Newsletter

Information Technology

2026 Choose-Your-Own-Device (CYOD) 

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Expressions of Interest for the 2026 Choose-Your-Own-Device (CYOD) school laptop program are closing at the end of this week.

 

To ensure your student has a device for the commencement of the 2026 school year, please follow the link below and submit your interest.

 

https://forms.office.com/r/wDDQ6Gcsm2 

 

For several years we have been providing families with the opportunity to choose a departmentally managed device for a more succinct and practical learning experience for their students.

 

Last year alone we facilitated almost 500 device repairs through accidental damage protection and warranty available through the program. Without such protection, families would’ve been liable for exorbitant part repair costs or forced to purchase another device outright to get their students connected and learning again.

 

We therefore ask all parents and carers to consider the benefits of the program when looking to purchase a device for their child in preparation for 2026. Some of the benefits include:

 

  • 3 years of warranty and accidental damage protection facilitated on-site by the schools IT department
  • Access to network controls to block games and social media at home
  • Access to school owned and managed software including the devices Operating System

 

Please see the attached Handbook and Selection Guide for more information on the terms and conditions, the devices we have on offer and a breakdown of both BYOD and CYOD options.

 

If you have any questions or queries about the program or IT at The Gap SHS, please get in touch by emailing CYOD@thegapshs.eq.edu.au.

Windows 11 Upgrade

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

 

As you may be aware, departmentally managed devices are requiring an update to Windows 11 as Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 is ending in October.

 

This means that any school managed student device that is still running Windows 10 needs to be updated by Friday of Week 10 otherwise they will be considered a security risk by the department and subsequently locked. They are then only unlocked by wiping the device completely, which removes all files that are not saved to OneDrive or an external drive.

 

To update to Windows 11, students must be logged in at school, above 80% battery and follow the instructions to upgrade within the program ‘Software Centre’ that is installed on their device.   

 

If your student has difficulty installing the update or would like it facilitated by the IT department, please have them bring their device to the schools IT Helpdesk in the library. Likewise, if you are unsure if your student’s device is running Windows 11, students are to visit the IT Helpdesk