March 17-COVID-19 Update
Dear Families,
We are writing in our continued efforts to update our families as we continue to charter this unprecedented closure. We continue to review all recent information from the New York State Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health, and School Physicians. All classes, all school events, and all activities remain closed from Monday, March 16 through April 19, 2020. This concerted effort is intended to reduce the spread of the COVID-19/Coronavirus. At this time we have not been notified of any confirmed cases of the virus associated with our school community. Should you or anyone in your family test positive for the COVID-19 please notify the district at 518-882-1033 ext. 3224.
Expectations of Learning
The teaching staff continues to develop their plan for “continuity of instruction.” Many families have picked up the resources and your child’s 1:1 device provided by your child’s teacher. If you have been unable to do this, but would like to, please call the main office at 518-882-1033 ext 4240 (Elementary) or 3202 (High School).Teachers will continue to reach out to students providing resources and feedback as we progress through the next few weeks. When students are using a school issued device, they are required to follow our “Acceptable Use Policy.” This policy is included below.
TECH Support
Should your child require any technology support while trying to access resources, please email [email protected]. Our technology team will make every effort to provide fast and efficient support.
For families who may not have WiFi in their homes, we recently learned that to ease the strain in this challenging time Charter commits to the following for 60 days. This offer is not associated with Galway CSD but we felt it was a valuable offer for our families.
- Charter will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription and at any service level up to 100 Mbps. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households.
- Charter will partner with school districts to ensure local communities are aware of these tools to help students learn remotely. Charter will continue to offer Spectrum Internet Assist, high-speed broadband program to eligible low-income households delivering speeds of 30 Mbps.
- Charter will open its Wi-Fi hotspots across our footprint for public use.
- Spectrum does not have data caps or hidden fees.
Meals
Today, we began preparing and delivering meals to our Galway families. We will begin delivering dinners in partnership with the Salvation Army this Friday, March 20th. Regardless of economic need, If you would like assistance with meals, please email Michelle McDougall at [email protected]
This situation is constantly evolving. The district will continue to evaluate the situation next week and determine next steps as we continue to help mitigate the community spread of COVID-19/Coronavirus. As additional information is forthcoming, please continue to check your email and our school website for updates.
Please know, as always, the health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and we will remain vigilant in our efforts to help prevent the spread of this illness.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
New York State DOH Website
For general questions about COVID-19 please call the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) 24/7 Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or visit Saratoga County Public Health Website.
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
The Galway Central School District recognizes the value of a computer and other electronic resources to improve student learning and enhance the administration and operation of its schools. To this end, the Galway Board of Education encourages the responsible use of computers, computer networks, including the Internet, and other electronic resources in support of the mission and goals of the Galway Central School District and its schools.
The Internet is an unregulated, worldwide vehicle for communication and information, made available to staff and students through the district's network. It is impossible to control or predict all of the possible benefits or dangers of Internet access. Therefore, the Galway Board of Education adopts this policy governing the use of electronic resources and the Internet in order to provide guidance to individuals and groups obtaining access to these resources on Galway Central School District-owned equipment or through Galway Central School District-affiliated organizations.
Galway Central School District Network Rights and Responsibilities
It is the policy of the Galway Central School District to maintain an environment that promotes ethical and responsible conduct in all network activities by all approved users. It shall be a violation of this policy for any employee, student, or other individual to engage in any activity that does not conform to the established purpose and general rules and policies of the network. The school's network will be designed with the following considerations:
1. Designation of a network administrator to oversee the district's network and related applications.
2. Logging network use and to monitor district resource utilization by users.
3. Removal of user account on the network, if necessary.
4. Monitoring the use of online activities which may include real-time monitoring of network activity and/or maintaining a log of Internet activity for later review.
5. Provision for internal and external controls as appropriate and feasible. Such controls shall include the right to determine who will have access to Galway Central School District-owned equipment and, specifically, to exclude those who do not abide by the Galway Central School District's acceptable use policy or other policies governing the use of school facilities, equipment, and materials. Galway Central School District reserves the right to restrict online destinations through software or other means.
