STS. JOAN OF ARC AND PATRICK SCHOOL
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR IN-SCHOOL USE OF INTERNET RESOURCES
The following is a copy of the Internet License for 3rd to 8th Grade.
Both campuses of Sts. Joan of Arc and Patrick School have the ability to
provide World Wide Web Internet access to your child. This access offers
vast, diverse, unique resources and is provided to students and school
personnel to promote educational excellence. The purpose of this document is
to inform parents, guardians and students of the availability of Internet
resources. It also presents the rules governing its use and requests parental
/ guardian permission for an individual student to use the Internet while at
school.
The Internet is an electronic highway, which can give students and the
teachers access to a variety of rich, educational resources. The World Wide
Web, a portion of the Internet that your student can use, includes some
information specifically designed for children, up-to-the-minute scientific
information, Supreme Court documents and other information that is
traditionally difficult to obtain in the school environment. To access the
World Wide Web at school, students will be using a browser (a piece of
software) called Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. This allows
students to navigate through the “web” information by pointing and clicking
the mouse. Information is presented richly in text, pictures, sound and some
video.
The educational value of appropriate information on the Internet is
substantial. The Internet is composed of information provided by
institutions, organizations and people all over the world and thus, also
includes material that is not of educational value in the context of the
school setting. There is information that may be judged as inaccurate,
abusive, profane, sexually oriented or illegal. The School does not condone
or permit the use of this material.
School personnel and the parent or guardian of each student are to educate the
student about his or her responsibility when using the Internet. To help
insure that the Internet is used properly, the school will use an Internet
filtering system. This will limit the possibility of access to inappropriate
sites and makes objectionable material unavailable. This is accomplished by
blocking searches for inappropriate words and by blocking access to
inappropriate sites that contain pornography, drug culture, illegal
activities, gambling, nudity, graphic violence, profanity, and satanic and
cultic information.
One of our school’s goals is to support students in reasonable use of the vast
reservoir of information. Anytime students use the Internet, they will be
working under the direction and supervision of a teacher. This helps to insure
that the Internet is being used appropriately as per the school’s
expectations. At times, individual or smaller groups of students may be
allowed with teacher permission, supervision and parent consent (see attached
agreement) to go to the Computer Lab to access the Internet for research
purposes or to complete other written projects. On such occasions the student
will have a specific purpose for going to the Computer Lab, which will have
been discussed with the teacher. Students are expected to use the resources in
a manner consistent with this contract and will be held responsible for their
use. Additionally, parents should discuss with their child their own
expectations for their child’s Internet use.
PROPER & ACCEPTABLE USE
The use of the Internet in the school must be in support of education and
academic research and consistent with the educational objectives of the school.
Internet activities that are permitted and encouraged are those related to the
investigation of topics being studied in school.
Internet activities that ARE NOT PERMITTED:
· Searching, viewing or retrieving materials that are not related to school
work including material that is sexually explicit, profane, violence promoting
or illegal; games with violence, music sites, clothing sites, personal
websites, checking personal e-mail, chat rooms and instant messaging.
· Subscription to any services or ordering of any goods or services.
If a student has any question about whether a specific activity is permitted,
he/she is to ask the teacher. If a student accidentally accesses
inappropriate material he/she is to back out of the information at once.
MISUSE
Violation of the terms of this agreement may result in suspension or
revocation of a student’s access to the Internet. Any action taken by a
student who is in violation of a school rule will be subject to the usual
disciplinary actions. Your signatures on the attached agreement indicate you
have read the terms and conditions carefully and understand their significance.
Parents, please keep this portion of the Terms and Conditions of In-School Use
of Internet Resources for your records. The attached agreement is to be
signed and returned to the school to permit the student’s use of the Internet.
If you have any questions, please contact me at either school.
