Internet Policy

Purpose
The administration and faculty of STM recognize that telecommunications and related new technology change the way information is accessed, communicated, and transferred. This set changes may also alter instruction and students learning. As a general rule, St. Thomas More School supports the full access of information and the resources necessary to analyze and evaluate information.

The network information system (Internet), through Adelphia Communications, is the sole personal property of St. Thomas More Parish School and is to be used for educational purposes. Users of the system should have no expectations of privacy because the school will regulate and monitor the system to ensure compliance with this policy. When a user accesses the system, the user is consenting to the school's regulations and monitoring. (1)

Authority and Use Requirements
St. Thomas More School provides limited and supervised access to the Internet for all students and faculty. Use of the Internet at St. Thomas More School is considered a privilege, not a right. By granting this privilege, those who use the Internet resource of St. Thomas More School commit themselves to all policy statements and guidelines. Students must have written permission from a parent or guardian and training from an authorized faculty member prior to accessing the Internet at St. Thomas More School during contractual working hours through the access set up in the faculty resource room. (2)

All Internet activities whether student or faculty initiated must be in support of education and research and must be consistent with the educational objectives of St. Thomas More School and the Diocese of Pittsburgh Catholic Schools' Office. Accessing, copying, transmitting or transferring materials that do not comply with the stated educational objectives will result in Internet privileges being denied, revoked, or suspended and possible disciplinary action. (3)

Transmission of any material that is in violation of any United States policy and/or law is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening material, obscene material, harassing material, or material protected by trade secret. Also, material must not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, religion, or disability. (4)

Security and Vandalism
St. Thomas More School administration and faculty hold computer system security as a high priority. Any user who identifies a security problem must notify the principal at once. Attempts to log on as the system administrator or any other form of unauthorized access will result in immediate cancellation of user privileges and disciplinary action.

Any form of vandalism by a system user will result in cancellation of user privileges, disciplinary action, and/or criminal prosecution. (5)

Guideline for "Internet Use Policy" Implementation and Practice
This guideline is established to ensure understanding and applicaiton of the St. Thomas More Parish School Internet Use Policy. St. Thomas More Parish School reserves the right to amend these guidelines at any time. It is understood that the administration of St. Thomas More School will inform parents/guardians of any changes made in this guideline via the school's monthly newsletter, The Tiger Tales. Students' parents and/or guardians are required to review these guidelines with their student(s) and complete and return the attached parent/guardian consent form.

This guideline includes, but is not limited to the following areas:
1. Information and news from a wide variety of sources and research institutions.
2. Public domain and shareware software of all types.
3. Discussion groups.
4. Access to any educational institutions and libraries.

Etiquette
1. Be polite when sending written messages to others
2. Appropriate language is expected in all messages
3. Anything pertaining to illegal activity is expressly forbidden
4. Do not reveal access information, personal or otherwise
5. Do not disrupt others' use of the internet access
6. All users should remember that deleted materials can be retrived

The following actions, which are not inclusive, are considered unacceptable actions by the administration of St. Thomas More Parish School:
1. Placing unlawful information on the internet
2. Using the Internet for non-school related activites
3. Sending messages that are likely to result in loss of the recipients work or systems
4. Using the Internet for commercial purposes
5. Using the Internet for political lobbying that does not support the expressed
    Philosophy and tenets of the Catholic Church
6. Sending or receiving copyrighted material without permission
7. Plagiarism
8. Using Internet access to send or retrieve pornographic material, inappropriate
    file text, files dangerous to the integrity of the system, or violent or threatening
    material or messages
9. Circumventing security measures on school or remote computers or networks
10. Vandalism
11. Falsifying one's identity

Students are reminded that Internet access through the St. Thomas More Parish School carrier is a privilege and not a right. Though the administration has made every effort to limit appropriate use through supervision, training, and instruction, we expect all students who utilize the St. Thomas More Parish School Internet access to behave on line as they would in any other classroom and within the discipline policy established by the school.

(1)Geraci v. St. Xavier High School, Court of Appeals of Hamilton County, 59 Ohio Misc. 43 (Ohio Ct. App. 1978); Wisch. V. Sanford School, Inc, 420 F. Supp. 1310 (D.C. Del. 1976)

(2)Wethoff v. St. Veronica School, Court of Appeals of Michigan, 210 N.W. 2nd 108(Mich. Ct. App. 1973)

(3)Poling v. Murphy, 873 F. 2nd 757 (6 Cir. 1989), cert. Den., 493 U.S. 1021, 110 S. Ct. 723, 107 L.Ed. 2nd 742(1990)

(4)Section 1983 (Civil Rights Act of 1871)

(5)Estaban v. Central Missouri State College, 415 F. 2nd 1077 (8Cir.1969), Cert. Den. 398