Professionalism and discretion should be maintained in all conversations. Confidential information about school matters should only be discussed with the specific parties directly involved. Confidential information regarding children and their families should not be disclosed in the presence of non-staff members.
The use of students' family information, such as addresses, telephone numbers, emails, and places of work, is considered confidential and must only be used for contacting parents regarding their children or official school matters.
Personal phone numbers of staff members are private and considered confidential information for staff use only.
Personal information about alumni should only be disclosed by the person in charge of alumni affairs once the request has been screened as to who and why the information is requested.
No staff member is allowed to use the school database for personal reasons or for advertising any products. Confidentiality clauses are included in our employment contracts.
CNG has a data protection policy that must be consistently upheld, please review it here.
B. ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
Vacation and holidays must be scheduled with the employee’s direct supervisor in advance. Patterns of absenteeism or tardiness may result in sanctions even if the employee has not yet exhausted available time off.
Not reporting to work and not calling to report one’s absence is a no-call/no-show and is considered a serious matter.
All staff should plan to be at school for all work days scheduled on the school calendar.
Academic Staff
Academic Staff members are expected to remain on the job until the official release time for the holidays. The school does not approve academic staff requests to leave early or arrive late for personal reasons after holidays. If a staff member leaves early, this time will be deducted from their paycheck. Frequent absences or requests to be absent could affect overall evaluations. The direct supervisor needs to be advised of any special circumstance which the staff member may be facing that results in absences.
All academic staff members are expected to be at their assigned room/office from the beginning until the end of the school day with the exception of scheduled breaks, planning periods, and lunch times. Being on time in the classroom during instructional time is required. Principals, after personally giving a verbal warning, should write-up any academic staff members who arrive late to class for reasons within their control.
Teachers are assumed present unless they have advised of their absence. If there is a need to be absent, notice must be given to the school’s office personnel and/or the administrator in charge the evening before or at least one hour before the opening of school in case of emergencies. When teachers, due to unforeseen circumstances, believe they will be late to class –even one or two minutes- they should inform the corresponding school office, so that the classroom can be opened.
In the interest of the safety and security of staff and students, arrival and departure of teachers and assistants to and from campus are to be verified by each school office as deemed appropriate by each school principal.
Other Staff
All administrative staff work during the whole year complying with the school calendar. Each administrative staff member is entitled to 15 working days of vacation per year according to Colombian law. Requests are submitted to the immediate supervisor who checks to be sure there is no conflict with school needs. All requests must be sent to the Human Resources Department for final approval.
CNG staff members should project a professional image by being appropriately attired while at work or at school-related events off campus. All employees are expected to be well-groomed and wear clean clothing free of holes, tears, or other signs of wear. Clothing must be consistent with standards for a professional work environment and appropriate to the type of task being performed.
Clothing: General guidelines for proper attire include slacks/pants, sweaters, vests, blouses and collared shirts, dresses and skirts with appropriate hemlines, school hoodies, and jackets or coats. CNG does not observe Casual Fridays but rather Out-of-Dress-Code (OODC) days as marked on the annual calendar. Blue jeans and sweat/track suits may only be worn on those specified OODC days, although athletic apparel may be worn daily by P.E. and coaching staff. Appropriate slacks can include jean-like fabrics in various colors -- such as black, gray, or white, for example -- as long as the slacks do not have a discolored, ripped, or washed-out appearance. Dark-colored dress leggings of the non-workout type are considered appropriate as long as tops, sweaters, or jackets/coats are sufficiently long in length when worn. Undergarments should not be visible as part of one’s daily professional appearance. Finally, consideration should be taken to refrain from wearing clothing with designs or stamps that may be deemed offensive or inappropriate related to cultural norms or the workplace environment.
Footwear: Shoes should also reflect professional attire with dress shoes being the preferred norm. However, the use of footwear with the look of a dress sneaker, urban tennis shoe, or unsoiled running shoe may be worn during regular work days as long as the shoes are clean and well-kept. In general, shoes should be appropriate for a professional work environment and reflect high standards.
