan does not cover:

• lost or stolen devices
• intentionally-damaged devices
• lost or stolen charging cables ($30 for a replacement charger)
• lost or stolen cases ($30 for a replacement case)
• damage to the device that occurs when the device is not in its case

IMPORTANT: All Insurance Plan claims MUST BE REPORTED within 72 hours to the Media Center staff in ordered to be covered.

If you choose not to purchase the Insurance Plan, the following fees are assessed:

• $50 for a broken screen
• $250 to replace a severely damaged or destroyed device
• Other damage fees for broken bezels (the frame around the screen), lost keys on the keyboard, damaged ports or buttons, etc. will be determined by the Technology Department.

• Bark: A comprehensive parental control tool that monitors texts, email, YouTube, and over 30 apps and social media platforms for potential safety concerns. It also offers screen time management and web filtering.
• Qustodio: Provides robust parental controls, including screen time management, web filtering, and app blocking. It also includes detailed reports on your child’s online activity.
• Net Nanny: A popular tool offering web filtering, app blocking, and real-time alerts on your child’s online activities. It also includes social media monitoring.
• Norton Family: Helps parents supervise their kids’ online activities, manage screen time, and protect their personal information. It's particularly useful for Windows and Android devices.
• Kaspersky Safe Kids: A budget-friendly tool offering web filtering, screen time management, and location tracking. It also provides tips and advice on online safety.
• OurPact: A parental control app that allows you to manage screen time, block apps, and monitor internet usage. It’s known for its ease of use and flexibility.
• Aristotle K12: Email techhelp@sspps.org and ask to receive the ”Parent Report” for your student. This will generate an email each night about your child(s) internet activity while using their SSPPS account. The report will contain only internet titles and the amount of time spent on the site.

• Mobicip: A parental control software that offers web filtering, screen time management, and app blocking. It supports multiple devices including iOS, Android, and Windows.
• Covenant Eyes: A monitoring tool designed to help families avoid inappropriate content online. It offers accountability reports and blocking of explicit content.

• Common Sense Media: Provides parents with age-based media reviews, advice on online safety, and guides for managing technology use at home.
• ConnectSafely: Offers tips, guides, and news related to internet safety, cyberbullying, and privacy. It’s geared towards both parents and educators.
• Internet Matters: A resource-rich site offering advice on various aspects of online safety, including cyberbullying, privacy settings, and screen time. It also provides step-by-step guides for setting up parental controls.
• StaySafeOnline: Managed by the National Cyber Security Alliance, this site provides resources on privacy, security, and online safety for families.
• CyberWise: A learning hub for parents that offers resources on digital literacy, online safety, and how to talk to kids about their digital lives.
• Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI): Offers resources and best practices for parents, educators, and policymakers to ensure children’s online safety.
• NetSmartz: Run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, this site provides educational resources on online safety, digital citizenship, and cyberbullying prevention.
• MediaSmarts: A Canadian non-profit organization offering resources, tips, and guides for parents on raising digitally literate and safe children.
• PBS Parents: Offers advice and resources on a wide range of parenting topics, including internet safety, digital citizenship, and managing screen time.
• SafeKids.com: A comprehensive guide for both parents and educators on how to keep children safe online, including tips on cyberbullying, privacy, and social media use.

• National Online Safety: Provides resources, guides, and training for parents, teachers, and children on how to stay safe online.
• KidsHealth: Offers articles and advice for parents on how to talk to kids about online safety, cyberbullying, and responsible internet use.
• Google Family Link: A free tool from Google that allows parents to monitor their child's online activity, manage apps, and set screen time limits on Android devices.

• Be Internet Awesome: A Google initiative that teaches kids about online safety through fun, interactive games and activities. It also provides resources for parents.
• Parenting for a Digital Future: A blog from the London School of Economics that offers insights, research, and advice on parenting in a digital age.
• Social Media Safety Centers: Many social media platforms (like Meta-formerly Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) offer safety centers with tools and advice for parents on managing their child’s account and privacy settings.

• StopBullying.gov: A government-run site offering resources and advice for parents, educators, and kids on how to prevent and respond to bullying and cyberbullying.
• PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center: Offers resources and tools to help parents and educators address bullying, including cyberbullying.

• The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI): Offers tips on protecting your family’s privacy online, managing personal data, and understanding digital footprints.
• iKeepSafe: Provides resources on digital safety, privacy, and security for parents, educators, and students.

• Apple Screen Time: Apple’s built-in parental control tool allows parents to monitor and manage their child’s screen time, app usage, and set restrictions on iOS devices.
• Microsoft Family Safety: A free tool that helps parents manage screen time, set content filters, and track location for Windows and Xbox devices.
• Amazon Parent Dashboard: Provides parental controls and insights for devices like Kindle and Fire tablets, allowing parents to manage screen time, content, and educational goals.

ESRB Parent Resources: The Entertainment Software Rating Board offers resources to help parents understand game ratings, set parental controls on gaming consoles, and manage their child’s gaming habits.

• OpenDNS FamilyShield: A free DNS service that automatically blocks adult content and other unsafe websites, adding an extra layer of protection for home networks.
• SafeSearchKids: A child-friendly search engine powered by Google that filters out inappropriate content, making it safer for children to search the internet.

Family Online Safety Contract: A printable contract for families to agree on rules and guidelines for safe online behavior, helping set clear expectations and boundaries.