6. Employment of filtering software to block any website deemed inappropriate for educational purposes.
7. Maintenance of student information in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws (CIPA; FERPA; SEO) and board policy 5500.
8. Provision for guidelines and training staff and students in acceptable use and policies governing online communications.
9. Establishment of procedures to report inappropriate behaviors, violations or complaints to the appropriate supervisor or building principal for resolution.
10. Provision for all network users to become familiar with this policy and related documents.
Staff Responsibilities
1. Staff members who supervise students, control electronic equipment, or otherwise have occasion to observe student use of said equipment online shall make reasonable efforts to monitor the use of this equipment to assure that it conforms to the mission and goals of the Galway Central School District.
2. Staff should make reasonable efforts to become familiar with the Internet and its use so that effective monitoring, instruction, and assistance may be achieved.
3. Staff members will be responsible for maintaining their network resources such as email and network drives.
Student Responsibilities
Use of the electronic media provided by the Galway Central School District is a privilege that offers a wealth of information and resources for research. In order to maintain the privilege, users agree to learn and comply with all of the provisions of this policy.
Acceptable Use
1. All use of district resources must be in support of educational and research objectives consistent with the mission and objectives of the Galway Central School District.
2. Staff may request the network administrator and/or building principal access to certain Internet sites to be used in support of the educational program.
3. Proper conduct in electronic communication must be used. When using e-mail, caution must always be taken in revealing any information of a personal nature.
4. Network accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose.
5. All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be the property of the school district. The downloading and copying of copyrighted material is prohibited unless otherwise permitted by law.
6. Teachers shall be given access to an individual teacher webpage that shall be linked to the district's pages.
7. Network users will have access to the Internet and instructional software deemed appropriate for educational use by the network administrator and building principals. Information regarding the specific educational uses of the Internet site or software should be provided to the network administrator and/or building principal in advance of use.
8. From time to time, the Galway Central School District will make determinations on whether specific uses of the network are consistent with the acceptable use practice.
Unacceptable Use
1. Giving out personal information about another person, including home address or phone number, is strictly prohibited unless specifically authorized.
2. Authorized users will be issued a network password. This password is not to be shared under any circumstance; similarly, access to the network using someone else's password is prohibited.
3. Unauthorized use of another user's network files, folders, or other documents is prohibited.
4. Unauthorized student use of a data storage device (flash drive) or other device to link to the network is prohibited.
5. Any use of the network for commercial or non-educational for-profit purposes is prohibited.
6. Excessive use of the network for personal business is prohibited.
7. Any use of the network for non-educational product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited.
a. Users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files,
other data, or passwords belonging to other users, or misrepresent other users on the network.
9. No use of the network shall serve to disrupt the use of the network by others. Hardware and/or software shall not be destroyed, modified, or abused in any way.
1 o. Malicious use of district resources to harass other users or infiltrate a computer or
computing system and/or damage the software components of a computer or computing system is prohibited.
11. Hate mail, chain letters, harassment, discriminatory remarks, and other antisocial behaviors are prohibited on the network.
12. The unauthorized installation of any software, including shareware and freeware, for use on Galway Central School District computers is prohibited.
13. Use of the network to access or process pornographic material, inappropriate files (as determined by the system administrator or building administrator), or files dangerous to the integrity of the local area network is prohibited.
14. The Galway Central School District network may not be used for downloading entertainment software or other files not related to the mission and objectives of the Galway Central School District. This prohibition pertains to freeware, shareware, copyrighted commercial and non-commercial software, and all other forms of software and files not directly related to the instructional and administrative purposes of the Galway Central School District.
15. Downloading, copying, otherwise duplicating, and/or distributing copyrighted materials without the specific written permission of the copyright owner is prohibited, except that duplication and/or distribution of materials for educational purposes is permitted when such duplication and/or distribution would fall within the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, USC).
