This is copy and pasted from District communication sent on 3/13/19.

We are very excited to announce that, as part of our student device rollout next fall, we will be transitioning to a new CRCSD email domain: CRschools.us!  This will eventually replace our current CR.K12.IA.US brand. We will also be transitioning from Outlook to Google Suite and we understand that change—especially related to technology—can elicit feelings of anxiety orexcitement or some combination of the two. This announcement serves as an initial communication of much more to come as we ease through this transition together. For instance, there will be a great many opportunities for you to engage with PL to support this work and familiarize yourself with Google Suite in the spring, summer, and fall. To get a preliminary start, you can access this linked flyer for the Google learning Ryan Rydstrom is offering. Again, this will not be the only PL offered — much more is planned for this spring, summer, and next fall.

We also want you to know that, for those of you who want to start playing the G Suite sandbox, so to speak, you may start at anytime on your own. However, please understand that you must not use Gmail yet. While you should not use Gmail yet, feel free to begin familiarizing yourself with other features in G Suite following the guidance and support of this initial FAQ below:

Q: How do I access my new G Suite account?

A: Your CRSchools.us account will have the same userID (everything before the @ symbol) as your cr.k12.ia.us account.  For example, cbarnum@cr.k12.ia.us will be cbarnum@CRSchools.us. To login into your new Google account, go to a Google loginpage and enter your CRSchools.us account name.   Your password will be a combination of our district name (CRCSD), a period (.), and your personal timeclock number with enough zeros add to the front of the timeclock number to make it six digits long.  Here’s an example  CRCSD.001234  This example assumes the timeclock number is 1234.  If you have trouble, reach out to the technology help desk  (558-2900) with any questions.

Q: What will happen to all of the content I have in OneDrive and Office 365?

A:  We plan to keep the Microsoft products around for the foreseeable future.  So, you will not lose access to these files. We are asking that starting in the 19-20 school year all collaboration done with students should be done with Google tools.

Q: Do I need to convert all of my Office 365 and OneDrive files to Google?

A:  If you wish to do so, but it is not necessary.  OneDrive and Office 365 will be around to use for the foreseeable future.  So, you can access them at any time. However, if you have documents that will be used frequently or documents that students will need to access, you can convert them as needed.  The conversion process is quick and easy. The Office of Digital Literacy will provide documentation on how to transfer files between systems.

Q: Can I use Gmail now for email?

A:  No—you should NOT use Gmail yet. While Gmail can be accessed, using it will cause a great deal of confusion at this time. Please wait to use Gmail until we publicly launch the new CRschools.us domain and officially give the green light in the summer to begin using Gmail.

Q: Does the change to CRSchools.us mean that I need to let all of my email contacts know I have a new address?

A: No.  Once we make the full conversion this summer, we will set up automatic forwarding for all users so that any email sent to an @cr.k12.ia.us address will automatically go to the corresponding @CRSchools.us address.

Q: When can kids start using their CRSchools.us Google accounts?

A: Student accounts will be set up over the summer and ready before the start of the 19-20 school year.  They will not be ready for use this spring.

Q:  Will we continue to use Canvas for our LMS next year?

A: Yes!  We have no plans to study our LMS product until the 20-21 school year.  This is a scheduled product study as called out by the 5-year technology plan.