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End of Year and Summer Chromebook Information

What Should I Do With My Chromebook?

IEP and 504 Students With Specialized Chromebooks: In certain situations, students' IEP and 504 plans require a specific Chromebook. Oftentimes, these are large-screen or touchscreen-enabled Chromebooks. Bring the device home with you. Keep the device charged and in a safe place. This device will be your assigned Chromebook for the 2026-2027 school year.
Current Grade K-4 Students: Leave your Chromebook in your homeroom class on the last day of school. During the 2026-2027 school year, all elementary school students will utilize Chromebooks stored in elementary school charging carts located in their classrooms.
Current Grade 5 Students: Leave your district-issued Chromebook in your homeroom class on the last day of school. You will be receiving an updated Chromebook at the start of the 2026-2027 school year. Distribution information will be communicated in August 2026, before school starts.
Current Grade 6, 7, and 8 Students: Return your district-issued Chromebook to your school’s designated Chromebook drop off location (check with your school’s main office for drop off locations). You will be receiving a Chromebook at the start of the 2026-2027 school year. Distribution information will be communicated in August 2026, before school starts.
Current Grade 9, 10, and 11 Students: Keep your district-issued Chromebook over the summer. Ensure the device is charged prior to returning to school in September.
Graduating Grade 12 Students: Return your district-issued Chromebook to the CHS library before the end of the school year.

Frequently Asked Questions & Special Situations

What Should I Do If I’m Attending an SOMSD Summer Program?

Have your SOMSD summer program instructor request a loaner device from the Technology Department when the program starts.

What Should I Do If I Was Assigned Summer Work and Turned In My Chromebook?

If a student turned in their district Chromebook and does not have a personal device available to complete assigned summer work, they can request to borrow a loaner device over the summer. Loaner devices can be requested by completing the Summer Chromebook Loaner Request Form. Devices will be made available mid-July, and inventory is limited. The IT department will reach out in July to coordinate the pickup of a loaner device. The device must be returned to the district IT office before the start of school.

What If I’m Not Returning to the District in September 2026?

If the student is withdrawing from the district over the summer, drop off your Chromebook in the collection bin by the District IT Office in the Administration Building at 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ. Please enter through the front Main Entrance to locate the District IT Office on the lower floor.

My Chromebook Is Lost or Stolen and I’m Leaving the District. What Should I Do?

Complete the Lost/Stolen Chromebook Form. The device will be locked by the District IT Office.

My Chromebook Is Damaged and I’m Returning to the District in September 2026. What Should I Do?

Complete the Summer 2026 Chromebook Repair Form. Technology staff will reach out over the summer to coordinate a date and time for dropping off the device for repair. Repair appointments will be scheduled based on staff and part availability.

Note: If you are attending an SOMSD Summer Program and your device is damaged, please contact your program teacher. They will submit a Technology Work Order to have your device repaired. Do not use the repair form mentioned above.

I’m New to the District. When Should I Get a Chromebook?

Chromebook information for new students will be communicated in August 2026, before school starts.

Chromebook Policies and Handbook

All families must review all applicable policies outlined below. In addition, families must review the Student Chromebook Technology Handbook. Once these items have been reviewed, parents / guardians of students are required to log into PowerSchool Parent Portal and sign a form acknowledging they have reviewed the policies and handbook below.

Families are required to sign into the PowerSchool Parent Portal and acknowledge they have reviewed the policies and student handbook.

Log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal (somsd.powerschool.com)
Select the name of your child in the top navigation menu.
Select "forms" on the left navigation menu.
Complete the "SOMSD Student Technology Device Agreement Form".

A printable version of the above instructions can be found by clicking here.

General Information About Chromebooks In SOMSD

What is a Chromebook?

Chromebooks, which are laptop devices made by Google, give students the opportunity to enhance and personalize their learning experiences with the guidance of their teachers.

A Chromebook is like a laptop computer. It allows users to:

write essays
watch videos
conduct research
build presentations
check upcoming assignments
send work to teachers
collaborate on assignments and more

Specific uses will vary by grade level.

Why Chromebooks?

Some of the reasons Chromebooks were selected include their affordability and usability in the K-12 environment. Chromebooks are economical, allowing the district to expand student access without increasing the budget. Student work created on Chromebooks can be accessed from any device in or out of school. To create student-centered, technology-rich learning environments that provide for academic excellence and educational equity by encouraging creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.

The main difference between Chromebooks and other laptops, however, is that they run Google’s Chrome web browser only. With a Chromebook, the computer is a web browser, and that is where you run your apps like Google Docs, Google Dictionary and Google Classroom. Unlike traditional laptops, Chromebook applications and files are stored online in the “cloud” (using Google Drive) rather than on the Chromebook itself. Another notable advantage of Chromebooks is the speed at which they operate. When students open their Chromebooks to begin working, it takes about seven seconds for the Chromebook to be ready!

Additional Benefits:

Long battery life (the device can make it through a full day of school on a single charge)
Ease of use and low need for technical support
Keyboard based, facilitates longer writing exercises
Ease of access to mail, calendar and web
Ability to manage the device for assessments, updates, and content filtering
Relatively low cost
Students are already familiar with this technology

How will Chromebooks be used in district classrooms?

Students will be able to:

Collaborate with each other using Google Apps for Education (G Suite) including Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Forms, Google Classroom, and many more apps;
Engage in live, interactive virtual field trips using apps like Google Expeditions and Streamable Learning;
Empower themselves by using apps to independently document and control their learning with creative tools;
Practice skills they learn in the classroom on a variety of age and grade-appropriate websites; and
Learn and master 21st-century skills that will help prepare them for the future.

How are device repairs handled?

Students in Grades K - 5 should contact their teacher regarding their damaged Chromebook. Teachers will submit Technology Work Orders to have the broken devices repaired. Please have your child leave their Chromebook in the classroom so that the technician can locate the device.
Students in Grades 6 - 12 should the forms below to submit a request to have their Chromebook repaired. Students can drop off their broken Chromebook at their schools Library. Please note that you must use your district Google account complete the forms below.

Chromebook repairs typically will take 1 - 3 school days but can be longer depending upon the extent of the repair. Loaner Chromebooks may be available at the schools for the student to use while the device is being repaired.

Where will the devices be charged?

All district Chromebooks should be charged at home overnight and brought to school fully charged.

Wireless Connectivity

District Chromebooks automatically connect to the district’s wireless network.

What Type of Filtering Is Applied To My Child’s Chromebook?

If a student logs into a district Chromebook using their district login credentials, their internet traffic will be filtered. This filtering is applied in school and at home. This protects against most inappropriate content, but no filtering service is 100% accurate.

Can students print from the Chromebooks?

No, students cannot print to printers from Chromebooks in the district.

How much storage do students have?

Chromebook storage will vary by device model. We strongly recommend that all students utilize Google Drive to store their documents. The district provides unlimited storage for all students.

Are other school districts doing this?

Yes, 1:1 programs are very common in schools and the percentage of schools participating grows every year.

Can my child opt-out of having a Chromebook?

No. Chromebooks are intended to allow digital learning to be integrated into the daily curriculum. We want students to be comfortable and familiar with using technology in order to succeed both in school as well as in the future. We hope all students will take advantage of the resources made available to them using these devices.

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