Technology Update - Dorothy Hamm Middle School

For immediate assistance call the Family Technology Call Center at 703-228-2570.

Dear DHMS Families,

Welcome to our 2020-21 school year!! I’d like to take this opportunity to share some information, resources and tips to help start the school year with the APS iPads.

Please check with your child to see if the APS iPad is in working condition and they are ready for the beginning of the school year:

Make sure that your child can unlock the iPad and connect to your home WiFi.
Update the iOS on the iPad.
If you are having issues please try these troubleshooting tips. Often connectivity issues involve GlobalProtect, the APS filter. See these tips to address issues with GlobalProtect.
If after trying these tips your child has any issue with the iPad, please have your child complete the student technology help form. This link can also be found on the DHMS website under Technology.
Also note that if something should happen to the iPad, APS resources can be accessed from any device including a laptop, another iPad or cell phone. In any browser go to https://myaccess.apsva.us and log in using the student’s credentials.
To access live classes through Microsoft Teams on a laptop use the Office365 button in MyAccess in a Google Chrome browser or use the Microsoft Teams application if installed on the laptop. To access Microsoft Teams on a mobile device the app would need to be installed.

Staff understand that technology issues can arise unexpectedly and will provide content for students to access when they are able to reconnect. As Ms. E. Smith shared in the last Phoenix Flyer #3, “Please encourage students not to panic, remind them that the learning opportunity will still be there, and encourage them to take a few minutes to relax and remain calm. I want to support students in learning how to handle these kinds of situations without experiencing a lot of stress.”

Student iPad Information:

For students new to APS (grades 6-8): please pick up your student’s iPad on Wednesday, September 2nd (8 AM -1 PM) while you are at Dorothy Hamm for general supply pickup.
- If possible, please write in large print on a piece of paper to hold up “New to APS,” grade and last name which will help us serve you efficiently.
- Your student will receive their APS username and password and directions on a letter with the iPad.
6th grade students who went to an APS elementary school will start the year with their elementary iPads.
- If your child does not have it, please complete the student technology help form.
- Students who attended APS in 5th grade will have the same password they used in 5th grade. TA teachers will confirm student usernames and passwords by email before September 3rd.
We will replace the used iPads with new 6th grade iPads after the school year starts. More information will be shared with our 6th grade families when we are ready to swap iPads.

Important information on technology being used:

We will be using Canvas to house instructional content from teachers, including links to the live classes. In addition, teachers will use Canvas for students to submit online assignments.	Microsoft Teams will house the live classes, but the links to these live classes will be located on the Canvas homepages and calendar for all DHMS classes.
Our APS Google drive is where students store school files, such as documents and presentations.	StudentVue is where a student can see only his/her grades, schedule, and report card.

The following apps should be on the middle school iPad. If the app is NOT there please install from the app catalog and log in to the following apps. (Directions on how to use the app catalog are here.)

Canvas – Directions to sign in can be found here.
Microsoft Teams – Directions to sign in can be found here.
Google Drive – Directions to sign in can be found here.
StudentVue – Directions to sign in can be found here.

On September 3rd for the virtual Open House and on September 8th, the first day of school, students should:

Log in to Microsoft Teams and Canvas before they start
Click on their homeroom or TA course in Canvas
On the home page of the course will be a Microsoft Teams link to take the student to a live session in Microsoft Teams

Tech Tips for Distance Learning

Make sure your child has proper notification setup for the Canvas Student app. This will be important so that your child’s iPad will get a notification for Canvas items. Please see directions here (especially for Push Notifications).
Have your child provide to you his/her iPad passcode to unlock the iPad or consider not having a lock screen passcode while at home. This is important. If your child forgets his/her passcode to unlock the iPad and the iPad falls off of WiFi, the only solution is to wipe the iPad using a computer with the latest version of iTunes. Not all families have this situation and it would be a process to do this during the pandemic.

We look forward to working with you this year!