The focus of the Classroom Connections Project at Alcester-Hudson Junior High/High School is to prepare students for their future, a world of digital technology and information. The individual use of laptops is a way to empower students to learn at their full potential and prepare them for the real world of college and the workplace.

 

The policies, procedures and information in this handbook apply to all laptops used at the Alcester-Hudson Junior High/High School, including any other device considered by the administration to come under this policy. Teachers may set additional requirements for computer use in their classroom.

 

The use of the internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in the cancellation of those privileges. The Alcester-Hudson School District administration will deem what is inappropriate use and its decision is final. The administration, faculty and staff of the Alcester-Hudson School District may request the system administrator to deny, revoke, or suspend any student’s internet use privilege.

All full-time students in Grades 7-12 will be issued a laptop computer and will be allowed to bring the laptop home in order to complete homework assignments. Part time students may be issued a computer at the discretion of the building Principal and Technology director. Students are responsible for the general care of the laptop the school has issued to them. Laptops that are broken or fail to work properly must be taken to the technology coordinator or the technology coordinator’s designees. The school district will be responsible for repairing computers that malfunction.

 

Computers that have been damaged from normal use or accidentally will be repaired with no cost or minimal cost to the student. Students will be entirely responsible for the cost of repairs to computers that are damaged intentionally.

 

1.  I will take good care of my laptop and I am aware that I will be issued the same laptop each year.

2.  ​I will not leave the laptop unsecured. I will know where my laptop is at all times. If my laptop is

left unsupervised and is picked up by school personnel in an unsupervised area, I will be responsible for paying the $5 dollar fine to get my computer back.

3.  I will not loan out my laptop or accessories to other individuals.

4.  I will begin each school day with a fully charged battery.

5.  I will keep food and beverages away from my laptop.

6.   I will not disassemble any part of my laptop or attempt any repairs.

7.   I will use my laptop computer in ways that are appropriate and educational.

8.   I understand that my laptop is subject to inspection at any time without notice and remains the property of the Alcester-Hudson School District.

9.  I will follow the policies outlined in the Laptop Handbook and the Acceptable Use Policy while at school, as well as outside the school day.

10.   I will file a police report in case of theft, vandalism, and other acts covered by insurance as directed by Alcester-Hudson School District Administration.

11.   I will be responsible for all damage and/or loss caused by neglect or abuse.

12.   I agree to pay for the replacement of my power cord, battery, or laptop case in the event any of these items are lost or stolen.

13.   Network administrators may review school computers to maintain system integrity and to ensure that users are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect anything stored on school computers on networks will be private.

14.   Students will be assigned password protected network folders for their own data.

15.   Students may not enter the network without the use of a username and password.

16.   I agree to return the Alcester-Hudson School District laptop and all accessories in good working condition at the end of the school year or if I leave the school district during the school year.

17.   I agree to remove all stickers, pictures etc. before returning my laptop for the school year. There will be a fine for any sticky residue left on the computer.

 

•      No food or drink is allowed next to your laptop while it is in use.

•      Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the laptop ports.

•      Students should never carry their laptops while the screen is open unless directed to do so by a teacher.

•      Laptops and carrying cases must remain free of writing, drawing, stickers, or labels that are not the property of the Alcester-Hudson School District.

•      Laptops must never be left in a car or any unsupervised area.

•      Students are responsible for keeping their laptop battery charged for school each day.

Laptops are intended for use at school each day. In addition to teacher expectations for laptop use, school messages, announcements, calendars, and schedules may be accessed using the laptop computer. Students are responsible to bring their laptop to all classes, unless specifically instructed not to do so by their teacher.

 

UNATTENDED LAPTOPS/LAPTOPS LEFT IN UNSUPERVISED AREAS:

1.    Under NO circumstances should student laptops be left in unsupervised areas.

 

2.    Unsupervised areas include the school grounds and campus, the cafeteria, computer lab, locker rooms, library, unlocked classrooms, dressing rooms and hallways. Any computer left in these areas is in danger of being stolen. If a laptop is picked up in any of these unsupervised areas a resulting fine of $5 dollars will be assessed to the student in order for he or she to get their computer back.

 

3.    If laptops are left unattended in other areas during the school day, they will be collected, and a $5 fee will be assessed for each incident.

 

4.    Laptops left unattended after school hours will also be collected and students will be assessed the $5 fee. It will be acceptable for athletes to leave laptops in a locked locker in the locker rooms during practice or a home event unless a visiting team is using the locker room.

