For student use of the District Network, Email accounts, and the Internet
 

The Voorheesville Central School District provides staff and students access to the Internet as a learning tool. This electronic communications network gives staff and student users alike the opportunity to explore a diverse pool of information.

Utilizing this network in the school setting allows grades K-12 users to research information related to their classes, participate in innovative educational projects, and develop interpersonal skills needed to communicate in our global community. The following is a list that highlights only a few of the many examples of the current Internet usage in our schools:

• Searching information for class research projects

• Collecting and analyzing data for exchanges with other classes

• Evaluating Web sites for accuracy of content and bias

• Utilizing interactive simulations

• Participating in enrichment activities

• Researching current events and developments

Federal and State laws, as well as Voorheesville Board of Education policies, outline the responsibility of educators and govern the appropriate use of the Internet and the school district network. Voorheesville staff teaches and clarifies appropriate use standards to students. The VCSD staff guides and supports students in developing skills and behaviors needed to properly use the Internet. In addition to these regulations and staff supervision, the school district network is equipped with software directed at preventing students from accessing illegal, defamatory, or potentially offensive resources. However, the content of the Internet changes daily and, even with these safeguards, by chance or determination a user may be exposed to inaccurate or inappropriate information. Therefore, students and parents/guardians along with administrators and staff must form a partnership to promote responsible educational use of the Internet.

If a student violates acceptable use of the Internet by engaging in any of the following actions (which are not exhaustive), he or she will face the consequences as outlined in the District Code of Conduct.

• Sending or receiving offensive language or graphics

• Violating copyright laws

• Utilizing another user's password

• Attempting to harm or destroy the equipment or data of any user or organization

• Posting defamatory or slanderous statements

• Engaging in unauthorized access of data or transfer of files

• Using Internet access for non-educational purposes

Internet access is an important privilege aiding in the educational process and helping to prepare our students for their roles in the 21st century. It is our intention to provide this access to all of our students unless parents or guardians indicate that they would rather their children not have this opportunity. Thank you for helping to effectively extend our school-community partnership into the area of technology and the Internet.

Web Publishing Guidelines

Statement of Purpose

The Voorheesville Central School District (VCSD) provides web server access and server space to individual schools within the district, academic departments, and teachers for maintaining web pages.

School district sponsored web pages will serve one or more of the following purposes:

• To enhance teaching by providing information that supports classroom instruction and relates to the curriculum

• To inform the community of school-related information and events

• To highlight instructional programs

• To showcase student achievement in the classroom and in extracurricular activities

• To support extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, and student organizations) through posting relevant information that increases visibility and participation

Contributors to the VCSD web pages may include administrators, faculty, and staff who have a district e-mail account. Students may also participate on a Web site development team sponsored by a staff member. The sponsoring staff member is responsible for ensuring that any site produced with student collaboration adheres to the subject and content standards described below. The sponsoring staff member is directly responsible for posting the information to the web server.

Subject Matter

All subject matter on Voorheesville School District web pages and their immediate links must relate to curriculum and instruction, school-authorized activities, or information about VCSD and its mission. Staff or student work may be published only as it relates to a class project, course, or other school-related activity. Faculty, staff, and students may not use the district web server to host personal non-academic pages, and may not provide links to personal non-academic pages on other servers.

Content Standards

The content of all pages will adhere to the Copyright Laws of the United States (see United States Government Copyright Office, Library of Congress website at http://www.loc.gov/copyright). Web designers will give credit for text and graphics gleaned from other sources using appropriate citation styles.

Text, image, movie, or sound that contains pornography, profanity, obscenity, or language that offends or tends to degrade others will not be permitted.

Communication regarding the content of web pages should be addressed to the webmaster, principal, or teachers. Web designers should provide their district e-mail links on their respective pages. Site creators are responsible for responding to e-mail inquiries concerning their web pages in a timely manner.

Use of Student Images, Names, and Work (Intellectual Property) in Online Content

Parents and guardians will annually receive the opportunity to decline the online placement of their child's likeness, name in any form, and/or student-produced work. To decline placement, parents and guardians should send a written request to their child's school principal. Web page designers will make every effort to comply with requests from parents and guardians.

Please note: Personal information about a student is not allowed on web pages. This information includes home telephone numbers, street, or e-mail addresses, or information regarding the specific location of any student at any given time. Student e-mail addresses may not be published. Staff e-mail addresses may only be published with the permission of the individual.

Images

Photographs of students may be added to web pages as related to the Statement of Purpose, unless parents or guardians submit a written request to their child's school principal. Please see the section below on identification of students in images, movies, and sound recordings.

Names

Students' photographs and their work may only be identified by first name, or where that is not enough, first name and last initial. Identification beyond this point is not allowed. Students enrolled in special education programs will never be identified as a participant in a special education program. Individuals in movies or sound recordings may not be specifically identified in any fashion.

Student Work (Intellectual Property)

Student work may be added to web pages as indicated in the Statement of Purpose, unless parents and guardians submit a written request to their child's school principal. Student work includes any form of learning produced by students, either at home or in school. Examples of student work include, but are not limited to, the following: digital photographs of art projects, literary products, media presentations, sound recordings, and reports.

To download a student use permission form, click here.