Frequently Asked Questions

In cold weather, children who are improperly clothed should not be allowed outside. With warm weather, running should be limited and water/shade available for students. These guidelines are not the same as MSHSAA for after-school outdoor activities. They are recommendations from the Rockwood School District's consulting physician with input from district administrators.

Head lice are common among school-aged children and carry no illness or disease, but they are a nuisance. Contact your primary health care provider for their advice. Many over-the-counter preparations are available, but there are also prescription options. Check everyone in your family for infestation. Please do let your school nurse and parents of all close friends know so they can be on the lookout and check their own children. Your child may return to school once they have been treated but do check in with the school nurse. For more information, please visit the CDC Head Lice information page.

Cough drops contain an active ingredient and therefore are considered an over-the-counter medication. Parent permission and physician orders must be on file for students to be allowed this medication.

While we encourage students to attend school whenever possible, we do realize that at times, we all get sick. To reduce the spread of illness in our schools, we require students who are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea to stay home. We also expect any student with a fever of 100°F or higher to stay home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours or more, without the use of medication to reduce the fever. Any unknown rashes are also a reason to stay home and consult your physician. A student with a typical cold may come to school, although we encourage you to reinforce good hand washing and respiratory etiquette.

We require a physical at initial enrollment and again upon entry to 6th grade for all students. Our physical education program involves activity for the students and a physical is our way of assuring students are able to participate in such activities, as well as recess for our elementary students. Routine adolescent immunizations may also be required for continued school attendance, hence the physical requirement at the 6th grade level.

The state requires schools to collect and report immunization data on all students enrolled in Rockwood. All students are to be fully immunized (according to the state guidelines) or properly exempted, which is allowed only for religious and medical reasons, once a child reaches school age. See the full State Statute. For information on religious exemptions, contact the St. Louis County Department of Health or St. Louis City Department of Health. For information on medical exemptions, contact your primary health care provider, or specialist.

Per state law, any child may carry and administer emergency, life-saving medications. This typically includes albuterol inhalers (for asthmatics) and epinephrine auto-injectors (for severe allergic reactions). At the elementary level, we encourage students to leave these medications with the nurse or have them strategically located throughout the building. As students mature, we do encourage them to begin to carry their medication. Please check with your school nurse for requirements to do so.

High school students may also carry medication such as ibuprofen, but again, we require proper paperwork in place to allow this. Students may not carry any controlled substances.

Our registered nurses act according to the Missouri Nurse Practice Act, and as a requirement, may only give medication when ordered by a physician.

All foods provided to students must be commercially prepared, include a full ingredient list, and meet the Smart Snack Guidelines. Home-prepared foods to share are prohibited due to the increasing incidence of food allergies and the possibility of foodborne illness.