Program Overview

In 2017, The Novato Unified School District introduced the 1:World Chromebook program with the goal of connecting all students to broader world of global, online resources, transforming curriculum to make use of the best practices in 21st century teaching, and giving all students the opportunity to gain important digital literacy and citizenship skills to prepare them for the careers and lives in our modern era.  Read more about 1:World initiative at NUSD.

At San Marin, this program started with chromebooks being issued to incoming Freshman for the 2017 school year, and at the start of the 2019/2020 school year, now includes every student through the senior graduating class.

At the beginning of each year, each student is sent a selection of conduct agreements and materials with their registration or re-enrollment packet to fill out with their parents.  Once these important agreements are signed, incoming freshmen are issued a chromebook which they are responsible for maintaining in good working order, and bringing with them to class every day so they can participate in the increasingly collaborative, project based curriculum of the school.  The chromebook they are issued is their responsibility until graduation, so students are encouraged to carefully care for their device, and have access to a variety of school resources to keep it in good working order.  Most importantly, students are expected to follow the Six Mustangs; a general set of guidelines based off the 1:World Code of Conduct, the NUSD Acceptable Use Policy, and common sense.

Latest Program Updates

When are chromebooks issued at San Marin?

Chromebooks are issued at Freshman Orientation to students who have successfully completed all of their online registration and enrollment paperwork, including the Acceptable Use Policy Agreement, 1:World Code of Conduct Agreement, and Student Technology Use Agreement.  Students who have not completed the paperwork with their parents will be issued their chromebook once it is confirmed completed by the Counseling Office.

What if I want to bring my personal device?

Per CIPA, SOPIPA, and Erate regulations, the school is required to perform due diligence in filtering inappropriate content and monitoring student activity on our network for safety compliance.  These are federal regulations designed to protect students and areas of compliance the district is mandated to follow.  Because not all personal devices can accommodate the district’s filtering and monitoring software, students are instead required to bring their district issued chromebooks for use in accessing curriculum during the school day.  Personal devices (Macbooks, tablets, PC Laptops) should remain safely at home and can be used at home under the guidance and supervision of the parent or guardian.

The Six Mustangs:
Principles for Chromebook Success at San Marin

Download the Six Mustangs

Repair and Replacement: The Tech Corral At SMHS

At San Marin High School, Students are responsible for the Maintenance and Repair of their devices.  If a device is broken, it is The Student who performs the repair, encouraging responsibility, problem solving, and inquiry based exploration of the world around them.

The Tech Corral is a courtesy repair facility for students who have broken chromebooks.  The self help kiosk helps students report issues they are having, and the repair bar has tools and is staffed with repair specialists (Tech Wranglers) who are there to teach students how to repair and maintain their chromebooks

Students who notice issues with their chromebooks should come and use the Kiosk to file a damage or loss form as soon as they notice something is wrong.  This could be during breaks, lunch, or any other time the student is not required to be in class. For chromebooks damaged outside of school hours, students should come and use the kiosk at 7:30 am, when the library opens before classes start.  After the online form is filled out, the student puts a tag with their name on the front of the chromebook and drops it in the red intake basket.  They are then eligible to check out a loaner from the Librarian for use during the day.

The Tech Corral

Courtesy Kiosk

That lunch, the student should report to the repair bar, and will work with a Tech Wrangler (student technician) to assess the damage and attempt a repair.  If the damage is caused by negligence or malicious intent, the case will be referred to the NUSD I.T. representative to determine the extent and create an invoice that will be sent home to the parents/guardians. If the chromebook cannot be repaired that lunch, the student will be issued a replacement, and can return their loaner to the Librarian.

Who runs the Tech Corral?

The Tech Corral is supervised by the NUSD I.T. department and staffed with student volunteers, the Tech Wranglers

When is the Tech Corral Open?  

The Tech Corral is currently open at lunch for repairs, with training after school on Thursday afternoons.  These hours may expand in the future, to be open during the first hour of Learning Lounge and during Tutorial.  The Kiosk for reporting issues is available for use any time during the day that the Library is open, and students are encouraged to fill out their repair form before their first class, so they can get a loaner chromebook from the librarian and not be penalized for not having their materials to participate in class.

Will I have to pay?

The Tech Corral charges for parts if the damage occurred because of loss, negligence, or intentional breakage, just like the school charges for library books.  The charges cover the cost of the parts, since the labor is provided by the student.  A list of common charges is available to download below

Lost Chromebook Charges
Chromebook Repair Charges

Once the repair is completed, your parents will be sent an invoice, just like a library book, for the cost of the parts, or, if you pay in check or cash the day of the repair, you will be given a receipt for the cost. Some damage or issues are caused despite responsible use of the chromebook, and are covered by warranty.  These repairs are free.

How will I know what’s broken or what happened?

The Tech Wrangler assisting with your repair will help explain what might be causing the issues with your chromebook based on the symptoms it is displaying as you perform diagnostics and repairs together.

How long will a repair take?

Because of the nature of chromebooks, most repairs are quick and can be done in 15 minutes or less.  We recommend showing up at the start of the lunch so that your repair is finished and gives you plenty of time to get back to class.

Will my files be okay?

Your chromebook files are all stored in the google cloud servers, and should be available on any device you use to log into chrome with

Will my privacy be protected?

Tech Wranglers are trained to be courteous and kind and to respect the privacy of the students they are assisting.  However, as with any school device and in accordance with the Acceptable Use Policy document that all NUSD students and employees sign, there is no expectation of privacy on our network or any of our devices.  While the Tech Wrangler Code of Conduct asks that the Wranglers use discretion about the nature of their work, if a student is discovered to have violated any laws or policies of the school or district during the repair, these violations will be reported to the proper school authority for follow up.

Basically, don’t use the chromebook to break laws or policies in the first place, and you’ll be fine.

Can I join the Tech Wranglers?

The Tech Wranglers are open for any SMHS student to join, no matter what their previous level of experience with technology is.  Tech Wrangler recruits get hands on training with electronics safety and repair, and gain the knowledge to help with basic assessment and maintenance of chromebooks and other devices.  Interested students should inquire at the Tech Corral for more information

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