Flip-flops, crocs, and sandals are not considered proper footwear for daily use.
D. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND INTERNET USE
CNG USER ACCOUNT
Every staff member is provided with a CNG user account ( user ID and password) granting them access to any CNG computer, the Skyward Student Information System, CNG E-Mail, and the wireless network. The Human Resources department will promptly inform the Technology Department office upon hiring a new employee to ensure they receive an account.
This user account is personal and must not be shared. Account owners bear ultimate responsibility for all activities conducted under their username and password. Staff members should exercise precautions to keep this information safe and change their password regularly.
Wireless internet access is available throughout most areas of the CNG campus, both indoors and outdoors.
If an employee will not be returning for the following year, their email accounts will remain active for a duration of 30 days.
Hardware and Software
Staff members will receive the necessary equipment to perform their jobs. Classrooms are equipped with network connections (at least one wired port and wireless network access), a projection device (video beam or TV) and sound. Other equipment available (iPads, Chromebooks, document cameras, etc.) is provided according to needs assessments and plans defined for each school/area. All devices available are CNG property and should be used only for institutional purposes
Computers are equipped with the necessary software for the school’s administrative and academic work requirements. Specialty programs may be installed upon request.
It is a school policy to use only licensed software in accordance with international copyright laws. No programs should be installed without the approval of the Technology Department. At the end of the year during the vacation period, all academic staff should return their assigned laptop and/or tablet for preventive maintenance.
Student Information System
All Student information is stored and managed through an SIS program, which includes both academic information as well as demographic information (names of parents, telephone numbers, etc.). Administrators and staff are given access to student record information on a need-to-know basis.
Student records are strictly confidential and must only be used for school-related purposes according to the School’s Privacy Policy and in compliance with Law 1581 of 2012 and supplemental regulations. Accessing student records without approval, using the information for matters not related to school’s official business, and/or disclosing information to third parties are not acceptable and violators will be subject to disciplinary action.
Printing and Photocopying Services
Printing and photocopying services at CNG are currently outsourced. Each staff member will be given a printing code to release prints and or photocopy documents on the self-service machines installed throughout campus. There are also two copy centers where teachers can request large and/or special orders.
Good judgment should be used when printing and making copies; avoid waste and try to conserve consumable resources.
Responsible Use Of Technology Equipment
CNG equipment may be temporarily borrowed or permanently assigned for CNG activities. A database system is used to document equipment assignments to members of staff.
Laptops and or iPads issued to individuals may be taken off campus. Other equipment for use in the classroom such as class sets of ipads, laptops, chromebooks, apple TV’s, projectors, document cameras, speakers, video cameras, or other classroom equipment should not be taken off campus without authorization. Requests to take CNG equipment off school grounds should be directed to the Technology and Security offices. A form will be provided for release of equipment. Staff members may be liable for the equipment and may be required to reimburse the school if the equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged while in the staff member’s possession according to the guidelines in the “Staff Liability for School Equipment Policy”. See Annex 4.
E. CNG ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP) FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT)
Statement of Vision, Philosophy and Framework
CNG believes that today’s students need to be safe and proficient users of technology, information and media, and that the use of electronic resources is an integral and powerful means for students to learn subject content and skills. Therefore, CNG provides access to electronic resources and ample opportunity for students to use tools that enhance the educational process, on-line communication, and a student’s ability to live, work, and learn in the 21st century.
Our goal is to provide a safe learning environment for students to be able to find, retrieve, manage, create, share, and publish informational resources, while protecting confidential information, their privacy and rights as well as those of other computer users.
Anyone having access to electronic resources at CNG is expected to use these resources in a responsible, ethical, and polite manner. CNG emails accounts must be respected and avoid potentially charged issues related to controversial topics, including political issues that might have differences of opinion among our community. General good behavior rules apply, just as they apply in other areas of the school and students are expected to follow the guidelines set up in the CNG Code of Honor and Disciplinary Policy.
