Wildwood Middle's Notable News
Updates & Info from Dr. Lievanos
TIME SENSITIVE INFO FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS! Volunteer Form Due soon!
If you got your fingerprints taken last year, you must fill out an "Intent to Volunteer Form" by Aug 31, 2025 for those prints to be retained in the system! If you are a volunteer that's already completed the fingerprinting process, please fill out this form:
CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE FORM
For all new volunteer parents, please see the information below regarding the fingerprinting process. We appreciate all of the hours our volunteers dedicate to our schools, we couldn't do it without you!
DO YOU PLAN TO VOLUNTEER THIS YEAR?
If the answer is YES, then you MUST take action ASAP!
Anyone who may spend time alone with a student without the supervision of a staff member is considered a volunteer and is required by law to have a full fingerprint background check through the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI. This includes:
Anyone who consistently volunteers in a school and who may be alone with a student or students
School Store Volunteers
Anyone who chaperones any field trips or competitions
Instructions on how to get your fingerprint background check for Rockwood can be found on the district website HERE.
Fingerprints are only required once, but the Intent to Volunteer Form must be completed annually so that we retain your fingerprint clearance.
Rockwood employees, SSD employees in Rockwood, Community Ed staff employed by Rockwood and Rockwood substitutes are already cleared as volunteers. However, those employees still need to fill out the Intent to Volunteer Form each year prior to August 31 to let us know they plan to volunteer at their child(ren)’s school. Employees need to fill out the form using their RSD email address.
Thank you for helping to keep our school safe for students, staff and visitors. For more information about volunteering, please visit the district website HERE.
Rockwood has a new five-year strategic plan, Forward Together, that is the culmination of a yearlong process that involved student, staff, parent and community input to develop a visionary roadmap that will guide the work district staff engages in to educate and support students. It was unanimously approved by the Board of Education on June 5. Through the process, the Rockwood Promise was developed as a foundation for the strategic plan. “Everyone plays a role in supporting students,” said Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain. “Staff, families, peers and members of the greater Rockwood community all have the opportunity to influence and support our students in a positive way. The Rockwood Promise embodies who we are and who we want to be for our students. As a community, it is my hope that we will aspire individually and collectively to live up to this promise to our children, empowering them to achieve great things and contribute to our thriving community.” Learn more about the Rockwood Promise and Forward Together at forward.rsdmo.org.
NEW CELL PHONE AND PERSONAL DEVICE POLICY
As we prepare for the new school year, we want to inform you about an important update to our district policy as it relates to cell phones and personal devices. While Rockwood had already successfully piloted and had a practice in place that phones should not be seen or heard during instructional time, a new state law, Missouri Senate Bill 68, expands these regulations in all Missouri schools.
At its July 17 meeting, the Board of Education voted to approve a new policy that aligns with this state law. This means that personal devices will not be seen or heard from the start to the end of the school day.
As a result, outside of a school-designated emergency, student personal devices must remain off and out of sight during the entire school day. This updated policy will help minimize distractions and foster an even more focused learning environment for all our students.
Exceptions
The new law - and Rockwood’s policy - allows for exceptions where it is permissible for students to use their cell phones at school:
There is an emergency at school. Emergencies are defined as serious, unexpected and dangerous situations that require immediate action, including, but not limited to, an immediate safety threat to the school, fire, tornado, earthquake, an evacuation of school grounds or a medical emergency.
Health-related purposes, such as monitoring a medical device.
A specific educational purpose as approved or directed by faculty or staff.
This applies to smart watches, other personal devices
Electronic personal communications devices are defined by the law and Rockwood policy as any portable device that is used to initiate, receive, store or view communication, information, images or data electronically. This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, tablets and smart watches. Students are expected to only use their smartwatch for the purpose of keeping time and not for communication purposes during school hours.
Consequences for policy violations
We recognize that students will be adjusting to these new expectations in the first days of school. As with any policy, students will be subject to disciplinary action and may have their personal devices confiscated if they violate the policy and the law. Those consequences will be clearly communicated in this year’s updated Student Discipline and Consequences Handbook. You can help us support them by having conversations now about what will be expected.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us implement this new expanded policy and adhere to the new Missouri statute. If you need to reach your child during the school day, we ask that you contact them via email. If you need to excuse your child from school, please follow our normal procedures by contacting the school office.
Working together, we can empower our students to develop healthier and more purposeful technology habits.