A Few More Digital Citizenship Safety Videos

Book Hunts and Role Plays

This week our Trillium through Clarkia students worked at finding "right fit" books.  Ms. Blythe took one of our favorite books, "We Are Going On A Book Hunt" by Pat Miller and created a rhythmic chant for us to experience the wonder of the library.  We practiced using our "Five Finger Rule" along with all our book hunt steps.

"Now it's time to choose a good-fit book

You can't read a hard one

You don't want an easy one

So, we'll use our fingers

Miss a word, up, stop at five"  

Please ask your child if they remember the chant.  It's a fun and catchy way to remember proper book picking strategies.  

Our digital citizens are working hard in creating pieces of work to share with the MRA student body on good online behavior.  Here is a sample of a few.

Citizenship and Books We Love!

 In all our media classes we have been learning the importance of becoming a honorable digital citizen.  Jory C.  described the internet as "a place where the world of information is at your computer without leaving your house".  With this in mind we know we have to be careful with that much information.  We have learned through role plays and discussions how to stay safe online, how to stand up to cyberbullying, how to keep personal information private, and  to find a trusted adult when you encounter something that makes your uncomfortable.  Our Alders and Cedars will be performing short skits to share with the Clarkia students by modeling good online behavior.  Please click on the links on the right side of this blog entry to find out more of how you can help your student learn about online safety.  

All our students have been working on finding the right fit books.  Our "Books We Love" bulletin board is filling up with great titles of books that our MRA students want to share with others.  Please remember to help remind your students to bring their library books back on their library day.  Thank you.  

Digital Citizenship and Internet Agreement Form

This week, all computer classes (3rd-8th grade) had discussions and lessons on how to be a good digital citizen.  We discussed how to keep personal information personal, how to manage your time wisely on media, how to stand up to cyberbullying, how to manage our digital footprints, how to find a trusted adult, and posting appropriately.  If you haven’t already, please read through our internet agreement form with your student and sign and return to me by Monday, September 12th.  Thank you.  

MOLALLA RIVER ACADEMY INTERNET AGREEMENT

The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers. The key concept underlying the Internet is interconnectivity; something that will allow administrators, teachers, and more importantly students to access an unparalleled array of communication and information resources. Students and teachers have access to general Internet tools including, but not limited to: electronic mail (e-mail); and Listservs; various search engines; and the World Wide Web.  These electronic search tools enable students and teachers to:  

• communicate with people all over the world.  
• access information and news from various governmental agencies and research

institutions.

• join discussion groups on a plethora of topics.
• access University Library Catalogs, the Library of Congress, etc..

With access to people all over the world also comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting.

On a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information. We strongly believe, however, that the valuable information and interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of MRA.

Internet access is coordinated through a complex association of governmental agencies and regional state networks. In addition, the smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of end users who must adhere to the following guidelines listed under Internet terms and conditions. These guidelines are provided here so that you are aware of the responsibility you are about to acquire. In general, this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of the network resources. If a Molalla River Academy user violates any of these provisions his or her account will be terminated and future access can be denied. The signature at the end of this document is legally binding and indicates the party who signed it has read the terms and conditions carefully and understands the significance.  Moreover, misuse of the internet or school network, may result in disciplinary referral to the Executive Director.

Molalla River Academy will require all parents/guardians, teachers, and students to execute the release-user agreement based on the guidelines listed under the following Internet terms and conditions.

Internet - Terms and Conditions:

1. Acceptable Use - The purpose of the Internet and the school network is to support research and education in and among academic institutions by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your account(s) must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of Molalla River Academy. Use of another organization's network or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network. Transmission of any material in violation of United States or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, expressions of bigotry, racism, or hate, or material produced by trade secret. Use of commercial activities is generally not acceptable. Use of product advertisement or political lobbying is also prohibited.

2. Privileges - The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges. Each student who receives an account will be responsible for that account and its usage. Therefore, under no circumstances should your account be shared with anyone other than your teacher. The Teacher or Executive Director will deem what is inappropriate use and their decision is final. This may result in a revocation or suspension of specific user accounts.

