Chromebook/Device Contract and Acceptable Use Policy

St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Device Policy
for Chromebooks and other School-Issued Devices

The policies, procedures, and information within this document apply to all Devices (Tablets and Chromebooks) used at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy by students, staff, or guests including any other device considered by the Administration to fall under this policy.

Teachers may set additional requirements for Device use in their classroom.

Updated: July 2022

Chromebooks will be distributed each September during the first full week of school to new students. Parents & Students who have not done so must complete and sign the Chromebook Policy Sign-off and Student Pledge document before the Chromebook can be issued to their child. This document will need to be submitted at student registration.

Insurance: Insurance is optional, yet highly recommended. It is required to protect your Device against damage and theft. Insurance is purchased by the parent/guardian directly from a private company called Securranty. We will provide more information on this in a separate letter.

Training: Students will be trained on how to use their Device by the technology coordinator and/or their homeroom teacher. Training documents and videos will be available online for students to refer to when needed.

Return: Student Chromebooks/Devices and accessories (charger and battery) will be collected at various times throughout the school year and must be surrendered when asked. At the end of each school year, the student(s) will keep their Chromebook over summer vacation (3rd-8th Grade). Students will retain their original Chromebook each year while enrolled at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy.

Any student who transfers out of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy will be required to return their Chromebook and accessories. If Chromebook and accessories are not returned, the parent/guardian will be held responsible for the full replacement cost of device. Also, the device and accessories must be in mint condition and not tampered with. If payment is not received the parent/guardian may be turned over to a collection agency.

When the student graduates eighth grade, the student will be able keep their Chromebook. The Chromebook will no longer be monitored by St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy and all features will be unlocked.

Taking Care of Your Device

Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook, which they have been issued by the academy. Chromebooks that are broken or fail to work properly must be reported to the homeroom teacher or technology supervisor. If a loaner Chromebook is needed, one will be issued to the student until their Chromebook can be repaired or replaced.

General Precautions:

No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the Chromebook/Device.
Students should never carry their Chromebook/Device while the screen is open, no matter who directs the student to do so.
Chromebooks should be shut down when not in use to conserve battery life.
Chromebooks should never be shoved into a closet or wedged tightly into a book bag as this will break the screen.
Do not expose your Chromebook to extreme temperature or direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Extreme heat or cold may cause damage to the laptop.
DO NOT LEAVE CHROMEBOOK IN VEHICLE.

Carrying the Chromebook:

The protective shell of the Chromebook will only provide basic protection from everyday use. It is not designed to prevent damage from drops or abusive handling. Carrying the Chromebook in a padded backpack or padded bookbag is acceptable provided the backpack or bookbag is handled with care and is not surrounded tightly by books or other items. For example, you shouldn’t toss the bag or drop the bag if your Chromebook is inside. Protective padded cases are available from the academy, or you may purchase your own if you wish.

Screen Care:

The Chromebook screen can be damaged if subjected to rough treatment. The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.

Do not lean on top of the Chromebook.
Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen (this includes being placed inside a backpack with many other items that can cause pressure to the screen).
Do not place anything in the carrying case that will press against the cover.
Do not poke the screen.
Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks).
Clean the screen with a soft, dry anti-static, or micro-fiber cloth. Do not use window cleaner or any type of liquid or water on the Chromebook. You can also purchase individually packaged pre-moistened eyeglass lens cleaning tissues to clean the screen. These are very convenient and relatively inexpensive.

Using Your Chromebook

At School:

The Chromebook is intended for use at school each and every day. In addition to teacher expectations for Chromebook use, school messages, announcements, calendars, and other related academic material will be accessed using the Chromebook. Students must be responsible for bringing their Chromebook fully charged to school every day.

At Home:

All students are required to take their Chromebook home each night throughout the academy year for charging. Chromebooks must be brought to school each day in a fully charged condition. Students need to charge their Chromebooks each evening. If students do not bring their Chromebook to school or if they’re unable to use their Chromebook because it is not fully charged, they will be responsible for making up their classwork on their own time and additional disciplinary action can occur. Repeat violations of this policy will result in referral to administration and possible disciplinary action.

