INTERNET SAFETY POLICY
CIPA
The United States Congress enacted the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) "in 2000 to address concerns about children’s access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. CIPA imposes certain requirements on schools or libraries that receive discounts for Internet access or internal connections through the E-rate program—a program that makes certain telecommunications services and products more affordable for eligible schools and libraries. In early 2001, the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] issued rules implementing CIPA and provided updates to those rules in 2011" (source: fcc.gov).
INTERNET SAFETY & CIPA COMPLIANCE
In compliance of CIPA, Maria Regina School (MRS) seeks to provide a safe online experience for students. Google Classroom, for example, is utilized as a technology protection measure to provide a safe and protected umbrella for students with our school specific domain and administrative control restricting emailing and digital applications. Furthermore, in terms of public notice/hearing, MRS share information with parents, and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), for example, at back to school night meetings and other parent meetings as well as with the staff at the August Orientation and teachers at faculty meetings at school, where discussion on technology usage in class/supervision is addressed. In addition, for proper use of electronic devices and Internet safety, the school has established Acceptable Use and Responsibility Policies for Electronic Communications (AUPs), which students and parents are required to acknowledge with a signature affirming these policy expectations.
To further support Internet safety and be CIPA-compliant, the school implemented a Digital Citizenship program that is taught to all students at the beginning of the school year along with age-appropriate monthly lessons that provides Digital Citizenship reminders to students. Topics, which may be built around themes or integrated along with other programs such as Character Counts, Red Ribbon Week and Catholic Schools Week, range from Cyberbullying to Digital Footprint to Online Safety to Copyright and Fair Use to Media Literacy and the like.
DIGITAL USE & ONLINE SAFETY
Adults need to remind/model for students constantly the appropriate behaviors required of good digital citizenship and digital life. The school has undertaken technology protection measures including enacting and maintaining firewalls as well as blocking social networking websites and placing restrictions on email and other digital apps. Recognizing there is NO perfect filter, the school encourages a strong partnership with parents to provide active supervision to students at home and support the school by offering guidance/reminders, in conjunction with teachers, to students when using digital devices at school. Inappropriate electronic and digital device usage will not be tolerated by students whether in and out of school. Though such usage may provide opportunities for teachable moments to students, when brought to the attention of school officials they carry consequences up to expulsion (at principal’s discretion) and including but not limited to detention, suspension, removal from school activities, loss of digital device usage privileges, confiscation of electronic communication device or materials, referral to law enforcement and other appropriate disciplinary action. Both teachers and parents need to supervise and monitor those minors in their care using “Active Presence”. This reminder is grounded and embodied in the AUPs established for digital usage by MRS students.
