Internet+Usage+Policy

**St. Bernard's Primary School, Wangaratta** **To provide the best quality Catholic education for the children in our care.**  **Internet Usage Policy**  **The internet is a wonderful resource that can add another dimension to education. It allows students to collect and share information and communicate and collaborate with students, organisations and groups from around the world. The internet offers facilities that can enhance students’ learning opportunities and outcomes in all areas of the curriculum.**
 * St. Bernard’s understands the key role that technology and the internet can play in the development of learning but is also aware of the need to provide a safe framework in which students can appropriately develop knowledge, skills and values.**
 * St. Bernard’s is committed to the education of all students in the correct care of ICT (Information and Communications Technology); acceptable use of the Internet and safety using ICT and online resources.**
 *  Our school actively supports access by students to the widest variety of information resources available, accompanied by the development of the skills necessary to filter, analyse, interpret and evaluate information encountered.
 *  All students and staff at our school will have censorship filtered Internet and email access. All students (Grades 5/6) and staff will have their own password protected Internet account and log on. Such access is a privilege and infers responsibility, and not simply a right to be expected.
 *  An Internet coordinator is appointed, who will liaise with staff and the technical support technician to manage all email access, maintenance of the school’s website, web filters and all other issues related to Internet access by students.
 *  The school undertakes to ensure that information published on the Internet by students or the school is of a high standard and meets legal requirements and standards of general practice within the community in relation to copyright, safety and decency.
 *  All email accounts will be password protected and users will be responsible for clearing their mailboxes regularly.
 *  Guidelines on access rights will be defined for different user levels. Restricted access shall be available to guest users for specific purposes only.
 *  All students and staff shall be responsible for notifying their teacher of any inappropriate material so that investigations around this site may take place.
 *  Consequences of publishing, accessing or failing to notify the coordinator of inappropriate material shall include the removal of access rights at the discretion of the Principal and coordinator.
 *  Privacy of students, parents and staff and other users must be recognised and respected at all times.
 *  No photos, images or videos will be labelled with students full names.
 * <span style="display: block; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> Students will use their first name only or be identified with a nickname or avatar on the Internet.
 * <span style="display: block; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> Teachers shall be responsible for making sure all work is screened for accuracy, appropriateness, grammar, and spelling prior to publishing them on the Internet.
 * <span style="display: block; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> Signed parent and student consent (see below) is required to be completed in order to gain access to the Internet, to publish work, photos or videos on the Internet.