Safe And Acceptable Computer Use
ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE USE PROCEDURE
For Computing Technology and Cyber -Safety
APPENDIX B:
Letter to Parents/Guardians of Elementary Students
Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Durham District School Board is pleased to provide parents/guardians with information regarding computing technology available to students at school. Please read this letter and the accompanying Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure with your child.
DDSB computing technology is made available to students to support their learning, research
requirements, and career preparation. Computing technology includes computers and associated peripherals, the communication infrastructure and related equipment including local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), facsimile machines, scanners, copiers, telephone, video, and other multimedia devices and forms of software.
DDSB technologies allow all schools to offer Internet access to their students. The Internet is a vehicle for accessing a global network of information resources. Students may use the Internet to locate and retrieve information and communicate learning with others.
Students are encouraged to report Cyber-bullying to parents/guardians, teachers, and principals. Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others. Cyber-bullying can happen through the use of e-mail, cell phone text, multi media messages, instant messaging, defamatory Web logs (Blogs), personal Web Sites, on-line personal polling sites and social media websites and applications.
Internet resources may contain material that may be questionable, objectionable, or illegal, and may enable contact with persons who may exhibit unacceptable behaviour. Students re-visiting unacceptable sites will be subject to discipline according to the Schools Code of Behaviour.
The DDSB utilizes internet filtering technologies. This technology blocks access to specific unacceptable sites known to contain violence, sexually explicit acts, intolerant, racist and other extreme viewpoints, cults, etc. No software is capable of blocking all unacceptable Internet sites.
However, the Internet is a leading technology in the delivery of information in today's society and therefore, an integral part of our students' education.
Teachers and students are instructed on the safe and acceptable use of the Internet and other DDSB computing technology. Teachers will supervise student use of the Internet as they supervise student use of all other school resources.
All students are expected to abide by the DDSB Acceptable and Safe Use Procedure included with this letter. Misuse and/or abuse of the facilities and resources are subject to consequences as defined and explained in their school’s Student Code of Behaviour. Use of the Internet is governed by the Regulation 5500, the Student Code of Conduct, which states that "a student may be suspended or expelled from his or her school, expelled from attending any school in Ontario, and/or prohibited from engaging in school-related activities if the student commits an infraction of the Code of Conduct while he or she is at school, engaged in a school-related activity, or engaged in conduct that has a relationship to the school, school community, the reputation of the school or Board." In addition, use is governed by all relevant federal (e.g. Copyright Act, Freedom of Information Act, Protection of Privacy Act, the Criminal Code), provincial (e.g. Education Act, Child and Family Services Act, Safe School Act, Human Rights Code), DDSB (e.g. Policies and Procedures, Central File 06/07-28), and local school (eg. School Code of Behaviour) laws and regulations. Use of DDSB computing technology for unacceptable, illegal, political, or private commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. The onus is on the user to know and to comply with these laws and regulations.
We look forward to providing students with the opportunity to use the school’s computing technology facilities and resources in a safe and meaningful way.
