• Chromebook Web Filtering

    The Chromebook is a learning tool both in the classroom and at home. The partnership between your child’s school and home extends beyond learning reading, writing and arithmetic. Digital citizenship is an important part of today’s world, and helping your student become a positive role model in the digital world is an important part of the WDMCS Chromebook Program. To that end, WDMCS has chosen a web filtering company for the Chromebooks from a company called Securly.

    Features of Securly:

    • Parents receive weekly emails with web browsing history.
    • Phone app with real-time web browsing history and internet controls for the Chromebook at home.
    • Push notifications through the phone app for self-harm and cyberbullying notifications.
    • Ability to add more or less web filtering restrictions when the device is at home.
    • Ability to turn off internet access on the Chromebooks.

    Getting Started with Securly
    There are three ways you can sign in and use the Parent Portal.

    • Via the Securly Home phone app
    • Via the student's Activity Report Email
      • Each week, parents receive an email from Securly with an overview of what was used in the last week. Look for this email in the inbox of the email you have listed in Infinite Campus.
    • Via the Securly website
      • Visit www.securly.com > Login > Use the same email address you have listed in Infinite Campus.

    Do I have to sign up for this Securly service?
    Parents are automatically enrolled in this service using on the email address that is listed in Infinite Campus. So to receive this weekly email, you must make sure your email address is current in Infinite Campus. If you are not receiving the email and your email is current in Campus, please parent-support@securly.com and they can assist you.

    Can my spouse sign up to receive this email as well?
    Yes. If there was only one email address attached to your student inside of Infinite Campus, this is why your spouse is not receiving emails by default. To get your spouse signed up to receive emails, please add the email address to your Parent Portal of Infinite Campus.

    How do I opt out of this email?
    At the bottom of the email, there is an Unsubscribe button.

    I opted out, but now I changed my mind and would like to receive the email.
    No problem. Email parent-support@securly.com and let them know that you had unsubscribed and you would like to be added back. Please keep in mind that even without the weekly email, you can still log in to the website or app to control internet setttings.

    I’m having trouble or am not receiving the email on a weekly basis (and yes, I've checked and it's listed correctly in Campus). Who do I contact?
    Parents can contact Securly directly at parent-support@securly.com.

    What kind of content is blocked on the student chromebooks?
    Content is blocked by category. Principals along with Curriculum Directors, make the determination on what categories are blocked or open to students in various grade levels. To see the current Student Technology Permissions, please view this chart which will explian what categories are open and which categories are blocked while on the WDMCS network.

  • Self-Harm/Cyberbullying Notifications

    Securly can also provide another layer of protection by monitoring students’ web searches. Securly uses an algorithm to identify potential inappropriate searches for things like violence or nudity.

    Web searches are monitored using a sophisticated machine learning and sentiment analysis algorithm. The database consists of thousands of words, phrases, and sentences that are categorized into different categories to help the engine identify the type of activity. Securly constantly updates their database to ensure that the engine is trained using as comprehensive a list of words, phrases, and sentences as possible. Terms related to self-harm or cyberbullying will trigger an immediate alert to parents via the Securly Home app.  

    SecurlyHome App screenshot These alerts are generated through the Securly Home app on your cell phone. If you are already a user of the SecurlyHome app and you have notifications allowed, there is nothing more you need to do. If the Securly system detects self-harm activity, you will be notified on your phone. Clicking the notification will take you to the app, as demonstrated in the screen shot shown here.

    If you currently do not use the app on your smartphone, please follow these instructions:

    1. Visit the App Store or Google Play on your device and download the “Securly Home” app.
    2. Once downloaded, log in to the app with the same email address that you receive your weekly web history reports.
    3. If you are asked about notifications, be sure to choose Allow.
    4. That’s it!

     

  • Parent control of internet access on the Chromebooks

    One of the features that parents will find useful is the ability to further control internet access of the Chromebook while the student is at home. So for example, maybe you've found that espn.com is destracting your student while they are trying to get homework done while at your house. As a parent, you can add espn.com to your block list, which will make that site inaccessible for your student. Important note, however...  Any changes made in your app will ONLY affect the Chromebook while it's off the school network, such as your home, a public library, or even grandma and grandpa's house.  It will NOT affect what the student has access to while they are at school. So even though you blocked espn.com, when the student comes to school the next day, they would be able to access espn.com at school.  Access at school is controlled by the school settings in the chart linked above.

    To block other websites at home on the student Chromebook:
    Visit your Securly Parent Portal on either your phone app, or the Securly website (as outlined in the Getting Started section to the left).  From there, select Rules and you'll see where you can set up category restrictions and allow/block lists.  There are some categories that you will not be able to change, as these are required to be blocked on all school devices regardless of location.
Last Modified on March 1, 2022