Social Media Posting Guidelines

  • Hickman Mills C-1 School District and its schools/programs encourage you to leave comments/questions and join in discussions on our Facebook page. We look forward to your comments and experiences that you wish to share.

    We review all comments and reserve right to edit and/or delete anything we deem as inappropriate or offensive. Comments including but not limited to the following may be hidden or deleted:

    • Abusive or hurtful comments about a person or another Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram participant
    • Off-topic and redundant comments, including promotion of events, groups, pages, Web sites, organizations and programs not related to or affiliated with the Hickman Mills C-1 School District.
    • Comments that use foul language or "hate speech" (for example, including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or gender bashing language)
    • Comments containing profanity, unlawful, hateful, threatening, and slanderous language (as determined by Hickman Mills C-1 School District).
    • Personal attacks or defamatory statements or comments (i.e., making negative personal or untrue comments about a participant), instead of just criticizing his/her posting, opinion or comments
    • Comments that violate the privacy of our students and their families

    Users who violate these guidelines may be banned from our social media pages.

    We understand that social media is a 24/7 medium. Please note that we may not see every inappropriate comment right away. As soon as a violation is seen, it will be removed. If you have any questions, please contact us at pio@hickmanmills.org.

Letter to Parents & Guardians

  • HMC-1 Parents and Guardians:

    Social media has changed the way we communicate in the 21st century, including in the educational setting.  While it provides an excellent way to communicate with parents and students, it can also be a vehicle for inappropriate behaviors.

    There have been occasions where things said/posted in the virtual world have impacted the school setting in a negative way.  At its works, posts have constituted criminal acts of bullying, harassment, or intimidation.

    We believe students' phones/electronic devices and use of social media are extensions of themselves.  Thus, students are responsible for what they post and their resulting digital footprint. Once an inappropriate remark or picture is posted, it is not easily retracted and may be available for many years. 

    While many social media posts and exchanges happen off school campus and outside school hours, the subsequent 'fallout' can have major implications when students return to school and result in a negative environment for teaching and learning.  Although internet safety is a part of our curriculum, we know this information may not be enough to dissuade our students from making risky choices.

    If a student’s behavior on social media, whether in or out of school, has a negative impact on the teaching and learning environment, HMC-1 will take appropriate action.  If these behaviors are of a threatening or dangerous nature, law enforcement will be notified. 

    We share this information not to scare you, but rather to ensure you understand the full scope of the issue and its possible consequences.  Although we provide technology device access during the school day, students and families are responsible for how any device is used when it leaves our campus. We recommend parents regularly monitor student work, activities, and computer usage on both district-issued and personal devices at home.

    Learning about safety starts at home, and we appreciate the efforts our parents take to speak with their children about the benefits and pitfalls of social media. We encourage you to have conversations about their social media profile and take appropriate steps to protect your child. 

    If you have serious concerns regarding a social media post threatening or dangerous in nature, please first call 911; then contact your school administrator.

    We encourage you to review with your child the tenets of appropriate use of social media. Here are some links that may be helpful:

    While our students may be more skilled in the use of social media platforms, the partnership of the home and school can help them use them wisely and responsibly.  The safety of our students is our highest priority. By working together, we can help promote a safe environment for our students and our schools.

    Thank you.