OCA IT Policies and Procedures 

Tech Support

We use an IT Helpdesk Ticketing System (Freshdesk) to track all IT issues. When a technology problem or issue arises, please use this link to create a support ticket (please bookmark/save this link). Alternatively, you may email techsupport@ocabaltimore.org to have a ticket automatically created for you in the ticketing system. 

When creating a ticket, please include ALL of the following information in the description:     

• In what office or room is the issue?

• Which piece of equipment is not working? 

• What is not working about it? (i.e. the symptoms of the problem)

• When did the problem start?

• What steps have you already taken to try and resolve the issue? 

All tickets will be addressed in order of urgency. Here is a breakdown of the urgency levels, along with some examples.

Consider bookmarking the ticket link on your desktop and mobile devices. Instructions on how to bookmark a link are available here: iPad, iPhone, or Android smartphone; Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge browsers; desktop shortcut for Windows or Mac computers. 

OCA Google Account

We provide every one of our staff members with a Google account during their employment at OCA. The typical naming convention for staff accounts is [firstinitial][lastname]@ohrchadashbaltimore.org. Every account also has a domain alias of @ocabaltimore.org. For example, Yehudit Taffel’s primary email address is ytaffel@ohrchadashbaltimore.org, with an alias of ytaffel@ocabaltimore.org. All emails sent to the alias address will appear in your primary email box. Your login address is the primary @ohrchadashbaltimore.org domain.

The following Google products are included in your OCA Google account: 

• Gmail and Google Chat

• Google Drive (including Docs, Sheets, and Slides)

• Google Calendar

• Google Classroom

• Google Chrome sync

• Google Meet

• Google Groups 

For a full list of apps available to you, please click on the waffle menu on the top right of any Google product page. 

Your OCA Google account is intended specifically for school use, and personal files should not be stored in your account. You will lose access to any of your personal files at the end of your employment. 

Multi-factor Verification 

All staff accounts are required to have 2-factor verification enabled. This means that when you log into your account, you will need to use your password along with another factor, such as a code that you receive as a text message to your phone. This is an important security measure to help keep hackers out of our accounts. 

To turn on 2-factor verification for your account, click on this link and then click “Turn on.” Google will prompt you to confirm your account and password and will then walk you through anything else you need to do to enable 2-factor verification. If you need any additional information, please see this support article. 

Once 2-factor verification is enabled, you will need to use the second factor anytime you are logging into a device for the first time. For example, if you remain signed into your account on your laptop or phone, you will not need to use the second factor every time you check your email.  You will only need to use the second factor the first time you log into that device (or if you log out and log back in). 

If you do not have 2-factor verification enabled or if you turn it off at any point, you will be automatically locked out of your account after a short time. If that happens, please schedule a time to come to the IT Office to have your account unlocked. 

Phishing awareness

Phishing is a very common email scam in which a hacker spoofs an email address and/or copies the branding of a known company to try to get users to click on a link or download a file. The intention is to infect the user’s device with a virus or collect the user’s personal information, identity, and/or credit card number. 

Here are some things to keep in mind when checking your email (relevant to your personal accounts as well): 

• Beware of urgent messages or messages that sound too good to be true (e.g. “The first 100 people who click on this link will win $5000!”)

• Check the sender’s actual email address by expanding the sender information of the email. If the email address ends in a public domain like @gmail.com or @hotmail.com but the sender’s name is a boss or coworker, the email should be treated with caution.

• Hover over all links before clicking on them. When you hover over the link with your mouse, the full URL will show up on the bottom left of your screen. Look at the domain of the URL (e.g. docs.google.com) and make sure there are no typos. URLs with a lot of random characters should be scrutinized further. 

• Look out for suspicious-sounding messages from supervisors or community leaders asking you to do them a favor or discuss something discreetly. These are almost never real. 

• If you received an email that looks legitimate but it’s from someone you almost never work or interact with, check with the person before responding or clicking on any of the links in the email. 

• Avoid downloading anything that is sent to you via email unless you are sure that the email is legitimate. 

Google has a really effective interactive quiz that you can go through to learn more about what you can do to avoid getting scammed. It should take about 5 or 10 minutes to complete. We highly recommend you go through it! 

Passwords

Your OCA Google account and ParentLocker account are password-protected with passwords that you established when you first logged into those accounts. No one in our organization can view your password (not even the IT Department). If you ever need the password to either of those accounts reset (e.g. if you can’t remember your password, if your password gets leaked, etc.), please submit a helpdesk ticket. 

