ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
FOR TECHNOLOGY
Based on the policy for
Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
PURPOSE
Technology is a valuable educational vehicle. Our school, St.John Bosco,
Hatboro, PA, is committed to teach its faculty, staff, students, and school
community to work and to learn effectively with technology and to ensure
responsible use of technology. The policy outlined below applies to all
technology use including internet use. The Acceptable Use Policy for
Technology applies to students, faculty, staff, volunteers or community
members allowed access to school technology resources.
GOAL
The school’s goal is to prepare its members for life in an electronic,
global community. To this end, the school will:
• provide a variety of technology based tools
• teach technology skills
• integrate technology with curriculum
• encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills
• facilitate evaluation and synthesis of information
• encourage ethical practices
RESPONSIBILITIES OF USER
This school will make every effort to provide a safe environment for
learning with technology including Internet safeguards. The faculty, staff,
students, and school community are granted the privilege of using the
computer hardware and software,peripherals, and electronic communication
tools including the Internet. With this privilege comes the responsibility
to use the equipment correctly, respect the name and intellectual property
of others, and follow the policies outlined below.
TECHNOLOGY GUIDELINES
• Educational Purpose/Appropriate Use: All technology use and Internet
access at schools for all faculty, staff and students is provided solely for
educational purposes. Educational sites and teacher created assignments are
to be used to enhance student learning. Students must not access
entertainment sites, for example social networking sites or gaming sites,
except for educational purposes under teacher supervision. Expressed
permission to use the Internet and hardware/software in any area of the
school must always be obtained.
• Copyright/Intellectual Property: All sources obtained for teacher
and student work should be properly cited. Users are to respect the rights
of and the intellectual property of others in accordance with Federal
Copyright Law. Transferring copyrighted material to or from a school
without expressed permission of the owner is a violation of Federal Law.
• Unacceptable Use:
o Users must not use equipment to harass, threaten, deceive,
intimidate, offend, embarrass, or annoy any individual.
o Users must not post, publish, or display any defamatory, inaccurate,
violent, abusive, profane, or sexually oriented material. Do not use
obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, or threatening language. Do not
knowingly or recklessly post false information about persons, students,
staff, or any other organization.
o Users must not use a photograph, image or likeness of any student,
employee or parishioner without express permission of that individual and of
the principal. Users must not use school equipment to create any site, post
any photo, image or video of another except with express permission of that
individual and the principal. Maintaining or posting material to a Web site
or blog that threatens a likelihood of substantial disruption in school,
including harming or interfering with the rights of other students to
participate fully in school or extracurricular activities is a violation of
the Acceptable Use Policy and subject to the disciplinary measure found
herein.
o Users must not attempt to circumvent system security, guess
passwords, or in any way gain access to secured resources, another person’s
files or another person’s password.
o Users must not install, move, delete, download, upload, reconfigure,
or modify any software or files on school equipment without permission.
o Users must not move, repair, reconfigure, modify, or attach external
devices to the systems without permission.
o Users must not deliberately visit a site known for unacceptable
material or any material that is not in support of educational objectives.
Students must not access entertainment sites, for example social networking
sites such as myspace.com or facebook.com or gaming sites, except for
educational purposes under teacher supervision.
o Users are not to plagiarize content and may not present the work of
another as their own without proper citing that work.
o Users must not violate license agreements, copy disks, CD-ROMs, or
other protected media. Users must not use technology for any illegal
activity. Use of the Internet for commercial gains or profits is not
allowed from an educational site.
• Reporting: Users must report immediately any damage or change to the
school’s hardware/software that is noticed by the user.
• Electronic Devices: Users must adhere to local school policy
regarding the use of additional electronic devices including but not limited
to personal digital assistants (PDAs), calculators, gaming devices, cellular
phones, and pagers. Access will be determined by the administrator of the
school. The school’s technology policy regarding authorization, use,
responsibility, integrity, intellectual property, and monitoring will be
applied to these devices.
• Administrative Rights: The Office of Catholic Education or the
school administration at any time may add additional rules and
restrictions. The school has the right to monitor both student and employee
use of school computers.
Violation of the above rules will be dealt with by the administration of the
school. Violation of these rules may result in any or all of the following:
• Loss of the school network, computers and software, including
Internet access. The student will be expected to complete work on a non-
networked, stand-alone computer system.
• Issuance of demerits/detentions, if applicable.
Disciplinary action including, but not limited to, dismissal and/or legal
action by the school, civil authorities, or other involved parties.
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
FOR TECHNOLOGY
Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Student Internet Access Contract
I understand that when I am using the Internet or any other
computer/telecommunications device, I must adhere to all rules of courtesy,
etiquette, and laws regarding the copying of information as prescribed by
either Federal, State, or local laws, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and
St. John Bosco School.
___________________________________________________________
My signature below and that of my parents(s) or guardian(s) mean that I
agree to follow the guidelines of this Acceptable Use Policy for Technology
for the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Student Name/ID ________________________________________
Student Signature ________________________________________
Date __________________
Parent or Guardian: We ask that you review this policy with your child and
sign below.
I hereby release St. John Bosco School and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia,
its personnel and any other institutions with which it is affiliated, from
any and all claims and damages of any nature arising from my child’s use of,
or inability to use, the Internet Access, including but not limited to
claims that may arise from the unauthorized use
of the system to purchase products or services.
I will instruct my child regarding any restrictions against accessing
materials that as outlined by the Acceptable Use Policy for Technology for
the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for St. John Bosco
School. I hereby give my permission for my child to use the Internet and
will not hold St. John Bosco School or the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
liable as a result of my daughter’s/son’s use of the Internet on school
premises. I understand that my child has agreed not to access inappropriate
material on the Internet.
Parent/Guardian Name _____________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature_____________________________
Date___________________________