Since network and internet access is provided as a tool for educational and institutional purposes, the school reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review, and store information at any time and without prior notice for any and all usage of the school’s electronic resources and online communication.
The purpose of this document is to assist members of the community in the use of all school Information and Communications Technology resources to ensure safety, good manners, appropriateness, responsibility, and honesty in line with the vision and mission of CNG. Student safety and children's rights are paramount and will have priority over any other consideration regarding the use of ICT resources in the school and for school purposes.
Best Practices for the use of CNG ICT Resources
The following questions should assist community members in determining best practices:
Is my use of school ICT resources aligned with educational needs?
Do I verify who has access to the content I share or publish?
Am I using an institutional tool or is there sufficient justification for choosing a different one?
Am I respecting the rules/terms of use of the resources that I am using?
Have I planned and booked or ensured the availability of the ICT resources that I will require?
Is my use of the resources equitable/fair with other members of the community?
Am I considering Academic Dishonesty when accessing or using information from the ICT resources of the school?
Have I evaluated potential risks (safety, appropriateness, ethics) of the use of the equipment/information/content with my intended audience?
What information or resources would a person have access to if I don’t secure access to my accounts? (insecure passwords, computers/ devices that are left logged in, etc.)
Am I knowledgeable of the characteristics of the ICT resources that I intend to use?
Have I reported any problems with the ICT resources or noncompliance with the AUP guidelines?
Is my use of the ICT resources of the school responsible in terms of our environment?
Guidelines for Acceptable Use
Access media that is focused on learning and fitting for the academic environment
Only use school ICT resources for educational purposes.Share only information, images, or materials that does not put any member of the community at risk; share no more information than needed.
Inquire about the institutional ICT resources available for the specific need you have.
Be knowledgeable and respectful of the terms of agreement of any resources you are using. This includes software license terms as well as rules for booking, using, and returning school equipment.
Plan the use of the ICT resources to ensure they are available and will work according to your needs. (Reserve resources, check the links, verify sites are not blocked, test the tool you want to use, etc.)
Consider the impact of your use of shared ICT resources on other members of the community. (Impact on bandwidth, availability of equipment for others, size of the files sent by email or published for download, etc.).
Verify that appropriate referencing of the information used is available and respects copyright issues.
Use secure passwords and always login as yourself. Respect confidentiality of the information you have access to.
Seek information on the use of the tools you will require either directly or from the specialist who can provide support.
Be aware of AUP guidelines and report any issues that are not in accordance with the policy. Follow the proper channels to report any problems with ICT resources.
Do your best to preserve the consumable resources by limiting printing or turning off equipment when not in use (computers and projectors for example).
Unacceptable Uses of ICT Resources
Unacceptable uses of school ICT resources include but are not limited to the following areas and descriptors.
Behavior
Copyright infringement is not tolerated. Material should be used only for personal, legal use. Unapproved duplication and distribution of materials is not allowed and neither is piracy, for example..
Academic Dishonesty including plagiarism, collusion, and fraud are not allowed.
Disregard for “Netiquette” will have consequences.
Contravening the “Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media” policy for staff members is not tolerated.
Violating Terms of Service in any way for software, hardware, and online services used is not allowed. This includes following age restrictions, parental consent, distribution, duration of licenses, etc.
Using school ICT resources for any commercial purposes, private advertising, gambling, gaming, trading, pornography, etc is not permitted.
Using any resources in relation with or in support of illegal activities is not tolerated.
Attempting to harm or destroy school equipment, materials, or data will not be permitted. In addition, all community members should seek to treat shared equipment in a responsible and respectful manner, returning checked out items in the same (or better) condition.
Attempting to degrade or disrupt the school’s system performance is not allowed.
Tampering with or stealing components of school equipment or systems will not be tolerated.
