Dwight students are responsible for bringing their school-issued laptop with them to school at all times unless otherwise notified. The laptops are provided in order to support and enhance the students' learning opportunities. Students must be prepared to use their school-issued devices at all times.
Dwight students and faculty can expect that their security and privacy will be protected by every member of the Dwight community. When all members of the community use technology resources according to general guidelines set in the Parent/Student and Faculty Handbooks, we can be assured that everyone’s personal digital safety and privacy will be maintained.
All Dwight students and faculty/staff are provided with a username and password that provides access to network resources, to email, and to web-based resources. It is expected that all reasonable precautions be taken to prevent the unauthorized use of any account. Passwords should not be shared, except when it is age-appropriate for teachers to have a record of student passwords.
At no time should anyone engage in behavior that can be construed as online harassment, and community members are encouraged to review the handbook’s policies on bullying and harassment for school guidelines and expectations. In the event that a student is the victim of online harassment, it is the student's personal responsibility to report this activity to a trusted teacher or dean.
Online harassment—including exclusion, fake accounts, or sharing harmful content—is prohibited. Students may face disciplinary action or be referred to authorities under:
Federal and state cyberbullying laws
AI tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, or image generators can be helpful—but must be used responsibly:
Use only with teacher permission.
Be transparent: Say when AI helped you brainstorm or write.
Never use AI to complete assignments dishonestly.
AI can support your learning—not replace your thinking.
Do not use AI to imitate or fake others, or to create inappropriate content.
Never provide an AI tool with confidential, sensitive, or personally identifiable information
Creating or sharing fake images, videos, or voices ("deepfakes") is not allowed, even as a joke.
These may violate school rules and state/federal laws.
Using AI chatbots or companions for emotional relationships or private sharing is strongly discouraged.
Report anything uncomfortable to a counselor or teacher.
From the youngest grades, Dwight students are taught how to properly search for and cite information, and the expectation is that all community members will always strive to correctly attribute someone else’s information when using it as part of their work.
As students use Google Docs and other collaborative software to work together, they should keep in mind that each student’s work is their own and document versioning will reflect work done by each student.
Teachers may ask students to submit papers to Turnitin or other plagiarism-detection software to ensure that written work does not inadvertently claim authorship of another person’s work.
Give credit where it’s due. Do not copy, paste, or submit someone else’s work or AI-generated work as your own. Cite all sources in writing, video, or multimedia projects.
All members of the school community are expected to use Internet resources responsibly. Any inappropriate use of Internet resources should be reported. Students should ensure that they do not – either inadvertently or intentionally – visit sites that might contain content objectionable on any Dwight network. The network firewall restricts access to sites based on content (adult material, social networking, alcohol/tobacco, etc.) and sometimes mistakenly flags sites as appropriate or inappropriate. If a website is mistakenly blocked or unblocked, direct any questions to the Technology Department.
All students in grades 4-12 are given a Dwight email address and should check that email account regularly for messages from teachers and School administrators; students younger than grade 4 may be given an email address if it suits class objectives. Students should use their Dwight email accounts to communicate with their teachers, and should not expect faculty members to return email messages to unfamiliar email addresses. All messages that are sent or received by the Dwight email system pass through a SPAM and virus filter that retains copies of all messages for a period of time. Emails sent by any member of the school community with a dwight.edu address are considered to be a direct reflection of the school. Dwight School reserves the right to monitor and access all communications originating or delivered to this organization.
Emails that are misdirected or suspicious in any way should be directed to the Technology Department.
Every student is given the opportunity to publish original written work on a blog, course management system, or electronic portfolio. Any work posted on these sites should be considered the equivalent of a written assignment or professional publication and cited appropriately.
As Dwight School makes increasing use of social networking and communications tools that are not Dwight-branded, it is important to note that any site that is considered to be essential to a classroom, unit, or lesson is considered to be a school-sanctioned site for as long as it is deemed necessary by the teacher. In the interest of productive teaching and learning, faculty and students are reminded that the same rules that govern Dwight-branded spaces apply to any school-sanctioned site.
Audio and/or video recording in the school or at school-related events is not allowed under any circumstances without the permission of a teacher, dean, or school administrator. This also includes the transmission of audio or video using a chat program, app, or website that makes the recording available to others. Exceptions will be made on a per-case basis for classroom activities, but only with the explicit permission of a teacher before the recording is to take place.
Games and video entertainment are prohibited during the academic day unless under the supervision of a teacher for a class project or activity. In all cases, the use of handheld gaming devices is prohibited without the permission of a student’s house dean or school administrator.
All content created as a Dwight School community member is the sole property of the school unless you have written permission, from the Administration, to take copies of any content, but the school in any and all cases retains the rights to use any content for educational purposes, publications, and presentations. All students should know that the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) retains all rights to their Extended Essay and related materials.
Dwight School discourages the use of privately-owned computers on any of its grounds or networks and their use will not be supported and/or restricted. Use of personal devices will be limited to a guest network, which is severely limited and isolated from the rest of the campus resources. It is in your best interest to leave your personal computers and devices at home.
In addition to computers, many other forms of technology are available to students, such as cell phones, digital cameras, video cameras, personal digital assistants, and personal music devices. In addition to the rules that govern or prohibit the use of such technology during the school day, students are also charged with using all forms of technology responsibly. The use of any technology to disrupt the learning environment will be subject to disciplinary action.
Privacy, Property, & Community
Accessing or deleting the Dwight Local Administrator or “root” account on any school device.
Vandalizing the laptop or other network resources. This includes defacing, engraving, coloring, painting, etching, or using ink on the laptop itself. It also includes deliberately removing keys or changing the original shape of the laptop and its components.
Accessing laptops, accounts, and files belonging to others without permission. This includes using someone else’s computer and accessing any web page, social network, application without the owner’s knowledge or permission.
Recording, filming, or photographing teachers or other students without expressed permission to do so. If teachers or other students have given permission to record, the student who receives permission is expected to respectfully and responsibly use and manage the recorded material. Sharing or publicly posting captured material without permission is also prohibited.
Using the laptop and its applications or the school network either in or out of school to harass, disparage, or intimidate another person or the school itself.
Sending or posting messages that are detrimental to the reputation of Dwight by virtue of the sender’s address or other means of identification.
Illegal Activity
Installing or distributing unlicensed or illegal software or media.
Using the network in support of illegal activities or businesses or for gambling. The school will not be responsible for any financial obligations resulting from school-provided laptops, technology or access to the Internet.
Network Access
Placing, creating, or accessing sexually explicit, violent, obscene or unlawful material.
Attempting to bypass network security or impair network functionality.
Attempting to bypass restrictions set by the network administrators.
Using a computer for distribution of inappropriate or illegal material including text, audio, images, or video
Providing billable services to others for the use of your laptop or Dwight’s network resources, excluding third-party e-commerce sites for sale or exchange of non-commercial personal items.
In all cases, the Dwight Parent/Student and Faculty Handbooks, as well as the Dwight mission statement on Digital Citizenship and 1:1 Driver’s Manual, should guide the proper use of technology at the school in situations not addressed by this document.
The School cannot be held responsible for any damages, injuries, or claims resulting from student violations of responsible use of technology as outlined in this policy.