Holy Angels School

Acceptable Use Policy

(For technology resources, E-mail and the Internet)

Holy Angels School provides its students, faculty, and administration information technology resources, including email and Internet access for educational purposes to improve communication and encourage innovation. The school regards this access as a privilege, not a right. Access entails responsibility. All users are expected to act in a responsible, ethical manner, and to abide by the generally-accepted rules of network etiquette, school rules as well as local, state, and federal law.

Adherence to the following policy is necessary for continued access to the school's technological resources:

_____ I will take proper care of the laptop assigned to me by:

Making sure my hands are clean before using the laptop.

Holding the laptop with both hands when moving it so I don’t drop it or it doesn’t fall.

Not leaving the laptop unattended.

Not eating or drinking while using the laptop.

Not touching the screen.

Cleaning the laptop only with materials approved by the technology teacher

Keeping it clean at all times by not physically marking it up with writing or stickers.

Immediately reporting to a teacher if I see damage to, inappropriate use, neglect, abuse of the laptop

_____ I will protect my privacy online.

I will not distribute private information about myself.

I will not send a picture of myself or others over the Internet without my teachers'/parents' permission.

I will not fill out any form or request online that asks for any information about my school, my family or myself without first asking for permission from my teachers/parents.

I will never agree to get together with anyone I "meet" online without first checking with my teachers/parents.

_____ I will not use a computer to harm other people or their work.

I will be a good online citizen and not participate in any activity that hurts others or is against the law or my school's policy.

I will use only assigned accounts. I will not attempt to discover or use another user's login name or password, nor will I share my passwords. If I become aware of another individual's password, I will inform that person or a member of the faculty and staff.

I will not view Internet sites that my school or teacher does not allow or think inappropriate.

I will tell my teachers/parents if I see any bad language or pictures on the Internet, or if anyone makes me feel nervous or uncomfortable online.

I will not access, transmit, copy, or create material that violates the school's code of conduct (such as messages that are pornographic, threatening, rude, discriminatory, or meant to harass).

I will not access, transmit, copy, or create material that is illegal (such as obscenity, stolen materials, or illegal copies of copyrighted works).

I will not use the school’s technology resources to further other acts that are criminal or violate the school's code of conduct.

_____ I will respect and protect the privacy of others.

I will not distribute private information about others.

I will not distribute the e-mail addresses of others without their express permission.

I will not view, copy or use other people's folders, files or work without their permission.

_____ I will respect and protect the intellectual property of others.

I will not copy or use any articles, stories, or other works I find online and pretend it is my own.

I will properly cite any Internet resources that I use in my work.

I will not infringe copyrights (no making illegal copies of music, games, or movies!).

_____ I will respect and protect the integrity, availability, and security of all electronic resources.

I will not waste limited resources such as disk space, paper and ink. I will print only when told to by my teacher.

I will not download or install any software, shareware, or freeware unless I have permission from my technology teacher.

I will practice safe computing, and check for viruses whenever I borrow a disk from someone, download something from the Internet or receive an attachment.

_____ I will communicate only in ways that are kind and respectful.

I will not use bad language online.

Whenever I am online at school or away from school I will not annoy, hinder, or harass others with offensive, obscene, abusive, or threatening language in any electronic communication.

I will not send spam, chain letters, or other mass unsolicited mailings.

I will be courteous and polite when I write email or other electronic messages. I will not compose, send and receive personal email using a school computer during school hours.

_____ I will report threatening or discomforting materials to a teacher.

_____ I will not post photographs or videos to social networking sites, YouTube or similar sites which would be derogatory to the school or the school community, or threaten, demean or bully faculty or other students. If I do, I understand that under the new cyberbullying laws, the school has the authority to take disciplinary action regardless of where my posting originates.

_____ I understand that student cell phone use is not permitted inside the school building before, during or after the academic day. I will not use a cell phone to take pictures or videos, to text message or to access the Internet while on school property. I understand that if I am caught using a cell phone it will result in the immediate confiscation of my cell phone and other disciplinary action.

In the event I do not comply with the guidelines above, my access privileges will be  revoked and other disciplinary measures may result.

Note to parents or guardians: The Internet is a powerful learning tool, but it should not be used indiscriminately or without supervision. While your child is at school, the staff will make every effort to assure that this resource is used appropriately. As parents, it is your responsibility to monitor this resource at home. It is not advisable for children to engage in long hours of unsupervised time on-line. Know what your child is doing. Your child should not know more than you do. Find time to be tech-savvy! If you help your child use the Internet wisely at home, together we can help him/her become a responsible 'Netizen--Citizen of the Internet!