Acceptable Use Policy and Agreement. St. Columba’s GNS with Facility for Deaf Children

This policy and agreement is applicable for the use of all computers, tablets, digital devices, mobile phones and online services. It includes Cyber Safety expectations and is to be read in conjunction with the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy. It also includes policies regarding Email and Facebook usage for the school community as a whole.

For the purpose of brevity, the school will be referred to as St. Columba’s in this policy.

Rationale

The school management and staff believe in the benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage. Listed below are some of the main aims of the management and staff of St. Columba’s for ICT usage in the school:

Pupils will benefit from the learning opportunities afforded by the school’s ICT resources
To protect pupils from harmful, inappropriate and illegal use of the internet
To develop digital literacy among our pupils
To help our pupils become independent and competent ICT users
To assist pupils in becoming responsible digital citizens
To help pupils understand the nature and seriousness of cyber bullying
To teach pupils to practise cyber safety
To assist pupils to become discerning and critical consumers of online information
The school will endeavour to harness the most up to date ICT resources available to enrich the learning of all students
All forms of social media and digital contact among all members of the school community will be used in a constructive and respectful manner

Strategies

St. Columba’s will employ a number of strategies to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with ICT and Social Media. These strategies are as follows:

Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP)
Education
Filtering/Monitoring
Communication and Co-operation with Parents/Guardians and members of the wider school community

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POLICY STATEMENT

The use of Electronic Devices and Mobile Phones on School Grounds:
No electronic device may be used in school unless under the supervision of, and with the permission of, teaching staff or school management.
Mobile phones, while permitted, must remain in pupils’ schoolbags and must be switched off for the duration of the school day.
Mobile phones must remain in schoolbags and switched off while waiting on school grounds in the mornings before 8.50 a.m. unless communication with home is necessary and unavoidable.
Mobile phones must remain in schoolbags and switched off for the duration of all extra-curricular activities after 2.30 p.m. carried out by the school (as opposed to privately run after-school activities).
Taking photographs or video footage using mobile phones or any electronic device is absolutely forbidden at any time while on school grounds.
If a child needs to contact home during the school day, the office mainline may be used by the child under the supervision of a member of our school staff, or by a member of our school staff on behalf of the child.

Sanctions:

Should a pupil deliberately not abide by the above policy, parents/guardians will be notified and the device/phone will be confiscated and only returned in the presence of a parent/guardian. Should a pupil not abide by the above policy on a number of occasions, the device/phone will be confiscated and the pupil will not be allowed bring the device/phone onto school grounds indefinitely. If misuse or refusal to abide by school policy continues, the matter will be addressed at BOM level.

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Internet in School:
Internet will be used for educational purposes only.
Internet sessions will always be supervised by a teacher.
Pupils will seek permission before entering any Internet site, unless previously approved by a teacher.
Filtering software will be used to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material.
Pupils will receive training in the area of internet safety.
Pupils will be taught to evaluate the content of internet sites.
Teachers will be made aware of internet safety issues.
Uploading and downloading of non-approved material is forbidden.
Virus protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis.
The use of personal USB keys or other external storage devices in school requires a teacher’s permission.
Pupils will observe good “netiquette” (etiquette on the internet) at all times and will not undertake any action.. that may bring the school into disrepute or damage its reputation in any way
‘YouTube’ (and similar sites) can be accessed only under the supervision and direction of the teacher.
Students are not permitted to use internet chat rooms.

Sanctions:

If a pupil deliberately misuses the internet, this will result in disciplinary action, including the withdrawal of access privileges. Parents/guardians will be notified by the school of misuse by a pupil.

Education:

21^st century life presents dangers including violence, racism and exploitation from which children and young people need to be protected. At the same time they need to learn to recognise and avoid these risks in order to become internet wise.

Filtering:

‘Filtering’ is a term used to describe a way of limiting the content of web pages, emails, chat rooms and other electronic data to which users may be exposed. No filter is 100% accurate. The most effective filtering tool is adult vigilance.

The school’s broadband is provided by the N.C.T.E. (National Centre for Technology in Education) and has embedded in it a strict content filtering in line with the Department of Education and Skills Schools’ Broadband Policy.

The school’s filtering system has been upgraded from Content Filtering 4 to Content Filtering 5. The access to websites from all school computers is monitored and regularly reviewed by the NCTE. Websites are only allowed through following a verification by the NCTE of their suitability.

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Emails, School Facebook and School Website for Pupils:

Use of the internet in school does not involve pupils setting up individual email accounts or sending emails.
Columba’s has a school Facebook Page. This page cannot be accessed in school by pupils. Facebook requires everyone to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account. Creating an account with false information is a violation of their terms.
Designated teachers will manage the publication of material on the school website and school Facebook Page..
Personal pupil information, home addresses and contact details will not be published on the school website or Facebook Page
Class lists will not be published.
Pupils’ names will not be published beside their photograph.
Digital photographs, video clips and audio clips will focus on groups and group activities rather than on individual pupils.
Pupils will be given an opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the school website and school Facebook Page.
Teachers will select work to be published and decide on the appropriateness of such.
Permission to publish a student’s work will be sought from pupils/ parents/ guardians. This permission may be withdrawn at any time.
Permission to use photographs of school pupils on the school website or Facebook Page will be sought from parents/guardians upon the child’s first entry into the school. Permission or refusal of same will be recorded and abided by until such time as a parent/guardian informs the school of any change.
Pupils will continue to own the copyright on any work published.

