The first shipment of MacBook Pros has arrived on campus, and the countdown to their distribution is almost over.

Students and their parents will pick up their laptops in two weeks over a three-day period (Sept. 24-26) divided up by last names, and broken down into 15-minute time increments.

Only one parent will need to accompany the student to sign for the responsibility of the $850 investment that Knox County is making as a result of Bearden winning last spring’s School Technology Challenge grant.

Students and parents will walk into the West Mall and go into one of three 15-minute sessions taught by Dr. John Bartlett, Mrs. Rachel Harmon, and another administrator in the auditorium, band room, and chorus room; two videos will be shown, followed by a PowerPoint that goes through basic training.

Everyone in that session will then move to the cafeteria to scan and pick up their computers and receive a power cord and a hard case. The next step is to go to the library where teachers will be waiting to help students login with their active directory login for the first time.

There will be some final paperwork to sign in the Pit at the end, and then, students are free to leave.

For students who want to personalize their computers, classes like Virtual Enterprise will sell keyboard covers, cases, USB drives, and other accessories. Some of the products will be Bearden-themed, while others will be in a variety of colors. Prices range from $5-$25, but packages of multiple items are available for $40-$45.

“It makes things more creative, not just like a plain laptop,” Virtual Enterprise senior Tyler Carter said. “I like the keyboard covers the best personally, but I think it’s all great stuff that we’re putting together for the students.”

Students whose parents will be out of town or busy on the nights of the rollout should write an email to Mrs. Harmon explaining the situation and asking to make alternative arrangements.