1. Internet Safety in Henry County Schools By the division’s Internet Safety Task Force

2. What students should know Internet is a tool that should be used wisely Internet enables students to communicate with people around the world and do on-line research Not all of the Internet information is valid or appropriate Sexually explicit material or violent images can affect students negatively-know what to do and who to ask for help The Internet keeps no secrets: People who send messages are not always who they seem Keep your info: Predators are always looking for names and addresses Never meet a cyber buddy-stay in cyber space If you read or see something on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell an adult. Keep secrets: never give out passwords other than a parent Before downloading anything, get an adult’s permission Be a good on-line citizen Learn which activities are safe and legal

3. What parents, grandparents and caregivers should know Understand potential Internet dangers and prepare your children Monitor where your child goes on-line Place computers in family areas Children should spend time off-line Activities on computers should be age appropriate Family should create rules about what can and cannot be done while on-line Filters are good, but not fail proof Children need to hear rules often

4. What teachers should know Use age-appropriate Internet activities Maintain open communication Watch where students go on the Internet Acquaint yourself with new tools that allow students to visit protected sites Comply classroom rules with division’s acceptable use policy Recognize and understand cyber bulling Filters are not fail proof Students should not be allowed to wander aimlessly on the Internet- have assigned sites to visit Students need to hear rules often

5. What school administrators should know Oversee all aspects of Internet safety Understand Internet’s educational value Understand potential risks of using Internet for instruction Keep parents well informed Be prepared to handle a crisis Schedule professional development on Internet safety to keep educators up-to-date Review policy yearly

6. What school boards should know Understand Internet’s educational advantages Understand potential risks of using Internet Stay up-to-date with new developments and legal issues related to Internet and school responsibilities Be prepared to handle a crisis Plan for security and safety technology funding Communicate information to parents

7. Strategies in place School division operates a secure private network through combination of Internet filtering appliance, Spam blocker, staff guidelines and Acceptable Use Policy Division’s firewall (Cisco ASA) prevents unauthorized intrusion to school system’s private resources Division’s internet filtering hardware (8e6) device is updated daily and blocks chat rooms, pornography and other inappropriate material. Division’s Acceptable Use Policy was revised and updated in 2013. The policy is part of the student Code of Conduct that is signed each school year by students

8. Strategic Plan for teaching Internet Safety in Henry County Schools Informational Internet safety for parents and community site on division’s web page-launched in April Internet safety booklet given to all students Fifth graders taught Internet safety during spring of 07 by media specialists Language Arts teachers trained to incorporate Internet safety activities into instruction to begin in fall of 07 Instructional resource teachers will share age appropriate Internet safety lesson with all teachers during 07-08 school year Parent Resource Center will begin to teach Internet safety classes to community in April