16. Use of the network for any unlawful purpose is prohibited.
17. Use of profanity, obscenity, racist terms, or other language that may be offensive to another user is prohibited.
18. Playing games is prohibited unless specifically authorized by a teacher for instructional purposes.
19. Establishing network or Internet connections to live communications, including voice and/or video (relay chat), is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the system administrator.
20. Use of the network or network devices in an inappropriate, offensive, unethical, insubordinate or unbecoming manner, as determined by the Superintendent of Schools.
Social Media Use by Employees
The School District recognizes the value of teacher and professional staff inquiry, investigation and communication using new technology tools to enhance student learning experiences. The School District also realizes its obligations to teach and ensure responsible and safe use of these new technologies. Social media, including social networking sites, have great potential to connect people around the globe and enhance communication. Therefore, the Board of Education encourages the use of District approved social media tools and the exploration of new and emerging technologies to supplement the range of communication and educational services.
For purposes of this Policy, the definition of public social media networks or Social Networking Sites (SNS) are defined to include: Web sites, Web logs (biogs), wikis, social networks, online forums, virtual worlds, and any other social media generally available to the school district community which do not fall within the District's electronic technology network (e.g., Twitter, Flickr, blog sites, etc.). The definition of District approved password protected social media tools are those that fall within the District's electronic technology network or which the District has approved for educational use. Within these internal forums, the District has greater authority and ability to protect minors from inappropriate content and can limit public access within these internal forums.
The use of social media (whether public or internal) can generally be defined as Official District Use, Professional/Instructional Use and Personal Use. The School District takes no position on an employee's decision to participate in the use of social media or SNS for personal use on personal time; however, personal use of these media during District time or on District-owned equipment is prohibited. In addition, employees are encouraged to maintain the highest levels of professionalism. They have responsibility for addressing inappropriate behavior or activity on these networks, including requirements for mandated reporting and compliance with all applicable District Policies and Regulations.
Violation Consequences
Any violation of this acceptable use policy will result in the loss or suspension of network privileges. The network will be monitored continually and violations will be reported to the appropriate supervisor or building principal. If a violation is identified by a student or staff member, the exact nature of the violation should be shared with the network administrator. In the case of student violations, the Code of Conduct shall apply.
1. The network administrator shall investigate the alleged violation by gathering network use information.
2. For students, if it is determined that a violation has occurred, the network administrator will suspend the user's access to the network and share the network use information with the user's supervisor or building principal. The superintendent of schools will review any violations related to staff.
3. The supervisor or building principal will review the student network use information and meet with the network user to gather additional information and make a determination of consequence. The superintendent of schools will determine any consequence for staff members.
4. If it is found that this policy has been violated, the rights of the user to access network resources may be limited, suspended for a specific time, or suspended indefinitely. Other disciplinary action up to and including, termination of employment or suspension from school may be imposed for any criminal violations.
5. If it is determined that the network use violation is also a violation of law, the user and the violating activities will be referred to the appropriate authority.
Disclaimer
1. The Galway Central School District cannot be held accountable for the information that is retrieved from the Internet via the network.
2. Pursuant to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (18 USC 2510 et seq.), notice is hereby given that there are no facilities provided by this system for sending or receiving private or confidential electronic communications. System administrators have access to all mail and will monitor messages. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the appropriate authorities.
3. The Galway Central School District will not be responsible for any damages the user may suffer, including loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by user negligence or user errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained is at the user's own risk.
4. The Galway Central School District makes no warranties (expressed or implied) with respect to:
a. The content of any advice or information received by a user, or any costs or charges incurred as a result of seeing or accepting any information;
b. Any costs, liability, or damages caused by the way the user chooses to use his or her access to the network.
5. The Galway Central School District reserves the right to change its policies and rules at any time.
First Reading:
2nd Reading & Adopted by the Board of Education: