Rockwood Communications Earns 5 Awards of Excellence at State Conference

The Rockwood School District has been recognized by the Missouri School Public Relations Association (MOSPRA) for its efforts to inform our community across multiple channels. Each year, MOSPRA gives its members the opportunity to have their work evaluated by PR professionals and measured against industry standards through its Communications Awards Program. 

Rockwood earned five total Excellence awards - the highest level in the program - for Newsletter, Social Media, Video and Writing. Rockwood’s five Excellence awards were the most of any district in the state.

The Rockwood eNews digital newsletter reflects the work and collaboration of the entire Rockwood Communications team – led by Chief Communications Officer Mary LaPak. The social media entry for Rockwood’s “Snow Day” video series was led by digital communications specialist Curtis Brennecke and former school and community relations specialist Kate Moore, along with brainstorming and production input from students at all four Rockwood high schools. The two award-winning video entries – “Lafayette Junior Earns National, State Awards for his Artwork” and “Selvidge Band Director, Librarian Combine to Help Student Make Music” – were produced by Brennecke, and communications coordinator David Morrison authored the winning writing entry, “Wildwood Students Honored by Metro West for Assisting Fairway Student.”

Rockwood also received four Merit awards: for photos of a principal welcoming back a student on the first day of school (by senior internal communications specialist Andrew Shin), a high school student working in a metals shop (by coordinator of web services Chris Bennett) and a student playing with a friend at a school event (by Morrison), as well as for the story, “Marquette Students Research Local Veterans for National History Day ‘Silent Heroes’ Project” (by Morrison).

"We are honored and humbled by this recognition," said LaPak. "It affirms our commitment to keeping the Rockwood School District well-informed and stands as a powerful testament to the achievements of our staff and students, whose stories we are privileged to tell."

The Rockwood Communications team was recognized during the MOSPRA Fall Conference, held Nov. 6-7 in Blue Springs. Over the summer, Rockwood Communications also earned one Excellence and three Merit awards from the National School Public Relations Association.