One perk of being a student at BSM is that students have their own MacBook Air. These personal computers provide students with many powerful tools to enrich their learning experience. It also teaches students to have a sense of maturity by making them responsible for how they handle their laptops. From summer assignments to college preparation, having a laptop over the summer gives students an advantage that others their age might not have.

Last year, students were unable to bring their laptops home over the summer because of the decision to upgrade all laptops to the newer version. In previous years, students also had to leave their computers at BSM for a short amount of time at the beginning of the summer. This was because all updates for the upcoming school year had to be done manually by the Help Desk staff. This process was time-consuming and created issues for families who didn’t have home computers. “We only have one computer at my house other than my parent’s work computers, so it is really nice that we get to bring our school laptops home and not have to all share one computer. It’s also really helpful because I’m hoping to be able to get a headstart on my college search this summer,” junior Jane Hoyt said.

Unlike last year, students will be able to bring their computers home on the last day of school. This is because of new technology that allows the Help Desk to conduct updates on the laptops remotely. The laptops do not have to be physically updated, which will save a lot of time and energy. “I worked at the Help Desk this summer and I had to help get computers set up for the school year. It really was just a long and dull process to physically go on every computer to apply updates and get the computers set up,” senior Henry Bransford said.

The rules of having a BSM laptop over the summer are the same as having it during the school year. All BSM handbook rules still apply, and students are still responsible for keeping their computers safe. The three biggest concerns are heat, sand, and water. Students are not supposed to leave their laptop in a car or directly in the sun because it can overheat and severely damage the computer. Also, they should keep their laptop away from pools and beaches. Water and sand can get inside and damage its parts. “We are able to see if any computers have been water damaged because of a sensor in the computer that changes if it has gotten wet,” Director of Learning and Technology Dr. Steve Pohlen said.

There is no extra fee for having computers over the summer and the same insurance policy families chose during the school year will also carry over. Towards the end of the year, the Help Desk will be sending out a form for BSM parents to choose whether or not they want the laptop for the summer.