Ethan Cioffi
Systems Administrator
System Technicians
Lauren Carp Cabral
Zachary Golden
Sarah Lane
Librarian
Jessica Garbowski
Instructional Technologist/Digital Literacy Teacher
Welcome to the EPS Instructional Technology page! Here you will find helpful information about our department, the technology we use, and how students can utilize the technology effectively.
Technology Helpdesk Request
helpdesk@easton.k12.ma.us
TEchnology Fees
Normal Wear and Tear: This is mostly (but not always) the result of failures with the internal components of the device. This is due to no fault of the student. Some examples (but not limited to) of repairs that fall under this category are faulty batteries, small scrapes, and replacement cables. Most faulty internal components are also covered under this category. These types of repairs will result in no cost or fee to the student.
Accidental/Physical Damage: Accidental/Physical Damage to a device that had the potential to be preventable will result in a “flag”, which qualifies as a “first-time no-cost” repair. For the first repair that falls under this category, there will be a “flag” added to the student’s repair history. This flag will follow the student for the duration they have their current device. Flags will be cleared if the student is given a replacement device.
Examples (but not limited to) of Accidental/Physical Damage: Broken chromebook screen or plastic bezels, device was mishandled resulting in a cracked/broken keyboard, broken/missing hinge trim cover, a liquid spill, or a broken/cracked shell.
Our technicians will move ahead with the repair as normal, replacing and repairing parts as necessary for the specific repair. Any and all parts used in this first repair will be at no cost to the student, as this is their first offense. Students and Parents will be notified that they have used their one-time “flag” via email. Any device that comes in for another repair after this first flag has been recorded results in a fee for any and all parts used in the repair. (Refer to Fee Chart)
Intentional Damage: Examples of Intentional damage include, but are not limited to, disassembling the device, forced breakage of any part, stickers (both the device and protective case), drawing or painting on any part of the device. If our technicians have diagnosed a student device as having intentional damage, the appropriate school administrator will conduct an investigation into the matter. Intentional Damage of any kind is categorized as vandalism and will result in a repair fee. (Refer to Fee Chart) If it is determined that the Chromebook is damaged beyond repair, then the student will be charged a replacement fee for the Chromebook.
| Service | Fee |
| Full Chromebook Replacement | $265.00 |
| Keyboard/Trackpad Assembly | $50.00 |
| Keyboard | $40.00 |
| Trackpad | $15.00 |
| Screen | $20.00 |
| Battery | $20.00 |
| Charger | $30.00 |
| Bottom Case | $20.00 |
| Top Screen Lid | $25.00 |
| Motherboard | $99.00 |
| Hinge Set | $20.00 |
Coming Soon!
Parents need to know that Saturn is an app that bills itself as a way to help high school students organize their busy lives by syncing up their school and activity schedules and sharing with peers from their specific school. Though the concept seems logical, the app’s safety and privacy concerns are high. The app isn’t intended for parent or teacher use and therefore doesn’t currently have any parental controls. It also invites teens to link their social media accounts to the app, giving it access to a lot of private information. And although the app says it’s strictly for high schoolers, it’s not difficult to sign up for an account: You just have to enter a birthdate that indicates you’re at least 13 and not an adult, your phone number, and five contacts you’d like to share your schedule with. Talk to your children about the safety risks of using an app that collects so much personal information. If your teen does choose to use Saturn, you may want to encourage them to make their profile private and watch out for friend requests from people they don’t know. Although there are community guidelines and privacy policies in place, like many other social media apps, Saturn doesn’t always prevent bullying, foul language, or other inappropriate behavior.
How can I protect my computers at home and improve performance?
- We recommend using a free antivirus such as Forticlient, Avast!, or AVG Free. Forticlient and Avast work on both Mac and PC. EPS has recently moved to Avast! Free for education for both our OS X (Mac) and Windows environments.
- Google Chrome also comes with the ability to activate ‘Safe Search’ for families that want more ‘PG’ search results.
- Myth – Macs don’t get viruses
- Fact – They do!
- Myth – Expensive cables are better.
- Additionally, the technology department recommends Google Chrome along with the extension AdBlock. This will greatly reduce the amount of ads you’re exposed to, and Chrome automatically stays up-to-date.
- Fact – you can get great cables for drastically lower prices, try monoprice.com or even Amazon instead of your local big box store.
- For Windows, CCleaner is a great way to periodically clean up your computer. For Macs, OnyX will perform the same cleaning tasks. One common myth is that your computer slows down due to too many pictures and music. You actually will be OK until your hard drive reaches about 90-95% capacity. At that point, your computer will start to act up.
Did you know that as part of the National School Lunch Program, you may qualify for low-cost internet and devices?
In addition to offering internet for ~$10 per month, many internet service providers will waive contracts and equipment fees.
- See if you qualify for Comcast’s internet essentials program.
- Apply for free Wi-Fi
- A full roundup of the latest subsidy information can be found at www.cheapinternet.com
When a computer has retired due to failure or old age, we store it and keep the parts on hand for repairs. By striving to keep as many identical models in our computer fleet as possible, we ensure the parts are compatible. Any devices/parts that are no longer usable are recycled.