Student TechBytes

Even if kids aren't seeking out the news online, they are seeing images, videos, and livestreams of violence and devastation. "For You" pages are filled with strong opinions in posts on every platform, and misinformation is everywhere.

Here are some ways we can help kids deal with anxiety and uncertainty around these events, encourage media literacy, and find credible sources to stay informed while still protecting their well-being.

• To help kids deal with the upsetting news they're seeing, you can use our age-based tips for the classroom and also pass along our family-focused article Explaining the News to Our Kids.
• To help kids use media literacy skills to separate fact from fiction and negotiate nuance, you can use our news and media literacy lessons, check out some news literacy tools, and sign up for The Sift from the News Literacy Project, which has a free newsletter full of resources very specific to current events.
• To help kids find credible sources, you can use our Best in Class comparison of news sources for kids. And use our Digital Well-Being lesson collections for middle and high school to help kids find media balance and take a break when necessary.

Reminder - the California Healthy Kids Survey runs through November 27, 2023 for PUSD families and staff and for students in grades 6, 7, 9, and 11. The survey gathers feedback on elements that affect learning, such as health risks, school connectedness, school climate, and school violence. It is anonymous, confidential, and voluntary but highly encouraged because your voice is valuable! Each school will send families, staff, and participating students a link specifically for their school.

Students can access the Survey links from their Clever Dashboard and Family members can access the survey via the link they receive from their school site.

Did you know that all PUSD students in grades 3-12 have access to live (not AI ) tutors 24/7? Tutoring is provided in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and French and covers over 200 topics.

Ready to get started? Check out the resources below. Students can log in to Paper via their Clever Dashboard.

We are currently in the process of retrieving lost chromebooks. If your chromebook gets locked, please see your Librarian or Office Manager to get the device unlocked and/or submit a ticket with the device's service tag.

Please remember to completely shut down your Chromebook at the end of every day! This will ensure your device has received all necessary updates and that you are able to connect to all PUSD applications without issue.

A reminder that Chromebooks are instructional materials, similar to textbooks. We have been receiving a large number of tickets from school sites and from students stating students have lost or damaged their devices. Chromebooks range in cost from $389 to $758. We understand that devices may be misplaced and that accidents happen, but please make every effort to take care of your devices as well as locate lost devices before submitting a ticket for device replacement.

Once a device has been reported lost or stolen, it will be locked and unusable.

Did you know you can see what devices, textbooks, and library books are checked out to you? Check out the video below to see how.

• Are you ready to set up your Aeries Parent Portal account and don't know how to get started? Check out our series of how-to videos HERE.
• Are you an Observer in Canvas so you can see your student's assignments and grades? If not, check out this document with linked videos on how to become an observer in Canvas.

Our Curbside/In Person Tech Support has moved to the Ed Center and is now by appointment only, we cannot accept walk-ins. Without an appointment, we cannot guarantee we will have resources available to provide support.

To book an appointment for device check ins, check outs, and general tech support, please submit a Help Desk ticket and then someone will reach out to you to set up an appointment. Appointments must be created at least 24 hours ahead of time, same day appointments will not be available.