Breck School Acceptable Use Policy

Purpose
The purpose of this document is to set forth policies and guidelines for access to Breck School’s data, computing, and network resources (hereinafter referred to as “computing resources”) as well as acceptable and safe use of the internet, including electronic communications.

Policy
Breck School considers its own stated educational mission, goals, and objectives when making decisions regarding student and staff access to Breck School’s computing resources, the internet, and electronic communications. Electronic information research skills are fundamental to the preparation of Breck students, faculty, and staff (hereinafter referred to as the “Breck Community”). Access to Breck's computing resources and the internet enables the Breck Community to explore thousands of libraries, databases, bulletin boards, and other resources while exchanging messages with people around the world. Breck School expects that faculty will blend thoughtful use of computing resources and the internet throughout the curriculum, as well as provide guidance and instruction to students.

Educational Objective
Breck School provides its Community members with access to computing resources and the internet. The purpose of the system is more specific than providing general access to the internet. Breck School 's computing resources have a specific educational purpose, which includes use of these resources for classroom activities, educational research, and professional or career development activities. The Breck Community is expected to use Breck’s computing resources and internet access to further educational and personal goals consistent with the policies and mission of the school. Activities that may be appropriate on another system may not be acceptable on Breck School’s computing resources.

Privilege
The use of Breck School’s computing resources and access to the internet is a privilege. Unacceptable use of Breck's computing resources or the internet may result in one or more of the following consequences: suspension or cancellation of use or access privileges; payments for damages and repairs; discipline following other appropriate school practices, including suspension, expulsion, exclusion or termination of employment; or civil or criminal liability under other applicable laws.

GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTABLE USE
The Mission
This Acceptable Use Policy and the use of Breck School’s computing resources and the internet shall be consistent with all other Breck policies and the mission of the school. Futhermore, Breck School expects exemplary behavior from its students in all their actions. The addition of laptops to our culture requires expectations of behavior for a new medium. To define technology culture at Breck, the Computer Education Department in consultation with the administration created the following Laptop Values for the students.

Student Laptop Values

Treat your laptop with care
It is important for all students to treat their laptops appropriately. The following are expectations of how we will treat our laptops with care.

Carry your laptop in its bag

Charge your laptop every night

Keep food, candy, and drinks away from your laptop

Lock your laptop in your locker when not in use

Use your laptop for academic work
The laptop program was initiated with the goal of enhancing teaching and learning at the school. The expectations that follow define the laptop culture that we expect. Students’ attention should be with the teacher and on schoolwork during the school day. The following values are expectations for laptop use.

Open only those applications needed for class

Access only appropriate websites related to class

Access only academic games, at appropriate times

Do not instant message during the school day

Be honest and respectful in your communications
Society as a whole is discovering the profound ways in which technology changes how we communicate with one another. The following are expectations of how we as a community will digitally communicate with one another.

Use a formal voice in emails to faculty

Say electronically what you would say in person

Ensure digital creations are a positive reflection of you and the Breck community

Be responsible for what you create
Every person is responsible for his or her creations, and laptops amplify this responsibility. We expect our students to give respect to others and respect themselves as they create new information with the laptops. We expect the following of our students:

Respect the creations of others

Back up your important data

Understand that your creations are public and permanent

APPROPRIATE USE

This section, entitled “Appropriate Use,” shall include the following subsections entitled: “Use of Technology Resources”, “Confidential Information”, “Commercial Use”, “Unintentional Violations”, “Privacy” “Liability” and “Parents’ Responsibility”

Use of Technology Resources
Members of the Breck Community who publish information on the internet or send electronic mail under the breckschool.org domain act as representatives of Breck School and are expected to behave appropriately. Anyone who is unsure of what constitutes “appropriate behavior” should ask, “Will my actions reflect positively on the Breck Community?”

Breck School maintains computing resources for academic purposes and school business. The Breck Community will not use the computing resources to engage in any illegal act or violate any local, state or federal statute or law. Improper use or distribution of information is prohibited, including but not limited to: copyright violations, software piracy, deliberate falsification, and plagiarism.

Frivolous or improper use of Breck's computing resources is prohibited. This includes harassing others, accessing inappropriate and/or pornographic data, or playing non-academic games during the school day.

