Policy Date: December 16, 2011

Introduction

Front Range Christian School recognizes that access to technology in school gives students greater opportunities to learn, engage, communicate, and develop skills that will prepare them for work, life, and citizenship. We are committed to helping students develop 21st Century technology and communication skills. To that end, we provide access to technologies for student and staff use.

This Acceptable Use Policy outlines the guidelines and behaviors that students are expected to follow when using technologies in school or when using their tablet computer (iPad) on the FRCS campus.

  • The Front Range Christian School wireless network is intended for educational purposes.
  • All activity over the network or using school technologies will be monitored and retained.
  • Access to online content via the network is restricted in accordance with our policies and federal regulations, such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
  • Students are expected to follow the same rules for good behavior and respectful conduct online as offline.
  • Misuse of school resources can result in disciplinary action.
  • Front Range Christian School makes a reasonable effort to ensure students’ safety and security online, but will not be held accountable for any harm or damages that result from use of school technologies.
  • Users of the FRCS network or other technologies are expected to alert school faculty or administration immediately of any concerns for safety or security.

Using Your iPad at School

iPads are intended for use at school each day. In addition to teacher expectations for iPad use, school messages, announcements, planners, calendars and schedules may be accessed using the iPad. Students who repeatedly (three or more times in a quarter) fail to bring the iPad to school or fail to maintain a fully charged battery will lose the privilege of the iPad for a time to be determined by the Principal.

Hot Spots and 3G

Students are not permitted to connect to the internet using a detected hot spot or 3G account while at school. We will be able to detect this on our network.

iPads Left at Home

If students leave their iPad at home, they are responsible for getting the course work completed as if they had their iPad present. Loaner iPads are available to students who forgot to bring their iPad to school or failed to charge their iPad. The loaner charge is $2.00 per day and can be signed-out at the front desk

Charging Your iPad’s Battery

iPads must be brought to school each day in a fully charged condition. Students need to charge their iPads each evening. Keep in mind that this process can take up to 5 hours to fully charge the iPad depending on the percentage of battery life remaining.

Passwords

School-owned iPads will be password protected with a password being assigned at the time of leasing or for loaners. Students are required to set a password for student-owned iPads and are prohibited from sharing their password with others.

Screensavers/Background photos

Students are to choose wallpapers for their iPad which are consistent with their commitment to love God and love others.

Photos

All technologies provided by or used at Front Range Christian School are intended for education purposes. Students are expected to follow the Biblical mandate to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in all that they do. Therefore, we expect students to use technology on a way that is safe, appropriate, careful and kind; don’t try to get around technological protection measures; use good common sense; and ask if you don’t know.

Sound, Music

On school-owned iPads students may not download music from iTunes or any other music sharing site unless directed by or with the permission of a teacher. On all iPads, sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes.

Gaming

Students are NOT permitted to use gaming apps during class time. Students may use gaming apps when not in class as long as it doesn’t disrupt other students. Teachers always reserve the right to ask students to close their gaming app or to do random “flip checks” during instruction time.

AirPrint

AirPrint will be available with the iPad with teacher permission only. Students will be given information and instruction on printing with the iPad at school. Fines may be imposed for students who use their iPad for excessive printing.

Saving Work

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that work is not lost due to mechanical failure, failure to back-up files or accidental deletion. iPad malfunctions are not an acceptable excuse for not submitting work; therefore, students should back up all work.

Network Connectivity

FRCS makes no guarantee that the school wireless network will be up and running 100% of the time.

Downloading Apps

Teachers may require students to download apps or iBooks that have application to their specific course content.

Inspection

Students may be selected at random to provide their iPad for inspection.

Web Access

Front Range Christian School provides students with access to the Internet, including web sites, resources, content, and online tools. That access will be restricted in compliance with CIPA regulations and school policies. Web browsing may be monitored and web activity records may be retained indefinitely.

Users are expected to respect that the web filter (LightSpeed) is a safety precaution, and should not try to circumvent it when browsing the Web. If a site is blocked and a user believes it shouldn’t be, the user should follow FRCS protocol to alert a member of school faculty or administration. Parents are encouraged to use the iPad Settings function to limit or disable specific use of their student’s iPad.

Email

Front Range Christian School may provide users with a Gmail account for the purpose of school-related communication. Availability and use may be restricted based on school policies.

If users are provided with email accounts, they should be used with care. Users should not send personal information; should not attempt to open files or follow links from unknown origin; should use appropriate language; and should only communicate with other people as allowed by FRCS policy or their teacher.

Users are expected to communicate with the same appropriate, safe, mindful, courteous conduct online as offline. Email usage may be monitored and archived.

Social/Web 2.0 / Collaborative Content

Recognizing the benefits collaboration brings to education, Front Range Christian School may provide users with access to web sites or tools that allow communication, collaboration, sharing, and messaging among users (ie. My Big Campus).

Users are expected to communicate with the same appropriate, safe, mindful, courteous conduct online as offline. Posts, chats, sharing, and messaging may be monitored. Users should be careful not to share personally-identifying information online.

Security

Users are expected to take reasonable safeguards against the transmission of security threats over the school network. This includes not opening or distributing infected files or programs and not opening files or programs of unknown or untrusted origin.

