The Nespelem School District will use electronic resources as a powerful and compelling means for students to learn core subjects and applied skills in relevant and rigorous ways. It is the district’s goal to provide students with rich and ample opportunities to use technology for important purposes in schools just as individuals in workplaces and other real-life settings. The district’s technology will enable educators and students to communicate, learn, share, collaborate and create, to think and solve problems, to manage their work, and to take ownership of their lives. The Board directs the Superintendent or designee to create strong electronic educational systems that support innovative teaching and learning, to provide appropriate staff development opportunities and to develop procedures to support this policy.

Internet Safety and Privacy

Please read all our guidelines (Etiquette and Permission Forms). Students receive lessons and practice in online safety. A favorite set of lessons and games are shown at NetSmartz. Staff must make a reasonable effort to become familiar with the Internet and to monitor, instruct and assist effectively. All use of the network must support education and research and be consistent with the mission of the district. Filtering software is used to block or filter access to visual depictions that are obscene and all child pornography in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Other objectionable material could be filtered.

Electronic Mail (Email)

Electronic Mail (email) consists of all electronically transmitted information including any combinations of text, graphics, audio, pictorial, or other information created on or received by a computer application system and includes the transmission data, message text, and all attachments.

The District provides one email address for grade 5-8 students (or lower grade at the request of the principal)--Google-Gmail @my.nsdeagles.org. The District does not filter email beyond the SPAM filtering done by Google for the District-provided Gmail email accounts. Google may also have rules for use beyond what is covered in this agreement. A parent has the option of not allowing their student access to the District-provided Gmail account. To opt out of the District-provided email, parents choose the option on the Internet Permission form signed upon enrollment each year and returned to the school office. Such restriction, once signed, remains in force until rescinded by the parent or the legal age student.

Gmail is part of the Google Apps’ online collaborative office productivity suite. Opting-out of Google Apps doesn’t mean a student will not access email at school, it just means the District will not provide the email address for the student to use. There are many free email sites on the Internet that anyone can sign up for. Other free email sites are also not content filtered and may not filter SPAM.

SPAMMING, or the mass sending of email, from any District email accounts, for any purpose whatsoever, is strictly prohibited. Spammers often search out individuals and attempt to get people to divulge username or password information to allow the spammers to use an email account and our network to send out SPAM email. Users are prohibited from revealing network or email logon information to anyone. If an email account is compromised and used for these purposes, the account will be disabled.

Users should not expect that their data, use of email, District computers, or the District network is private.

Blogs

Students and staff may opt to create a personal web log or blog for educational use. If the address is shared, anyone on the Internet can view or contribute to the blog. Users are expected to maintain the same level of civility as required on all communication covered by this policy. Post with respect, stick to the facts, and avoid unnecessary or unproductive arguments.

Websites

The school's website is limited to school-related materials and events. Students may create web pages as a part of a class activity. The District has the right to exercise final editorial authority over the content and/or style of user web pages.

Monitoring

Network activity is logged by our Internet filter software including tracking of websites visited by users. Email processed, delivered, or stored on District-owned equipment is owned by the District and may be inspected by the District. Information Services may use software called VNC, to remotely access and control any District computer on the network, with or without the user’s permission, but only for a legitimate purpose. Remote access, where the remote computer user grants permission for entry, has been given to some District-level support staff. Remote-access capability is commonly used to diagnose and quickly correct problems, or to train the remote staff member on some computer or software function.

Monitoring Student Computer Usage

The school principal has access to student Gmail email accounts and to the Internet browsing history of the students at their school. A designee for that access responsibility may be assigned, such as assistant principals, counselors, or a technology coordinator. Information Services has access to the above items, and also has access to a student’s data files and will provide any of this information to a school principal or their designee upon request. Information Services staff will on occasion search logs for security violations and will report violators to the appropriate school principal or in some cases may take independent action.