Members of the Breck Community will respect others’ rights to freedom from harassment or intimidation. Members of the Breck Community may not send abusive or unwanted material to others, messages to unwilling recipients, and may not disrupt others’ work.

Members of the Breck Community will not utilize computing resources to knowingly or recklessly post, transmit, or distribute false or defamatory information about a person or organization, or to harass another person, or to engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.

Breck School’s computing resources will not be used to vandalize, damage, or disable the property or resources of another person or organization, and will not be used to degrade or disrupt equipment, software, or system performance by spreading computer viruses or by any other means.

Members of the Breck Community will not tamper with, modify, or change Breck’s software, hardware, or wiring and may not take any action to violate Breck’s security systems. Breck's computing resources will not be used in any way as to disrupt the use of the system by other users.

Members of the Breck Community will not use Breck’s computing resources to gain unauthorized access to information resources, and may not access another person’s materials, information, or files without the express permission of that person. For example: accessing a Breck Community member’s computer without their express consent is no different than entering an unlocked room and stealing, reading a personal letter, or destroying someone’s personal property.

Members of the Breck Community will protect Breck’s computing resources as one would protect any valuable items by taking precautions to prevent theft of or damage to the equipment entrusted to them when out of their immediate possession. Therefore, Breck’s computing resources will be secured in carts, lockers, classrooms, desks, cupboards, and/or closets.
Members of the Breck Community should never borrow or loan a Breck computing resource (i.e., a laptop, external hard drive, scanner, etc.) except through the official checkout process, and they should never share passwords.

All Breck School servers are a shared resource, and members of the Breck Community should take care to use only the space that they need for their current work. Applications (program files) may not be stored on or executed from a server without permission. All members of the Breck Community should periodically remove their outdated material from the server to conserve disk space.

The proper use of technology resources and the educational value to be gained from them is the responsibility of students, parents, and staff of Breck School.

In addition to Breck School policies, community members must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy of our internet service provider, MCI, which can be found at this web-address: <http://global.mci.com/terms/us/aup/>.

Confidential Information
Members of the Breck Community will not use computing resources to publicly post private information about another person, personal contact information about themselves or other persons, or other personally identifiable information, including, but not limited to: addresses, telephone numbers, school addresses, work addresses, identification numbers, account numbers, access codes or passwords, labeled photographs, or other information that would make the individual’s identity easily traceable. Exceptions to this policy include any situation where the subjects of confidential information give their express permission to use their information for academic or professional reasons.

Members of the Breck Community will not redistribute private communications without permission of the sender.

Commercial Use
Members of the Breck Community will not use Breck’s computing resources and/or the internet for conducting business, unauthorized commercial purposes, product advertisement or financial gain unrelated to the mission of the school.

Unintentional Violations
If a member of the Breck Community inadvertently accesses unacceptable material that person shall immediately disclose the incident to an appropriate school official. In the case of a faculty or staff member, the disclosure shall be to their immediate supervisor. This disclosure may serve as a defense against an allegation that the Community member has intentionally violated this policy.

A Breck Community member may also access otherwise questionable material to complete an assignment only if done with prior approval and guidance from an appropriate teacher or supervisor.

Privacy
Breck School’s computing resources are considered property of the school and may be monitored at any time. Moreover, all access Breck School’s computing resources, including access to the internet from Breck School’s campus, will be logged.

Liability
Use of Breck School’s computing resources are at the users’ own risk. Breck School’s systems are provided on an “as is, as available” basis. Breck School is not responsible for any damages suffered – including, but not limited to: loss; damage or unavailability of data stored on Breck School diskettes, tapes, hard drives or servers; or for delays or changes in, or interruptions of, service or mis-deliveries or non-deliveries of information or materials, regardless of the cause. Breck School is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of any advice or information obtained through or stored on Breck School’s computing resources. Breck School will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through unauthorized use of Breck School’s computing resources or the internet.

Members of the Breck Community are expected to be responsible for any Breck computer resources (i.e., laptop, external hard drive, etc.) entrusted to them for their use and to protect that equipment from loss, theft, or damage.

Parents’ Responsibility
Outside of school, parents bear the same responsibility for guidance of technology use as they exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, radio, movies, and other possibly offensive media. Parents are responsible for monitoring their student’s computer and internet use when accessing Breck computing resources from home or a remote location.