If you believe a computer or mobile device you are using might be infected with a virus, please alert IT. Do not attempt to remove the virus yourself or download any programs to help remove the virus.

Netiquette

Users should always use the Internet, network resources, and online sites in a courteous and respectful manner.

Users should also recognize that along with valuable content online there is also unverified, incorrect, or inappropriate content. Users should use trusted sources when conducting research via the Internet.

Users should also remember not to post anything online that they wouldn’t want parents, teachers, or future colleges or employers to see. Once something is online, it’s out there—and can sometimes be shared and spread in ways you never intended.

Plagiarism

Users should not plagiarize (or use as their own, without citing the original creator) content, including words or images, from the Internet. Users should not take credit for things they didn’t create themselves, or misrepresent themselves as an author or creator of something found online. Research conducted via the Internet should be appropriately cited, giving credit to the original author.

Personal Safety

Users should never share personal information, including phone number, address, social security number, birthday, or financial information, over the Internet without adult permission. Users should recognize that communicating over the Internet brings anonymity and associated risks, and should carefully safeguard the personal information of themselves and others. Users should never agree to meet someone they meet online in real life without parental permission.

If you see a message, comment, image, or anything else online that makes you concerned for your personal safety, bring it to the attention of an adult (teacher or staff if you’re at school; parent if you’re using the device at home) immediately.

Cyber-bullying

Cyber-bullying will not be tolerated. Harassing, dissing, denigrating, impersonating, pranking, excluding, and cyber-stalking are all examples of cyber-bullying. Don’t be mean. Don’t send emails or post comments with the intent of scaring, hurting, or intimidating someone else.

Engaging in these behaviors, or any online activities intended to harm (physically or emotionally) another person, will result in severe disciplinary action and loss of privileges. In some cases, cyber-bullying can be a crime. Remember that your activities are monitored and retained.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

Talk to your children about values and the standards that your children should follow on the use of the Internet just as you do on the use of all media information sources such as television, cell phones, videos, movies, and music.

Examples of Acceptable Use

I will:

  • Never leave my iPad unattended and I will know where it is at all times. I will place some form of name identification on the case or iPad itself in the event that the iPad is found
  • Use school technologies for school-related activities
  • Follow the same guidelines for respectful, responsible behavior online that I am expected to follow offline
  • Treat school resources carefully, and alert staff if there is any problem with their operation
  • Encourage positive, constructive discussion if allowed to use communicative or collaborative technologies
  • Alert a teacher or other staff member if I see threatening, inappropriate, or harmful content (images, messages, posts) online
  • Use school technologies at appropriate times, in approved places, for educational pursuits
  • Cite sources when using online sites and resources for research
  • Recognize that use of school technologies is a privilege and treat it as such
  • Be cautious to protect the safety of myself and others
  • Help to protect the security of school resources

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Users should use their own good judgment when using technologies in school.

Examples of UN-acceptable Use:

    • “Jailbreaking” of a school-owned iPad
    • Spamming-Sending mass or inappropriate emails
    • Gaining access to other student’s accounts, files, and/or data
    • Use of the school’s internet/E-mail accounts for financial or commercial gain or for any illegal activity
    • Participation in credit card fraud, electronic forgery or other forms of illegal behavior
    • Vandalism (any malicious attempt to harm or destroy hardware, software or data, including, but not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses or computer programs that can infiltrate computer systems and/or damage software components) of school equipment
    • Transmission or accessing materials that are obscene, offensive, threatening or otherwise intended to harass or demean recipients
  • Bypassing the FRCS web filter through a web proxy, 3G or Hotspot
  • Students are not allowed to use another student’s iPad
  • Illegal installation or transmission of copyrighted materials
  • Any action that violates existing School policy or public law
  • Sending, accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing offensive, profane, threatening, pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit materials
  • Use of chat rooms, sites selling term papers, book reports and other forms of student work
  • Gaming during Class. Only games, which in no way contradict our mission as a Christ-honoring school may be used
  • Attempt to find inappropriate images or content
  • Engaging in cyber-bullying, harassment, sending sexually explicit photos, arranging to meet someone on-line or disrespectful conduct toward others
  • Try to find ways to circumvent the school’s safety measures and filtering tools
  • Agree to meet someone I meet online in real life
  • Use school technologies for illegal activities or to pursue information on such activities
  • Attempt to hack or access sites, servers, or content that isn’t intended for my use

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Users should use their own good judgment when using school technologies

Limitation of Liability

Front Range Christian School will not be responsible for damage, harm or theft to student-owned iPads. While Front Range Christian School employs filtering and other safety and security mechanisms, and attempts to ensure their proper function, it makes no guarantees as to their effectiveness.

Front Range Christian School will not be responsible, financially or otherwise, for unauthorized transactions conducted over the school network.

Violations of this Acceptable Use Policy

Violations of this acceptable Use Policy may have disciplinary repercussions, including but not limited to:

  • Suspension of network, technology, or computer privileges
  • Loss of iPad use for a determined period of time (student still responsible for all required work)
  • Notification of parents
  • Detention or suspension from school and school-related activities
  • Legal action and/or prosecution

Signatures

When you have read these policies and are ready to sign them, please download the Family Signature Page. This page must be signed by both a parent/guardian and the student. Download this policy in .pdf form for your records.