Illegal or inappropriate access to Skyward and other CNG technology systems which store and warehouse student and family information will not be tolerated.
Security
Sharing or publication of sensitive or confidential information such as, but not limited to, home addresses, phone numbers, or birthdates is not permitted.
Creation or distribution of Malware will not be tolerated.
Accessing data or accounts of another user, or tampering, deleting, renaming, moving, or making unusable anyone else’s files, equipment, or programs will not be tolerated.
Impersonating someone else is not allowed. This includes taking advantage of devices which have not been correctly “logged out” by the user who has signed in.
Disclosing personal passwords or allowing others to make use of network access privileges to gain access to resources or information to which they would otherwise be denied is not tolerated.
Installing or running any software on the school equipment or network without authorization from the network administrators is not permitted.
Using proxies to bypass school internet filtering, or using software or hardware that may compromise the security of other CNG systems will not be tolerated.
Any form of unauthorized or illegal access into CNG ICT will not be tolerated.
Content
Accessing, submitting, posting, publishing, or displaying any inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually-oriented, threatening, racially/ethnically offensive, harassing, bullying, disrespectful, sexually explicit, sexting, or illegal material is not tolerated. Please see CNG Code of Honor and Disciplinary Guidelines for further information.
Posting pictures, videos, or other recordings of another person, without their or their legal guardians’ consent is not permitted.
Posting material authored or created by another without his/her consent is not allowed.
Publishing content that negatively affects the name of the school or any of its members is not tolerated.
Distributing unsolicited junk mail, chain letters, advertisements, or political propaganda is not allowed.
Legal Implications
CNG reserves the right to deny, revoke, or suspend user privileges and/or take other disciplinary action for violations of these guidelines. Disciplinary action may include suspension or expulsion for students and dismissal for staff. The violation of these norms and policy is considered a grave offense as stated in the Code of Honor. Actions that may be regarded as criminal activities may be reported to authorities.
Warnings
In order to protect students against unacceptable web content, CNG uses web filtering technology and makes every effort to limit access to objectionable material. However, no web filtering technology is 100% safe and, on a global network, it is impossible to control all materials. We encourage parents to discuss acceptable use of ICT with their children consistent with the parameters of this document.
Once photographs, student names and other identifying information or student work are released in any public forum, CNG cannot control or prevent the further distribution or use of the material by those who access the information.
Student work and information that is published electronically on the web will follow the Student Work Parent Consent Form which is signed by parents each year. (See Annex 3 and 4)
General Guidelines
Student Safety: neither students nor staff may post personal information such as home addresses and personal phone numbers on public domains. Student pictures and/or work may be included on the internet only when the site is password protected.
Network Protection (passwords): user accounts are provided for each user’s personal use and therefore, account login information (username and password) is confidential. Never share, steal, or use another person’s login information.
If you suspect that someone has discovered your password, you should change it immediately and notify the Technology Department.
Use strong passwords consisting of a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
Privacy: since network and internet access is provided as a tool for educational and institutional purposes, the school reserves the right to monitor, inspect, copy, review, and store at any time and without prior notice any and all usage of the school’s electronic resources and online communications.
Online Etiquette: follow the guidelines of accepted behaviors within the school handbook.
Use appropriate language and graphics. Swearing, vulgarity, suggestive, obscene, belligerent, harassing, threatening or abusive language of any kind is not acceptable.
Messaging/Blogging/Podcasting: teachers may incorporate online communications such as email, blogs, podcasts, virtual learning environments and other web 2.0 applications for educational purposes. Although teachers monitor student online activity, it is the direct responsibility of the users to comply with this acceptable use policy.
Whether at home or in school, any speech that is considered inappropriate in the classroom is also inappropriate in any type of online communication.
Plagiarism/Copyrights/Licensing: when using the internet in academic assignments, students are required to give proper credit to the sources used. This is valid whether the information used is in text format, images, movies or music. Plagiarism of internet resources will be treated in the same manner as any other incidents of plagiarism.
