District Policies

A. Pupils are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. This means that they will not engage in any of the following acts:

1. Cheating on examinations or other academic assignments, including but not limited to, the non-authorized use of books or notes, the use of crib sheets, copying from other pupils’ papers, exchanging information with other pupils orally, in writing, or by signals, obtaining copies of the examination illegally and other similar activities. Student assignments should be completed with minimal support from parents/guardians. Any form of assessment, such as tests, quizzes, and essays, should be completed independently by the student.

2. Plagiarism is not permitted in term papers, themes, essays, reports, images, take-home examinations, and other academic work. Plagiarism is defined as stealing or use without acknowledgment of the ideas, words, formulas, textual materials, on line services, computer programs, etc. of another person, or in any way presenting the work of another person as one’s own.

3. Falsifications, including forging signatures, altering answers after they have been graded, the insertion of answers after the fact, the erasure of grader’s markings, and other acts that allow for falsely taking credit.

B. A pupil found guilty of academic dishonesty may be subjected to a full range of penalties including, but not limited to, reprimand and loss of credit for all of the work that is plagiarized.

C. A teacher who believes that a pupil has been academically dishonest in his/her class should resolve the matter in the following manner:

1. Reprimand the pupil orally and/or in writing. The teacher is also authorized to withhold credit in the work tainted by the academic dishonesty.

2. If warranted, the teacher shall file a written complaint against the pupil with the Principal, requesting a more stringent form of discipline. The complaint must describe in detail the academic dishonesty that is alleged to have taken place, and must request that the matter be reviewed by the Principal.

3. The Principal will determine if further discipline of the pupil is appropriate, and will determine the nature of the discipline on a case-by-case basis.

4. If the pupil is not in agreement with the disciplinary action of the Principal, he/she may appeal the action to the Superintendent. If the pupil is dissatisfied with the Superintendent’s disposition of the case, he/she may grieve the action in accordance with Policy No. 5710, Pupil Grievance.

5511- DRESS AND GROOMING

It is the responsibility of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to send children to school properly dressed. Habits of good grooming and appropriate dress shall be discussed at all levels of the school. Pupils have a responsibility to dress according to regulations established for pupil dress codes.

The East Greenwich Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent of Schools to develop school regulations prohibiting pupil dress or grooming practices which:

A. Present a hazard to the health or safety of the pupil himself/herself or to others in the school;

B. Materially interfere with school work, create disorder, or disrupt the educational program;

C. Cause excessive wear or damage to school property; and

D. Prevent the pupil from achieving his/her own educational objectives because of blocked vision or restricted movement.

Minimum standards shall take into account cleanliness, neatness, health and appropriateness.

These regulations shall be distributed to all pupils in September of each year.

Pupils who are wearing questionable attire will be sent to an administrator where a determination will be made as to appropriateness.

Pupils at the elementary level need guidance by their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) in good grooming and dress. The dress code focuses on general appearance and insures the safety, health, and well being of the pupils.

1. Pupils and their clothing should be clean, neat, and modest.

2. The length of skirts, dresses, and shorts must be at least as long as an outstretched arm from shoulders to fist.

3. Undershirts alone and flannel/pajama pants are not permitted.

4. Shirts must cover the torso including shoulders, back, and midriff.

5. Articles of clothing should not be printed with suggestive or offensive pictures and/or words that promote violence, profanity, and/or substance abuse (drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.)

6. Flip-flops and slip on shoes (beach or shower shoe) are not permitted. They are safety and health hazards.

7. Sneakers or rubber-soled shoes must be worn on gym days or the child will not be permitted to participate in gym.

8. Clothing must not have words/graphics printed across the seat of the pants.

9. Make-up is not permitted.

If there is a dress code violation, the pupil will be sent to the nurse. The nurse will supply the pupil with the appropriate clothing on loan or will call the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to provide a change of clothing. During live virtual instruction, students will be expected to follow the dress code policy. In the event of a dress code violation during live virtual instruction, the student’s teacher will call the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to notify them and request the student follow the district dress code policy.

