Social Media Policy s1

Lilydale West Primary School

Social Media Policy.

RATIONALE

Lilydale West Primary School recognises the importance of teachers, students and parents engaging, collaborating, learning and sharing through social media applications. These applications include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and other online tools through which people connect and share information.

All members of the Lilydale West P.S community are expected to uphold the values of the school in all Social Media interactions. Staff, students and parents will not act in such a way that the image of Lilydale West Primary School is brought into disrepute nor in a way that harms members of the school community.

Therefore, it is expected Lilydale West Primary School's staff, students and parents use Social Media in a respectful and responsible manner. Social Media should not be used to insult, present offensive or inappropriate content.

PURPOSE

The aim of the Social Media Policy is to set standards of behaviour for the use of Social Media that are consistent with the values and expectations of Lilydale West Primary School.

This policy has been developed to protect the school’s students, staff, parents, assets and reputation through clear protocols for use of social media in official and personal capacities.

DEFINITION

Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.

Social Media: refers to all social networking sites. These sites include, but are not limited to, Sentral, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, SMS, YouTube and includes emails and mobile devices.

POLICY

Lilydale West Primary School community members, staff, students and parents, are expected to maintain the values and expectations of Lilydale West P.S. online;

Ø  Behaving with respect and courtesy, and without harassment

Ø  Dealing appropriately with information, recognising that some information must remain confidential

Ø  Being sensitive to the diversity of colleagues, peers, students and the community

Ø  Taking reasonable steps to avoid conflicts of interest or perceptions thereof

Ø  Protecting the integrity and reputation of Lilydale West Primary School, its students, student parents and staff

Ø  Complying with applicable laws and legislation, including copyright, intellectual property, privacy, financial disclosure, defamation and other such applicable laws

Ø  Protecting the privacy and security of Lilydale West Primary School, its employees, students, student parents, partners and suppliers.

All LWPS official communication via social media must be authorised. Only authorised employees may create social media identities, profiles or accounts that use the Lilydale West Primary School’s name, emblem or brand, or are designed to represent the school in any way.

Lilydale West Primary School’s Principal and Leadership team will approve the position of school’s official representatives to use social media. No other employees are to officially represent the School unless otherwise authorised by the Principal.

Staff, student and parent posting comments on official School communications should observe the standards of conduct and behaviour above

Lilydale West Primary School reserves the right to delete official posts or comments that are deemed by the school to be defamatory or offensive.

Information published via social media is a public record and a corporate record for record-keeping purposes.

Lilydale West Primary School expects that all school community members exercise sound judgement and common sense when using social media, whether at work, home or elsewhere.

Employees using social media in a personal capacity must take due care to ensure that any comments, opinions, photographs or contributions made online are their own, as private citizens, and cannot be interpreted as an official statement or position of Lilydale West Primary School.

PERSONAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

The School recognises that you may wish to use social media in your personal life. This policy does not intend to discourage nor unduly limit your personal expression or online activities.

However, School Community members should recognise the potential for damage to be caused (either directly or indirectly) to the School in certain circumstances via your personal use of social media when you can be identified as a School community member. Accordingly, you should comply with this policy to ensure that the risk of such damage is minimised.

You are personally responsible for the content published by you, or in your name, in a personal capacity on any form of social media platform.

·  Where your comments or profile can identify you as a School community member, you must:

·  only disclose and discuss publicly available information

·  ensure that all content published is accurate and not misleading.

·  adhere to the Terms of Use of the relevant social media platform/website, as well as copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination, harassment and other applicable laws

Ratified by School Council: 23/3/17