General User Policy

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
Holy Spirit Catholic School

The school's information technology resources, including email and Internet access, are provided to staff and students for educational purposes. Adherence to the following policy is necessary for continued access to the school's technological resources:

Users must:

1. Respect and protect the privacy of others.
• Use only assigned accounts.
• Not view, use, or copy passwords, data, or networks to which they are not authorized.
• Not distribute private information about others or themselves.
2. Respect and protect the integrity, availability, and security of all electronic resources.
• Observe all network security practices, as posted.
• Report security risks or violations to a teacher or network administrator.
• Not destroy or damage data, networks, or other resources that do not belong to them.
• Conserve, protect, and share these resources with other students and Internet users.
3. Respect and protect the intellectual property of others.
• Not infringe copyrights (no making illegal copies of music, games, or movies!).
• Not plagiarize.
• Be mindful of all current copyright practices
4. Respect and practice the principles of community.
• Communicate only in ways that are kind and respectful.
• Report threatening or discomforting materials to a teacher.
• Not intentionally access, transmit, copy, or create material that violates the school's code of conduct (such as messages that are pornographic, threatening, rude, discriminatory, or meant to harass).
• Not intentionally access, transmit, copy, or create material that is illegal (such as obscenity, stolen materials, or illegal copies of copyrighted works).
• Not use the resources to further other acts that are criminal or violate the school's code of conduct.
• Not send spam, chain letters, or other mass unsolicited mailings.
• Not buy, sell, advertise, or otherwise conduct business or personal needs unless approved as an educational objective.

Students and staff may, if in accord with the policy above

1. Design and post web pages and other material from school resources.
2. Use direct communications such as IRC, online chat, or instant messaging with permission.
3. Install or download software, if also in conformity with laws and licenses.
4. Use the resources for any educational purpose.

Consequences for Violation. Violations of these rules may result in disciplinary action, including the loss of privileges to use the school's information technology resources.

Supervision and Monitoring. School and network administrators and their authorized employees monitor the use of information technology resources to help ensure that uses are secure and in conformity with this policy. Administrators reserve the right to examine, use, and disclose any data found on the school's information networks in order to further the health, safety, discipline, or security of any student or other person, or to protect property. They may also use this information in disciplinary actions, and will furnish evidence of crime to law enforcement.