We now have the ability to enhance your child's education through the use of the Internet. The Internet offers vast, diverse, and unique resources. The District's goal in providing this service is to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. Your authorization is needed before your child may use this resource.

The Internet electronically connects thousands of computers throughout the world and millionsof individual subscribers. Students and teachers may have access to:

• Limited electronic mail communications with people all over the world
• Information from government sources, research institutions, and other sources
• Discussion groups
• Many libraries, including the catalog to the Library of Congress, and the Educational Resources Information Clearinghouses (ERIC).

With this educational opportunity also comes responsibility. You and your child should read the enclosed Authorization for Electronic Access and discuss it together. The use of inappropriate material or language, or violation of copyright laws, may result in the loss of the privilege to use this resource. Remember that you are legally responsible for your child's actions.

The District takes precautions to prevent access to materials that may be defamatory, inaccurate, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate in the school setting. On an unregulated network, however, it is impossible to control all material and a user may discover inappropriate material. Ultimately, parent (s)/guardian(s) are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their child or ward should follow. To that end, the School District supports and respects each family's right to decide whether or not to authorize Internet access.

Please read and discuss the Authorization for Electronic Network Access with your child. If you agree to allow your child to have an Internet account, sign the Authorization form and return it to school.

 INTERNET ACCESS

District 201's Authorization for Internet Access and Using a Photographor Video Tape of a Student

All use of electronic networks shall be consistent with the District's goal of promoting educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. These procedures do not attempt to state all required or proscribed behavior by users. However, some specific examples are provided. The failure of any user to follow these procedures will result in the loss of privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.

Terms and Conditions

•  Acceptable Use—Access to the District's electronic networks must be (a) for the purpose of education or research, and be consistent with the educational objectives of the District, or (b) for legitimate business use.

• Privileges—The use of the District's electronic networks is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. The system administrator will make all decisions regarding whether or not a user has violated these procedures and may deny, revoke, or suspend access at any time: his or her decision is final.

• Unacceptable Use—The user responsible for his or her actions and activities involving thenetwork. Some examples of unacceptable uses are;
  • Using the network for any illegal activity, including violation of copyright or other contract, or transmitting any material in violation of any U.S. or State law;
  • Unauthorized downloading of software, regardless of whether it is copyrighted or devirused;
  • Downloading copyrighted material for other than personal use;
  • Using the network for private financial or commercial gain;
  • Wastefully using resources, such as file space;
  • Hacking or gaining unauthorized access to files, resources, or entities ;
  • Invading the privacy of individuals, which includes the unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, and use of information about anyone that is of a personal nature;
  • Using another user's account or password;
  • Posting material authorized or created by another without his/her consent;
  • Posting anonymous messages;
  • Using the network for commercial or private advertising;
  • Accessing, submitting, posting, publishing, or displaying any defamatory, inaccurate, abuse, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive, harassing, or illegal material; and
  • Using the network while access privileges are suspended or revoked.

 

• Network Etiquette—The user is expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. This includes, but are not limited to, the following:

• Be polite. Do not become abusive in messages to others.
• Use appropriate language. Do not swear, or use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
• Do not reveal personal information including the addresses or telephone numbers, of students or colleagues.
• Recognize that electronic mail (E-mail) is not private. People who operate the system have access to al mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.
• Do not use the network in any way that would disrupt its use by other users.
• Consider all communications and information accessible via the network to be private property

 

• No Warranties—The District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The District will not be responsible for any damages the user suffers. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, missed-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its negligence or the user's errors of omissions. Use of nay information obtained via the Internet is at the user's own risk. The District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.

•  Indemnification—The user agrees to indemnify the School District for any losses, costs, or damages, including reasonable attorney fees, incurred by the District relating to, or arising out of, any violation of these procedures.

• Security—Network security is a high priority. If the user can identify a security problem on the Internet, the user must notify the system administrator or Building Principal. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Keep your account and password confidential. Do not use another individual's account without written permission from that individual. Attempts to log-on to the Internet as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk may be denied access to the network.

• Vandalism—Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges and other disciplinary action. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, the Internet, or any other network. This includes, but is limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.

• Telephone Charges—The District assumes no responsibility for any unauthorized charges or fees, including telephone charges, long-distance, per-minute surcharges, and/or equipment or line costs.

