Elementary Archives - The Wylie Growl

Morrow Cousins Ready For Kindergarten

August 15, 2017

Jack and Jake Morrow have a lot of similarities.

They were both born on Feb. 13 in Abilene, Texas. They are the grandsons of Penny Morrow who works in the Wylie High School cafeteria. They play on the same soccer team and go to the same preschool. And they are both starting kindergarten later this month.

But they are not twins. They aren’t even brothers.

They are cousins.

Let the confusion begin for Wylie teachers, administrators and the other Wylie soon-to-be kindergartners.

It’s a confusion their parents have experienced since the boys were born five years ago just hours apart on the same day in separate Abilene hospitals to brothers C.J. and Johnny Morrow.

Not long after C.J.’s wife, Johanna, a Wylie Junior High teacher, gave birth to Jack at Hendrick Medical Center, Johnny and his wife, Jessica, a former Wylie High teacher, gave birth to Jake at Abilene Regional Medical Center.

“It’s the names Jake and Jack that make it confusing,” Jessica said.

The couples did not intend to name their children like twins, it just kind of happened. Johnny and Jessica had Jake picked out before they even knew they were having a boy because it was a family name. CJ and Johanna, who also were looking for a name with family ties, didn’t settle on Jack until after he was born.

They didn’t realize until later the confusion that would follow. That confusion, however, is about the only drawback of the situation. Otherwise, it’s been great.

The boys are well aware that they are born on the same day.

“We tell them all the time,” Jessica said. “They love it. It’s fun.”

The boys have grown up together, but they have not had dual birthday parties.

“The boys have different interests, so we would do one on a Sunday and one on a Saturday,” Johanna said.

“That way it’s special for each one,” Jessica agreed.

The boys also have their differences. Jake is taller with dark hair, and Jack is smaller with blonder hair.

“They look enough alike to know they are related because they have enough of their dads in them,” Johanna said.

The boys also are having slightly different reactions to the first day of kindergarten.

“Jake is super excited,” Jessica said. “He gets to be a Wylie Bulldog.”

“Jack is a little more apprehensive,” Johanna said. “He’s been at home with my mom or at Aldersgate. He’s apprehensive but he is good at adjusting.”

To keep the kindergarten confusion to a minimum, Johanna reached out to Early Childhood Principal Lisa Salmon.

“I emailed Mrs. Salmon letting her know they were coming,” she said. “I was like they are not brothers. They are cousins. They are two separate people. As a teacher, I know that can get confusing. I put their middle names in there to differentiate.”

Kindergarten will be just another thing the two cousins get to do together. Their families are close as are the two boys.

“They are like brothers sometimes,” Jessica said. “They fight like brothers. They love like brothers. They love each other.”

Pre-K Students Register April 25

March 31, 2017

Pre-K Students Register April 25
3:30-5:30 p.m.
Wylie Early Childhood Center Cafeteria
6249 Buffalo Gap Road

*Students must qualify to attend Pre-K. See requirements below.

To Register:

Go online and do pre-enrollment forms to save time at enrollment.
Only a parent or guardian may register a child for school. Guardianship papers should be presented at registration.
Bring the following with you to registration:

Proof of Residency – Must be a current Gas, Water or Electric Bill in Parent/Guardians name or Builders Contract if it is under construction and closes in less than 120 days. No exceptions!!
Shot Records – A student who has never attended school before or is transferring from out of state cannot be enrolled until an immunization record is provided.
Social Security Card
Birth Certificate
Parent/Guardian Driver’s License
Previous School Records (If applicable and available)

Qualifying Requirements

Pre-K is a qualifying program. To be eligible to attend Pre-K the child must meet the following Program Requirements:

must be 4 on or before September 1 and meet one of the requirements below:
is unable to speak and comprehend the English language; or
is educationally disadvantaged; or
is homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1143a, regardless of the residence of the child, of either parent of the child, or of the child’s guardian or other person having lawful control of the child; or
is the child of an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States, including the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, who is ordered to active duty by proper authority; or
is the child of a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the state military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed while serving on active duty; or
is or has been in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services following an adversary hearing held as provided by Section 262.201, Family Code.

Kindergarten Students Register May 2

March 31, 2017

Kindergarten Students Register May 2
3:30-6:30 p.m.
Wylie Early Childhood Center Cafeteria
6249 Buffalo Gap Road

To Register:

Students must be 5 by Sept. 1, 2017.
Go online (WylieBulldogs.org) and do pre-enrollment forms to save time at enrollment.
Only a parent or guardian may register a child for school. Guardianship papers should be presented at registration.
Bring the following with you to registration:

Proof of Residency – Must be a current Gas, Water or Electric Bill in Parent/Guardians name or Builders Contract if it is under construction and closes in less than 120 days. No exceptions!!
Shot Records – A student who has never attended school before or is transferring from out of state cannot be enrolled until an immunization record is provided.
Social Security Card
Birth Certificate
Parent/Guardian Driver’s License
Previous School Records (If applicable and available)

New D.O.G.S. In Town Helping Schools

January 9, 2017

Wylie has its Bulldogs, its Lady Bulldogs, its Mama Dawgs and even its Little Bulldogs.

Well now it also has its Watch D.O.G.S.

Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a national program in which fathers volunteer a full day at their child’s school to provide a positive role model. The program is in 4,700 schools across the nation, and this year, Wylie is one of those schools.

It’s just coincidental that the program’s name matches Wylie’s mascot.

