Pupil Access to the Internet:
Internet access is now available to pupils. The school is pleased to offer this tool as an available resource to both pupils and teachers for reference purposes and for researching project materials. The Internet has the potential to provide access from the classroom to educational resources within Ireland or from many parts of the world. A large variety of source materials, information, images and computer software can be accessed rapidly. It is possible to facilitate individual or group projects, collaboration and idea sharing between geographically dispersed pupils, teachers and schools.

Pupil use of telecommunications and electronic information will be provided only upon submission of permission and agreement forms by parents of pupils and by pupils themselves.

World Wide Web
Access to on-line resources will enable pupils to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and bulletin boards throughout the world. The school believes that the benefits to pupils from access to information resources and increased opportunities for collaboration exceed the disadvantages.
During school, teachers will guide pupils towards appropriate materials. Outside of school, families bear the same responsibility for such guidance as they exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, magazines and other potentially offensive media.

Note:

• Pupils will not be given access to the Internet without teacher supervision within their own classroom.
• Pupils’ time on the Internet will be limited and children will, where possible, be given specific tasks to carry out while on the Internet
• The browser homepage will be set to the ScoilNet website at http://www.scoilnet.ie so that ScoilNet appears when the Internet is accessed.  The ScoilNet website is designed to assist schools to access information and resources relevant to the needs of Irish Education
• Where possible teachers will preview sites which are intended for use as part of a particular lesson. Pupils will access these sites from the Favourites Folder .The Address Bar will be hidden so that they will be unable to type in an internet address.
• Pupils will only be allowed to use the Scoilnet, INTO and  Yahooligans Search Engines to access internet materials. These search engines are Child Friendly.
• Pupils will not print, or download any information in any media without the teacher’s permission.
• The school uses filtering software called ‘WebKey Prowlers‘ which blocks out WebPages containing expletive words, pictures, or unsuitable content.
•  Teachers regularly check computer logs of all information accessed by pupils.
•  Frequently visited websites will be downloaded for use off-line.

Email
Electronic mail, or email, allows pupils to communicate with peers and educationalists around the world. Pupils will send and receive email during supervised sessions using the school’s  email address or their class addresses:
1. enniscronens@eircom.net
2. 5th6thenniscrone@eircom.net
3. 3rd4thenniscrone@eircom.net
Personal information about the child will not be disclosed without permission from the teacher supervising the session.
Note:

• The allocation of personal email addresses to individual pupils will not be allowed.
• Class teacher will screen emails and email attachments received before giving children access to them.
• Children will not be given access to newsgroups or chatrooms on the internet.

Scoil Chríost Rí will participate in two email projects this year:
1. Teddy Bear Project with Stockbridge School, Berkshire, Mass, U.S.A. – 3rd/4th classes
2. ‘100 emails around the World’ Project. 5th /6th Class.
 

School Website

• The school will have a website accessible by any Internet user around the world. The website contains information and pictures of school activities as well as work of the pupils. It may includes greetings spoken by the pupils and songs sung by them.
• The website address is http://homepage.eircom.net/~enniscronens
• Pupils may create projects, artwork or writing which would be suitable for publication on the World Wide Web. The work will appear in an educational context on web pages with a copyright notice prohibiting the copying of such work without express written permission.

• The home address or telephone numbers of pupils will not appear with such work.
• Only group photographs of pupils will be used on the school website.
• Personal information including home address and contact details will be omitted from school web pages.

Pupil Guidelines for Internet use
 

• Pupils are responsible for good behaviour on the Internet just as they are in a classroom or on a school corridor. General school rules apply.
• Access is a privilege, not a right and that access requires responsibility.
• Do not use bad language, and do not send messages that could be offensive to another person.
• You must get the teacher’s permission to print or download any text, images, software or other data from the Internet.
• Never give out personal information such as your home address or telephone number.

 Sanctions

•  If any of the above rules are broken, it will result in a temporary or permanent ban on Internet and/or computer use.
• Additional disciplinary action may be taken in line with existing approved school practice on inappropriate language or behaviour.
•  Remember that teachers have access to all files and discs used on school computers including email messages sent and received by pupils. School computers also record details of what pupils have viewed on the Internet.

Please ask your teacher if there is anything that you do not understand. Each child must submit a signed permission slip from their parents before being allowed access to the internet.
 

Yours sincerely,      A. Foody
Principal.

G. Mulligan
    ICT co ordinator.