Technology @ GSB

Created by Joe DeVico, Modified on Fri, 14 Aug at 10:07 AM by Steve Andriolo

Welcome! GSB provides many technology resources for your learning and community activities.

Technology is used thoughtfully and with an eye toward maintaining personal interactions at GSB. During the school day and while on campus, students in grades PreK – 2 will have access to iPads, and students in grades 3 – 4 will have access to Chromebooks. For grades 6 and higher, GSB is a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) school.

Device Recommendations for Individual Work and Home Use

In Lower School, we recommend students have access at home to a device with the requirements below. This can be a shared family device.

PreK – 2: an iPad running iOS 14 or later.
Grades 3 – 4: a Chromebook running the latest version of ChromeOS (preferably 4 years old or newer).

In Middle and Upper School, students will need to have their own device with the following requirements:

Grade 5: A Chromebook will be provided by GSB for the student to use during the day. A Chromebook or computer for use at home is still required with the same requirements as Grades 6-8 below.

Grades 5 – 8: a Chromebook running the latest version of ChromeOS (preferably 4 years old or newer) OR a device that fits the Upper School recommendations. No tablets or iPads in grades 5-8.

Grades 9 – 12: Newer model laptops running Microsoft Windows 11 or an Apple laptop running macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Chromebooks are NOT RECOMMENDED in the Upper School, as they often cannot support applications used at this level. Newer model laptops running Microsoft Windows 11 or an Apple laptop running macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Chromebooks are NOT RECOMMENDED in the Upper School, as they often cannot support applications used at this level.

Here are some specific recommendations for computers for students in 9-12 grades:

For Windows Computers
		Operating System	
Minimum: Windows 11 (Home)
Recommended: Windows 11 (Pro, Education, Enterprise)		
Processor		
Minimum: Intel Core i5 (10th Generation) or AMD Ryzen 5 (4000 series) or later
Recommended: Intel Core i5 (12th Generation) or AMD Ryzen 5/7 (5000 series) or later 		
Memory		
Recommended: 16GB or more		
Hard Drive	
Minimum: 256GB solid-state drive (SSD)
Recommended: 512GB or larger SSD
			
For Apple Mac Computers
		Operating System		
Minimum: MacOS 15 Sequoia or later
Recommended: Current version of macOS		
Processor		
Minimum: Apple silicon (M1 or newer)
Recommended: Apple silicon (M2 or newer)		
Memory		
Minimimum: 8GB
Recommended: 16GB or more		
Hard Drive	
Minimum: 256GB SSD
Recommended: 512GB or larger SSD

All devices must have the latest updates and security patches. Antivirus software is also required on Mac and Windows computers.

Email and Applications

GSB uses Microsoft 365 for school email and applications. All students in grades 5 – 12 have an active GSB email address. This is the official communication method between teacher and student. As part of our Microsoft 365 subscription, every student can download the desktop apps for all of the Office tools on up to five personal devices.

Knightsite is our Learning Management System (LMS). This is a cloud-based system from Blackbaud. You start your journey in Knightsite during the application process. Once a student is enrolled, an individual account is created for them. This is how students will know their academic schedule, keep track of and hand in assignments, and access resources and the school directory.

GSB provides several other software tools and apps to support learning. In our evolving distance learning environment, we are updating this list of tools with an eye toward safety and data security, as well as community building. More information will be provided later in the summer.

The Technology Department is here for you. While we anticipate being able to assist most people with basic troubleshooting and use of their school online tools, we may be limited due to factors we cannot control. For assistance email help@gsbschool.org or call 908-234-1611 ext. 475.

Your Technology Department:

Jacqueline Teichman, Director of Technology

Steve Andriolo, Technology Support Specialist

Eileen Procaccino, Registrar/Data Systems Manager

Joseph DeVico, Coordinator of Instructional and Visual Technology