Message from SWSS Administration

Dear Colleagues

In an effort to create a dynamic element to improve the image and rebranding of SWSS, the school's Administration requested the services of the IT teachers, ICT Technical Officer and other valuable members of staff to form the SWSS IT Team. Subsequently, the IT Team has formed a special team known as the Media Team, specifically tasked to create and manage the school's online presence. It is not an easy task to recreate the image of SWSS, but we all need to share this vision and make it a reality.

Since then, the Media Team has created the school's Website and the SWSS YouTube channel to reflect the school's vision, mission and present our new story. We all need to actively partake in rebranding our school's image. We encourage all internal stakeholders to create digital content that emphasises our school values, talents, achievements and meaningful experiences. Let us make a professional appearance and promote a positive and progressive school spirit.

SWSS reputation depends on the right choices and decisions made in every forum every day. Therefore, clear guidelines for postings are needed to model good digital citizenship for parents, students and visitors to SWSS media.

The SWSS Administration has commissioned the Media Team of Siparia West Secondary with the roles and responsibilities outlined in the guideline document related to the school's Website and YouTube channel.

Yours respectfully

Administration

Purpose

This guideline document serves to provide staff, students, parents and visitors to our stated social media platforms, in particular the school’s website at www.sipariawestsec.edu.tt and the school’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/sipariawestsecondaryschool, also addressed at

www.youtube.com/channel/UCwyXejjbM89dWO0tMSymqMw with

• The role of the Media Team

• The responsibilities of the Media Team

• The role of SWSS content creators

• Standards for curriculum and promotional content

The Media Team

• The Media Team members consist of the Principal, Vice-Principal (Curriculum), Vice-Principal (Discipline), and special voluntary members of the SWSS IT Team.

• While the Media Team comprises members of the SWSS IT Team, a clear distinction is made between persons belonging to the SWSS IT Team and Media Team.

• The Media Team members are the ONLY persons authorised to access, operate and hold passwords for the SWSS YouTube Channel.

• Persons making enquiries or seeking assistance must send all correspondence to the Media Team at sipariaw@gmail.com.

• Only the Media Team can authorise someone to represent and act on its behalf.

Role of the Media Team

With regard to SWSS Website, the Media Team will

1. Manage, review and participate in decisions relevant to the care, maintenance and support of the school’s online presence.

2. Take appropriate action to remediate any actions, behaviour, or content that does not adhere to school website guidelines and best practices.

3. Ensure that any issues related to staff member or student privacy or security are addressed immediately.

4. Reserves the right to determine what is published/not published.

5. Create, design, develop and maintain the school’s website.

6. Create, design, develop, select and maintain content for the school’s website.

7. Oversee and approve ALL content posted on the various web pages.

8. Ensure that content creators produce original work free from copyright infringement.

Please note: After content is created for the school, it becomes the property of the school - not the content creator. The creator can be credited for the work created but can no longer claim it.

9. Ensure that the website adheres to school policies and provides relevant and accurate information to its user community.

With regard to SWSS YouTube Channel, the Media Team will

1. Create, maintain and update the school’s YouTube channel

2. Follow best practice as it relates to YouTube channels, that is, to adhere to or be guided by YouTube rules and policies. For more details, visit https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/copyright/

3. Guide, oversee and support the work of the school’s digital content creators

4. Ensure that the material uploaded is free from copyright infringements

5. Ensure the school’s YouTube channel contains age-appropriate and school-related material

6. Ensure the YouTube channel disseminates information and material that will reflect a positive image of the school

With regard to SWSStv

In this regard, SWSStv is considered a subsidiary of the SWSS Website and YouTube Channel and is bound by the guidelines as outlined for both entities as applicable.

Responsibilities of the Media Team

The SWSS Media Team reserves the right to

1. Advise staff members who are the Media Team’s point person(s) or representative(s) to articulate ideas that are suitable and appropriate for creating content or employing our services

2. Advise content creators as to the standards that are expected to be maintained

3. Edit content created by content creators with approval to adhere to standards set

4. Remove, refuse or reject content that violates the set standards.

5. Ensure that only authorized members of the IT Team have access to passwords to relevant platforms, in particular the school’s website editor and YouTube studio.

6. Determine, in conjunction with Administration, what is published/not published on each platform.

7. Review and make changes to the Guidelines at any time and such changes will be effective immediately when posted. Please check the Guidelines regularly to ensure you are familiar with the current version.

IMPORTANTLY, the Media Team is NOT RESPONSIBLE for:

1. Hosting live sessions for departments, committees or groups

2. Creating digital content for departments, committees or groups

3. Creating video productions for in-house functions of departments, committees or groups

4. Any content bearing the school’s name or logo uploaded to any social media platform outside of these guidelines

SWSS Content Creators

SWSS content creator(s), hereon, referred to as content creator(s) is any person(s) or group(s) charged with the responsibility of producing content on the school's behalf to be posted on the school's Website or YouTube channel.

Content Standards

1. All official SWSS-related content in the form of recordings (live or pre-recorded) MUST be posted on the SWSS YouTube channel, unless otherwise stated by the Media Team.

2. No other online service shall bear the school logo, school name and or insignia or any part thereof without the approval of the Media Team.

3. Content creators must send ALL content to the Media Team at least 48 hours before the scheduled publishing time. This should allow sufficient time for edits and corrections, if needed.

4. Content creators MUST ensure that audio and audio-visual recordings are sent using the following formats

   1. 1. audio ONLY recordings - mp3 format

      2. video productions - mp4 format

Large files can be uploaded to a cloud storage service and shared with or the link emailed to sipariaw@gmail.com. Acceptable storage platforms include

• OneDrive

• Google Drive

• DropBox

Ensure that permissions are set for the Media Team to access the file. The Media Team will NOT accept a YouTube link as a final submission.

