Students in the Waterloo Region District School Board are expected to use the Internet appropriately and are taught Digital Citizenship and the importance of practicing ethical and legal digital behaviour.

Students are expected to

  • advocate and practice safe, legal and responsible use of information and technology
  • exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity
  • demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
  • exhibit leadership for proper technology use

Students follow the Responsible Use Procedure for Information, Communication and Collaboration Technologies, which outlines the appropriate use of the Internet and defines the appropriate behaviours.

Internet filtering in the WRDSB

All students, staff and anyone accessing the internet through a WRDSB network will have their results filtered through a firewall. Internet filtering is just one piece of our strategy to help keep our students safe online, but it is not effective alone. Digital citizenship and the Responsible Use Procedure provide guidance and support for areas that cannot be controlled through internet filtering.

What about when students are learning at home?

It’s important to remember that internet filtering is only in place on WRDSB controlled networks, and not on your home network. Responsibilities regarding digital citizenship are integrated into the curriculum to help guide student usage. However, home networks are not filtered by the WRDSB. Parents, caregivers and families may wish to put website filtering tools into place at home to address this, if they deem it to be necessary and should inquire about their options with their Internet Service Provider.

Why does Google Chrome say it is “managed by WRDSB.ca”?

If you are logged into your WRDSB Google Account while using Google Chrome, it will display a message that your browser is managed by WRDSB.ca. This does not mean that your internet activity will be filtered in any way by the WRDSB, but rather, refers to the fact that your Google Chrome extensions and settings are managed centrally by the WRDSB.

Suggestions for filtering internet access at home

For parents, caregivers and families that are looking to filter internet access at home, we encourage the use of DNS Filtering. There are many services available online. These services are easy to set up and provide an additional layer of security that may be helpful.

these services are not vetted, controlled, paid for, or provided by the WRDSB. The WRDSB encourages you to do your own research when selecting internet protection services that are right for you and your family.

Devices with cellular data connections

It is also important to note that devices with cellular data connections, such as smartphones or tablets, can access the internet directly without the use of a local or WiFi network. Additional software may be required if security and internet filtering is desired on devices with a data plan.

Tech@Home

The Tech@Home website offers troubleshooting resources to support families and students experiencing technical problems at home. There are guides for both iPads and Chromebooks and the site continues to grow to support the needs of our community.