According to copyright laws and as an institutional policy, the computers in the school will only use licensed software. Users are not allowed to download or install software without permission of the Information Systems Office.
Proxies/VPN: the use of anonymous proxies or VPN to get around content filtering is strictly prohibited and is a direct violation of this agreement.
Illegal Activities: use of the network for any illegal activities is prohibited. Illegal activities include but are not limited to:
Tampering with computer hardware or software
Software piracy
Unauthorized entry into computers and files (hacking)
Vandalism or destruction of equipment
Deletion of someone else’s computer files
Uploading or creating computer viruses
Distribution of obscene or pornographic materials
Sexting
Impersonating users or making unauthorized use of other user accounts
The school will fully cooperate with authorities in any investigations related to illegal activities carried out over the school’s electronic resources. The financial and legal consequences of such actions are the responsibility of the user (staff, volunteer, student or student parents or guardians).
F. PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA SERVICES
Use of CNG Visual Identity
The school’s name - Colegio Nueva Granada - its logo and emblem are legally registered and, therefore, protected by Colombian law. The school’s name, logo, letterhead stationery, and emblem may be used only for official business authorized by the school. The school emblem is only used for matters that officially represent the school, such as diplomas, institutional events, institutional advertisements, official documents of the Board of Directors or the Director, among others. The school must be properly identified with name and/or logo in all correspondence, promotional materials, paper and digital publications, AV productions, objects, and any other way of representing the school.
The use of colors and symbols must always comply with the CNG Visual Identity Guidelines.
G. CNG WEB PAGE
We adhere to very strict rules and guidelines with regards to publishing on our website. If your job description requires you to upload any content on our school’s webpage, please read our CNG Web Publishing Guidelines available at the Publications Office.
H. TUTORING POLICY FOR CNG FACULTY AND STAFF
CNG regulates this activity, but tutoring is an independent activity, paid directly by parents/legal guardians.
Teachers and staff members are allowed to provide individual or small-group instruction or learning assistance to students outside regular class time. The policy statement outlined below serves to define conditions for tutoring to ensure that internal procedures are clearly established and in the best interest of all involved parties.
As per professional standards of ethical practice, * CNG employees may not accept a referral or work as counselors, life coaches, or therapists, in private practice, with CNG students/families. Exceptional cases will be formally reviewed by selected members of the Admin Council.
CNG employees may provide academic tutoring to CNG students they are not teaching in the academic school year.
Condition for Tutoring:
Administration at each respective building level should be made aware of all private tutoring arrangements of their staff members.
The current classroom teacher of the student should be informed in writing if a member of staff is tutoring the child on a private arrangement. This notice will ensure better continuity and planning for both staff members.
The child must not be enrolled in the teacher’s current class to avoid conflict of interest.
All planning and preparation for private tutoring and tutoring must occur outside regular contractual hours (i.e., before 7:00 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m.).
Tutoring should not take place on school premises during school holidays or vacation periods.
The School premises may not be used for the private tutoring of children not attending CNG as this presents liability issues for the school.
School resources may only be used with prior consent from administration. All resources must remain on the school premises, at all times.
Photocopying for private tutoring must be paid for on a personal basis by the tutor.
All invoicing/payment for tutoring services must be handled between the teacher and parent.
All applicable school policies should be adhered to when tutoring on and off campus (i.e., health and safety, professional conduct, and confidentiality to preserve student rights).
Even though tutoring reflects a private arrangement between a family and a teacher, it is important that tutoring sessions reflect the same high standards of regular instruction at school.
CNG encourages teachers who are asked to tutor and may believe that parents have unreasonable expectations for the tutoring process to have conversations with the principal of the building level of the child to ensure that accepting the tutoring job will not implicate the teacher or school negatively.
The school prohibits the tutoring of children in preparation for the admission to CNG at one’s own grade (i.e., a K5 teacher tutoring a K5 applicant) or if the teacher/staff member is involved in the testing process at CNG (e.g., an ES counselor or LC staff member).