Any laptops left in the hallway, gym, or not under lock in the locker rooms during practice or games will be collected and students assessed the $5 fee. Any fees must be paid before the laptop is returned to the student.

 

LAPTOP LEFT AT HOME: Students who leave their laptop at home must immediately contact an adult to bring the laptop to school. Repeat violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action.

 

LAPTOP UNDERGOING REPAIR: Loaner laptops may be issued to students when they leave their laptops for repair.

CHARGING YOUR LAPTOP’S BATTERY: Laptops must be brought to school each day in a fully charged condition. Students need to charge their laptops each evening. Repeat violations (minimum of 4 days not consecutively) of this policy may result in some form of discipline.

 

In cases where use of the laptop has caused battery to become uncharged, students may be able to connect their computers to a power outlet in the classroom.

 

PRINTING: Students will have access to network printers at school. Any colored pages must be for a specific course and can only be printed by the course instructor. No students are allowed to print pages in the office.

 

Students may connect to the internet from a location outside of the school but must understand that they are still using school equipment and all school rules and policies still apply.

The Alcester-Hudson School District offers the following areas of protection for student laptop computers. All damage will need to be covered by the school and/or the student. The three options available for coverage are:

 

1. No Insurance: You agree to pay for the replacement of the laptop at a cost not to exceed $1,000.

2. Personal Insurance: You will cover the laptop under your own insurance policy, and you agree to pay the school district the amount received from your insurance company plus any additional amount needed to cover the laptop replacement not to exceed $1,000.

3. School District Protection: You choose to pay the school district an annual protection payment for coverage of theft, loss, or damage by fire in the amount of $30 or $75 per family coverage when there are three (3) or more children in school using laptop computers. This will provide for the replacement cost of the student’s machine with a $100 copay. The replacement cost of student laptops retail for $300. The $30 copay is non- refundable. This protection coverage has a $100 additional charge per occurrence. This annual coverage begins upon receipt of the payment and ends at the conclusion of the school year.

 

Note: This covers theft, loss, or fire. It does not cover damages deemed intentional or because of neglect, nor does it cover parts replacement.

 

VANDALISM: Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges.

Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempts to harm or destroy data of another user, the Alcester-Hudson School network or any of theabove listed agencies or other networks that are connected to the DDN. This includes, but is not limited it, the uploading, creation, or intentional transmission of computer viruses.

 

Conditions as stated in this policy are applicable to the students of the Alcester-Hudson School District. These terms and conditions shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with policies of the Alcester-Hudson School Board, the laws of the State of South Dakota, and the United States of America.

: Students/parents/guardians are responsible for full payment of intentional damages to laptops. Warranty, Accidental Damage Protection, or School District Laptop Protection DOES NOT cover intentional damage or neglect of laptops.

 

Parts replacement for School District participant: If the student/parent is responsible for replacement of parts to include the stylus, power cord, and battery. If any of these parts are lost or stolen, rendered unusable, the cost will be as follows:

AC Cord = $35

Damaged power cord = $15

Battery = to be determined (up to $150 depending on replacement cost) Screen = $30

Removing keys from keyboard = $135

Any other damage will be assessed and assigned a fee according to the damage. Additional fees may be assessed depending on the condition of laptop upon check-in.

In cases of theft, vandalism and other criminal acts, a police report, or in the case of a fire, a fire report MUST be filed by the student or parent for the protection coverage to take place. A copy of the police/fire report must be provided to the principal’s office.

The Alcester-Hudson School District will alert law enforcement of Alcester-Hudson School District- owned equipment if not returned at the end of the school year or the end of student’s enrollment at Alcester-Hudson.

 

Original Installed Software - The software originally installed by the Alcester- Hudson School District must remain on the laptop in usable condition and be easily accessible at all times.

 

Laptops are supplied with either Microsoft or Chrome operating systems. Licensed software is provided with all new laptops.

From time to time the school may add software applications for use in a particular course. The licenses for this software require that the software be deleted from the laptops at the completion of the course. Periodic checks of laptops will be made to ensure that students have deleted software that is no longer required in class so that the school has not exceeded its number of licenses.

ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE: Students are not allowed to load additional software on their laptops.

INSPECTION: Students may be selected at random to provide their laptop for inspection.

SOFTWARE UPGRADES: Upgrade versions of licensed software are available from time to time. Students may be required to check in their laptops for periodic updates.

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR COMPUTER INTERNET AND EMAIL COMPUTER TERMS AND  CONDITIONS:

1.   No programs or games may be brought from home or any other source nor downloaded from the internet and installed on school computers. If programs or games are desired, they must be submitted to the computer teacher or technology coordinator. If these programs or games are allowed, they will be installed by the computer teacher or technology coordinator.