Students should not carry the AC Adapter power cord (charger) to school. If fully charged at home, the battery will last throughout the day.

Sound:

Sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes.

Managing Your Files and Saving Your Work:

Students will create and save documents in Google Drive. Google Drive is a cloud storage service that allows students to store their documents, photos, videos, and more online in one place. From Drive, students can also access Google Docs, where they can create, share, and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more from anywhere while online.

Documents created in Google Drive are automatically stored online and on the Chromebook itself, making the document available when Internet access is not available.

Personalizing the Chromebook:

Chromebooks must remain free of any decorative writing, drawing, stickers, paint, tape, or labels that are not the property of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy. Random checks for compliance will be done by the administration or St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy IT Director at any time.

Students may add appropriate music, photos, and videos to their Chromebook for academic purposes. Personalized media are subject to inspection and must follow the St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy acceptable use policy.

Software on Chromebooks

Originally Installed Software:

Chromebook software is delivered via the Chrome Web Store. These are web-based applications that do not require installation space on a hard drive. Some applications, such as Google Drive, are available for offline use. The software originally installed on the Chromebook must remain on the Chromebook in usable condition and easily accessible at all times.

All Chromebooks are supplied with the latest build of Google Chrome Operating System (OS), and many other applications useful in an educational environment. The Chrome OS will automatically install available updates when the computer is shutdown and restarted.

From time to time the academy may add software applications for use in a particular class or academic need. This process will be automatic with virtually no impact on students. Applications that are no longer needed will automatically be removed by the academy as well.

Virus Protection:

Virus protection is unnecessary on the Chromebook due to the unique nature of its design.

Inspection:

Students may be selected at random to provide their Chromebook for inspection. The purpose for inspection will be to check for proper care and maintenance as well as inappropriate material being carried into the school.

Protecting & Storing Your Chromebook

Chromebook Identification:

Chromebooks will be labeled in the manner specified by the academy.

Chromebooks can be identified in the following ways:

Record of serial number
Individual’s Google Account username

Under no circumstances are students to modify, remove, or destroy identification labels.

Storing Your Chromebook:

When students are not monitoring their Chromebook, they should be stored in their backpacks or in safe place. Nothing should be placed on top of the Chromebook. Students need to take their Chromebook home with them every night. The Chromebook is not to be stored anywhere at school outside of school hours. The Chromebook should be charged fully each night at the student’s home. Chromebooks should never be stored in a vehicle.

Storing Chromebooks at Extra-Curricular Events:

Students are responsible for securely storing their Chromebook during extra-curricular events.

Chromebooks Left in Unsupervised / Unsecured Areas:

Under no circumstance should a Chromebook be stored in unsupervised areas. Unsupervised areas include the school grounds, Gregorian Hall, unlocked classrooms, library, computer lab, hallways, bathrooms, extra-curricular bus, in a car, or any other entity that is not securely locked or in which there is not supervision.

Unsupervised Chromebooks will be confiscated by staff and taken to the Principal’s office. Disciplinary action will be taken for leaving a Chromebook in an unsupervised location.

Repairing or Replacing Your Chromebook

Chromebooks Undergoing Repair:

Loaner Chromebooks may be issued to students when their Chromebook is undergoing repair and/or maintenance.
If repair is needed due to malicious damage, the school may refuse to provide a loaner Chromebook.
Repaired Chromebooks will end up with the original factory image as first received. It is important that students keep their school data synced to cloud drives so documents and class projects will not be lost. Personal information that cannot be replaced should be kept at home on an external storage device.
Parents will be charged for Chromebook damage that is a result of misuse or abusive handling. Parents will be billed for parts and labor or replacement fee.

Manufacturer Warranty:

Asus/Lenovo/HP warrants the Chromebook from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year. This warranty is only valid for the first 12 months from the date St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy takes delivery of the Chromebook. This limited warranty covers normal use, mechanical breakdown, or faulty construction and will provide replacement parts necessary to repair or if necessary, replace the Chromebook. The warranty DOES NOT warrant against damage caused by misuse, abuse, or accidents. Please report all Chromebook problems to your homeroom teacher or technology supervisor immediately.