The child must not be in the teacher’s current class or service area to avoid any potential conflict of interest. In addition, a teacher or support staff member cannot tutor a child in any way that would supplant/replace services normally available as part of the CNG program such as learning support services or advanced programs.
I. PERSONNEL RECORDS
All employee files are maintained by the Human Resources Department and are considered confidential.
A supervisor may only have access to personnel file information on a need-to-know basis.
Personnel file access by current employees can be permitted as per a written request by the employee to the Human Resources Department.
Personnel files may not be taken outside the Human Resources Department.
J. PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION
CNG regards personal data as highly confidential. For more information, please see the Privacy Policy on our CNG webpage.
K. ACCESS TO CAMPUS GROUNDS
CNG campus is open for faculty/staff, students, and families during regular school days and on Saturdays until 1:00 PM. If you plan to access the campus on Saturday morning, you must inform the Security Office in advance. You need to email the Chief Security Office and provide the names of the people planning to access campus by Thursday noon so your request can be processed.
When on campus during Saturday morning, please:
Remain on the PS and ES playground and courts. Do not enter classrooms or other buildings.
Pick up all garbage and place it in the trash cans.
Depart by 1:00 pm.
In the case of a major event (e.g. CNG Bazar, CNG Color Run) access will be allowed only to people who have the corresponding ticket.
Access to campus on Saturday afternoon and Sunday will be limited to special circumstances or events, which will require previous authorization from building administration, the Chief of Security, and the Health Zone, since personnel would need to be on-call as part of CNG’s health and safety protocols.
CNG parents/guardians and employees can access campus with their respective children over the weekend if previously requested and approved by the Security Office. Guests are also welcome to access campus if approved by the Security Office.
No one-to-one tutoring is allowed on campus on Saturdays after 1:00 p.m. or on Sundays due to Child Protection requirements.
Access during the breaks:
By Colombian regulations, during the summer break in which the academic staff finished the contract and has not started the new one, they cannot enter the School facilities. Administrative staff cannot access the campus either while on vacations.
As per CNG policy, no access to campus will be granted during the breaks.
L. EMPLOYEE ID BADGES
Every CNG employee is expected to wear their Employee ID Badge at all times on Campus. The Security Office is responsible for issuing these badges. If you lose your badge, please report it immediately to the Security Office via Email to: jdvasquez@cng.edu & angie.zabala@cng.edu
Every replacement badge has a cost that must be assumed by the employee and should be paid for at the cashier’s office located in the Administration Building.
M. WITHDRAWALS AND LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
As part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our processes within the school, the Admissions Office has created the following guidelines for teachers and staff in regard to withdrawing students and for students requesting letters of recommendation. We also want to avoid having families leaving owing books, musical instruments and/or money.
If a teacher or an administrator receives a request for a recommendation or a notification of withdrawal, please send the family to the Admissions office and let us know. withdrawals@cng.edu or call at 2123511 Ext. 310
Recommendations are centralized through the Admissions office. The Admissions office will be responsible for coordinating all recommendation requests and for distributing them.
The Admissions office will receive the requests for recommendations for families and will notify the teacher/principal/counselor of the request in writing.
Upon receipt of request for transcripts, recommendations, etc, the school has 10 working days to process and send all requests to the school the family is applying to.
Recommendations must be sent back to the Admissions office. Under no circumstances will the parents receive recommendations directly from the teacher.
The Admissions office will send recommendations directly to the school the families are applying to.
Transcripts can only be handed to parents that bring a statement of account (Paz y Salvo) from the Bursar’s office.
The Admissions office will provide parents with a copy of the Withdrawal or Temporary Withdrawal form.
The form must be signed before any withdrawal actions take place.
The Admissions office keeps track of all families who have let us know they will leave and of those families who might leave.
If teachers have any questions about this process, please contact the Admissions office and/or your building level Principal.