_________________ Elementary School is pleased to offer students and staff access to the Internet. The Internet is an electronic “highway” connecting computers in Carroll County and thousands of computers all over the world with millions of individual users.

_________________ Elementary School students, teachers, and other staff have varying levels of access to:

• electronic mail (email) for communication with people all over the world.
• information and news from various sources (such as The Smithsonian, US Weather Bureau, NASA) and the opportunity to correspond with experts in many fields around the world.
• text and graphics for educational use.
• many library catalogs such as CCPL and the Library of Congress.

At _________________ Elementary School, the Internet will be used as a tool for finding information. During school, teachers will guide students towards appropriate sites that support the Carroll County Essential Curriculum. Teachers will instruct students on how to access the information. Students will not be left alone to “surf the net”. Outside of school, families bear the same responsibilities for such guidance as they explore and retrieve information.

Telecommunications is a privilege, not a right. Listed below are the rules for responsible use that each user must follow:

 
• Cite the information source
• Use the Internet for curriculum-related purposes only
• Exit from inappropriate sites immediately
• Observe copyright laws
• Use appropriate language
• Practice responsible behavior:

• Do not click on anything “free”
• Do not reveal personal information
• Do not download - ask permission
• Do not use the Internet for financial gain

The consequences for violating the Acceptable Use Policy are:

 
• 1st violation - verbal warning
• 2nd violation - temporary loss of priviliges on the Internet
• 3rd violation - Support Room

When privileges are lost, the student will use alternate media material to investigate the topic.