If a Chromebook becomes defective (at no fault of the student) after the Chromebook warranty expires, St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy will replace the Chromebook at no charge with a refurbished identical model, or a Chromebook of the same age or newer.

Parents/Students will be charged for full replacement cost of a device that has been damaged due to misuse or abuse.

Lost or Intentionally Damaged Device and Accessories

A Chromebook or any of its accessories that are lost (whereabouts unknown) or damaged is the responsibility of the student and parent involved in the loss of property. The user will not be given another device or accessory to use until the replacement cost of the lost/damaged device or accessory is paid to the school.

Replacement of the Chromebook – $275
AC Adapter & power cord – $50

Parents/Students will be charged for the full replacement cost of a device that has been damaged due to misuse or abuse.

Acceptable Use Policy

The policies, procedures, and information within this document apply to all Devices (Tablets and Chromebooks) used at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy by students, parents, or guests including any other device considered by the Administration to fall under this policy. Technology at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy is provided to promote educational excellence through resource sharing, innovation, and communication. All technology must be used in an ethical and legal manner. St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy is CIPA compliant and follows all state and federal laws. As of distribution of this letter (August 2020), data access is provided through Verizon FiOS/Spectrum Business. A filtering system is in place as well for both on-site and remote filtering of devices.

Teachers may set additional requirements for Device use in their classroom.

A parent/guardian permission form is required for all students to access the Internet and use technology in the building. This provides an understanding among parents, students, and the academy about what is acceptable. The filter system is not 100% accurate. Students should not access material that is unchristian. It is expected that the individual use the Internet in an appropriate manner. Parents are responsible for discussing and reinforcing the guidelines for safe use of the academy’s system with their child.

If a student irresponsibly uses the Internet he/she will not be permitted to attend computer class and additional disciplinary measures may be taken due to the nature of the violation. Unacceptable use applies to internet and/or device use in-school and at home on academy devices.

The use of technology is permitted on school premises under limited conditions as authorized by the Principal for the sole purpose of enhancing academic achievement while respecting the dignity and safety of all members of the Academy community.

In using the information and technology in safe, legal, and responsible ways, the following conditions of being a digital citizen within the Diocese of Brooklyn are expected:

Respect One’s Self

Public names should be appropriate
Be mindful of any and all content you post including photos, personal views, comments, personal information, etc.
Avoid seeking out and/or viewing inappropriate content
Do not engage in potentially harmful activities such as communicating with persons unknown to you or internet challenges

Respect Others

Be mindful of comments, posts, photos or any content directed toward or including others
Refrain from engaging in inflammatory, harassing, or any other such disrespectful behavior
Do not perpetuate inappropriate content by sharing it with or sending it to others
Warn others of potentially disturbing or harmful content that should be avoided

Protect One’s Self and Others

Report any and all cyber-abuse committed against you or others to parents, teachers and/or administrators
Keep groups with friends private to avoid potentially inappropriate or dangerous content and communications from unknown sources

Respect Intellectual Property

Cite sources when using any content not originally authored by you

Members of Catholic Academy communities must remember that when telecommunicating with individuals, groups, or institutions, you are doing so as an individual. You should not represent yourself, your views, ideas, questions, or actions as representing the Catholic Academy you are associated with without the expressed permission of the principal.

Security of Technology

The schools and academies of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn assume no responsibility for the theft, loss, repair or replacement of any technology devices that are brought onto school/academy property, whether it is lost, stolen, damaged, or confiscated.

Security on any computer system is a high priority. If you believe you can identify a security issue, you must notify a system administrator, principal, or teacher and not disclose the problem to others in any way. Although there are safeguards in place to protect all users from inappropriate content, we are not responsible for failures in filtering that result in a bypass of our program and/or access to objectionable content. If any inappropriate content bypasses these safeguards, any parties involved should turn off the monitor and report the security breach immediately to a system administrator, teacher or the principal. Additionally, member of the school/academy community shall not:

Use another’s credentials for any reason
Gain or attempt to gain unauthorized access to Diocesan or school/academy computers or computer systems.
Download or install any software application without prior authorization.

