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My First Day of School
My first day at Kyle Elementary wasn’t the best. But to fully appreciate the events of the first day of school I need to let you know what happened before I made it to the first day of school. I need to let you know what only my family knows…….until now.
I was very excited to be starting school. I grew up adjacent to Kyle Elementary, so as a small child, I could see the children on the playground, running around, playing tag, and spinning the merry-go-round. It looked like fun and I wanted to be there too.
I was also looking forward to learning. My mom had taught me to read, how to count and name all the primary colors. So I was ready to learn more.
So when it came time to register for school, I was ready to go! My mother and I and walked to school. My mother completed the enrollment forms (I’m sure there was less paperwork back then).
As part of the enrollment, I had to take a test. Mrs. Barrera asked questions about the alphabet, numbers and general knowledge questions, like “how much is a dozen?”
One question I still remember was what do you do if you lose something? I proudly said, “Find it”. (I am not sure if my wife would agree with that statement.)
Then we went home.
A day or so later, the school call Mom and told her I could not start school.
I could not start due to an item on the first page of the enrollment packet.
My birthdate.
I wouldn’t turn five years old until a few days after school started. The law back then was very clear. Not five – no school. This wasn’t a line in the sand; it was like the Berlin Wall. (It was still around back then.)
When the first day of school rolled around, I remember going to my parent’s bedroom, which faced the back of the school, and watching, very sadly, the children playing before school started. I wanted to be there, but I had to wait a whole year to get there.
So the whole year passed……SLOWLY.
But when next September came, I was ready. I woke up, ready for school. My Mom took me by the hand. I proudly walked to the school, climbed the stairs, took one look inside Mrs. Witte’s class, and said, get me out of here!
There is always one child who cries more on the first day of school, than anyone else, and I took the trophy in 1973. Sheesh, I even cried on day 2.
Yes, that is how the school board president started out in public school.
KXAN news story on May 2014 Hays CISD Bonds
KXAN interviews Hays CISD Board President, Willie Tenorio, Jr. – January 2014
Tenorio discusses the $59 bond proposal to build a new middle school, increase safety and technology district wide, and purchase school buses.
Tenorio Education Rally Speech
(Willie Tenorio, Hays CISD Board Trustee, delivered this speech at the TSTA Day of Education Rally in Kyle, TX, April 2, 2011)
A few decades ago, just down the street, my Dad called me over. We were at the old city hall, here in Kyle, on a sunny, October Saturday, during Fair on the Square. My Dad said, “I want you to shake this lady’s hand. My Dad introduced me to his former teacher. She had made a big impact on him. He was proud to have known her and wanted me to know her too.
My Dad’s math teacher was Laura B Wallace, who taught for 26 years in the Kyle Independent School District. Wallace Middle School, located next to this park, is named for her.
Is there a teacher you remember? A teacher or teachers who made a big impact on your life? Who you would be proud to introduce to your children?
Let’s give thanks for the teachers who influenced our lives.
Repeat after me, loudly, so the folks at the fajita cook off down the street will hear you.
Repeat after me, I thank my teachers, for believing in me, for helping me, for going the extra mile, to help me learn.
I thank my teachers for staying with me after class, helping me before school, during lunch, to help me grow and learn.
I thank my teachers for the guidance, respect, and caring they bring the classroom.
Today we stand with our teachers, custodians, principals, cafeteria workers and most IMPORTANTLY, OUR STUDENTS and say SAVE OUR SCHOOLS, SAVE OUR CHILDEN’S FUTURE, FUND EDUCATION.
Zig Ziglar tells a story about a man, fishing on a pier.
The fisherman casts a line into the water and reels in a big fish, looks at it, and then tosses it back into the water.
The fisherman casts a second line into the water, and reels in a larger fish, looks at it, and then tosses it back into the water.
Once again, the fisherman casts a line into the water and reels in the biggest fish, looks at it, and then tosses it back into the water.
The fisherman casts one more line into the water, and reels in a small fish. He places it into the bucket.
Ziglar asks the fisherman, “Why did you toss the big fish back into the water, but keep the tiniest fish.”
The fisherman said, “ I really wanted to keep the big fish, but you see, all I have is this little bitty frying pan.”
The moral of that story is to not settle. Life is trying to give you the best, don’t reject it and settle for less. That’s a lesson we want to impart to our kids.
Let me tell you, if the state doesn’t use the rainy day funds to save education, in essence, the state is telling our children to settle for a smaller frying pan and to toss their future back into the water. I say If it doesn’t fit in the pan, find a bigger pan!
We want an excellent education for our children, one that will help them reach their full potential, to grow up and get a good job, start a business, support their family, buy a home, pay their taxes, and help others.
When our children work on their homework and we review it, and notice it will probably get them a grade of “C”, we tell them to work harder and strive for the “A”, and not settle for less.
If we expect our students to work harder, we MUST expect our representatives to work harder to find the money to fully fund public education, and provide the support our students need to excel.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. NO TEACHER LEFT BEHIND. SAVE OUR SCHOOLS!
Willlie Tenorio, Place 2, Hays CISD School Board
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