Internet Safety at School

Safety At Home • Safety At School • Internet Safety 2.0 w/ Brian Mull • Resources For Parents and Teachers • Resources For Young Students

The use of the Internet by our students has become a common and critical tool at almost every grade level and many parents have expressed interest in how Trevor addresses Internet safety issues.  To make the Internet safe for your children, we have established the policies outlined below.

Students on the East Campus may not access the Internet while in school without teacher supervision.  The primary way students find Internet sites is via a teacher’s intranet site.  Our teachers maintain sites on which they post links for student use, grouped according to subject or by specific project or unit.  These links, which are also available from home, are screened prior to placement on teacher sites.

Students in grades K-3 are not allowed to search the Internet unless directly supervised by a teacher.  Teachers are cautioned not to do searches with students unless they have previously done the search on their own.  We use filtered sites such as Yahooligans or Ask Jeeves for Kids.  Fourth and fifth graders are allowed to search after receiving instructions, but only on specified search engines and only for specific topics.  They also generally access sites through links provided on teacher sites.

Students at all grade levels are taught to identify advertising links and to avoid them. They are told their movements on the Internet leave a record that can be examined.  The first thing a first grader is taught about the Internet is how to use the home button and the back button to get back to Trevornet if they find themselves somewhere they don’t want to be.  Using these buttons is reinforced throughout the early grades as is notifying a teacher if they encounter an inappropriate site.

Students are taught not to fill out forms or provide personal information on the Internet. They are told there is a law prohibiting Web sites from asking their name, age or e-mail address.  When in fourth and fifth grade, they are given examples of how innocuous information that may not seem to be personal can be used to identify them.

In the fourth and fifth grades students receive instruction on how to search for information on the Internet.  They are told they may use Internet only when specifically instructed by a teacher and only for class purposes.  The Internet may not be used in the school building during or after school without teacher supervision.

Fifth grade students have their own laptops and therefore have more opportunity to access the Internet. During the course of the year we help 5th graders make the transition from the more stringent rules appropriate for the Elementary School to the less restrictive guidelines that will govern their Internet use in the Middle School.  We emphasize personal responsibility and protection of their new laptop from viruses and other damage that can be caused by irresponsible use of the Internet. We discuss the need to verify information received through email or via the Internet by checking with reliable sources (direct communication with teachers and parents).  Although teachers monitor the use of the Internet, with each child having his/her own laptop and with the way in which children at this age begin to view adult authority, we need to build on their sense of honor and respect to make sure they learn to police themselves.  Each fifth grader reviews the Trevor Day School Acceptable Use Policy in a technology class with a teacher.  Students are asked to review it again with their parents and to bring in a copy which they and their parents have signed.

Finally, teachers are periodically reminded to follow safety guidelines on their intranet sites -- including never associating a photograph of a student with a student name and not using last names in identifying student work on their Web sites.  You may view these guidelines on the Trevor Technology webpage.

The Internet is an exciting and essential tool at Trevor Day School.  Our goal is to protect our youngest students while teaching them how to make it safe for themselves as they mature.