Technology is part of a lot of what we do at Ridley. From academics to co-curriculars, we want to ensure that our students have access to the technology they need to succeed.
Before your child arrives on campus in September, there are a few things your family should do to ensure they have all the technology they need to start the year off right.
Jump to the information you need most:
Grades 7-12 students attending Ridley are part of a mandatory laptop programme and must purchase an Apple MacBook laptop. We recommend:
Ridley’s partnership with Apple allows us to pass on educational discounts to all our families. You can order a laptop and any other Mac needs through Ridley College's store on Apple's website and have it shipped directly to your home. Education discounts are automatically applied when purchasing through Ridley College’s store.
Unsure if you are viewing the discounted rates? Check the top left-hand corner of the Apple website for our name, as seen below.
Depending on your child’s classes, they will need different software to complete their assignments. At Ridley, we want your child to have access to all the software they need to be successful. That’s why we provide software from Microsoft 365 for their day-to-day studies to GarageBand for sound mixing, from Adobe Photoshop for art assignments to a graphing calculator for mathematics; we provide all these and more through our Self-Service App.
How can your child access all this software?
Great question! Follow the “Setting up your child's device” steps below to gain access to our Self-Service App (pictured). In addition to our app, they'll gain access to their student Outlook email account, class schedules, and so much more!
We know that your child will arrive on campus with several devices. From laptops to cellphones, gaming systems to tablets, it’s important that your family takes the time and follows the steps below to set up each of their devices so that they can access everything they need upon their arrival to campus in September.
Before we jump into the steps you need to take, let's talk about the Microsoft Office 365 username and temporary password you'll need to set up their devices.
On July 21st, an email with the subject line "Ridley MS Office 365 Login Information" was sent to all Middle School and Upper School parents with each child's unique Microsoft Office 365 login.
If you did not receive this email, don't worry, you aren't stuck. You can determine your child's unique login using the information below.
Please contact our team at [email protected] or 905-684-1889 ext. 2326 if you would like to be resent your child's unique login information.
To set up your child's laptop, you must be running Big Sur, Monterey or Ventura operating systems. If you are unsure what operating system your child's laptop is running, click on the Apple icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen, select “About This Mac” from the drop-down and review the information listed beside “macOS” on the pop-up window.
Power up their laptop and follow our short 5-minute video instructions to get started.
Setting up your child's iPhone or iPad to access Ridley's campus wifi and more starts with watching our short 3-minute video.
Is your child using an Android device?
Ridley is an Apple school. This means Ridley’s network does not natively support all known Android operating system versions. Our team will do our best to support your Android devices, but we cannot guarantee that all our systems will work seamlessly with Android software.
For Andriod device set-up, please visit the HelpDesk (located on the second floor of the Upper School building) with your device, and our team will be happy to try to assist you.
If your child uses the same devices they did last year, they don’t need to follow any of the steps below. However, that new MacBook you purchased for them this summer, or the iPhone upgrade they begged you for, will need to be set up to access Ridley’s system.
To set up your child's laptop, you must be running Big Sur, Monterey or Ventura operating systems. If you are unsure what operating system your child's laptop is running, click on the Apple icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen, select “About This Mac” from the drop-down and review the information listed beside “macOS” on the pop-up window.
Get started by opening a Safari browser on their laptop and following our short 4-minute video.
Setting up your child's iPhone or iPad to access Ridley's campus wifi and more starts with watching our short 3-minute video.
Is your child using an Android device?
This is a friendly reminder that Ridley is an Apple school. This means Ridley’s network does not natively support all known Android operating system versions. Our team will do our best to support your Android devices, but we cannot guarantee that all our systems will work seamlessly with Android software.
For Andriod device set-up, please visit the HelpDesk (located on the second floor of the Upper School building) with your device, and our team will be happy to try to assist you.
We know that it’s essential for your child to have reliable high-speed internet. To connect to the internet, your child must set up all their devices using the abovementioned steps for setting up their devices.
On campus, students will have access to two networks:
Although we offer great Wi-Fi across campus, we know it can be tempting to neglect sleep and stay up playing video games or scrolling on Tiktok all night long. That’s why, to support our PERMA-V model, the campus Wi-Fi shuts off at midnight every night.
When new students arrive on campus, they will connect to RidleyWiFi with their Microsoft Office 365 login credentials.
Once your child arrives on campus, they can access Ridley’s printers across campus. Whether they are in the library for a study session with friends or finally finished a paper in their boarding house common room, we have printers to help them get the job done.
Ready to print? Watch our 5-minute video on setting up your child's device to print on campus.
Our HelpDesk is available to answer your technology questions in person Monday to Friday, from 8:30a.m. to 1:00p.m. and 3:00p.m. to 4:30p.m. throughout the school year and the summer.
If you can’t make it to campus to speak to our team in person, we have several options for you to ask us questions:
