BCCnet Acceptable Use Guidelines

Approved August 24, 2005; Updated and Approved February 21, 2006

NAME: BCCnet Acceptable Use Guidelines

STATEMENT: BCCnet is a privately created and maintained forum on Yahoo! Groups for those affiliated with Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (B-CC). Its primary purpose is to communicate information about school events and activities, and members can informally share ideas on topics and issues. BCCnet is sponsored by the B-CC PTSA. Postings on BCCnet do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of any entity related to the State of Maryland, Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Public Schools, or teacher or parent organization, including but not limited to any PTSA.

MEMBERSHIP: BCCnet welcomes all members of the educational community centered at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, including faculty and staff members, parents of students, and students themselves. The primary audience for the BCCnet is made up of the parents of students currently enrolled at B-CC High School.

APPLICABILITY: These Guidelines apply to all members of BCCnet. In joining BCCnet, members agree to abide by these Guidelines as well as the Yahoo! Groups Terms of Service and Yahoo! Group Guidelines.

DEFINITIONS:

BCCnet: BCCnet is an e-mail network for Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School to both share and ask for information and to exchange ideas about school. BCCnet allows members of the list to send e-mail to the whole list of members.

Moderator: volunteer B-CC parent(s) who manage(s) the list membership, adding and removing members on request. Moderators do not review messages before they are posted.

Yahoo! Groups: Yahoo! Groups give users a place to meet, interact, and share ideas with each other. These services are currently provided at no cost to B-CC PTSA and messages will contain advertising.

GUIDING PRINCPLES/PURPOSE: BCCnet is for communicating about school matters and education in general. While a majority of B-CC families may be members of BCCnet, it is a supplementary medium of communication; it does not replace any of the other methods the school or the PTSA may use.

ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION:

BCCnet is for communication and interest about B-CC. You will be asked for your affiliation with B-CC when you request to join BCCnet. Your name will not be added to BCCnet without your permission. Moderators will not disclose or share members’ names or e-mail addresses. Yahoo! Groups has its own privacy policies.

Only members of BCCnet can post messages, receive messages, or review messages on the Yahoo! Groups web site.

BCCnet is considered an “unmoderated list”. That is, no one reviews messages before they are posted.

Attachments to email messages are automatically removed so as to restrict the spread of computer viruses, worms, etc.

Replies may go to the original sender and/or to all of BCCnet. Please review the “TO” line of your message to ensure that you are sending your message to the intended recipient(s).

The school and the PTSA strongly advise that the proper way to handle a dispute with a teacher, or to question the value of a class, is to first take it up with the teacher, her/himself. If you cannot get satisfaction from the teacher, please go to the B-CC administration.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Each member may express views freely; however:

a. You must sign your name to your posting and state your affiliation with B-CC.

b. You are expected to use electronic communications in a manner that is respectful to others.

c. You may NOT advocate on behalf of candidates for the Board of Education or political office.

d. You may NOT use language that constitutes libel, slander, defamatory claims, or hate speech.

e. You may NOT advocate for nor deride particular faiths or beliefs.

2. Appropriate language, behavior and style are expected from all BCCnet members at all times and in all messages. If you have a disagreement with another member, you will be asked to take the discussion “off line” from BCCnet. Please remember that numerous students are members of BCCnet and adults need to model responsible behavior.

3. BCCnet has proved a resource for the community for non-school or education related topics. These off-topic messages, that is, messages not specific to B-CC, are permitted but not encouraged.

a. When posting an off-topic message, you must clearly state the topic of your posting and put “Off Topic” (or OT) in the subject header. This will permit those not interested in non-B-CC related topics to identify them quickly and treat them appropriately.

b. Off-topic messages are not to be used by commercial enterprises to advertise or solicit business.

ENFORCEMENT: Those not abiding by these Guidelines will be reminded of them by the Moderator and/or the PTSA Board. The PTSA Board reserves the right to restrict a BCCnet member to “read only” status or remove a BCCnet member who egregiously or repeatedly violates these guidelines.

RESOURCE(S):

BCC High School Web Pages: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/bcchs/index.shtm

Montgomery County Public Schools Web Pages: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/

Yahoo! Groups Guidelines http://groups.yahoo.com/local/guidelines.html

Yahoo! Privacy Statement http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us/

Yahoo! Terms of Service http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms

APPROVAL: PTSA Executive Committee

REVIEW CYCLE: annually, or as needed at the discretion of the PTSA Board.

APPROVAL AND REVISION HISTORY:

• Approved by the PTSA Executive Committee August 24, 2005
• Approved by the PTSA Board October 18, 2005
• Revised and Approved by the PTSA Board February 21, 2006
  

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