New and evolving technologies are providing positive educational benefits for classroom instruction; the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program was implemented at St Mary MacKillop College in 2015 and is now College-wide.

The BYOD program enables students to bring their own laptop to school for the purpose of learning. This program allows for diverse and flexible learning skills to be developed in and out of the classroom.

Students are responsible for any personal device they bring to school. All students will be required to read and sign the Student Acceptable Use of Computer Facilities and Networks Policy/Agreement before using their device at school.

Download the Agreement

The BYOD technical requirements and recommendations are listed below. This list is useful when making purchasing decisions and will ensure a school ready laptop.

As with any program, we are dependent on collaboration and communication with parents to continue the success of the BYOD program. If you have queries or questions about the BYOD program please do not hesitate to contact us.

Summary of Requirements

If you intend to visit a retail shop to purchase a new laptop for your child, please take this list of requirements with you to guide your purchase of a school suitable device.

Essential for any device:

• WiFi Capable (with 5GHz connectivity)
• 6 hour+ battery life.
• A rugged, well-padded case.
• Document editing suite. The College will provide students with a Google document editing suite. Purchasing a Microsoft Office licence is optional. Free document editing suites, such as Libre Office, are supported by the College.
• The ability to connect a USB device (whether through USB port or adapter).

You might also consider the following:

• Consider anti-virus software options. However, please be aware that some anti-virus solutions include features such as VPN tunnels that interfere with the College's web filtering and may experience connectivity issues.
• The College does not require an anti-virus licence to be purchased. Some anti-virus software offers internet filtering and time of use scheduling. Parents and carers may find this useful to manage how their child uses the internet.
• Consider accidental damage and extended warranty options. Laptops are prone to damage in a school environment. Consider accidental damage protection options to lessen repair bills when damage occurs. Extended and Next Business Day warranty options will result in your device being protected for longer in case of a fault, and repairs are completed in a shorter time frame. Please read the full Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for any options you are considering.

Essential specifications for Laptops:

• Minimum 8 GB RAM.
• Minimum 120 GB total storage space. A 64 GB SSD combined with SD / MicroSD Card is suitable. Mini USB drives which protrude less than 7 mm from the USB port when plugged in are desirable. Regular sized USB sticks or other external USB storage devices are strongly discouraged.
• A solid state hard drive is recommended but not essential. 
• Devices must have a current, vendor-supported version of Windows or MacOS.
• 11” to 14” screen size. Larger gaming oriented laptops are not appropriate for school use.

Please note that Chromebooks are not recommended as these will not support software/apps that are required in some classes (particularly for students in Years 9 and above).

Essential specifications for Tablets:
Tablets are not recommended by the college. If your student needs to bring a tablet due to personal circumstances, please ensure the tablet is equipped with:

• Physical external keyboard (can be integrated into tablet case).
• Minimum 10” screen size.
• Minimum 64 GB storage space.
• 16 GB or 32 GB device storage with additional Micro SD card storage is suitable.

Please note:

• St Mary MacKillop College does not recommend any particular brands or devices.
• Students who bring their own device will be provided reasonable technical support and assistance by SMMC staff and IT. Repair of virus infections or physical damage to the device will not be the responsibility of the College.
• It is highly recommended that accidental loss and damage insurance is considered.
• Parental control settings may need to be modified for devices to work on the College network.