Why I love my child's high school...

My family is very fortunate to feed into a great high school. To say our school community has suffered some staggering losses would be an understatement. Since my daughter has entered Guyer, there have been 6 young lives that have been lost way too soon. That is too many. I have heard a lot of people talk about what is wrong with our community or our school or our kids... Well, I am again choosing to focus on my own perspective. For my children, we have been blessed with wonderful experiences in this high school family. My oldest was a member of our football team that won 2 back to back state championships (if you know anything about Texas high school football, that is pretty amazing). He had teachers who went out of their way to stay connected and invest in him and his academic and personal wellbeing. When my daughter made her way into that same Wildcat family, I had no doubt we would see similar things. We did, but so much more. My daughter's class has seen much more than their share of situations that you wish your child to never witness. Throughout all of this, however, the fabric of what it means to be a Wildcat has never wavered. Our administrators have risen to the top each time our students have had their legs knocked out from under them. They have stood side by side with these children and families and offered to do what they could to help make the situations a little more bearable. I know these educators have been afraid, angry, and maybe not always sure of the decisions they have made. But I also know that they have made those decisions because they believed that particular choice was what was best for our children in that moment and situation. Personally, I would like to celebrate them today as they have definitely celebrated my children. I am grateful for Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Perry, Mr. Haley, and the many outstanding teachers and coaches at Guyer High School who have worked so hard to help my children be ready for the future. They have made my children feel accepted, valued, and appreciated. I am confident in the academic abilities of my kids because they were well prepared for the future. I am confident in their decision-making skills because the staff at Guyer sat with my children and helped them to work through all of the adversity that came their way. Our school slogan has become 'Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat'. That has been applicable to those graduating and moving on with their lives, but also for those children who didn't get the opportunity to be an alumni of our school because their light was snuffed much too early. It also applies to families. Although my time at Guyer is quickly coming to a close (until my little one gets there), I too feel like I will always be a Wildcat, and very proud of it.

Sincerely,
Tara Reed