Protection of Privacy Act
Medicine Hat Public School Division (MHPSD) is dedicated to complying with all applicable data privacy laws and regulations, including the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).
We believe in transparency and accountability in our data handling practices and strive to maintain the highest standards of data privacy and protection.
POPA provides all individuals with the right to privacy and requires MHPSD to take reasonable measures to protect against any unauthorized collection, use, or disclosure of personal information. Under POPA, personal information is defined as any recorded information about an identifiable individual, including, but not limited to, an individual’s name, address, age, educational history, identifying number, and medical history. In this digital era, the use of technology has become an essential part of todays learning environment. In order to facilitate your child's learning, we appreciate your consideration for the following consents:
Media Consent
Medicine Hat Public School Division presently enjoys and encourages an open and beneficial relationship with the print (i.e. newspapers, etc.) and broadcast (i.e. television, radio, etc.) media as a means of promoting and reporting on school activities. Typically these activities would include, but are not limited to:
- Students working in a classroom or other educational setting (possibly off campus)
- Students participating in extra and co-curricular activities
- Students playing or socializing during recess or noon hour
To permit this relationship to continue we require parental consent to have the media interview, photograph and/or videotape your son/daughter as they participate in school activities.
Please note that this consent shall remain in place from year to year, unless explicitly revoked by the signatory and will be reviewed yearly on the Annual Student Demographic Update form.
Copyright release
As part of a student’s educational program, they may be recorded, have their work displayed or have their work reproduced for nonprofit, educational purposes. Their production(s)/work(s) may be shown at educational displays during open houses, in-service sessions and other school-related activities at school or MHPSD sites, or at school or MHPSD sponsored displays in the community, public venues, for advertising purposes on signs, billboards, etc and on the Internet where the general public may have access. Please note that this consent shall remain in place from year to year, unless explicitly revoked by the signatory and will be reviewed yearly on the Annual Student Demographic Update form.
Disclosure of Personal Information Consent
Once records of my child are in the public domain, by definition, they are out of control of the Division. I accept the risk of placing recordings of my child on the Internet and on public media outlets.
By selecting consent granted option in this section, I consent to the disclosure of personal information by posting it to any of the schools’ interior or exterior digital signs/monitors, in print, on schools’ and MHPSD websites, at public venues and on the Internet where the general public has access. This consent applies to the items below:
- Student personal information (e.g. image, grade and/or name)
- Awards, scholarships, prizes received by student
Your child’s personal information may be used in the following ways by the school and the School Division. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Posting images, videos, podcasts, audio and online presentations for public consumption
- Accessing and posting information to public websites or social media applications (examples include: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
- Advertising/promotional materials and signage for the school and MHPSD
Please note that this consent shall remain in place from year to year, unless explicitly revoked by the signatory and will be reviewed yearly on the Annual Student Demographic Update form.
Communication Consent
Electronic communications include email, Edsby, voicemail, voice and text messages. By selecting consent granted option in this section, I give my consent to receive the following types of communications:
- News stories on Edsby
- School newsletters and publications
- Ad hoc school updates regarding school activities — both fundraising and non-fundraising activities
- School programs — including information regarding new or existing programs, notices of school start up and registrations
- Hour Zero emergency alerts, school bus transportation updates, cancellations, closures, etc.
I understand that I can request to be removed from the electronic communications list at any time by contacting my child's school. I understand that the impact of being removed from this list means that I will only receive direct communication from the school as it relates to my child.
Google apps for education
Your child's school has access to Google Apps for Education including Division approved 3rd party applications and extensions. Google Apps gives students and teachers a range of online tools to enrich communication, content creation, and collaboration. When students register in a Medicine Hat Public School Division school, they are provided with a login ID and password that allows them to access online tools such as student Gmail and other Google Apps tools.
About “Google Apps for Education”:
Medicine Hat Public School Division provides access to, and manages, Google Apps for Education accounts for staff and students in the Division. These online applications allow staff & students to communicate and collaborate using Google powered email, calendars, document sharing, and websites. These applications are different from public Google applications (such as Gmail) in that they are managed by the Division, do not include any advertising, and have more strict filtering and content controls. See (http://goo.gl/Je3g2) for detailed information about privacy and Google Apps (with thanks to Edmonton Public Schools).
Where is the data stored?
Sensitive student data (student attendance, schedule, grades, etc.) are stored in PowerSchool (School Division) file servers. Student files (e.g. essays, presentations, email, etc.) are stored on Google’s servers outside of the Division (in the USA). The personal information in the custody of MHPSD is considered private, is treated with confidentiality, and is kept secure.
What information and resources are parents and students able to access through Google Apps?
Students will have access to their student work, calendars, and collaborative tools to create documents, presentations, and sites whenever they have access to the Internet - at any time, from most types of devices. Students can maintain access to their email, files, and websites as they move from grade to grade and from school to school.
By providing my consent for this, I/we:
- Consent to allowing our child to access and utilize the GAFE resources as described above.
- Understand that the Google website is under the direct control of Google, as such the School Division cannot guarantee the privacy of any documents or videos that your child stores on these sites. I accept this risk.
Please note that this consent shall remain in place from year to year, unless explicitly revoked by the signatory and reviewed yearly on the Annual Student Demographic Update form.