For the safety of our organization (and as a general best practice rule for any of your accounts), it is important that you never write your OCA account passwords down. Writing down a password is an invitation for someone to access your account. Additionally, because we have information about students in our accounts, please do not share any of your passwords in any form with anyone, including a spouse, friend, coworker, etc. 

If you need assistance from a student with something on your computer, please log into the account yourself and do not verbally transmit your password to the student to log into your account for you. 

Password management tools provide an easy and effective way to keep track of your passwords without needing to write anything down. Most password management apps require you to only remember 1 master password, and they store the rest of your passwords in a secure vault. 1Password and BitWarden are 2 great options for this, and they each have a low monthly cost (under $3/month). Either one of these apps can be used to securely manage your passwords for your work AND personal accounts, so these are great options all around. 

WiFi Networks

We have 2 WiFi networks available on campus. The primary network is named “Ohr Chadash Academy.” The password for that network is OCA12345, and this password may be shared with students. (This is the one exception to the “never share passwords” rule!) Staff should connect to this network primarily. 

There is a second WiFi network named “OCA Staff.” Per its name, this network is off-limits to students and guests. However, staff do not need to use this network. This network is only necessary for devices that need to be able to print to our 2 faculty printers. The password for this network is not publicized, and if you need to connect to this network, you may see Ms. Taffel in Building B or Mrs. Rakovsky in Building A. 

Technology Check-out Policy

OCA’s IT Department has a lot of hardware available for faculty/staff to loan to help facilitate classroom instruction or work operations. 

Here are the items available to check out: 

• Headphones for students or staff members  

• Personal amplifiers

• Staff Chromebooks

• Document cameras 

• Chargers, charging cables

• Cables/adapters for projecting personal devices 

If you would like to reserve any of the technology items in the list above, please submit a ticket at least 2 school days prior to when you need it. Please include in the ticket what item(s) you need, how many you need (if more than one), and for how long you need it. We will respond to your ticket when the items are ready for you to pick up. 

Unless you are notified otherwise, all items will need to be picked up from Ms. Taffel’s office (Building B office building). 

We ask you to take the utmost care to ensure that any equipment provided remains in

good operating condition, is not abused, and is not lost. An employee who damages, destroys, or loses any item of equipment will be responsible for the full repair or replacement cost of the equipment.

Printing/Copying

Building A and Building B each have a high-performance multifunction printer/copier for faculty use. The copiers are located in the faculty room of each building. 

Printing/copying

A user code may be required to use the printing or copying functionality. 

• User codes allow us to keep track of our printing numbers per user. 

• We assign your user code at the start of your employment (and email it to you), and you will keep the same code from year to year. 

• If your code gets shared or you need your printer code reset for any other reason, please submit a ticket stating that you need your printer code reset. 

• Your user code is the same for both printers. 

Please be mindful of the fact that printing costs the school money; if you can send something to your students or parents digitally, we encourage you to do so. 

Your classroom computer should already have your printer code properly configured. If you want to be able to print from your personal Windows laptop, you may submit a ticket so the IT department can install the drivers onto your personal device. 

Faculty members only have access to black-and-white printing. If you need something printed in color, please send it to one of the receptionists so they can print it for you. Color printing costs a lot more than black-and-white printing, so please use color printing sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.

The printers are available for faculty use for school-related needs. If you need to print or copy something for personal reasons, the cost is $0.05 per page. 

Scanning

Scanning is available as a way to send something to yourself as a PDF. Your email address should already be in the machine, but if you need assistance, please submit a ticket. 

Student Chromebooks

Students in grades 1 - 8 have access to OCA-issued Chromebooks licensed under Google Workspace for Education. If you are a teacher in any of those grades (or are in the classroom for any reason), please note and enforce our policies for student Chromebook use: 

• Chromebooks may only be used at the discretion of the teacher and for educational purposes only. Students may not use the Chromebooks during breaks or lunch, and they may not use the Chromebooks for personal projects. 

• Students may not eat or drink while their Chromebooks are open! There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule. 

• Students should keep messy supplies (e.g. art supplies, paint, pencil sharpeners, crayons, etc) away from their Chromebooks. We want to receive the Chromebooks back in approximately the same condition that we loaned them out at the beginning of the school year. 

