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MCSD Offers Families Camera/Audio Options on District-Issued Devices

April 9, 2020

April 6, 2020

Families Offered Option to Enable or Disable Cameras and Audio on District-Issued Devices

In an effort to continue meeting the instructional needs of all students, the Martin County School District (MCSD) is offering families the option of having cameras and audio enabled or disabled on their District-issued devices.

The majority of devices distributed to families last month arrived with cameras and audio disabled as a factory setting. Parents and guardians who would like for their children to have these features enabled will be offered the opportunity to have their settings adjusted this week. Alternatively, families who are in possession of a District-issued device that has the camera and audio features enabled will be able to have these settings disabled if desired.

"While it is a new process for all of us, our goal is to make the digital learning experience as user-friendly as possible for our families," Superintendent Laurie J. Gaylord shared. "We know that visual and auditory interaction with teachers and peers is an important part of the learning experience for many of our students, so we want to give families the option to have audio and visual features enabled or disabled according to their preference."

Families in possession of a District-issued Chromebook (pictured here) WILL NOT need to take action to have audio and video settings enabled. Camera and audio settings are already enabled on these devices. Families who would like these settings disabled should email MCSDLaptops@martinschools.org for assistance.

Families in possession of a District-issued Windows laptop (these devices DO NOT have the Google Chrome logo on the shell) who would like to have these settings enabled or disabled should report to one of the following sites this week:

  • Hobe Sound Elementary School
    11555 SE Gomez Avenue, Hobe Sound, FL 33455

  • J.D. Parker Elementary School
    1010 E. 10th Street, Stuart, FL 34994

  • Jensen Beach Elementary School
    2525 NE Savannah Road, Jensen Beach, FL 34957

  • Port Salerno Elementary School
    3260 SE Lionel Terrace, Stuart, FL 34997

  • Warfield Elementary School
    15260 SW 150th Street, Indiantown, FL 34956

Audio and camera settings will be adjusted for families between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM according to the following schedule:

  • Tuesday, April 7, 2020 - Student last names starting with A-H
  • Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - Student last names starting with I-P
  • Thursday, April 9, 2020 - Student last names starting with Q-Z

Families may choose to attach an external webcam and external headphones with a microphone to their District-issued devices, in which case they do not need to follow these procedures.

The District will continue to offer on-site technical support for hardware and software issues at the following locations: 

  • Hobe Sound Elementary
  • J.D. Parker Elementary
  • Port Salerno Elementary
  • Warfield Elementary. 

Technical support is available weekdays from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM. All locations will be closed on Friday, April 10, 2020, in observance of Good Friday. Students, parents and teachers should email MCSDLaptops@martinschools.org with their concerns prior to reporting to a school site for technical assistance.

Parents are encouraged to visit our dedicated Coronavirus (COVID-19) resource page at www.martinschools.org/coronavirusinfo for the latest District-related news and information.