Get Started with Tech at RCS (Employees)
 | The information here will guide you through the process of setting up your RCS account and your laptop. |
|---|---|
 | Intended for Employees and Students |
 | Categorized under RCS software and services |
 | Maintained by Matt Ringh |
 | in need of review. |
The information here will guide you through the process of setting up your RCS account and your laptop. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please contact us at support-ticket@riverdale.edu.
RCS Account Setup
The following instructions will guide you step-by-step in setting up your RCS account and installing the necessary web browser plug-ins.
Step 1: Logon
Go to https://my.riverdale.edu and enter your "RCS Username" and "Password".
Step 2: Change your password
After logging in you will be prompted to change your password.
Your new password must include three of the following four character types:
- lowercase letters
- uppercase letters
- numbers
- symbols
In addition, the password must:
- contain 8 or more characters (we recommend longer than the minimum length)
- not contain your first name, last name or username
- be different from a previous password you've used at RCS
Examples of valid passwords
- H0neyD3w!!
- 1234GoodBye
- T33th2015
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (spaces count as characters)
Step 3: Setup account
Follow the prompts to
- Add a secondary email address to use when resetting your password, or check the box that says "I have no secondary email address".
- Add your mobile phone number if you want the option to reset your password via text message.
- Choose a security question to answer if you forget your password.
- Choose a security image.
When you have finished these steps, click on the button that says "Create Account" in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. This will complete the account creation process!
Okta Plug-In Installation
You may see a message that asks you to install an Okta browser plug-in the first time you log in to your RCS account.
- The plug-in must be installed for the software to operate.
- Click on the part of the message that says "click here to install".
- Start the installation and follow the onscreen instructions.
- When the installation is complete, restart the browser.
Note: After installing the Okta plug-in, an icon will appear as an add-on to the right of your address bar.
The icon is a shortcut to the applications in the Okta dashboard.
Google 2-Step Verification
Login to your Google Email. To ensure the safety/privacy of our school & it's employees we require all faculty and staff to enable 2-step authentication on their email address. 2-Step Verification requires you to KNOW something (the password you already use) and HAVE something (typically your cell phone) in order to access your account.
- Click on the Gmail icon
- Login to your account using your RCS username and NEW password
- You will be prompted to enable 2-step authentication. Follow the procedures provided by Google to enable 2-step authentication
Please send an email to your department chair or supervisor so they know you can access our systems.
Laptop Request
Full-time, Part-time teachers, Assistant Teachers, Administrators, Administrative staff
Please submit a New Faculty Request Form (Link Below) to indicate what device you prefer to use in your new role.
Here are some things you should consider prior to choosing your device:
- The vast majority of our employees are MacBook or Chromebook users.
- If after you have begun using a device you find it does NOT fit your needs, we are happy to swap your device out for another that DOES.
- Below is a breakdown of what devices are predominately used by students within each division:
| Division | Grades | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Lower School | 3-5 | 1 to 1 Chromebook |
| Middle School | 6-8 | 1 to 1 Chromebook |
| Upper School | 9-12 | BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Most students have Apple MacBooks and a handful of students have Windows PC's |
Please fill out our New Faculty Laptop Request Form using your RCS Account.
Finance, Security, Maintenance, Housekeeping, Grounds, Coaching, or other staff positions
At this time, we do not automatically provide laptops to some employees. If you are in need of one to fulfill your job obligations, please contact your supervisor.
New Faculty Tech Orientation: 2019
RCS has a variety of programs and procedures that are important for all members of our community to be familiar with. We will be hosting two sessions in August, one for new Lower School faculty and one for new Middle School/Upper School faculty.
Full-time faculty, Part-time faculty, Assistant Teachers
Trainings which will take place:
- Lower School - Monday, August 19th, in the afternoon, as the last part of full day LS New Faculty Orientation (River Campus).
- Middle School/Upper School - Wednesday, August 21st, from 8:30am to 10:30am in the Mayo Lab (Hill Campus).
Administrators, Administrative staff, and other staff positions
Sign up for a one on one training session with someone from the technology department by emailing us at support-ticket@riverdale.edu.
Security Settings
Riverdale requires that you complete the following security measures upon laptop setup.
On a Mac
- Enable Find my iPhone/iPad/Mac.
- You can check the activation lock status of any iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
On a PC
- Go to https://preyproject.com/download
- Click "Get Started"
- Create a Prey account
- Download Prey
- Choose the download for Windows (XP and up)
- Install the downloaded software package
On a ChromeBook
- All RCS issued ChromeBooks have GoGuardian. No setup necessary.
Campus Tech Support
Have a question about technology? Try the following:
- Submit a tech request to Web Help Desk at support.riverdale.edu.
- Email us at support-ticket@riverdale.edu
- Call x50 from any campus phone.
- For more information about tech help, go here.
- For more information about available software, go here.