It is true that there are many areas of the Internet that are not appropriate for children. At Pittsford, our internet comes to us through a connection to the Hillsdale ISD.  All internet content is filtered at the ISD level before it reaches us.  In the Pittsford Elementary Computer Lab, and in the classrooms that have Internet access, the students in grades 2 though 6 access the Internet under very controlled circumstances.  The Internet may not be used without permission or without direct adult supervision.  Students are given specific subject areas to research or browse and never allowed to wander at will.  By far, most of the time a student spends online is spent looking up information to enhance their classroom instruction.  Occasionally we will allow students to go internet addresses they have brought from home if their assignment is finished and if we feel it is appropriate for a school setting.  If we allow "free time" they are told they may follow links from a home page we know to be safe for children.  We do not allow students to send or receive email from school unless it is part of a classroom assignment.  Nor are they allowed to enter chat rooms or type information about themselves into any area on the Internet.

    For those of you who are familiar with the Internet, our policies may seem overly cautious, but the rules are designed to keep the students safe from strangers and from exposure to materials that they don't need to see.  If you have any questions about your child's use of the Internet at Pittsford or at home, please feel free to contact us.
 
 

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