Get Started with Tech at RCS (Employees)
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| Summary | Guide to get started with tech as a RCS Employee |
| Author | Maintained by Matt Ringh |
| Help | Get help with this article |
| Status | Up-to-date for the 2024-2025 school year. |
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 necessary web browser plug-ins.
Step 1: Logon
Go to https://my.riverdale.edu and enter your "RCS Username" and "passphrase".
Step 2: Change your passphrase
After logging in, you will be prompted to change your passphrase. We strongly encourage you to make a long passphrase that contains multiple words that are meaningful to you with a few digits thrown in.
The passphrase must:
- Contain 12 or more characters (we recommend longer than the minimum length)
- Not contain your first name, last name or username
- Be different from a previous passphrase you've used at RCS
- Contain at least one lowercase letter, uppercase letter, digit
Step 3: Setup account
Follow the prompts to
- Add a secondary email address to use when resetting your passphrase, 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 passphrase via text message.
- Choose a security question to answer if you forget your passphrase.
- 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.
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 passphrase 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 passphrase
- 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 fill out our New Faculty Laptop Request Form, using your RCS Account, 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 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 Early Learning | 1-2 | 1 to 1 iPad (one device in-school) |
| Lower School Upper Learning | 3-4 | 1 to 1 Chromebook (one device in-school) |
| Lower School Upper Learning | 5 | 2 to 1 Chromebook (one device in-school and one at home) |
| Middle School | 6-8 | 1 to 1 Chromebook (in-school and home) |
| Upper School | 9-12 | BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Most students have Apple MacBooks and a handful of students have Windows PC's. We also allow iPads |
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: 2024
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 New Faculty Tech Orientation in August 2024. An invitation, and a link to a Schoology Course, will be sent to:
- Full-time faculty, Part-time faculty, Assistant Teachers
- Administrators, Administrative staff, and other staff positions
Upper School/Middle School Tech Orientation will take place as part of New Faculty Orientation - scheduled for 8/19/24 - 8/21/24 on the Hill Campus.
Lower School New Faculty Tech Orientation will take place as part of New Faculty Orientation - scheduled for 8/13/24 - 8/16/24 on the River Campus.
If we have a new employee off-cycle, we will reach out to arrange training, or you can submit a tech support request proactively!
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
Windows laptops that are enrolled with InTune (user logs in with RCS credentials) can be location tracked in case of theft/loss. No action is required from the user.
On a ChromeBook
- All RCS issued ChromeBooks have GoGuardian. No setup necessary.
Off Campus/Remote Learning Tech Support
Follow this link to learn how to get Phone/Email/Video-Conferencing based support while off campus.
Campus Tech Support
Have a question about technology? Try the following:
- Submit a tech request 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.