N.J.S.A. 18A:11-1; 18A:11-7; 18A:11-8; 18A:11-9

2361- ACCEPTABLE USE OF COMPUTER NETWORKS/COMPUTERS AND RESOURCES (M)

Section: Program

Date Created: November 2012

Date Edited: August 2020

The East Greenwich Board of Education shall develop a technology plan that effectively uses electronic communication to advance and promote learning and teaching. This system of technology shall be used to provide local, Statewide, national and global communications opportunities for staff and pupils. Educational technology shall be infused into the district curriculum to maximize pupil achievement of the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

Acceptable Use of the Internet

Purpose

To support its commitment to providing avenues of access to the universe of information available, the district's system of electronic communication shall include access to the Internet for pupils and staff.

Limitation of Liability

The Internet constitutes an unregulated collection of resources that changes constantly, so it is not possible to totally predict or control the resources that users may locate. The Board cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information or the appropriateness of materials that a user may encounter. Furthermore, the Board shall not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. Nor shall the Board be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.

District Rights and Responsibilities

The computer system is the property of the district, and all computer software and hardware belong to it. Therefore, the district retains the right to monitor all access to and use of the Internet.

The Board designates the Superintendent of Schools as the coordinator of the district system. He/she shall recommend to the Board of Education qualified staff persons to ensure provision of individual and class accounts necessary for access to the Internet, designation of quotas for disk usage on the system, establishment of a document retention schedule, establishment of a virus protection process, and coordination of other activities as required to maintain the system.

Each Principal shall coordinate the district system in his/her building by approving all activities for that building; ensuring that teachers receive proper training in the use of the system; ensuring that pupils are adequately supervised when using the system; maintaining executed user agreements; and interpreting this acceptable use policy at the building level.

Access to the System

This acceptable use policy shall govern all use of the system. Sanctions for pupil misuse of the system shall be included in the disciplinary code for pupils, as set out in regulations for Board Policy. Employee misuse may result in appropriate discipline in accord with the collective bargaining agreement and applicable laws and regulations.

The Board shall ensure the acquisition and installation of blocking/filtering software to deny access to certain areas of the Internet.

World Wide Web

All pupils and employees of the Board shall have access to the Web through the district's networked or stand alone computers. An agreement may be required. To deny a child access, parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must notify the Building Principal in writing.

Classroom E-mail Accounts

Pupils in grades Kindergarten through six shall be granted e-mail access through classroom accounts only. To deny a child access to a classroom account, parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must notify the Building Principal in writing.

Individual E-mail Accounts for Pupils

Pupils in grades Kindergarten through six may have individual accounts at the request of teachers and with the consent of parent(s) or legal guardian(s). An individual account for any such pupil shall require an agreement signed by the pupil and his/her parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

Individual E-mail Accounts for District Employees

District employees shall be provided with an individual account and access to the system. An agreement may be required.

Supervision of Pupils

Pupil use of the Internet shall be supervised by qualified staff.

District Website

The Board authorizes the Superintendent of Schools to establish and maintain a district website. The purpose of the web site will be to inform the district educational community of district programs, policies, and practices.

Individual schools and classes may also establish web sites that include information on the activities of that school or class. The Building Principal shall oversee these websites.

The Superintendent of Schools shall publish and disseminate guidelines on acceptable material for these web sites. The Superintendent of Schools shall also ensure that district and school websites do not disclose personally identifiable information about pupils without prior written consent from parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Consent shall be obtained on the form developed by the State Department of Education. "Personally identifiable information" refers to pupil names, photos, addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and locations and times of class trips.

Parental Notification and Responsibility

The Superintendent of Schools shall ensure that parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are notified about the district networks and the rules governing its use. Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) shall sign an agreement to allow their child(ren) to have an individual account. Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) who do not wish their child(ren) to have access to the Internet must notify the Principal in writing.

