Technology Services

The mission of the Farmington Public Schools is to enable all students to achieve academic and personal excellence, exhibit persistent effort and live as resourceful, inquiring and contributing global citizens. Farmington Public Schools is an innovative learning organization that focuses upon continuous improvement in all aspects of our work. This focus on continuous improvement creates an environment of innovation, risk taking, and excellence at all levels of the educational organization. Each day, students engage in powerful learning experiences, mastering rigorous grade level standards while developing the core thinking and learning competencies necessary to be successful in college, careers and as citizens of the global community. Farmington Public Schools believes that technology plays a major role in supporting the learning environment and creating opportunities for students to achieve in new and exciting ways.

Latest updates on Chromebook 1:1 Program

Farmington Public Schools has transitioned to a take-home 1:1 model for all students. All students will be required to use a district issued device for academic purposes.

A summary of the Student Device Insurance Program can be reviewed here.
Insurance can be purchased via MySchoolBucks.com
Students in grades K-11 keep their Chromebooks over the summer.
Students entering grade 5 and K in Fall 2021 will receive Chromebooks (or replacements) once school starts.
Newly enrolled students will receive Chromebooks in the first two weeks of school.

Student Technology Support Requests

SUBMIT REQUEST HERE

or CALL: (860)673-8240

Important Information

Please note, Wednesdays 4-7PM are regular network maintenance.

Farmington Public Schools is committed to helping both our students and parents understand and be able to navigate the fast paced world of technology. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at rossm@fpsct.org.

We have also created a website to help parents navigate and distill some of the important information that is out there.

FPS Technology in Our Community

https://sites.google.com/fpsct.org/community-tech/home

Staff

Matthew Ross, Director of Technology

Pam Aube, Data Specialist

Chris Dency, End User Support Specialist

Stephen Dunn, End User Support Specialist

Dan Larkum, Coordinator of A/V and Digital Media

John McKenney, Systems Administrator

Michael Moore, Systems Administrator

Chuck Raymond, Network Manager

Catharine Teri-Savage, Student Information Systems Coordinator

Chris Vagnini, A/V and Digital Media Technician

For faculty/staff technical assistance, please use our online Help Desk at: http://www.fpsct.org/ithelp or by calling 860-673-8240

Student Responsible Use

Farmington Public Schools Policies

Internet Access

Internet Essentials Free for New Customers: Individuals or families looking to sign up for Internet Essentials should call 1-855-846-8376 or visit https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19. Additionally, for all new and existing Internet Essentials customers, the speed of the program’s Internet service was increased to 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. That increase will go into effect for no additional fee and it will become the new base speed for the program going forward.

Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Both customers and non-customers can access outdoor and small business-based Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots for free. Xfinity customers can download the Xfinity WiFi app and find the nearest hotspot on the map view. Non-customers can find their nearest hotspot by visiting https://wifi.xfinity.com and entering their zip code.

Does my student need a Chromebook?

Farmington is transitioning from a cart based model to a take home 1:1 device model. All students are required to use a Farmington issued Chromebook for academics. The reason for the shift to a 1:1 approach is as follows:

Ensures device and network security as well as ongoing monitoring of all devices
Limits viruses and other issues associated with students bringing their own device
Ensures equitable access for all students
Allows the school district to quickly shift to remote learning at any time
Allows the district to quickly and easily distribute software and features that can be used off-campus

I was told my student needs a headset. What kind?

A headset is a headphone and microphone combo. This recommendation was made to help students participating in virtual meetings by reducing background noise.

Our primary recommendation is a USB headset, as it will be useful for a longer period of time and is more compatible with devices. However, all of our Chromebooks currently have standard mic/headphone jacks. An old set of iPhone earbuds will also work with the Chromebook if necessary.

How does my student login to the Chromebook? What if they forgot their password?

All students are issued Google accounts. The convention is typically "Year of Graduation (YG)" followed by last name and the first two initials of the student's first name. For example, a 4th grader would be the class of 2029, and may look like 29RossMa@fpsct.org.

Passwords are set by default to the student lunch PIN followed by fps (e.g. 12345fps).

If your student has forgotten their password, please contact FPS IT Support at (860) 673-8240. For account information for new students to the district, please contact the school main office.

Why can't I email my elementary student?

Email accounts are reserved for students in grade 5-12. Email is introduced in the first few weeks of grade 5, and West Woods students may only email within the district (teachers/fellow students). Students in grades 7-12 have the ability to email outside of the network.

Due to privacy and internet safety concerns, students in grades PreK-4 do not have email enabled at all.

My Chromebook is glitchy. How do I do a reset?

Google Meet Best Practices

For remote learners, there are a few quick tips to make the experience run smoother.

Close all unnecessary tabs.
Choose either the Spotlight or Sidebar layout option (Settings - three dots in bottom right, Choose layout)
Pin the teacher to the largest window by clicking the thumbtack icon.

If you still find your student getting kicked out of Google Meet, please perform a “powerwash” or reset of the device.