2.   No work in command prompt except in the case of a supervised computer science class.

3.   No physical tampering or destruction of computers, keyboards, printers etc.

4.   No unauthorized use of other student’s directories. Students must keep their passwords private. Students are responsible for all files on their directory.

5.   The system operator and/or school personnel will periodically inspect student files unannounced and at random.

6.   All student files/programs will be deleted at the end of the school year by the technology coordinator.

7.   Staff will be notified of the names of students on computer suspension.

 

INTERNET TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A.  The internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers. These guidelines are provided so that you are aware of the responsibilities you are about to acquire. In general, this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of the network resources. If an Alcester-Hudson School student violates any of these provisions, his or her current access will be terminated, and future access may be denied.

B.  The use of the internet and email must be in support of education and research consistent with the educational objectives of the Alcester-Hudson School District. Use of other organizations’ networks or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for the network.

C.  Transmission of any material in violation of any U.S. or state regulation is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening, obscene or lewd material or material protected by trade secret. Use for product advertisement, commercial purposes, or political lobbying is also prohibited. The Alcester-Hudson School District may limit the use of student electronic mail to one source determined by the administration.

 

NETIQUETTE: Students are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include (but are not limited to) the following:

-  Be polite. Do not get abusive in your messages to others. Do not send or display offensive messages or pictures.

-  Use appropriate language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language. Do not harass, insult, or attack others. Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.

-  Do not reveal your personal address or phone numbers or those of students or faculty.

-  Network storage areas will be treated like school lockers. Network and school administrators may review files and communications to maintain the system integrity.

-  Users should not expect that files stored in district servers will be private.

-  Trespassing in another person’s folders, work or files is prohibited and will result in loss of privileges.

-  Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the authorities.

-  Do not use the network in such a way that would disrupt the use of the network by other users (for example, intentionally wasting limited resources).

-  All communications and information accessible via the network should not be assumed to be private property.

-  Students are banned from utilizing internet chat rooms, unless under the direct supervision of school personnel for an educational purpose.

Students are prohibited from incorporating AI technology into their assignments or projects, unless instructional staff tells students that AI can be used for a specific assignment, portion of assignment, or project. Student assignments and projects must rely solely on human effort and intellect.

Students must uphold the principles of academic integrity by submitting work that is solely their own, demonstrating their knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through personal effort and study. The  use of AI technology in assignments and projects undermines the authenticity and individuality of a  students’ work.

Students are encouraged to explore and utilize a wide range of technological tools and resources that are not AI-dependent to enhance their assignments and projects. This includes traditional research methods, computer programs, software applications, and other non-AI-based tools that support academic learning and creativity. AI technology may be used for clarification or explanations to understand complex texts or to assist in brainstorming ideas, topics, and writing prompts. Any such use should be cited. Students may not pass off any AI technology as their own work, such as by copying text or images from AI programs without proper attribution. Text or images copied directly from AI generated content must be properly cited. Other uses of AI must be clearly described at the end of the assignment or project.

If instructional staff allow students use of AI technology in connection with a specific project or assignment, students must use AI only as permitted. Students must disclose the AI tool used, and attribute and cite AI text and images properly when used in the student’s work. A student who uses AI technology without permission, who uses it in an improper way, or who otherwise violates this policy will constitute a violation of the District’s code of conduct, cheating, plagiarism, and/or

academic dishonesty policy, and/or provisions stated in the student handbook, and will be subject to student discipline.

The Alcester-Hudson School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The Alcester-Hudson School District will not be responsible for any damages students suffer, including loss of data resulting from delays, non- deliveries, miss-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the student’s own negligence, errors, or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the internet is at a student’s own risk. The Alcester- Hudson School District denies any responsibility for accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.

The Alcester-Hudson School District cannot be responsible for inappropriate or offensive material students encounter on the internet. If offensive material would cause the student personal embarrassment or other emotional or psychological damage, then students should not use the system.

 

Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If students feel they can identify a security problem on the internet, they must notify the system administrator immediately. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Do not use another

individual’s account without written permission from that individual. Attempts to log in to the internet as the system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the internet.

 

 Many responsibilities result from the use of these available technologies in the educational setting.

 

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities:

Talk to your children about values and the standards that your children should follow on the use of the internet just as you do on the use of all media information sources such as television, telephones, movies, and radio.

INFRACTIONS WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING CONSEQUENCES:

 1ST Offense - student will need to check-in and check-out their laptop in the high school office daily for three (3) weeks.

