St Patrick’s School

THE USE OF COMPUTERS, THE INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC MAIL

PERMISSION FORM

St Patrick’s School is pleased to offer students access to a computer network for electronic mail and the Internet. To gain access to e-mail and the Internet, all students must obtain parental permission as verified by the signatures on the form below.

What is possible?

Access to e-mail and the Internet will enable students to explore thousands of sources of information and to exchange personal communication with other Internet users around the world. The purpose of the school use of the Internet is as a resource for constructive educational goals. Families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive. Students may find ways to access other materials. We believe that the benefits to students from access to the Internet in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration exceed the 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.

Therefore, we support and respect each family's right to decide whether or not to apply for access.

What is expected?

· Students are responsible for appropriate behavior on the school's computer.

· The use of the network is a privilege, not a right, and may be revoked if abused.

· The user is personally responsible for his/her actions in accessing and utilizing the school's computer resources.

· The students are advised never to access, keep, or send anything that they would not want their parents or teachers to see.

What are the rules?

Internet access is only available when an adult is present.

Privacy --. The Principal may review communications to maintain system integrity. This will insure that students are using the system responsibly.

Storage capacity -- Users are expected to remain within allocated disk space and delete e-mail or

other material which take up excessive storage space.

Illegal copying -- Students should never download or install any commercial software, shareware, or

freeware onto network drives or disks, unless they have written permission from the Principal. Nor should students copy other people's work or intrude into other people's files.

Inappropriate materials or language -- No profane, abusive or impolite language should be used to

communicate nor should materials be accessed which are not in line with the rules of school

behaviour. A good rule to follow is never view, send, or access materials which you would not want

your teachers and parents to see. Should students encounter such material by accident, they should

report it to their teacher immediately.

Guidelines for Network Privileges at St Patrick’s School.

1. Do not use a computer to harm other people or their work.

2. Do not damage the computer or the network in any way.

3. Do not interfere with the operation of the network by installing illegal software, shareware, or

freeware.

4. Do not violate copyright laws.

5. Do not view, send, or display offensive messages or pictures.

6. Do not share your password with another person.

7. Do not waste limited resources such as disk space or printing capacity.

8. Do not trespass in anothers folders, work, or files.

9. Do notify an adult immediately, if by accident, you encounter materials which are not appropriate

10. BE PREPARED to be held accountable for your actions and for the loss of privileges if the

Rules of Appropriate Use are violated.

PARENT PERMISSION FORM and PUPIL AGREEMENT

As a parent or guardian of a student at St Patrick’s School, I have read the above information about the

appropriate use of computers at the school and I understand this agreement will be kept on file at the

school.

My child may use e-mail and the Internet while at school according to the rules outlined. YES / NO

Parent Name (print)

Parent Signature

DATE:

PARENTS' PERMISSION FOR THE PUBLICATION OF STUDENT WORK/PICTURES

I understand that from time-to-time the school may wish to publish examples of student projects,

photographs of students, and other work on an Internet accessible world wide web server.

My child's work can be published on the Internet and photographs of my child can be published Yes / No

Parent Name (print)

Parent Signature

DATE:

Pupil Agreement

As a user of the St Patrick’s School computer network, I agree to follow the above stated rules.

Student Name (print)

Student Signature

Teacher

DATE: