Drug Awareness Week held last week in Rockwall ISD

Last week was Drug Awareness or Red Ribbon Week in the Rockwall ISD. The objective was to educate students about the dangers of drugs and then encourage them to pledge to be drug-free by signing pledge cards.

We haven’t heard yet how many pledged.

RISD Communications Director Sheri Fowler said all campuses had pledge card signups and gave away prizes to those students who did – pencils, stickers, red ribbons, etc. 

“The older students tied red ribbons on cars in the parking lots, had activities during lunch where students could participate. If you had your D-FY-IT card at RHHS, you might have a chance to play Guitar Hero.  If you brought your D-FY-IT card to RHS Friday, you got one dollar.”

Each day of the week had a different theme, which each campus tailored to its needs:

• Monday – Crazy Socks Day …. Scare the socks off drugs!
• Tuesday – CAMO Day ….. Don’t hide behind drugs or alcohol.
• Wednesday – Backwards Day….. Drugs can turn your life inside out.
• Thursday – HAT Day …. Hats off to our drug free schools!
• Friday – Spirit or RED Day ….  Show your school pride during Red Ribbon Week!

We’re awaiting word as to how many students signed up.

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Rockwall County father kills self, 14-year-old son near Lake Lavon

A Rowlett man shot and killed himself after killing his 14-year-old son, who attended Williams Middle School in Rockwall, Friday night near Lake Lavon.

Police said Roberto Acevedo Jr., 38, called police after shooting his son, Justin Acevedo, before turning the gun on himself.

Police found the bodies near an abandoned vehicle at Elm Creek Park, as Acevedo had told a Collin County 911 operator.

Both bodies received one gunshot wound to the head from a 12-gauge shotgun that was found near the scene. Acevedo told dispatchers that the gun was on the ground near the bodies.

Collin County Sheriff’s Office investigators believe that the incident was a murder/suicide, but they will not give a confirmation until the Medical Examiner’s Office makes an official ruling.

Investigators found a note in the abandoned vehicle that led police to believe that Roberto Acevedo Jr. believed his son would be sent to jail and would not be able to defend himself, and that he did not want his son to go to prison.

Collin County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. John Norton said there were no warrants out for the son’s arrest. He also said he does not know why the father and son were at Elm Creek Park.

RISD’s Director of Communications Sheri Fowler said the district sent a letter home to all families with students at the campus and provided additional counseling resources at school.

“Several of his close friends were very upset by the situation, but our counselors were doing their very best to comfort the students and answer any questions,” Fowler said.

“Our main concern is just being there for those students, and we were definitely prepared for that this morning.”

Rockwall plays Rockwall-Heath Oct. 3 in first cross-town football game

Rockwall and Rockwall-Heath High Schools will meet in a cross-town grid-iron match-up at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium this Friday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 pm. It will be the first time the two teams have met as opponents since both became classified as 4-A high schools this year.

 

Rockwall ISD officials say they are expecting a large community crowd to fill the stadium.

 

Tickets to the game are on sale now, through Oct. 3 at 4 pm – or until supplies last – at the Rockwall ISD Athletic Office on Townsend Rd, located on the north side of the old Utley Freshman Center across from the RISD Maintenance building. Tickets may also be purchased at both high schools and middle schools. Any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the stadium ticket booth, beginning at 6 p.m. on game day. If ticket sales are as brisk as expected, Rockwall ISD employee identification badges will not work for admission to the game.

 

Due to the size of the expected crowd, remote parking will be available at the Mickey Florence Multi-purpose Facility located by Rockwall High School on Yellow Jacket Lane. A shuttle service will begin at 6 p.m. and run continuously throughout the entire game. A security patrol will be on duty in this parking lot during the game.

 

According to RISD officials, the pre-game highlights include a special emphasis on Rockwall ISD’s “Power of One” mentoring program. Over the past few months, Rockwall ISD students have been matched with community mentors. Beginning at 7 p.m., students and their mentors will be honored on the field.  

 

Additional pre-game activities include various video interviews with coaches and students, a focus on mentor/mentee relationships and highlights of RISD’s “Power of One” and “Honor Before Victory” programs.  Video clips will also focus on Power of One partners Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary International, Lift Up America and Rachel’s Challenge.

 

For more information regarding the game, call the RISD athletic department at 469-698-7364. 

 

For information regarding the pre-game activities and the Power of One mentoring program, call the RISD office of communications at 972-771-0605.

Visitor badges will be required before entering RISD schools this Fall

All visitors to Rockwall ISD schools will be required to obtain or show visitor badges before they can enter school buildings, beginning this Fall.

The new policy was made when the RISD Board of Trustees voted recently to increase school security by purchasing and installing a new Raptor Technologies V-Soft visitor identification program, which allows school receptionists to quickly scan the visitor’s ID against secure Texas Dept. of Public Safety and  national FBI databases to determine whether the visitor is a registered sex offender or has parental custodial issues which might cause schools to deny someone entry into their buildings.

The system is designed to protect students by tracking all campus visitors, including parents, volunteers, vendors and contractors, according to Sheri Fowler, RISD executive director of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing,

She said it will be fast and easy to obtain a visitor badge as long as the visitor has no problems which would cause school officials to be alarmed. Once the scan is completed, a visitor’s badge will be issued. Visitors must sign out when leaving the building. A visitor will need only to present the photo ID on the initial visit at each campus.

Valid forms of identification include a driver’s license, state ID card, concealed handgun license, military ID, Mexico consulate ID and alien registration receipt cards. Information pertaining to personal identification is protected and scanned through a secure site.

“We greatly value our parents, families, mentors and community volunteers,” said Fowler. “We are grateful that all those who visit our campuses understand our need to safeguard our students and our staff. It is our expectation that this new system will not hinder parents and volunteers, but add to the security of the school.”

For more information, please visit the RISD website at www.rockwallisd.com or call the communications office at 972-771-0605.