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Digital Communication for Parents

Email Communication for Parents of Children in St. Columba’s Deaf Facility:

School management acknowledges that it may be difficult, at times, for deaf children or those who are hard of hearing, to communicate messages from school to home and vice versa, therefore, the school will set up individual class e-mail addresses for all teachers in the Facility for parents and teachers to communicate through, only if and when necessary.
The policies and procedures underpinning this facility must be strictly adhered to in order to prevent misuse of same.
Each teacher in the Deaf Facility has discretion as to how the facility can best be used.
The school will strive to engender greater independence in older children (Third-Sixth Class) and will encourage pupils and parents of these classes to continue to use class journals as the main means of communication in keeping with Mainstream practice.
The e-mail addresses may be accessed between 8.30 a.m and 3.00 p.m in keeping with the school day, including twenty minutes before the school day begins and thirty minutes after the school day finishes.

The primary means of communication is the homework journal or communication copy whereby routine information is transferred by way of short notes and messages.

E-mail communication can be used for short, practical and informative messages, and pupils’ news items only

Email communication should not be used for complaints or the discussion of problems. For issues that require discussion, the primary means of communication is by phonecall, pre-arranged meetings, P/T meetings or the three IEP scheduled meetings in the year.

Communication can be by way of teacher to individual parent and vice versa, or teacher to all class parents in the form of a group email.
Memos from management or the school secretary may be sent by group email to parents.
Management have instructed staff members not to reply to an email that is not in keeping with school policy.
Hard copies of all memos and notes may be sent home to any parent/guardian who does not wish to be communicated with by email.

Email communication for Parents of Mainstream:

It is envisaged that, by September 2017, email addresses of all pupils’ parents/guardians will be made known to the school and, eventually, used for the purposes of memos and notes sent from management and the school office to parents/guardians. Hard copies of memos and notes may be available for those parents wish who to receive them.

School Facebook Page:

Columba’s has a Facebook page for the purpose of providing general information and items of school news to parents.
Photographs of children and their activities, projects, art work etc will only be posted with permission of parents/guardians.
The School Facebook page is for access by parents and not children. Facebook requires everyone to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account. Creating an account with false information is a violation of their terms.
The School Facebook page is not a tool for two-way communication between parents and school. It is not to be used to contact the school about any issue.
The School Facebook page is not a discussion forum. Any comments/criticism/feedback should be directed through the office and not on a public forum.
Should negative, derogatory, or confrontational comments be posted on the school’s Facebook page, the person’s access will be blocked so as to discontinue such postings
No advertising is permitted
Children cannot be tagged in posts or otherwise made identifiable
The School Facebook page is not to be used to send friend requests to staff

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MISCELLANEOUS

Roles and Responsibilities:

All staff members share in the co-ordination and implementation of this policy.
The school recognises the need for parents to assume responsibility for their children’s internet access and use outside of school hours.
Parents need to monitor and give guidance to their children on the use of mobile phones and social media in general.
Parents and pupils must sign an Acceptable Use Agreement. Parents of Infant Classes may sign on their behalf.
This policy addresses the particular use of mobile technologies which give rise to ‘Cyberbullying’. The school will investigate and take action where this type of bullying occurs in school.
The school will not investigate or take action if cyber harassment or bullying takes place outside of school unless:

it causes significant harm to the relationships between pupils and/or teachers
it is criminal in nature
it has the capacity to impact on relationships across the wider school community
it brings the school into disrepute or damage the reputation of the school in any way.

Data Protection Act:

The Data Protection Act 1998 was enacted to deal with privacy issues arising from the increasing amount of information kept on computer about individuals. In accordance with the Act, the school may only publish pupil information that is relevant to the context of the webpage.

Evaluation:

This policy will be monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis and amendments added as required.

***Upon reading this Policy Document, please sign page 7, the AUP Agreement Form overleaf, with your child and return to your child’s Class Teacher or to the Office at your earliest convenience***

This policy has been implemented in May 2017

Dónal Murphy, Chairperson, BOM, St. Columba’s GNS & Facility for Deaf Children

AUP POLICY – AGREEMENT OF PARENTS AND PUPILS

We have read the school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and have discussed it with our child. We agree to support the school in this policy and to encourage and help our child to abide by this policy and to help them to understand the need for safety, education and adult monitoring concerning the use of all technological devices both in school and at home.

I accept my own responsibility for the education of my child(ren) on issues of Internet/ Social Media Responsibility and Safety.

I understand that, having adhered to all the precautions and safety measures contained within this AUP, the school cannot be held responsible if my child tries to access unsuitable material.

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Name of Pupil (in print)…………………………………………………………………….

Pupil’s date of birth…………………………………………………………………………

Signed (Parents/Guardians)………………………………………………………………………………..

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***Parents may sign on behalf of pupils in Junior, Senior Infants and New Junior Infants due to start in September***

Signed………………………………………………………………..(Pupil) Class……………………………

Siblings:

Signed………………………………………………………………..(Pupil) Class…………………………….

***Please return this page only to the school at your earliest convenience***

Acceptable Usage Policy

Filtering:

AUP POLICY – AGREEMENT OF PARENTS AND PUPILS