Administrative Rights (To monitor use of technology)

The school/academy reserves the right to monitor both student and employee use of technology and computer accessed content. Due to the evolving nature of technology, the Catholic Schools and Academies of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn reserve the right to amend or add to this policy at any time without notice.

Personal use of Social Media (Teachers, Students)

This section refers to the personal use of social media. This includes, but is not limited to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Snapchat or any other such medium. All references to school/academy personnel, students and/or any member of the school/academy community in technology related mediums such as web pages or email which is deemed to be conduct injurious to the moral tone of the school or academy are violations of this policy. Any communication with current students by faculty, staff or administration is strictly forbidden on any personal social networking site. Personal posts must use appropriately respectful speech, and refrain from harassing, defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, threatening or other inappropriate communications.

Representation of the school/academy in whole or part on any personal posts and/or communication is prohibited.

Parents/guardians for all students must sign this Acceptable Use Policy which effectively gives permission for their child to use the internet and the Academy’s technology resources for educational purposes and also understands and accepts the Academy’s guidelines.

The acknowledgement of the Acceptable Use Policy to be signed by parents/guardians and, where applicable, students, is attached to the end of this Handbook.

Examples of Unacceptable Use:

Access of restricted websites
Giving out personal information
Use of foul, abusive, or derogatory language
Trying to bypass any security measurers installed by the system
The use of the academy name in an inappropriate manner
Any type of vandalism to hardware, software, furniture, etc.
Downloading programs of any kind to the computer’s hard drive
Removing technology hardware or software from the academy without permission
Intent to cause damage or harm to someone online – bullying

Students receive technology training and education regarding appropriate online behavior in their classes. This includes digital literacy, etiquette, law, health and wellness, security, and communication (including interaction with other individuals on social networking websites and cyber bullying awareness).

Technology includes but is not limited to networked computers, laptops, tablets, iPads, Chromebooks, cameras, e-readers, video cameras, MP3 players, flash drives, and printers.

Due to a federal mandate, filters are used on computers at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy. The filters are not foolproof, and students need to continue to use search engines and URLs which are appropriate for school use.

General Guidelines:

Students will have access to forms of internet, media, and communication which is in support of education and research and in support of educational goals and objectives at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy. Access to media and communication beyond these specific uses will not be supported or allowed.
Students are responsible for their ethical and educational use of the technology resources of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy.
Access to the St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy technology resources is a privilege and not a right. Each employee, student, and/or parent will be required to follow the rules of the Academy’s Acceptable Use Policy. Violations of these rules will result in the loss of privileges as well as other disciplinary action as defined by the academy’s Acceptable Use Policy, Plan of Discipline, or other policies.
Recognizing that it is impossible to define every instance of acceptable and unacceptable use, it will be at the discretion of the network administrator and/or academy administration to determine what is acceptable in any undefined instances that may arise.
Transmission of any material that is in violation of any federal or state law is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to the following: confidential information, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, and computer viruses.
Any attempt to alter data, the configuration of a computer, or the files of another user, without the consent of the individual, academy administrator, or technology administrator, will be considered an act of vandalism and subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the academy discipline policy.
All users of the academy’s technology resources and/or academy network must sign the Acceptable Use Policy and abide by the rules defined in the academy’s Acceptable Use Policy. This is in addition to the rules and policies set forth in the St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Chromebook Policy.
Users may not cause malicious or intentional damage to academy technology.
Users may not tamper with default or teacher-created settings on any academy owned computers.
Users may not send, display or receive messages, pictures, or other media which are abusive, obscene, sexually inappropriate, threatening, racially offensive, or considered harassing or offensive to human dignity.
Users must comply with New York Law regarding cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is willful and repeated harm perpetrated through technology.
Users may not intentionally waste limited resources (paper, ink, toner, CDs, DVDs, etc.).

