Montesano School District

Excellence in Education

502 East Spruce Avenue Montesano, WA, 98563 United States

(360) 249-3942

Montesano is a community where people learn,
grow and work together.  With high-quality
instruction, every student, regardless of race, class,
language, or disability, can succeed. 

Google Apps for Education

About the Program

What is Google Apps for Education?

Google Apps for Education allows the Montesano School District to give Google's communication and collaboration applications to our entire education community for free. All services are hosted by Google and are available to students and staff via any internet-connected computer and many mobile devices.

Google Apps includes the following services:

  • Gmail - provides gigabytes of email storage, highly effective spam filtering and powerful search

  • Google Calendar - allows easy coordination of work or class schedules, meetings and events online

  • Google Video - online video private to a school’s domain

  • Google Docs - allows users to create and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and drawings in real-time as well as upload and share any file type.  Allows students to maintain electronic student portfolios of their work which is preserved for the entire time they are a student.

  • Google Sites - develop and customize rich websites and embed Google Docs, Google Calendars, videos, and other media – no HTML required

  • Google Groups - create mailing lists and discussion forums allowing students and teachers to  easily and efficiently sharing documents, calendars, sites, and media with specific groups

Other tools and add-ons may be made available to students in the Google Apps for Education @student.monteschools.org domain.  These tools will be reviewed and selected by the Google Apps Domain Administrators.

Who will receive a Google Apps for Education account in the Montesano School District?

Staff Members

All staff members will receive a Google Apps account.  All staff member accounts will be hosted in the @monteschools.org domain provided by the district.  The separation between the student domain (student.monteschools.org) and staff domain (monteschools.org) is intended to maintain a level of security between documents utilized by staff members and those intended for student use.

Students

Before any student is able to access a Google Apps for Education account, the Technology Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for Students must be signed, on file with the building secretary, and properly entered in the district's student information system.

Grades K - 3

Students in grades K - 3 will receive a Google Apps account upon request of a sponsoring teacher or building administrator.  

A Google Apps account will be created for students in grades K - 3 after the following requirements have been met:

  • Sponsoring staff member has sent home with each student the Student Google Apps Permission Form (Grades K-3)

  • Parent/guardian has signed and returned the Student Google Apps Permission Form (Grades K-3), granting permission for the student to use the Google Apps for Education program

  • Teacher (or other building staff member) has selected "Opt-in" within the district's student information system for that student

Grades 4 -12

Students in grades 4 -12 will receive a Google Apps for education account once they have a signed AUP on file.  Students who are receiving a Google Apps account for the first time should receive a Student Google Apps Information (Grades 4-12) form.  Parents/guardians who do not want the student to have a Google Apps account should:

  • Communicate with the student's teachers to determine the academic uses for Google Apps and the impact of not having a Google Apps account in those classes

  • Sign and return the Student Google Apps Information (Grades 4 -12), opting the student out of the Google Apps for Education program

Once the form has been returned to the building secretary (or other specified staff member at the building), that person must select "Opt-out" within the district's student information system for the account to be suspended for that student.

When am I able to opt my student in or out of the Google Apps for Education program?

A student can be opted into or out of participating in the Google Apps program at any time.  Parents/guardians always have a right to determine what is best for their student(s).  Using the process described above, a parent can opt their student into and out of the program.  Requests for opt-in/opt-out, using the Student Google Apps Permission Form (Grades K-3) or the Google Apps Information (Grades 4 -12) form, must be submitted in writing.

The decision to opt a student out of the Google Apps program may have academic implications.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to consult the student's teachers to discuss the implications of this decision and to discuss appropriate alternatives.

Does Montesano's Google Apps for Education program comply with Google's stated age restrictions?

Students under age 13 ordinarily need parent permission to have email accounts, as stated in Google's privacy policy.  However since the Google Apps for Education tools that we are using are a secure environment controlled by Montesano staff COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) allows the Montesano School District to act as the parents'/guardians' agent and approve the accounts on their behalf.  To be COPPA compliant, the Montesano School District must provide an opt out process and have done that (see above).

Will I have access to my student's Google account?

Parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate directly with their student(s) to acquire Google Apps account login information.  Each student has the ability to manage his/her Google Apps account password.

If a student is unable or unwilling to provide a password to parents/guardians, parents are encouraged to contact the Google Apps Domain Administrator (community@monteschools.org) to have the password re-assigned to allow the parent/guardian full access to the account.  

The Google Apps for Education accounts are property of the Montesano School District.  This means that content in these accounts may be accessed or searched by designated Montesano School District employees (IT Staff, Administrators, etc.) in accordance with Board Policy.

As the provider of these services, the Montesano School District has included several safety and educational features in Google Apps for Education.

  • Parents, guardians, and administrators may request access to student’s Google Apps account from a Google Apps Domain Administrators (community@monteschools.org)

  • Filters to block SPAM, viruses and inappropriate content

What happens if a student misuses their Google account?

The same expectations for acceptable use of technology (as outlined in the student Code of Conduct and Technology Acceptable Use Policy) apply to Google Apps for Education accounts.  Students who misuse their accounts will be referred to their school's administrator who will deal with any infraction on a case-by-case basis.  Administrators may choose to suspend student access to Gmail (preserving access to Docs and Sites for classroom use) or may choose to suspend a student's account privileges entirely for a length of time appropriate to the offense.  Parents will be notified should their student's account access be altered or suspended, as they would any time a building administrator makes a decision to withdraw privileges or enforce a consequence for inappropriate actions.

To report misuse or suspected misuse of a Google Apps account, it is appropriate to first contact your child's teacher or a building administrator.  

What types of safety and security measures are in place for Google Apps for Education?

Montesano School District’s Google Apps for Education complies with legal requirements for safety and security such as the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

In addition, the Montesano School District commits to the following regarding student privacy:

  • Not to publish confidential educational records (grades, student ID numbers, etc.) for public viewing on the Internet

  • To adhere to the Parent/Guardian Media Consent form and to appropriately limit public access to student work and/or photographs

  • To provide Montesano School District parents or legal guardians with the right and a method to investigate the contents of their students’ Google Apps for Education account

*The method for allowing parents to investigate the contents of their student's SDW Google Apps account is to contact the Google Apps Domain Administrators via email at community@monteschools.org.