• Copyright Web Publishing Rules—Copyright law and District policy prohibit the republishing of text or graphics found on the Web or on District Web sites or file servers without explicit written permission.
  • For each re-publication (on a Web site or file server) or a graphic or a text file that was produced externally, there must be a notice at the bottom of the page crediting the original producer and noting how and when permission was granted. If possible, the notice should also include the Web address of the original source.
  • Students and staff engaged in producing Web pages must provide library media specialists with e-mail or hard copy permissions before the Web pages are published. Printed evidence of the status “public domain” documents must be provided.
  • The absence of a copyright notice may not be interpreted as permission to copy the material. Only the copyright owner may provide the permission. The manager of the Web site displaying the material may not be considered a source of permission.
  • The “fair use” rules governing student reports in classrooms are less stringent and permit limited use of graphics and text.
  • Student work may only be published if there is written permission from both the parent/guardian and student.
• Use of Electronic Mail
  • The District's electronic mail system, and its constituent software, hardware, and data files, are owned and controlled by the School District . The School District provides e-mail to aid students and staff members in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, and as an education tool.
  • The District reserves the right to access and disclose the contents of any account on its system, without prior notice or permission from the account's user. Unauthorized access by any student or staff member to an electronic mail account is strictly prohibited.
  • Each person should use the same degree of care in drafting an electronic mail message as would be put into a written memorandum or document. Nothing should be transmitted in an e-mail message that would be inappropriate in a letter or memorandum.
  • Electronic messages transmitted via the School District 's Internet gateway carry with them an identification of the user's Internet “domain”. This domain name is a registered domain name and identifies the author as being with the School District . Great care should be taken, therefore, in the composition of such messages and how such messages might reflect on the name and reputation of this School District . Users will be held personally responsible for the content of any and all electronic mail messages transmitted to external recipients.
  • Any message received from an unknown sender via the Internet should either be immediately deleted or forwarded to the system administrator. Downloading any file attached to any Internet-based message is prohibited unless the user is certain of that message's authenticity and the nature of the file so transmitted.
  • Use of the School District 's electronic mail system constitutes consent to these regulations.

 

Internet Safety

• Internet access is limited to only those “acceptable uses” as detailed in these procedures. Internet safety is almost assured if users will not engage in “Unacceptable uses,” as detailed in these procedures, and otherwise follow these procedures.

• Staff members shall supervise students while students are using District Internet access to ensure that the students abide by the Terms and Conditions for Internet access contained in these procedures.

• Each District computer with Internet access has a filtering device that blocks entry to visual depictions that are (1) obscene, (2) pornographic, or (3) harmful or inappropriate for students, as defined by the Children's Internet Protection Act and as determined by the Superintendent or designee.

• The system administrator and Building Principals shall monitor student Internet access.

USING A PHOTOGRAPH OR VIDEOTAPE OF A STUDENT

 

Pictures of Unnamed Students. Students may occasionally appear in photographs and videotapes taken by school staff members, other students, or other individuals authorized by the Building Principal. The school may use these pictures, without identifying the student, in various publications, including the school yearbook, school newspaper, and school website. No consent or notice is needed or will be given before the school uses pictures of unnamed students taken while they are at school or a school-related activity.

 

Pictures of Named Students. Many times, however, the school will want to identify a student in a school picture. School officials want to acknowledge those students who participate in a school activity deserve special recognition.

 

In order for the school to publish a picture with a student identified by name, one of the student's parents or guardians must sign a consent form. Please complete and sign this form to allow the school to publish and otherwise use photographs and videotapes, with your child or ward identified, while he or she is enrolled in this school.

 

I grant consent to Belleville Township High School District 201

to identify a picture of my child or ward, by full name and/or

the school he or she attends, in any school sponsored material,

publication, videotape, or website. This consent is valid for the

entire time my child or ward is enrolled in Belleville Township

High School District 201. I may revoke this consent at any time by notifying the Building Principal in writing.

Pictures of Students Taken by Non-School Agencies. While the school limits access to school buildings by outside photographers, it has no crowd control over news media or other entities that may publish a picture of a named or unnamed student. School staff members will not, however, identify a student for an outside photographer.

 

ATTENTION: Please complete both sides of the enclosed signature card for Internet Use and Release for Use of Student Photographs or Video Taping.