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Digital Citizenship聽Safety Policy Guidelines聽

The Internet is a vast, global network, linking computers at universities, schools, laboratories, and other sites. Through the Internet, one can communicate with people all over the world through discussion forums and electronic mail. 聽In addition, many educationally valuable files may be downloaded from the Internet. 聽Because of its enormous size and resources, the Internet鈥檚 educational potential is boundless. 聽Because of its broad reach, however, the Internet also contains the potential for abuse. 聽These Guidelines are intended to help ensure that students use this valuable resource in a safe and appropriate manner.

The 天美视频 Public 天美视频 offer Internet access at each school. The sole purpose of this Internet access is to support education and research by providing students and teachers with access to unique resources and an opportunity for collaborative work. 聽All uses of 天美视频鈥檚 Internet access (like all other uses of 天美视频鈥檚 computer facilities) must be in support of and consistent with these educational objectives. 聽All students who use 天美视频鈥檚 Internet access are expected to read these guidelines and/or to take part in a discussion of the guidelines with a teacher. 聽Adherence to the guidelines is a condition for a student鈥檚 privilege of Internet access.

Students鈥 Individual Responsibility

All students use of the Internet is to be conducted under faculty supervision. Nevertheless, faculty members are not expected to monitor student use at every moment. 聽Every student is expected to take individual responsibility for his or her appropriate use of the Internet.

Internet and World Wide Web

All students will have access to the Internet and World Wide Web, with teacher supervision, in classrooms, libraries, or labo- ratories. 聽No individual account agreement is required. 聽Before a student may access the Internet and World Wide Web, however, he or she must be familiar with these Guidelines.
  • Grades K-5: 聽Before students in Grades K-5 will be authorized to access the Internet and World Wide Web, they will take part in a discussion of these Guidelines with their teacher.
  • Teachers will be asked to sign a statement stating that they have had such discussion with their class.

Internet Access Is a Privilege

Internet access through the 天美视频 Public 天美视频 is a privilege, not a right. 聽A student鈥檚 access may be canceled by school officials if this privilege is abused. 聽Inappropriate conduct on the 天美视频 Public School Internet access will also be subject to disciplinary action, in conformity with the 天美视频 Public School Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline (which is published in school handbooks) and the disciplinary policies of individual schools.

Administrators鈥 Access to Student Files

All student e-mail files and other Internet files and records may be accessed and examined by administrators for educational and administrative purposes, including the need to ensure that these Internet Guidelines are being adhered to. 聽Administrators will also cooperate in providing access to student e-mail and Internet files and records to law enforcement authorities. 聽Students should not assume that uses of the 天美视频 Public 天美视频 Internet access will be private.

Personal Safety

The Internet is accessible to the public. 聽Unfortunately, this includes people who want to make contact with students for inappropriate purposes or under false pretenses. 聽The 天美视频 Public 天美视频 cannot screen the Internet for such inappropriate uses. 聽Therefore, students must be cautious and prudent about supplying personal information and arranging personal meetings. In particular, students should never arrange a personal meeting with a person who was met online without their parents鈥 knowledge and approval. 聽Students should promptly inform their teacher or school administrator of any online communication that the student feels is threatening, harassing, or otherwise inappropriate.

System Security and Resource Limits

Students are expected to follow procedures and guidelines that are issued in order to ensure the security of the 天美视频 Public School computer system and to respect its resource limits. 聽These include any downloading guidelines and virus protection procedures that may be issued.

Network Etiquette

Students are expected to learn and to abide by generally accepted rules of Internet network etiquette, as well as rules of school decorum. 聽These include common courtesy, politeness, and the avoidance of vulgar language.

Unacceptable Uses

The following uses of the 天美视频 Public 天美视频 Internet access are unacceptable:
  • Posting private or personal information about another person.
  • Attempting to log in through another person鈥檚 e-mail account or to access another person鈥檚 files.
  • Accessing or transmitting obscene or pornographic material.
  • Posting chain letters or engaging in 鈥渟pamming.鈥 (鈥淪pamming鈥 means sending annoying or unnecessary messages to large numbers of people).
  • Engaging in sexual harassment. The 天美视频 Public 天美视频 Sexual Harassment Policy, which is included in the individual schools鈥 handbooks, is applicable to Internet conduct.
  • Participating in any communications that facilitate the illegal sale or use of drugs or alcohol; that facilitate criminal gang activity; that threaten, intimidate, or harass any other person; or that violate any other laws.
  • Plagiarism. “Plagiarism” means the taking of material created by others and presenting it as if it were one’s own. 聽The 天美视频 High School policy on plagiarism/cheating, which is included in the 天美视频 High School Student/Parent Handbook, is applicable to 天美视频 High School students’ use of the Internet.
  • Infringing copyrights. 聽Copyright infringement occurs when a person inappropriately reproduces or transmits material that is protected by copyright. 聽For example, most software is protected by copyright and may not be copied without the permission of the copyright owner.
  • Participating in commercial activities that are not directly related to the educational purposes of the 天美视频 Public 天美视频.

Disclaimer of Liability

The 天美视频 Public 天美视频 disclaim all liability for the content of material that a student may access on the Internet, for any damages suffered in the course of or as a result of the student鈥檚 Internet use, and for any other consequences of a student鈥檚 Internet use.

Changes in the Guidelines

The 天美视频 Public 天美视频 reserve the right to change these Guidelines at any time.