Media Consent
Grand Erie collects personal information about its students with the registration form below. This personal information is necessary to provide educational programs for Grand Erie students and to ensure a safe school environment for all students and staff.
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the Education Act give the Board legal authority to collect and use personal information for the purpose of providing a rich education experience. However, there are some ways in which we use personal information that first require parental or guidance consent. Please see the table below for examples of how we use personal information without the need for consent and how personal information will be used if we receive consent.
Where do I give my informed written consent for my child’s personal information to be used?
By reading the information sheet and then signing your name to indicate YES on the registration form, you are giving your informed written consent for your child’s personal information to be used for educational purposes in ways that make it accessible outside of the school or Board. That means that your child will have the opportunities for example, to have his/her picture, video, name, and/or work included on Board and school websites, school-related ‘good news’ stories in the newspaper, the Board’s YouTube channel or other social media site operated by the Board, published brochures, program materials, articles, student-produced online newspapers and reports on websites.
By not signing the section on the registration form, you are indicating NO and your child will not have the opportunities outlined below, but will continue to participate in classroom, school, and Board learning activities that involve photos, videos, and sharing achievements so long as their personal information is not shared outside of the school community and on Board websites.
*Please know that at any time during the school year you can change your selection by speaking with the school secretary or principal.
What are some examples of how Grand Erie will use personal information without the need for consent (regular use of student information) and how personal information will be used when written consent is given?
Examples of Regular Use of Student Information:
The Board does not need written consent in order to, for example:
- Share information with the Ontario Ministry of Education (See item #4 under Use of Information on the Registration Form)
- Use a student’s name and contact information to check on a student who is absent
- Take individual, class, team, club, or school videos/photos for use in school hallways, classrooms, etc. for school purposes (not for external uses such as websites or brochures)
- Using digital technology to connect with other classrooms and to bring guest speakers into the classroom using programs such as SKYPE
- Use a student’s name or artwork or material to be displayed at the school
- Use a student’s name on lists such as an honour roll, scholarship, or other awards within the school or Board
- Use a student’s name and academic information when the school wishes to apply for provincial and federal awards or scholarships on behalf of the student
- Use a student’s name and academic achievement information for educational planning with schools that include teachers who taught or will teach him/her
Examples of When Informed Written Consent is Needed:
The Board does need written consent in order to, for example:
- Use a student’s name, photo or video in external publications (such as a ‘good news’ story in the newspaper, published brochures, posters, a school/Board newsletters, feature articles, program materials, advertisements, or website)
- Use a student’s name and/or photos or videos in the school yearbook
- Use class, team, club, or school videos/photos that are taken within the school community on external websites or other external publications
- Use a student’s name on artwork/material to be displayed outside of the school or Board
- Allow a student to participate in interviews with reporters from a variety of media outlets and/or in research studies approved by a Board staff member
- Post photos or videos of students taken within the school community on the Board’s YouTube channel or other authorized social media networking sites operated by Board personnel only
- Any use of personal information that is accessible to the general public (i.e., released outside of the school or other Board site)
Photographs/Videos Taken by family members at school
Your child may attend or participate in school activities that are open to the general public. Some examples of these activities are sporting competitions, concerts, cultural programs, clubs, field trips, graduation or other ceremonies. Photos and videos may be taken by members of the public including parents, journalists and media reporters. The Board cannot control or prevent the further distribution or use of these photos, videos, or other personal information. However, the Board urges all school guests to protect the personal information and identity of our students. Please ask permission from parents/guardians before posting pictures/videos of their children on the internet. Our students’ safety and wellbeing is a priority for us and we all have a role to play in safeguarding children’s privacy and identity. By working together, we can create awareness and use digital technologies wisely and safely.
Contact Us
Manager of Communications and Community Relations
Office: 519-756-6301