Half Hollow Hills Internet Use Agreement

Internet access is now available to students and teachers in the Half Hollow Hills Central School District. We are very pleased to bring you this service and believe that the Internet offers vast, diverse, and unique resources for both students and teachers. Our goal in providing this service is to promote educational excellence in schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication.

The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers. The key concept underlying the Internet is interconnectivity; something that will allow administrators, teachers, and more importantly students to access an unparalleled array of communication and information resources. Students and teachers have access to general Internet tools including, but not limited to: electronic mail (e-mail); Listservs; UseNet News; File Transfer Protocol (FTP); Telnet; various search engines such as Yahoo, and ERIC; and the World Wide Web. These electronic search tools enable students and teachers to:

• communicate with people all over the world
• access information and news from various governmental agencies and research institutions
• join discussion groups on a plethora of topics
• access University Library Catalogs, the Library of Congress, etc.

With access to people all over the world also comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting. On a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information. We strongly believe, however, that the valuable information and interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of the district.

Internet access is coordinated through a complex association of governmental agencies and regional state networks. In addition, the smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of end users who must adhere to the following guidelines listed under Internet terms and conditions. These guidelines are provided here so that you are aware of the responsibility you are about to acquire. In general, this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of the network resources. If a Half Hollow Hills School District user violates any of these provisions his or her account will be terminated and future access can be denied. The signature at the end of this document is legally binding and indicates the party who signed it has read the terms and conditions carefully and understands the significance.

The Half Hollow Hills Central School District will require all parents/guardians, teachers, and students to execute the release-user agreement based on the guidelines listed under the following Internet terms and conditions.

Internet - Terms and Conditions:

1. Acceptable Use -

The purpose of the Internet is to support research and education in and among academic institutions by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your account must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of the Half Hollow Hills Central School District. Use of another organization's network or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network. Transmission of any material in violation of United States or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, expressions of bigotry, racism, or hate, or material produced by trade secret. Use of commercial activities is generally not acceptable. Use of product advertisement or political lobbying is also prohibited.

2. Privileges -

The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. Each student who receives an account will be responsible for that account and its usage. Therefore, under no circumstances should your account be shared with anyone other than the School District Internet Coordinator. Each student will also be required to attend an orientation session with a Half Hollow Hill faculty member pertaining to the proper use of the Internet. The District Internet Coordinator or Building Administrator will deem what is inappropriate use and their decision is final. This may result in a revocation or suspension of specific user accounts.

3. Network Etiquette -

You are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• Be polite. Do not get abusive in your messages to others.
• Use appropriate language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
• Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.
• Do not reveal your personal address or telephone number.
• Note that electronic mail (e-mail) is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system do have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.
• Do not use the network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the network by other users.
• All communication and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be property of the Half Hollow Hills Central School District.

4. Security -

Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem on the Internet, you must notify a Half Hollow Hills administrator or Internet coordinator. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Attempts to log onto the Internet as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems, may be denied access to the Internet.

5. Vandalism -

Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet, or any of the above listed agencies or other networks that are connected to the Internet. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.

By signing the District Internet Use Agreement Form, all users will understand and abide by the above Internet Use Agreement. They will understand that any violation of the regulations above is unethical and may constitute a criminal offense. Should they commit a violation, access privileges may be revoked, school disciplinary actions may be taken, and/or appropriate legal action.