 2nd Offense - student will have three (3) weeks of laptop privilege suspension.

 3rd Offense - student will have a loss of laptop privileges for a length of time determined by the principal and the technology coordinator.

Serious offense: Suspension of laptop computer, referral to law enforcement authorities, and possible long-term suspension or recommended expulsion from school.

 

Student Responsibilities:

1. Use computers in a responsible and ethical manner.

2. Obey general school rules concerning behavior and communication that apply to computer use.

3. Use all technology resources in an appropriate manner to not damage equipment.

4. This damage includes, but is not limited to, the loss of data resulting from delays, non- deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the student’s own negligence, errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via Alcester-Hudson School District’s designated internet system is at your own risk. Alcester-Hudson School District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services. Protect the Alcester-Hudson School District computer system by contacting an administrator about any security problems they may encounter.

5. Monitor all activity on their account(s).

6. Students should always log off the computer after they are done working to protect their accounts and files. If a student does not log off, any email or internet activity under their name will be considered that student’s responsibility.

7. If a student should receive an email containing inappropriate or abusive language or if the subject matter is questionable, that student is asked to print a copy and turn it in to the office.

8. Students will return their laptop to school at the end of each school year.

9. Students who graduate early, withdraw, are suspended, are expelled, or terminate enrollment at the Alcester-Hudson School District for any other reason must return their individual school laptop computer on the date of termination. If the laptop is not returned, the Alcester-Hudson School District will alert law enforcement of the school district owned equipment. This will result in charges of theft of school property.

 

STUDENT ACTIVITIES STRICTLY PROHIBITED:

Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Illegal installation or transmission of copyrighted materials.

2. Any action that violates existing school board policy or public law.

3. Using email to harass or bully others.

4. Use of chat rooms, sites selling term papers, book reports and other forms of student work.

5. Internet or computer games

6. Use of outside data disks without prior approval from the technology coordinator for purposes other than backup as permitted.

7. Uploading illegal files, including music and other data files.

8. Spamming, sending mass emails or inappropriate emails.

9. Gaining unauthorized access to other student’s accounts, files, and/or data.

10.  Unauthorized password sharing

11.  Use of the school’s internet/email accounts for financial or commercial gain or for any illegal

activity.

12.  Use of anonymous proxy services or other attempts to negate firewall/filtering systems.

13.  Giving out personal information except in an instructional context or in the performance of Alcester-Hudson School District business and with permission of the school district

14. Participation in credit card fraud, electronic forgery, or other forms of illegal behavior

15.  Vandalism (any malicious attempt to harm or destroy hardware, software, or data, including but not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses or computer programs that can infiltrate computer systems and/or damage software components) of school equipment will not be allowed.

16.  Transmission or accessing materials that are obscene, offensive, threatening or otherwise intended to harass or demean recipients

17.  Use or possession of hacking software is prohibited, and violators will be subject to consequences of the Alcester-Hudson School District Discipline policy. Violation of applicable state or federal law, including South Dakota laws prohibiting unlawful uses of computer systems, will result in criminal prosecution or disciplinary action by the school district.

COMPUTER LAPTOP VIOLATIONS INCLUDE:

1.   Sending, accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing offensive, profane, threatening, pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit materials.

2.   Downloading or transmitting multi-player games, music, or video files using the school network.

3.   Vandalizing, damaging, or disabling property of the school or another individual or organization.

4.   Accessing another individual's materials, information, or files without permission.

5.   Using the network or Internet for commercial, political campaign, or financial gain purposes.

6.   Promoting or soliciting illegal activities.

7.   Attempting to repair, remove or install hardware components reserved for an authorized service technician.

8.   Violating copyright or other protected material laws.

9.   Subscribing to mailing lists, mass e-mail messages, games, or other services that generate several messages that can slow the system and waste other users' time and access.

10.   Intentionally wasting school resources.

COMPUTER NETWORK VIOLATIONS:

1.  Attempting to log on to the internet or network (services, routers, switches, printers, firewall) as a system administrator.

2.  Sending, accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing pornographic or sexually explicit materials.

3.  Installing, enabling, launching, or creating programs that interfere with the performance of the network, internet, or hardware technology resources.

4.  Attempting to defeat computer or network security.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE:

 Consequences for violations of this policy will be handled under the Alcester- Hudson School Discipline plan. Disciplinary consequences may vary depending on the severity of the offense. Computers owned by the Alcester-Hudson School District are for educational purposes ONLY.