Updates & Information

We are proud to offer a growing number of before and after school activities, knowing that students greatly benefit from these additional experiences and connections to their school. We're greatly appreciate our teachers who support these clubs and activities, and realize their time and energy is valuable.

• All students who plan to participate in any before or after school activity are asked to pay a one-time “Activity Fee," which will assist with compensation of staff as we expand our offerings. The activity fee is $10 for the year, and $5 for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
• To pay fees in person, send or bring cash or a check to the Tillman Main Office (be sure to note your child's name). To pay fees online, please access the www.myschoolbucks.com portal.

We understand that some families may want their students to bring a cell phone to school, and a growing number of students are now wearing smart watches. We expect all students to leave their phones off and in their backpacks during the school day, as there is not an educational need for these to be used during school hours. Students with smart watches can wear these during the day if any wifi and cellular capabilities are turned off. If a student uses a smart watch to communicate with others during the school day, including parents/guardians, they will be given a warning and asked to put their watch in their backpack and/or leave it at home. Teachers, office staff, and/or the school nurse should be directly involved with any digital or phone communication between students and parents during the school day.

Digital citizenship is the responsible use of technology to learn, create, and participate. All Tillman students engage in a series of digital citizenship lessons over the course of the year, designed around six core themes.

• Media Balance & Well-Being
• Privacy & Security
• Digital Footprint & Identity
• Relationships & Communication
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech
• News & Media Literacy

Regular school attendance is important, and deciding when to keep a sick child home from school can be challenging. When a child is truly ill, they need to stay home in the care of an adult to get well and to prevent spreading illness to others. For guidance on when to keep your child home, visit KSD’s illness guidelines.

Kirkwood School District offers the KSD N.O.W. program to supply an array of nutritious, non-perishable meals and snacks for children experiencing food insecurity, free of charge. During the 2024-25 school year, boxes will be distributed to families at their homes via delivery in a discreet and caring manner once per month.

• If you wish for your child(ren) to participate in the program, please complete this form. Only one form is needed for all the school-aged children in your family, but please include information for each child on the form. This information is kept confidential.
• Students who currently participate will not automatically be re-enrolled.
• Once your child is registered, they will receive boxes of food each month of the school year or until you no longer wish to participate. If your form is received after the deadline each month, your child will be eligible to participate in the program the following month(s).
• If you have questions, please contact program coordinator Emilie Lytton at ksdnow@kirkwoodschools.org. All inquiries will remain confidential. In order to receive support through KSD N.O.W. for the 2024-25 school year, please complete the online registration at https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/KSDNOWRegistration

We already have students hard at work in our Makerspace creating and solving problems! We are eagerly accepting donations to keep the space stocked for our builders, designers, and inventors. If you have any of the items listed below, or items you think might be useful, please bring these to the Tillman main office or drop them in the treasure chest in the main hallway.

• Cardboard rolls
• Plastic wrap
• Wax paper
• Egg carton
• Cloth/felt/fabric
• Aluminum foil
• Paper plates

We love to hear about new babies that are being born to Tillman families! If you have a Tillman student who has recently gained a sibling, please let us know in the main office and/or through your teachers so we can celebrate your family.

Please use the designated crosswalks when crossing Quan before or after school. We've already had a close call this year, as a student was crossing in an unsafe area but felt it was okay because they saw others doing it. We appreciate everyone modeling safe behaviors.

Students have the option to purchase a lunch at school or bring one from home. Families may deposit money into your child’s account via cash/check through the main office or at myschoolbucks.com. Free and reduced price meal applications must be completed annually, available on our district website. Please contact the Tillman office (314-213-6150) if you would like a copy sent home in your child’s backpack.

To ensure the safety of students and staff, volunteers in all Kirkwood schools are required to complete fingerprint background checks and registration with the Family Care Safety Registry. This includes parents/guardians who may want to chaperone a field trip. If you have not completed these background checks in the last five years and may want to attend a field trip in 2024-25, we encourage you to initiate this process soon so it does not sneak up on you later. See the KSD Human Resources website for additional information. Please let us know if financial hardships may preclude you from completing this process, as we do not want to exclude anyone who may want to volunteer in our schools.