Children's Privacy Policy

This Children’s Privacy Policy governs the manner in which the German School Association (Deutscher Schulverein) of Greater St. Louis, Missouri, a Missouri non-profit corporation (the “GSA”), collects, uses and discloses personal information collected from children under the age of 13 (each, a “Child”) who visit and use its www.germanschoolstl.org web site and any derivative or affiliated web sites on which this Children’s Privacy Policy is posted (collectively, the “Site”). This Children’s Privacy Policy supplements GSA’s general Privacy Policy, located at www.germanschoolstl.org/privacy_policy. Each user of the Site is referred to herein as a “User,” whether or not such User is a Child.

The GSA recognizes the need to provide additional privacy protections to Children who visit and use its Site. Additionally, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) requires that the GSA inform parents and legal guardians of Children (each, a “Parent”) about how the GSA collects, uses and discloses personal information collected from Children. COPPA additionally requires that the GSA obtain the consent of Parents before the GSA collects such personal information from Children.

The Information that the GSA Collects from Children

Children can visit, view content or use the Site without the GSA collecting any personal information.

When any person under the age of 18 wants to register for classes with the GSA, the GSA requires that they have a parent or legal guardian register on their behalf. The information that is included in materials for class registration (“Class Registration Information”) is required to be completed by an adult, and such Class Registration Information remain confidential.

The GSA actively collects the following information from Children as part of the Class Registration Information: the Child’s name, address, email address contacts, home phone number and cell phone number contacts, name of emergency contact, emergency telephone contact, and yes/no questions so that teachers can be made aware of any special situations and how best to accommodate the child in class (including whether the child has any learning disabilities, any allergies or medical conditions, any physical impairments that may require special attention by the teachers, and anything else that might impact the child’s ability to participate in class, impact others in the class, or require the special/additional attention of the instructor). The GSA collects birthdates to validate the ages of its Users so that it can determine who is a Child in order to provide additional security measures and comply with COPPA.

Please note that the GSA cannot condition a Child’s participation in an activity on such Child disclosing more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in such activity.

How the GSA Uses Information Collected from Children

The GSA will use or may use personal information collected from a Child for the following purposes: registration for classes, providing newsletters and other materials to the Child, fulfillment of the requested transaction, recordkeeping, providing promotional materials to the Child relating to the GSA’s and its related entities and trusted affiliates’ products and services, providing customer service and responding to questions regarding the Site, products or services offered on the Site, and other specific inquiries.

How and to Whom the GSA Discloses Information Collected from Children

The GSA will disclose or may disclose, transfer or share personal information collected from a Child to the following third parties: (i) to any third party that succeeds the GSA by reason of merger, consolidation, or other corporate restructuring; (ii) to any third party that purchases or otherwise acquires all or substantially all of the assets of the GSA or otherwise relating to the Site and the information collected therefrom; (iii) to any third party required or allowed by law or in order to comply with legal, judicial or governmental process, or in order to protect the rights, property or safety of a User or any other person; (iv) to any third party in order take precautions against liability, to enforce any policy or agreement of the GSA, or in order to protect the rights, property or safety of the GSA or the Site; (v) to law enforcement and other governmental agencies; (vi) to third parties engaged by the GSA specifically to handle, deliver and provide certain aspects of the Site or its operations (e.g., third parties engaged to host and operate the Site, to provide customer service functions, or to conduct contests and sweepstakes); (vii) to third parties affiliated with the GSA that offer products and services related to those offered by the GSA in order for those third parties to directly promote such related products and services; (viii) to the GSA’s parent, subsidiary and related companies. The third parties to whom the GSA discloses personal information are under no contractual obligation to maintain the confidentiality, security or integrity of such information.

Parents may consent to the GSA’s collection and internal use of their Child’s personal information while refusing to allow the GSA to disclose the personal information of their Child to third parties.

Review of the Information Collected from a Child

A Parent may, at any time refuse to permit collection by the GSA of personal information from such Parent’s Child. Additionally, a Parent may at any time request that the GSA delete any personal information about such Parent’s Child that the GSA has collected. Finally, a Parent may review the specific personal information that the GSA has collected about such Parent’s Child at any time. A Parent may request any of the foregoing by completing the form located here: http://www.germanschoolstl.org/forms/parental_request_form.pdf. and mailing it to our address below.

How Does the GSA Notify and Obtain Consent from Parents?

When any person under the age of 18 wants to register for classes with the GSA, the GSA requires that they have a parent or legal guardian register on their behalf. The Class Registration Information is required to be completed by an adult, and such Class Registration Information remain confidential.

In the event that the GSA collects personal information from a Child (not including the Class Registration Information), before collecting personal information from a Child (with the exception of the limited personal information allowed under COPPA to contact a Parent for consent), the GSA will send an email (a “Consent Email”) to the email address of a Parent provided by the Child. The Consent Email will contain a hyperlink to this Children’s Privacy Policy and a hyperlink to a consent form that the Parent may print and complete. Only when a completed consent form is returned to the GSA via mail or fax will the GSA collect personal information about a Child and allow the Child to register to use the Site. If the GSA does not receive a completed consent form within a reasonable period of time after sending the Consent Email, the GSA will delete the limited personal information collected from the Child in order to send the Consent Email.

How Will the GSA Notify Parents in the Event of Material Changes to This Children’s Privacy Policy?

The GSA reserves the right to modify or amend this Children’s Privacy Policy from time to time in its discretion. In the event that the GSA materially modifies or amends any of the provisions regarding the manner in which it collects, uses or discloses a Child’s personal information, the GSA will provide notice to the Parent of such Child utilizing the contact information for the Parent that the GSA has in its records. Each Parent should ensure that the GSA has such Parent’s current email address. The GSA will apply material changes to this Children’s Privacy Policy in conformance with COPPA and other applicable law, including any provisions thereof requiring consent from a Parent.