3. Network Etiquette -You are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• Be polite. Do not get abusive in your messages to others.
• Use appropriate language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.    Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.
• Do not reveal your personal address or telephone number.
• Note that electronic mail (e-mail) is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system do have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.
• Do not use the network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the network by other users. All communication and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be property of Molalla River Academy

4. Security - Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you encounter a security problem on the school network, you must notify an MRA staff member. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users.  Attempts to log onto the school network or any other authorized locations as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the Internet and the school network.

5. Vandalism - Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet, or any of the above listed agencies or other networks that are connected to the Internet. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.

6.    Email and Internet Use Safety Agreement:

• I will not give out personal information such as my home address, parental information, or

school name or location without the permission of my teacher.

• I will immediately notify my teacher if I come across any information that makes me feel

awkward.

• I will never get together with someone I have “met” on-line without first getting my parents’ and

teacher’s permission. If they agree, I will still bring an adult with me.

• I will never forward my picture or anything else without first getting my teacher’s approval.
• I will not return any messages that are inappropriate or make me feel uncomfortable. If I receive

a message like this, I will notify my teacher.

The following activities are illegal, and I will not willingly participate in them:

• Gaining unauthorized access to any place I am not supposed to be.
• Disrupting any computer system.
• Contributing to help spread electronic viruses.
• Engaging in any illegal activity on-line.

I am aware that any on-line correspondence I send is a reflection of my school and myself.

• My messages will be short, courteous, and to the point.
• I will not use obscene language, engage in personal or discriminatory attacks, or post false or

misleading information about individuals or organizations.

I will not access, download, or distribute:

• Any pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit materials.
• Inappropriate information or graphics.

These policies and procedures must be adhered to, and any violation of them will be met with zero tolerance.

• Students must abide by their signed contracts.
• The use of the computer is a privilege, not a right.
• If this contract is broken, the student’s privilege will be revoked.

I have read the “Student Internet Contract” above. By signing below, I fully agree with and understand the contents of this contract. If I breach any rules, I understand my Internet and computer privileges may be revoked.

Name (please print)_________________________________________________________

Signature___________________________________________Date:__________________

PARENT OR GUARDIAN As the parent or guardian of this student, I have read the Internet Use Agreement. I understand that this access is designed for educational purposes. However, I also recognize it is impossible for Molalla River Academy to restrict access to all controversial materials and I will not hold them responsible for materials my child may acquire on the network. Further, I accept full responsibility for supervision if and when my child's use is not in a school setting. I hereby give permission to Molalla River Academy to issue an account for my child as needed.

Parent/Guardian's Name (please print):_________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian's Signature____________________________________________Date:________________________

Welcome Letter

Welcome to MRA’s Mountain Meadow Media Center

September 6, 2016

Dear MRA Families,

I would like to welcome you and your students to a new school year! I hope you were able to read some good books this past summer. I was able to get in a lot of fun reading with my own children. I am looking forward to creating an environment for a passion and love for books and resources.

I encourage you to come and wander around our media center and look at our “BOOKS WE LOVE…” bulletin board. This will be a place where students can recommend their top reads to other students.

I am excited to see that our library collection has grown and is growing. With that in mind I want to make sure that we continue to respect the gifts of books we have been given. The students will be challenged to understand that our media center is a special collection of resources and requires care from all users. We will be focusing on how to locate and access many different digital/print resources. They will be using the information they gather in their classroom and personal projects. I hope you will partner with me in helping our students become responsible learners.

The students (K-8thth) will have a media center time each week and will be allowed to check out 1-4 books depending on age and responsibility shown. They have two weeks to read and enjoy their books. After that time if they have not returned their overdue books they will not be able to check out another until those are returned. If a book becomes lost or damaged (accidents happen) please let me know. Then a fee will be issued to replace the book unless we can come to another agreement.

Media Center Times

Trillium: Tuesdays

Huckleberry: Fridays

Clarkia: Tuesdays

Alders: Mon-Thurs.

Cedars: Mon.-Tues and Thur.-Fri.

I am looking forward to a great year and thank you for your support. Let me know if you have any questions.


Happy Reading!
Mrs. Quinlan
MRA Media Specialist/Garden Coordinator
http://mralibrary.blogspot.com/