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NIS Social, Print and Digital Media Policy

 

NIS embraces a vibrant and interactive learning environment which encourages students to become digitally literate, using technology to create, share and celebrate their learning stories.  Similarly, staff – and parents – are encouraged to model the skills of digital citizenship.

This policy applies to all current staff and students of NIS accessing social media channels to share NIS information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression. Student safety and well-being at Nagoya International School is a cornerstone of our mission to “inspire and empower our students to think creatively and critically, pursue lifelong learning, and contribute positively to the global community.’, regardless of whether physically on campus or engaged in online activities.

NIS staff adhere to the below guidelines for practice:

  1. Photographs and videos of your child may be taken by NIS staff or student groups for use in NIS publications, NIS websites and official NIS social media sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) to better inform the community and to share and celebrate our learning stories. Student names will not appear without the express permission of parents.
     
  2. NIS staff or student groups only use official NIS social media channels to share NIS stories and adhere to privacy guidelines in place for that social media tool.
     
  3. Staff utilize school-issued devices where possible but may also use personal mobile devices. In that case, images are deleted from the device once they have been uploaded to an official NIS channel or server/location.
     
  4. Periodically NIS may host agreed visits from the media (TV, press, radio) who may wish to interview students/shoot footage for broadcast/publication. Stories explicitly featuring your child will not be permitted without the express permission of parents.
     
  5. NIS cannot be held responsible for third party reposting of material originally uploaded to official NIS channels.

 

Parental Rights

  • Parents who do not wish their child’s image to be used in official print or audio/visual publications, visiting external media and NIS websites may make this request in writing to the Head of School. This request will be honored as much as possible although parents are asked to understand that their child may still be included in situations where students are part of a larger group (e.g. whole class/team photograph, general footage of classroom/play-space etc.).
     
  • Parents who do not wish their child’s image to be used on official NIS social media sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) may also make this request in writing to the Head of School. This request will be honored as much as possible although parents are asked to understand that: 

    a. Social media is an organic platform with multiple staff, student and parent users and it is impossible for the school to exercise complete control;
    b. Social media is an important tool to document and develop learning in line with the       NIS curriculum. It is not therefore possible to opt out of social media in the case of     class/team activities/group projects/group work which are being shared/celebrated. A parent or student who objects to a particular posting may request its amendment/removal and this request will be honored as much as possible. Similarly, NIS will work to correct erroneous postings as quickly as possible. However, NIS cannot guarantee a complete deletion of a digital trace, and cannot be responsible for third party re-posting of material or for material posted by third party accounts (parents, students, etc.).
     
  • NIS regularly hosts visiting guests from other schools and organizations. Unless explicit instruction to the contrary is received from the visiting school, these same guidelines apply to guests visiting NIS (i.e. parents, visiting athletic teams, conference participants, etc.).
     
  • This policy supplements the wider agreements as stated in the Acceptable Use Policy for technology.

 

Note for Parents and Students:

NIS students are encouraged to develop and share their learning, with the support of their teachers, through the appropriate use of social media. NIS Parents and other community members are encouraged to share official NIS school stories through their own social media networks as well. Community members are asked to respect child protective practices by posting sensitively and in a way that preserves anonymity.

NIS may ask community members to delete and/or retract inappropriate postings if necessary and will expect this request to be followed as quickly and as much as is reasonably possible. 

NIS cannot be held responsible for material (photos, video, audio) placed without our knowledge or permission online on personal websites, social media sites or other external media. NIS encourages all community members to respect the privacy of others and unless specific permission is provided, DO NOT provide identification of a student on any online posting (photos, video, audio). 

Everyone in our community is reminded to adhere to the school’s Acceptable Use Policy, and that our expectation is that the use of social media is respectful at all times. NIS reserves the right to limit, restrict, or terminate user privileges of any individual person or party with or without notice at any time. 

 

Social Media and Student Groups

NIS student groups (such as Student Councils, Sports Councils, Homebuilders, Global Issues Network, etc.) can create and manage their own social media accounts in the name of their school group or activity. However, as a school-sanctioned group, permission is first needed from the supervisor and school administration, and all account and login information and passwords must be shared with the Admissions & Development Office so as to allow for smooth transitions from one student to another if the student leaves the group, graduates or leaves NIS.

Student groups are reminded that as an official school account, these accounts must follow the NIS Social Media Policy above and student images and names cannot be posted in a way that can identify any student. The student group will be asked to delete any comments or posts that are deemed to violate the spirit of the NIS Social Media Policy. The school has the right to moderate all student accounts in line with this policy when necessary.

*Definitions

  • Social media: interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

  • Student groups: Co-curricular clubs or activities which consist of student members and staff advisors

  • Associated documents: NIS Student Club Social Media Account Agreement, Acceptable Use Policy