Digital Learning Day

During GCPS Digital Learning Days, all students will learn from home, completing work assigned by their teachers. This newsletter provides you with some guidance and reminders as you prepare for DLD.

Planned GCPS Digital Learning Days for 2024-2025

• Friday, September 20, 2024
• Tuesday, November 5, 2024
• Friday, February 7, 2025
• Friday, March 14, 2025

Note: The GCPS calendar does not include designated inclement weather make-up days. GCPS will make up any inclement weather days by using Digital Learning Days (DLDs) and/or extending the school day or year. For more information regarding inclement weather procedures, please visit the GCPS website.

Each student at Head ES has a Chromebook checked out to them. This device is available to be brought home to use on DLDs. If your child has a personal device at home to use, they do not have to bring home their school-issued device.

Your child's GCPS Chromebook should come home with a full or almost full battery charge. This is more than enough power to get them through the work required for a DLD. However, playing games and watching videos will QUICKLY run a battery down. Please help your child understand the need to preserve the battery life of their Chromebook for DLD and save the games and videos for a personally-owned device and not their school device.

Digital Learning Day Do's and Don'ts

⭐ We encourage you to make sure your child is ready for DLD before the actual day. This will make the morning of the Digital Learning Day smoother for everyone!

1. Log In to GCPS Portal: If your child is using a home device, have them log in to their GCPS Student Portal and Google account before DLD.
2. Check Google Classroom: Make sure your child has joined all their online classrooms. Most students have done this at school with their classroom teachers.
3. Add GCPS Account to Personal Devices: If you are using a personal device, add your child's GCPS Google account.
4. Download Necessary Apps: If you're using a tablet, download any required apps.
5. Internet Connectivity: Ensure you have a reliable internet connection.

All assignments for Digital Learning Days will be posted on individual teacher's Google Classrooms and/or eCLASS pages (depending on the grade level). Students are expected to complete a variety of assignments, some digital and some paper/pencil assignments.

Stay Connected - A Technology Guide for Head Elementary Parents

School Chromebooks at Home - Connecting to Wi-Fi

Accessing the Student Portal, Google Classroom, and eCLASS
Student Guide for Accessing Google Classroom

Student Guide for Google Classroom Assignments

GCPS Student 1:1 Support

GCSP Parent 1:1 Support

Use the images below to help your child log in to their Student Portal. Please note, if using a GCPS issued Chromebook, please start on step #2.

Lessons will be posted by 9:00 AM on the Digital Learning Day.

Students are free to work at their own pace to complete their assigned work. All work required for DLD will be found on the teacher's Google Classroom and/or eCLASS page (depending on the grade level). If students have multiple teachers, they should check assignments for all teachers they have in a regular day.

These other supplies to have on hand during DLD may be helpful:

• reading materials on your child's reading level
• extra pencils and paper
• headphones

🛡️ In order to protect student information, GCPS does not allow outside accounts access to the GCPS Google domain. If you are receiving an error message when trying to have your child login to their Google Drive or Google Classroom, it is most likely due to a personal account interfering with the process. In order to access your child's GCPS Google account, you will need to add your child's GCPS Google account to your existing Chrome profile or change the Chrome browser user. Directions for these are below.

Troubleshooting Personal Chromebooks

Google on a Tablet (iPad, Kindle, etc...)

In order to successfully use Google Classroom and all the associated applications on a tablet, you will need to download the following Google apps:

• Google Chrome
• Google Classroom
• Google Drive
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides
• All of these apps are free to download

Once downloaded, start with Google Drive and sign in as your student using their GCPS Gmail.

The naming convention for a student's GCPS Gmail is: first.last####@g.gcpsk12.org (#### = last 4 digits of the student's ID number)

You will be directed back to the GCPS Student Portal where you will use your child's login credentials (student number and password) to login. Once you have successfully connected Google Drive, all the other apps will be easily connected to the appropriate account.

Original created by Heather Bridges, Craig ES. Adapted by Kelly Duggan, Head ES.

Last Updated: 01/09/2025