Privacy and Safety:

Do not go into any chat rooms other than those set up by your teacher or mandated in other distance education courses.
Do not open, use, or change computer files that do not belong to you.
Do not reveal your full name, phone number, home address, social security number, credit card numbers, passwords, or passwords of other people.
Remember that network storage is not guaranteed to be private or confidential. The Academy Administration reserves the right to inspect your files at any time and will take the necessary steps if files are in violation of the academy’s Acceptable Use Policy.
If you inadvertently access a website that contains obscene, pornographic, or otherwise offensive material, notify a teacher or the principal immediately so that such sites can be blocked from further access. This is not merely a request; it is your responsibility.

Legal Propriety:

All student and staff must comply with trademark and copyright laws and all license agreements. Ignorance of the law is not immunity. If you are unsure, ask the network administrator if you are in compliance with the law.
Plagiarism is a violation of the St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy discipline code. Give credit to all sources used, whether quoted or summarized. This includes all forms of media on the Internet, such as graphics, movies, music, and text.

Email:

Students in grades 3-8 will only be allowed email access through the Google Gmail account managed by the St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy. The interface is heavily monitored by academy network administrators and is subject to filtering of inappropriate content.
Always use appropriate language.
Do not transmit language/material that is profane, obscene, abusive, or offensive to others.
Do not send mass e-mails, chain letters, or spam.
No private chatting during class is allowed.
Email is subject to inspection at any time by academy administration.
Students will only be able to communicate with other St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy students and faculty.

Network Accounts:

Users must always log off the network when leaving a computer for any period of time.
Users may not trespass in any other person’s folders, work, or files.
Users may not log into two computers at the same time, unless directed otherwise.
Users may not allow another student access to their account.
Users may not download application programs.
Users may not stream music, play games, or access any audio/video streaming unless under the direct supervision of a teacher.
Users are responsible for keeping backup copies of their data.
Users may only access social media resources when under the direct supervision of a teacher who is using it for educational purposes.

Administrative Rights (To monitor use of technology)

The Academy/Parish School reserves the right to monitor both student and employee use of technology and computer accessed content. Due to the evolving nature of technology, the Academies and Parish Schools within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn reserve the right to amend or add to this policy at any time without notice.

Personal use of Social Media (Students)

This section refers to the personal use of social media. This includes, but is not limited to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Snapchat or any other such medium.

All references to Academy/Parish School personnel, students and/or any member of the Academy/Parish School community in technology related mediums such as web pages or email which is deemed to be conduct injurious to the moral tone of the Academy/Parish School are violations of this policy

Vandalism

Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to damage and/or destroy hardware or software systems, or the information of any other user. This includes, but is not limited to, the creation, distribution, proliferation or conspiracy of malicious software. If equipment is damaged in the course of actions taken by an individual, whether on or off campus use, that individual assumes all responsibility for any and all damages and associated costs thereof.

Policy Violations:

Violation of this policy in whole or in part may result in any or all of the following and will be issued at the discretion of the Academy/Parish School principal:

Academy/Parish School Disciplinary action including, but not limited to, detention, suspension, expulsion, and /or legal action by the school/academy, civil authorities, and/or other involved parties.

Compensation for damages, both physical and punitive, incurred due to actions in violation of this AUP

Consequences:

Students and staff will be responsible at all times for its appropriate use. Non-compliance with the terms of the Chromebook Policy Handbook or the Academy’s Acceptable Use Policy will result in disciplinary action as outlined by the discipline code and/or other academy policies.
Electronic mail, network usage, and all stored files shall not be considered confidential and may be monitored at any time by the network administrator or other academy administrators to ensure appropriate use. The academy cooperates fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to violations of computer crime laws.

As the parent/guardian of a student at the Academy, I have read the Acceptable Use policy and agree to abide by its terms, and to ensure my child abides by its terms. I understand that computer and internet access at the Academy is designed for educational purposes. I am aware that it is impossible for the school to restrict access to all controversial materials and I will not hold the Academy responsible for materials acquired in use. Further, I accept full responsibility for supervision if and when my child’s use of school’s technology resources is not in a school setting. I hereby give permission for my child to use the school’s technology resources and certify that I have reviewed this information with my child.

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