“Everything about the program screams Abilene Wylie,” said Wylie dad Zach Vassar, who helped bring Watch D.O.G.S. to town. “I am passionate about what the whole program stands for. I’ve seen the difference a male role model makes.”

Vassar moved his family to Wylie last year from the Metroplex. He spent 10 years in the school system, where he first saw the program, and then a few years ago, his family moved to Frisco, where he joined the program as a dad.

“When I moved here, one of the first things I was looking for was a way to get plugged in to the Watch D.O.G.S. program,” he said. “Then I realized they didn’t have one.”

So Vassar spearheaded the effort to start a local program, and with the green light from administrators, he held an introductory pizza party for the fathers of students who attend the Early Childhood, Elementary and Intermediate.

More than 200 dads showed up.

“Out of that meeting, we initially had real close to a hundred dads that signed up,” Vassar said. “It’s taken a while to get the ball rolling.”

To participate, dads must pass a background check, buy a Watch D.O.G.S. T-shirt and commit to spend at least one full day at their child’s school each year. Vassar said he hopes to eventually have two dads at each campus every day.

“They are an extra set of eyes and ears in the hallways and in the library and even in the classes if the teacher wants that,” Vassar said. “We are really just eyes and ears. The fun part is that recess and lunch block. You are being active with kids. There is so much opportunity to be a role mode.”

Corey Ruff was one of the first dads to try out the program. He spent the day at the Early Childhood Center, where his daughter, Bradley, is in kindergarten.

“We helped unload buses and helped kiddoes get out of cars and helped get them pointed in the right direction,” Ruff said. “We were blessed with pretty good weather, so I got to spend some time at recess. We spent the majority of our time at PE and recess. We got to do all the cool things.”

When Watch D.O.G.S. arrive at school at 7:30 a.m., they are given a schedule to keep for the day. They get to spend some time with their own child’s class, but not the entire time.

“It’s not following your own child around,” Vassar said. “The program is not set up just for that. It’s really for the fatherless.”

Vassar said the program began because dads wanted to provide a role model for children who don’t have fathers. Most elementary schools have very few men on campus.

“You are a dad and you are the male influence that these schools don’t have much of,” Vassar said.

The program is also a good way for dads to get involved. Ruff said his daughter was thrilled to have him on campus.

“She thought it was awesome,” he said. “She really loved having me there.”

When Elmo DeHerrera volunteered at the Elementary School, his sons Eli (1^st-grade) and Skyler (2^nd-grade) were really excited.

Skyler said it was “really cool” having his dad on campus, especially when he played football during recess with students in Skyler’s class.

Second-grader Brian Culifer said he likes having dads on campus.

“I like how they come to school and try to help everyone be safe,” he said.

DeHerrera said the experience definitely made him appreciate teachers.

“It really helped open my eyes to what the teachers and faculty go through,” he said. “Sometimes parents take it for granted.”

Ruff echoed those thoughts.

“You think it’s just one day – but that’s a long day,” he said. “Those kids have a lot of energy. It definitely gives you a new perspective on how big an impact the teachers have on their lives. It was great to be there to support our teachers, but it was definitely an exhausting day.”

Vassar said dads are not the only ones who can participate in the program. Uncles, grandparents, even moms, can participate if they are so inclined. He said he expects to see even more dads get involved once the kids come home talking about the program. Anyone who wants to get involved can contact their school office or go to www.wyliewatchdogs.com to sign up for a day to volunteer. You can also search for Wylie Watch DOGS on Facebook.

Ruff said he would highly recommend dads get involved in the program while their children still want them around. Time with your kids is fleeting, he said, and that’s one reason he loves the program.

“I think it’s fantastic,” he said. “I would encourage every dad to sign up. We’ve got to take time to be that positive influence in their lives.”

Third-Graders Experience Safety City

November 15, 2016

Wylie 3^rd-graders took their annual trek to Safety City last month, where they learned all about street safety.

“Oh my gosh, I really love this place,” said 3^rd-grader Lily Speights, after taking her turn driving a car through the city’s streets.

Safety City is a miniature city with roads, miniature buildings, working stoplights and even a working railroad crossing designed to provide an interactive way to teach children bicycle and pedestrian safety. The Abilene Police Department, the Abilene Fire Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety operate Safety City, and every 3^rd-grader in Abilene – including every Wylie 3^rd-grader – gets to experience it.

“It’s controlled chaos, but it gives the feel of a busy city for sure,” said Trooper Frederick Biddle who works at Safety City. “It’s a great experience for them.”

The students are divided into three groups. One group is pedestrians who walk through the city looking both ways as they cross the street. A second group rides bicycles through the streets and a third group drives cars around the city. All must obey traffic lights, use hand signals and do head checks (look both ways.) The groups then rotate until everyone has driven the cars.

Lily said the students spent time in their classes learning their hand signals before they arrived at Safety City. But she still had a little trouble manipulating her car through the city.

“I actually ran over a cone,” Lily said. “It got squashed.”

Classmate Giovanni Parra said he had a lot better luck.

“I didn’t crash,” he said. “I thought I was going to crash, but I didn’t.”

Giovanni said he learned a lot about being safe, and the cars, of course, were his favorite part.

“Everybody loves the cars,” he said. “It was great. It was really great.”

Also part of Safety City is a Fire House, where the students learn about keeping batteries in their smoke alarms and how to have an action plan in case of a fire. The Fire House fills with fake smoke and allows the kids to learn how to react.