Today, Monday, July 13, Montclair Public Schools is completing its move to a new, unified domain: montclairps.org. Every student’s email, storage and login are shifting from Google to Microsoft 365, and for students in grades 5 through 12, that means a mandatory password reset before they can get back into anything.
What’s the new email address?
Usernames aren’t changing. If your kid logs into their Chromebook as jdoe27, that stays the same. Only the domain changes, so their email flips from the old Gmail address to jdoe27@montclairps.org.
How do students reset their password?
It depends on grade:
- Grades K-4: Nothing changes. Students keep their current password.
- Incoming kindergartners: Get a temporary password once the school year starts.
- Grades 5-12: Everyone gets a temporary password in this exact format: “Mps” followed by their date of birth as MMDDYYYY. So a student born January 1, 2015 would get Mps01012015.
Once they log in with that temporary password, students will be prompted to set a permanent one and create security questions. The new password needs at least 8 characters, one capital letter, one number and one special character, and it can’t include the student’s first or last name or the word “Montclair.” A step-by-step guide is linked in the district’s email to families.
That new password becomes the single login for Chromebooks, lab computers, Genesis and Outlook email going forward.
Is Gmail really gone?
Yes. Student Gmail inboxes (@mpsdnj.us) are disabled as of today and can no longer send or receive messages. All new email now routes exclusively to Outlook.
What happens to files in Google Drive?
This is the part families should move on fast. Google Drive has been downgraded to limited capacity, and Microsoft OneDrive is now the primary place for students to store files. Going forward, Drive use should be limited strictly to active Google Classroom assignments, not personal files or older projects.
Critically, the cutoff is firm: any file created or edited in Google Drive from today forward will not sync to OneDrive. If your student has files parked in Drive outside of current Classroom work, get them moved now.
Where to get help
The district has posted video tutorials and an FAQ on its website walking families through the reset process. If a student’s password won’t reset or their account won’t log in, families can submit a ticket directly to the district’s IT Help Desk.
Bottom line: if you have a student in grades 5-12, tonight’s a good night to sit down together, reset that password with the DOB format above, and drag any Drive files that matter into OneDrive before they’re stranded.
