Welcome
to the
Essex Agricultural and Technical High School
Library/Media Center

STUDENTS HAVE FREE INTERNET ACCESS IN THEIR OWN HOMETOWN
Here's a reminder to our students who use the Internet: nearly every local public library in our area has free Internet access available to you, merely for the asking! From your local library you can use the Internet to search for reference sites useful in completing homework assignments and other projects. Go to the following link to search for the address and hours of operation of your city or town's local library  http://www.mlin.lib.ma.us/about_libraries/ldap_search.shtml.

  Essex Agricultural & Technical High School's  Technology Plan , approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education  and originally submitted in 1997, with annual updates, is listed here.

Adjoining the library is the Infolab, a 21 station 'smart room" computer lab with  high speed internet connections, all pc's wired to the campus network for file and print sharing, a "Smart Board" interactive matrix display, a large format plotter, digital projection for both data and video display on a large screen, and satellite downlink capability. All classes at the school are encouraged to use the Infolab.

Acceptable Use Policy for 
Appropriate  Use of the Internet at
Essex Agricultural and Technical High School

This document has been compiled by the school’s Technology Committee. It is required reading for all users of the High School’s computer technology resources. Its purpose is to delineate appropriate use of educational technology resources.

The following topics are covered within this document:

The Essex Agricultural and Technical High School computer resources are provided primarily for the use of the High School students, faculty and staff. These are intended for educational purposes and to carry out the legitimate business of the High School. 

Appropriate use includes: instruction, study assignments, research, communication and the official work of campus organizations and agencies of the High School..

Use of the computer resources by alumni and residents is limited to non-school hours, in the Learning Resources Center and Infolab, at the discretion of the Principal or Director of the High School..

The privilege of using the High School computers is not transferable or extensible by members of the High School community to people or groups outside of the High School without written permission of the High School Principal or School Director.

Users of computer resources, including uses of the internet on school equipment, are held accountable for their actions and activities while using technology equipment. Unacceptable uses of computer equipment will result in suspension or revocation of use privileges.

Examples of unacceptable use are:

1. Using the campus network for any illegal activity, including violation of copyright or other contracts

2. Using the campus network for financial or commercial gain

3. Degrading or disrupting equipment or systems performance

4. Vandalizing the data of another user

5. Wastefully using a finite resource

6. Gaining unauthorized access to resources or entities

7. Invading the privacy of others

8. Using the account of another user

9. Posting anonymous messages

10. Further policies as described below.

Access to e-mail systems is provided for communicating electronically. Use of such capabilities is a privilege afforded to students, staff and faculty of the High School. Any attempt to falsify the source of an e-mail message (i.e. make a message appear to come from someone who did not send it) will result in disciplinary action.

Sending chain letters across the Internet is a waste of Internet bandwidth and may be illegal. Anyone who transmits a chain letter to the Internet from a high school account will have their account privileges suspended pending investigation. Anyone receiving a chain letter from someone else on the Internet should immediately report the incident to the Technology Manager.

Computer viruses are man-made programs or program fragments which are potentially damaging to computer based information resources. All users need to be sensitive to the ease of spreading viruses and should take steps to insure that files and disks are virus free. If you suspect that any file, disk, or system that you are using is infected with a virus you should report it immediately to a faculty member or technology staff member. Anyone found creating, modifying or willfully disseminating computer viruses on high school computers will be strictly disciplined.

Use of High School owned or provided equipment for the viewing, accessing, or transmitting of pornographic or otherwise offensive material is strictly forbidden. This applies to any screen display or printing of images, sounds or messages that could be reasonably be considered pornographic or offensive. Any person, whether student, employee or guest of the college, who is caught accessing or transmitting such material using High School owned equipment or network resources will be strictly disciplined.

Users of the internet within the campus network should be advised that  filtering software is in place that can indicate which computer on the network has been used to seek out inappropriate material over the internet and the filter essentially will block access to this material.

The High School educational technology facilities have many programs and data available for use which have been obtained under contracts or licenses with the understanding that these programs may be used but not copied, cross-assembled or reverse-compiled. High school computer users are responsible for determining that programs or data are not restricted in this manner before copying them in any form, or reverse assembling or reverse-compiling them in whole or in any part. If it is unclear whether you have permission to copy such software or not, assume that you may not do so.

Any person using the High School computer equipment in any way that violates this appropriate use policy is subject to any or all of the following disciplinary actions:

1. Verbal or written warning to the offender

2. Restriction of system access for a specified period of time, or until acts or restitution have been performed.

3. Revocation of all system privileges for a period of time.

4. Statement of charges sent to the Assistant Principal which could lead to other penalties, depending upon the seriousness of the offense.

Users wishing to contest an administrative decision made concerning their access or use of computer systems should refer to the appropriate section of the Student Handbook to identify the relevant appeal path.

If you have any questions about the "Appropriate Use" policy of the computer resources of the High School, you should contact the chairperson of the Technology Committee or the Technology Manager.

CLICK for Spanish Language version of this policy (en espanol)

STUDENT NAME: _________________________________________________________________________

(LAST)                                      (FIRST)                                    (MIDDLE)  

SCHOOL GRADE:

I HAVE READ THE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY AND STUDENT GUIDELINES, AND AGREE TO ABIDE BY THEIR PROVISIONS.          
I UNDERSTAND THAT VIOLATION OF THE USE PROVISIONS STATED IN THE POLICY MAY CONSTITUTE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF NETWORK PRIVILEGES.

STUDENT'S SIGNATURE __________________________________________

ATE___________________

I HAVE READ THE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY AND STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR ESSEX AGRICUL-TURAL AND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.
 I HEREBY GIVE MY PERMISSION TO ALLOW MY CHILD ACCESS TO THE INTERNET IN A SUPERVISED SCHOOL SETTING. I CERTIFY THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS FORM IS CORRECT

MOREOVER, .I UNDERSTAND THAT ALTHOUGH ADMINISTRATORS OF THE ESSEX AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL  HAVE TAKEN REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS TO ENSURE THAT CONTROVERSIAL MATERIAL IS ELIMINATED ON THE INTERNET, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT ACCIDENTAL ACCESS TO INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL MAY OCCUR. THEREFORE, I ABSOLVE THE INSTITUTE FROM ANY RESPONSIBILITY INVOLVING SUCH AN INCIDENT. 

PARENT'S SIGNATURE_________________________________________

DATE _____________________

HOME ADDRESS__________________________________________________________________________

PHONE NUMBER:

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