5. Content creators are encouraged to create original content (including music, videos, presentations and artwork) to avoid copyright violations. Original, in this context, means teacher-created or student-created curriculum and promotional content.

6. Content creators MUST seek parental or guardian permission before using images and videos which show students or minors in their production.

7. Content creators MUST NOT include private information or contact details about students or minors in their content.

8. Content creators MUST NOT state or use any information that may identify a person without his/her permission in their content.

9. In extenuating cases where the use of copyrighted material (background music, music, videos, etc) is necessary, content creators should first seek the advice and approval of the Media Team. The Media Team will address each item on a case by case basis. Therefore, it is advisable that content creators allow sufficient time to seek approvals before their final edits and production.

10. Content creators are advised to use the sample documents when seeking relevant permissions to use copyrighted material.

11. Where approvals were granted by copyright owners and the Media Team, content should include attributions, in APA or MLA, to the copyright owners in their production. See a guide here, https://youtu.be/FGyA0MtKDuA

12. The Media Team has the right to refuse and remove any content falsely claimed or bears any resemblance or part thereof to copyrighted material.

13. The Media Team discourages staff from deviating from the formal mode of dissemination of information stated in this document.

Suggested Guide Seeking Permission to Use Copyrighted Material

The Media Team strongly encourages staff and students to produce original work. However, only if it is challenging to create the required content, staff members MUST seek permission to use copyrighted material.

In the communication, a staff member or an approved-representative should

1. Identify the OWNER of the copyright. The owner of a copyright may not be the same as the writer or composer.

2. Use your MOE assigned email (fac.edu.tt) in all correspondence to seek permission

3. Identify yourself (provide your full name)

4. Identify your connection to Siparia West Secondary School (position/job title held at the school)

5. Identify the specific content you are seeking permission to use (eg provide the specific link of the content to the owner)

6. Give reason why you are requesting permission or explain how it will be used (e.g. theme song for your video production, soundtrack for a pre-recorded school programme)

7. Provide where it will be shared (in particular, the school’s YouTube channel or the school's website)

8. Indicate that there is no intention to “monetize” the owner’s creation/ work

9. Close your letter with polite thanks for their consideration, and express your enthusiasm for their work

10. Ask the copyright holder to either send you a formal agreement or write a letter to you giving you permission to use the copyrighted work

11. If permission is granted by the owner to use his/her content, a copy of the correspondence (request and response explicitly stated) MUST be emailed to sipariaw@gmail.com.

Sample Documents

Sample letter seeking permission to use copyrighted material

https://bit.ly/3zgzLv6

Sample letter seeking parental/guardian permission to use student or minor images

It is an absolute MUST that we seek parental/guardian permission to use student or minor images on our social media platforms.

https://bit.ly/3ixfafV (handwritten and manually signed)

https://bit.ly/3pFsUHl (download and fill)

DISCLAIMER

The Media Team is in no way associated or bear responsibility for any other social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or any other that currently use the school’s name, logo, insignia or any part thereof, operating outside the official media platforms as stated in these guidelines. However, we acknowledge that staff members communicate via a Whatsapp group named SWSS Staff.

The information on the school’s website is provided free-of-charge, and you acknowledge that it would be unreasonable to hold us liable in respect of this website and the information on this website.

Whilst we endeavour to ensure that the information on this website is correct, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy; nor do we commit to ensuring that the website remains available or that the material on this website is kept up-to-date.

References

Cooper, J. (2021). Great Video Content to Put on Your School Youtube Channel. Campussuite.com. Retrieved from https://www.campussuite.com/blog/great-video-content-put-school-youtube-channel.

Ghouralal, D. (2020). Parental consent needed to share children’s photos on social media | Loop Trinidad & Tobago News. Loop. Retrieved from https://tt.loopnews.com/content/parental-consent-needed-share-childrens-photos-social-media.

Google. (2021). What is a Content ID claim? - YouTube Help. Support.google.com. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6013276.

Johnston, K. (2021). How to Write a Letter to a Music Company for Copyright Permission. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/write-letter-music-company-copyright-permission-61389.html.

Nga. (2021). Legal obligations | Information that schools and academies should publish online - National Governance Association. Nga.org.uk. Retrieved from https://www.nga.org.uk/Knowledge-Centre/Compliance/Legal-obligations/Information-that-must-be-on-your-school-website.aspx.

News.gov.tt. (2021). Misuse of Children's images and protection of their rights | Trinidad and Tobago Government News. News.gov.tt. Retrieved from http://www.news.gov.tt/content/misuse-childrens-images-and-protection-their-rights#.YKoS_KhKi8l.

Seattle Schools. (2021). School Sites - Roles and Responsibilities. Seattleschools.org. Retrieved from https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/dots/support_training_forms/website_training/school_sites_-_roles_and_responsibilities.

The University of the West Indies. (2015). UWI Web Policy. Open.uwi.edu. Retrieved from https://www.open.uwi.edu/sites/default/files/uwi-web-policy.pdf.

The University of the West Indies. (2016). Brand Identity Guidelines. Sta.uwi.edu. Retrieved from https://sta.uwi.edu/resources/policies/uwistylemanual.pdf.

Virtual High School. (2015). How to cite YouTube videos [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/FGyA0MtKDuA.

Westcourt. (2021). Our Website Policy | Westcourt Primary & Nursery School. Westcourt.kent.sch.uk. Retrieved from https://www.westcourt.kent.sch.uk/our-website-policy/.

YouTube. (2021). YouTube copyright and fair use policies - How YouTube works. YouTube copyright and fair use policies - How YouTube Works. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/copyright/.

This document is the property of Siparia West Secondary School. ©