Rye Country Day School Technology Use and Remote Learning

This form is required only if you deny consent for your child to use Technology, which is part of our every day programming, or to deny consent for your child to participate in distance/remote learning, which may be necessary should COVID restrictions change.

At Rye Country Day School (“RCDS”) we are committed to using technology in responsible and innovative ways to enable and enhance student learning, instruction, communication, collaboration, and development. Throughout the year, we will be using resources that may require your child to have an account on an app, a website, or a program. All of these resources are instrumental in the development of the curriculum. The list of tools that are currently approved is below, and may be updated from time to time. We carefully and thoroughly assess the resources we use to ensure that they are developmentally appropriate and follow best practices in safeguarding student privacy. We have several processes in place to protect students while using technology and digital resources. Students are educated every year about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and cyber bullying. In addition, we use internet filters to remove harmful content and students’ internet activity may be monitored by school personnel, pursuant to the RCDS Acceptable Use Policy and the Parent-Student Handbook.

In the event of a state of emergency that requires a temporary closing of schools in New York, RCDS will engage in a remote learning model while school is in session virtually until such time as a live classroom is permitted by law and is safe and secure for our students. Hy-flex learning will be used to include any student required to stay home from school for an extended period of time due to COVID-related quarantine or illness. RCDS’s plan for remote/hy-flex learning  ensures that all our teachers are trained and all our students have the tools they need to go online to continue their education. RCDS will utilize its Learning Management System (LMS),  and Zoom, as well as other synchronous and asynchronous video platforms to conduct lessons remotely via remote/hy-flex learning during this period. In addition, the RCDS counseling and learning assistance team will be available to engage with students and families via phone and video conferencing in a therapeutic manner. These meetings usually entail academic support and/or social-emotional support. Virtually, RCDS staff member(s) may meet with students to discuss a range of educational, personal and or social development issues. We encourage you to review the Terms of Service and FERPA Guide for Zoom in order to familiarize yourself with this online learning platform.

In the event that your child wishes to meet the RCDS staff member on a virtual one-to-one basis at any stage throughout their time during remote learning, receipt of this and not opting out via the form below indicates your permission for any such meetings. Students will be given access to Zoom by using their school-issued Google Suite login or with no login. Faculty and staff will not engage in any form of video communication with students via any personal accounts, only school-provided accounts.

Rye Country Day School Technology Use Consent Form

This consent form covers all forms of distance/remote/hy-flex learning courses, included but not limited to satellite courses, video courses, and web-based courses. By receiving and not denying consent to this agreement, you understand and acknowledge that RCDS can provide  technological tools as a mechanism to continue our educational platform when needed and until such time as a live classroom is permitted by law and is safe and secure for our students.

Furthermore, you understand and acknowledge that classes conducted through Zoom may be recorded by your child’s teacher for educational purposes and may be shared internally with other students or employees of RCDS. As a result, your child’s image, likeness, or voice may be recorded while he or she is participating in remote / hy-flex learning via Zoom, and the information supplied to the course provider and/or RCDS may include, but not be limited to student name, address, phone number, age, gender, school name, student grade in school, student email address, student progress and grade in course/s.

Students are prohibited from (a) recording any part of any online and remote learning program, and (b) sharing, broadcasting, and/or making public any materials created or recorded by the School, its employees, or anyone else in relation to the School’s online and remote learning programs.

All students participating in remote  learning must agree to and abide by RCDS’s acceptable use policy and other school policies, handbooks, and norms, which can be found here. RCDS has taken this step in order to be in compliance with federal legislation for child protection, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) found here.

RCDS intends to filter and restrict access to controversial materials while delivering remote  learning from school computers and/or when accessing home computers and iPads. However, since the online courses are web-based, content accessed from home or elsewhere outside the school could put the student in contact with objectionable materials via the World Wide Web.  It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian of the student to restrict any access to materials deemed inappropriate by the parent/guardian.

If you would like to deny consent, please complete the form below for each child. Please note that if you choose to opt out of remote  learning, your student may not be able to participate in many of RCDS’s remote learning opportunities.