Department of Education and Culture Public School Program and Internet Access and Use:

• To provide Internet access in accordance with the Public School Program of Nova Scotia to inform, educate and provide access to the ideas of humanity.
• To conduct and share research in pursuit of curriculum outcomes.
• To communicate with peers and identified experts to solve curriculum-related problems. To become familiar with career opportunities in a global information economy.
• To develop information literacy and technological competence necessary for meaningful employment in an information economy.
• To contribute perspectives and insights to discussions intent upon developing global awareness and understanding.
• To develop entrepreneurial skills.

• Students will use school-provided Internet access under direct teacher permission and supervision.
• Unauthorized or unsupervised access to FTP sites and all chat lines is strictly prohibited.
• Any students' personal information such as their picture, address, telephone number, parents' names and home or work addresses/telephone numbers, will not be published or transmitted by any student or school.
• Students who receive information or messages which make them uncomfortable will immediately report the occurrence to the supervising teacher.
• Students will never agree to meet with someone they encounter online without the prior written permission of their parent(s)/guardian(s).
• Students will follow the school's established rules for going online.
• Students will not attempt to access the materials, information or files of others without their prior authorization.
• Students will not vandalize, damage or disable the work of another individual or organization. Students will not access, manipulate, alter or attempt to damage, disable or destroy technology or computer files.
• Students will copy only material for which they have permission.
• Students will not access, create or distribute harassing, pornographic, obscene, racist, sexually explicit or threatening material, imagery or language.
• Students will not use school-provided Internet access for illegal purposes or for non-approved commercial purposes.
• Users will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the school system or to any other computer system through the school system, or go beyond their authorized access. This includes attempting to log in through another person's account or access another person's files These actions are illegal, even if only for the purposes of "browsing".
• Users will not make deliberate attempts to disrupt the computer system performance or destroy data by spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal. Users will not use the school system to engage in any other illegal act, such as arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of a person, etc.
• Users are responsible for the use of their individual account and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their account.
• Under no circumstances should a user provide their password to another person. Users will immediately notify the system administrator if they have identified a possible security problem.
• Users will not go looking for security problems, because this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.
• Downloading of self-extracting executable files or zip files to the local drive or home directory is not permitted.
• Restrictions against Inappropriate Language apply to public messages, private messages, and material posted on Web pages.
• Users will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language.
• Users will not post information that, if acted upon, could cause damage or a danger of disruption Users will not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
• Users will not harass another person. Harassment is persistently acting in a manner that distresses or annoys another person. If a user is told by a person to stop sending them messages, they must stop.
• Users will not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.
• Users will not repost a message that was sent to them privately without permission of the person who sent them the message.
• Users will not post private information about another person.
• Users will use the system only for educational and professional or career development activities (no time limit), and limited, high-quality, self-discovery activities.
• Users will not post chain letters, or engage in e-mail bombing or "spamming". Spamrning is sending an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people.
• Users will check their e-mail frequently and delete unwanted messages promptly, to conserve hard drive space.
• Users will be able to subscribe only to high quality discussion group mail lists that are relevant to their education or professional/career development.
• Users will not plagiarize works that they find on the Internet. Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were original to the user.
• Users will respect the rights of copyright owners. Copyright infringement occurs when an individual inappropriately reproduces a work that is protected by a copyright. If a work contains language that specifies acceptable use of that work, the user should follow the expressed requirements. If the user is unsure whether or not they can use a work, they should request permission from the copyright owner.
• The System Administrator has the authority to view all files passing through this server. Therefore, no privacy is assured regarding incoming or outgoing information of any kind. Users will not use the school system to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature). If a user inadvertently accesses such information, they should immediately disclose the inadvertent access to their teacher. This will protect users against an allegation that they have intentionally violated the Acceptable Use Policy.

Internet and E-Mail Rules:
Students are responsible for good behavior on school computer networks just as they are in a classroom or a school hallway. Communications on the network are often public in nature. General school rules for behavior and communications apply. The network is provided for students to conduct research and communicate with others. Access to network services is given to students who agree to act in a considerate and responsible manner. Parent permission is required. Access is a privilege - not a right. Access entails responsibility. Students are responsible for their behavior and communications over the school's computer network. It is presumed that users will comply with the school's Acceptable Use Policy, and will honour the agreements they have signed. Beyond the clarification of such standards, the school is not responsible for restricting, monitoring or controlling the communications of students utilizing the network. Network storage areas may be treated like school lockers. Network administrators may review any files (including e-mail correspondence) to maintain system integrity and insure that users are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect that files stored on school servers will always be private or secure.

NOVA SCOTIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROGRAM ACCEPTABLE USE

• Students will use school-provided Internet access under direct teacher permission and supervision.
• Student personal information such as their picture, address, telephone number, parents names and home or work address/telephone numbers will not be published or transmitted by the student or the school.
• Students who receive information or messages which make them uncomfortable will immediately report the occurrence to the supervising teacher.
• Students will never agree to meet with someone they encounter online without the prior permission of their parent/guardian or supervising teacher.
• Students will follow the school's established rules for going online.
• Students will not attempt to access the materials, information or files of others without their prior authorization.
• Students will not vandalize, damage, or disable the work of another individual or organization.
• Students will not access, manipulate, alter or attempt to damage, disable, or destroy technology or computer files.
• Students will not violate Canadian Copyright law or use the intellectual property of any individuals or organizations without permission.
• Students will not access, create or distribute harassing, pornographic, obscene, racist, sexually explicit or threatening material, imagery or language.
• Student's will not use the school provided Internet access for illegal purposes or for non-approved commercial purposes. The student assumes responsibility for any commitments made using this account.

For the Student:
I have read and understood Sydney Academy's Acceptable Use Policy. I agree to abide by all the conditions of the attached policy.
 

Your password must have a minimum of six(6) characters.
 

For the Parent:
I agree to the terms of this policy and give permission for my son/daughter to have access to the internet at Sydney Academy.