Internet access is now available to students and teachers in
Richmond County Schools. The goal of the school system in providing this
service is to promote educational excellence in schools by facilitating
resource sharing, innovation, and communication that is consistent with the
educational objectives of the State of North Carolina and Richmond County
Schools. To gain access to the Internet, all students under the age of 18
must obtain parental permission and must sign and return this form.
Students 18 and over may sign their own forms.
Using the
Internet, students and school staff have access to current information, news,
and resources from businesses, libraries, educational institutions, government
agencies, research institutions and associations, and a variety of other
sources. However, some information and material on the Internet is not
appropriate for students and may contain items that are illegal, defamatory,
inaccurate or potentially offensive. Richmond County Schools has taken precautions
to restrict access to inappropriate materials. Additionally, school personnel
will make every effort to monitor student use to insure that resources are
appropriate. However, on a global network it is impossible to control all
materials.
While our
intent is to make Internet access available to further educational goals and
objectives, students may find ways to access other materials as well. We
(Richmond County Schools) believe that the benefits to students from access to
the Internet, in the form of information resources and opportunities for
collaboration, exceed any disadvantages; but ultimately, parents and guardians
of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their
children should follow when using media and information sources. Students will
be given the privilege, along with the responsibility, of using the Internet by
returning the completed Internet Use Agreement, which has been read and signed,
by the student and his/her parent/guardian.
Internet
access is coordinated through a complex association of government agencies as
well as regional and state networks. The smooth operation of the network relies
upon the proper conduct of those who use it. In general, this requires
efficient, ethical, and legal utilization of the network resources as well as
adherence to school and county codes of conduct. If a user violates any of
these provisions, his/her privilege to use the Internet will be terminated and
future access could possibly be denied. In a case where laws or codes of conduct
are broken, further consequences may follow. The signature(s) at the end of
this document are legally binding and indicate that the parties who signed have
read the terms and conditions carefully and understand their significance.
Guidelines for use are provided below.
Rules and Regulations
1.
Acceptable Use – Access to an account must be implemented in a
responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner and must be in support of the
educational objectives and student behavior guidelines of the Richmond County
Schools. Transmission of any material in violation of any U.S. or state
regulation is prohibited.
•
Unacceptable
uses include, but are not limited to, the following:
·
Disclosing
unauthorized personal information of individuals
·
Violating
copyright/trademark laws
·
Forwarding
personal communications without the author’s prior consent
·
Using threatening
or obscene material
·
Distributing
material protected by trade secret
·
Utilizing the
network for commercial purposes
·
Providing
political or campaign information
·
Using offensive or
harassing statement or language including profanity, vulgarity, and/or
disparagement of others based on their race, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, age, disability, and religious or political beliefs
·
Sending or
soliciting sexually oriented messages or images
·
Sending chain
letters or soliciting money for any reason
·
Changing settings
on computers
·
Disrupting the use
of the network
·
Accessing chat
rooms, email, and other forms of electronic communication except those set up
and/or approved by the school administration
·
Accessing programs
or computer equipment not designated for student use
•
Netiquette
Rules: Users must abide by
network etiquette rules. These rules include, but are not limited to, the
following:
·
Be polite
–rudeness is never acceptable.
·
Do not provide any
personal information (such as name, address/telephone number, social security
number).
·
Use appropriate
language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
·
Do not use the
network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the network by other
users.
·
All communications
and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private
property.
•
Disciplinary
Action: The following measures can be taken as a
result of unacceptable use.
·
School
disciplinary action
·
Limitation or
cancellation of user privileges
·
Criminal
prosecution for deliberate and malicious vandalism
2. Privileges: The use of Richmond County Schools network
resources is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use will result in
disciplinary action.
3. Security: Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially
when the system involves many users. Attempts to login to the system as any
other user or to share a password will result in disciplinary action. Any other
malicious actions intended to interfere with, disrupt, or damage any computer
system will also result in disciplinary action. If a
security problem is identified, notify the system administrator at the school.
Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Messages to or in support of
illegal activities will be reported to the authorities. Any user identified as
a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may
be denied access to the Internet.
4. Privacy:
School authorities may monitor all student work. Network administrators may
review files and communications to maintain system integrity and insure that
users are using the system responsibly. Files stored on district servers and
hard drives of individual computers are not private.
5. Disclaimer: Richmond County Schools makes no warranties of any kind, whether
expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. Richmond County Schools
will not be responsible for any damages suffered, including loss of data
resulting from delays, non-deliveries, service interruptions, or inaccurate
information. The user accepts personal responsibility for any information
obtained or delivered via the network.
Adopted: December 4, 2001
After
reading the attached rules with your child, please sign the form below and
return it to school.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student
Agreement:
I understand and will abide by the above
Richmond County School’s rules of Internet use. I further understand than any
violation will result in the loss of access privileges, school disciplinary
action, and possible criminal prosecution.
Student
Name (please print)
Student's Signature Date
Expected
Year of Graduation
Parent or Guardian Agreement:
I hereby give permission to issue access for my
child. As a parent or guardian, I have read, understood, and explained to my
child, the above Internet Guidelines. I understand that the school system has
provided Internet access to meet its educational objectives and has taken
precautions to eliminate student access to controversial material. However, I
recognize it is impossible for Richmond County Schools to totally prevent
student access to such material and do not hold them responsible for any
material my child accesses on the Internet. I accept full responsibility for
the actions of my child while on the Internet and while using school resources.
Parent/Legal Guardian Name (please print):
Signature
________________________________Date _______