Acceptable Use

Pupil Safety Practices

Pupils shall not post personal contact information about themselves or others. Nor shall pupils engage in any kind of personal contact with individuals they meet online. Attempts at contact from such individuals shall be reported immediately to the staff person monitoring that child's access to the Internet. Personal contact information includes but is not limited to names, home/school/work addresses, telephone numbers, or personal photographs.

Prohibited Activities

Users shall not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the district system or to any other computer system through the district system, nor shall they go beyond their authorized access. This includes attempting to log in through another individual's account or accessing another's files.

Users shall not deliberately attempt to disrupt the district's computer system performance or destroy data by spreading computer viruses, worms, "Trojan Horses," trap door program codes or any similar product that can damage computer systems, firewalls, servers or network systems.

Users shall not use the district system to engage in illegal activities.

Users shall not access material that is profane or obscene, that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or hate. Inadvertent access to such material should be reported immediately to the supervising staff person.

Users shall not plagiarize material that is available on the Internet. Plagiarism is presenting another's ideas/words as one's own.

Users shall not infringe on copyrighted material and shall follow all dictates of copyright law and the applicable policies of this district.

Prohibited Language

Prohibited language applies to public messages, private messages, and material posted on web pages.

Users shall not send or receive messages that contain obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, or threatening language.

Users shall not use the system to spread messages that can reasonably be interpreted as harassing, discriminatory, or defamatory.

System Security

Users are responsible for their accounts and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorized access to them. In no case should a user provide his/her password to another individual.

Users shall immediately notify the supervising staff person or data processing department if they detect a possible security problem. Users shall not access the system solely for the purpose of searching for security problems.

Users shall not install or download software or other applications without permission of the supervising staff person.

Users shall follow all district virus protection procedures when installing or downloading approved software.

System Limits

Users shall access the system only for educational, professional or career development activities. This applies to discussion group mail lists, instant message services and participation in Internet "chat room" conversations.

Users shall check e-mail frequently and delete messages promptly.

Privacy Rights

Users shall respect the privacy of messages that they receive and refrain from reposting messages without the approval of the sender.

Users shall not publish private information about another individual.

In accordance with the provisions of the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will develop and ensure education is provided to every pupil regarding appropriate online behavior, including pupils interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and/or chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.

The Board will provide reasonable public notice and will hold one annual public hearing during a regular monthly Board meeting or during a designated special Board meeting to address and receive public community input on the Internet safety policy - Policy and Regulation 2361. Any changes in Policy and Regulation 2361 since the previous year’s annual public hearing will also be discussed at a meeting following the annual public hearing.

The school district will certify on an annual basis that the schools, including media centers/libraries in the district, are in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act and the Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act and the school district enforces the requirements of these Acts and this Policy.

Hybrid and Remote Instruction

School-issued Chromebooks are intended to be used by students for academic purposes and should not be used for personal use.

With support from parents and guardians, students are responsible for charging and maintaining care of Chromebooks during hybrid and remote instruction.

Pupils are not permitted to edit other students’ academic work. Students who do so are subject to discipline according to the district code of conduct.

Students are expected to follow the district’s Dress Code Policy (5511) during live remote instruction. During live instruction, students will be expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is school appropriate. Pupils will sit in an upright position during live instruction or meets and are encouraged to find a quiet area in order to limit distraction.

Regular attendance to live instruction is expected as a lack of attendance will directly influence student performance on assignments.

Student assignments should be completed with minimal support from parents/guardians. Any form of assessment, such as tests, quizzes, and essays, should be completed independently by the student. Falsified information results in the teacher’s ability to help to academically support the student where they may need it and is in direct violation of the district code of conduct’s Academic Integrity Policy (BOE policy 5701). Students are subject to discipline according to the district code of conduct.

Implementation: The Superintendent of Schools shall prepare regulations to implement this policy.

N.J.S.A. 2A:38A-3

Federal Communications Commission: Children’s Internet Protection Act.

Federal Communications Commission: Neighborhood Children’s Internet Protection Act