• Chromebooks should always be stored in their assigned slot in the Chromebook cart or cabinet when not in use. Each student is responsible for plugging their Chromebook back into its charging cable so that the battery is always charged. 

• Lower school teachers should please make sure that the Chromebook cart or cabinet assigned to their classroom or grade is locked at the end of every day. 

• Students may only use the Chromebook that was assigned to them. If a student neglected to charge their Chromebook and another student is absent, the first student may not use the absent student’s Chromebook. 

• If a student is found to be in violation of any of these rules, please confiscate the Chromebook and report it to the division principal and Ms. Taffel so that the appropriate consequence may be arranged. 

• You may read the full Technology Policy here. We go over these rules with the students at the beginning of the school year, and it can help students to remind them on occasion in case they’ve forgotten. 

Classroom Computers 

Each classroom in Buildings A and B has a desktop computer for teachers to use for work during class or breaks. Teachers can log into any computer using their OCA Google Account which will create a local account for them on that computer. To do this, click on “Add work account” on the login screen and then enter your OCA credentials as prompted. 

Please remember never to share your password and never to write down your password. If you have an assistant teacher in your classroom, you may share your password with them if you are comfortable with them having access to your account. Otherwise, please submit a ticket if your assistant teacher needs a separate login. 

Every time you step away from your desk, please lock your computer by hitting the Windows key + L. Literally every time. 

You may leave your computer powered on at the end of the day. Updates and policy changes often happen overnight, so your computer will perform optimally if left on. Please DO power your computer off before a multi-day break from school, though. Additionally, if your computer is ever experiencing excessive lag or any glitches, please restart it and see if the issue is resolved. If it doesn’t, please submit a ticket 

Interactive Whiteboards

Our MS classrooms and a few of our ES classrooms are outfitted with an interactive whiteboard manufactured by Promethean. If you have a Promethean board in your classroom, it is imperative that you always lock it upon leaving the classroom. 

Here are a few logistical and security points to keep in mind with the Promethean boards:

• Rooms 204, 205, 206, 207, 214, 215, and Building B, Room 5 are outfitted with ActivPanel 9 panels. Rooms 210 and 216 have ActivPanel Titanium boards which are an older model than the ActivPanel 9 boards. There is free training available online for both models. 

• Teachers using the ActivPanel 9 panels will need to create an account on Promethean World. This account will be used to log into any board and to access any training materials. 

• Please make sure to log out and lock (or power off) the board EVERY TIME you leave the room. If a teacher does not log out after using the board, the next teacher (or an unsupervised student) will be able to access the previous teacher's account. The Promethean accounts are linked to our OCA Google accounts, leading to significant privacy concerns if someone else accesses your account. Each teacher is responsible for keeping their account private by logging out whenever they leave the room.

• Each board will require a PIN to unlock it. The PIN will change weekly, and it will be the date of the Sunday at the head of that week, formatted as MMDD. For example, if Sunday's date is 1/26/25, and the PIN will be 0126 from Sunday through Friday of that week. The PINs are changed on Friday afternoon.

• It is important that you always use an off-screen keyboard when typing in the PIN so students do not learn the code. If your classroom does not have a dedicated off-screen keyboard for the Promethean board, please email helpdesk@ocabaltimore.org, and we will bring you one.

Faculty Room Computers

There are desktop computers available in the teachers’ rooms in Buildings A, B, and C. Teachers can log into these computers using their OCA Google Account which will create a local account for them on that computer. To do this, click on “Add work account” on the login screen and then enter your OCA credentials as prompted. 

Student Email Quarantine 

All inbound and outbound student emails are monitored for inappropriate or harmful content. This includes emails that may contain threats, hate speech, obscenities, or dangerous or illegal ideas. Any emails that contain words on the school's flagging list will be sent to an email quarantine for administrative review. If a teacher sends an email to a student and the student does not receive it right away, it is likely that the email has been quarantined. 

Quarantined emails are typically released within 1 school day, but it occasionally takes longer. You may email techsupport@ocabaltimore.org or call extension 306 to have the email reviewed and released immediately. 

Note: The prohibited list includes some words and phrases that are perfectly acceptable in many contexts but may be concerning in other contexts. For example, the word “kill” often comes up in Judaic, history, or science classes. However, since it could also indicate a threat, it is on our list of words to flag.