(Welcome to the Act Locally Waco/Towny blog series. Towny is an app that exists to connect consumers with local businesses. It’s fairly new to Waco and is loaded with answers to the question, “Why local?” Through this blog series, the folks at Towny will be sharing the stories behind some of our high-quality, local products and helping you get to know some of our energetic local entrepreneurs. We hope you enjoy it! Supporting local business is a terrific way to support the Waco economy! Plus, it’s just fun to get to know your neighbors. For more posts in this blog series, click here: Towny Waco.– ALW)
by Beth Whittington
Normally, a gymnastics facility is just that, but at Flips Gymnastics in Waco, Texas, there’s (unintentionally!) much, much more behind the name. We’re hearing from Stephanie Mayfield, owner of Flips, to hear about the place where generation after generation are…learning to flip!
What’s the story behind Flips?
I lived outside of Dallas, in Duncanville, and did competitive gymnastics for seven years with coach Darlene Brooks at her gym, Duncanville Gymnastics Center. It was so different then – I actually didn’t start until I was 10 and did it until I was 17.
(Stephanie won three state championships, went to nationals, and was a regional competitor in Texas.)
I also worked for Darlene through high school. I got out of competitive gymnastics and did cheer my senior year and went on to the University of Texas at Arlington – majored in business. Duncanville wasn’t very far from Arlington so when I was 20, I worked for her again for my last two years of college at the gymnastic center that I grew up in.
Owners of Flips Gymnastics Stephanie and Dale Mayfield with Darlene Brooks
Darlene and her husband inherited some land and were going to be moving to West, Texas. For one of my projects at school, we did a business plan on starting a gym in Waco. (Stephanie laughs.) That was Flips!
So, I proposed it to Darlene’s husband and he said if you can find a gym, we’ll see. We found an existing gym in Hewitt. Darlene and her husband bought it out, and that became Flips.
I managed Flips starting in 1993. I coached and Darlene coached, we both were very involved with it. Ten years later, in 2003, we bought another existing facility in Waco, actually the location we are in now. In 2008, my husband and I bought the Brooks’ out and have owned Flips for the last 10 years and Darlene actually runs our office – she’s our office manager. (Plot twist! Didn’t see that one coming!) She is still there; we have not parted ways. My husband now coaches, we offer recreational gymnastics, and have been opened for 25 years!
How does Flips benefit kids?
It can be SO beneficial for kids at every level. You do not have to be that kid that thinks they’re going to be in the Olympics. It’s so beneficial for every other sport, you know?
I don’t know that we see the fruit of everything we build, but we have kids in all the time where their doctors say they need to be more coordinated, they need to have more body control – and everything these kids are doing in gymnastics– that’s exactly what they’re improving. They look like they’re swinging on a ring and dropping in a pit. But they’re learning to control their body and when they land, they’re not just flopping and hurting themselves. There are so many things they learn!
We have kids who started out at three and four and five years old. They go on to play soccer and when they trip on the soccer field, instead of hitting the ground on their face, they know to roll out. They have so much more body control in other sports. We’re just building a good foundation that leads to a lot of things. And then some kids learn to tumble and go on to do cheer or diving. But what we give them as young kids – strength, flexibility, and body awareness – you don’t get in other sports.
What did gymnastics teach you as a kid?
I spent hours and hours in the gym so learning self-discipline, learning to prioritize my time, a work ethic I wouldn’t have gotten had I not gone deep into a competitive sport. It taught me a lot of independence, that an injury can change everything. If you have big goals and then have an injury, it deters your entire focus. I learned about failure, as well. I had a lot of success, but I had to learn to fail, too.
What do you offer at Flips?
There’s not the intensity here that I had growing up in gym. We want to provide a safe place; we want them smiling, happy. We don’t offer a pressure sport; we want them to learn skills, have fun with their friends, and have some value come out of it as well.
We start at two and a half-year-olds – our kids take gymnastics until age 12. We offer recreational gymnastics that has all the events: vault, bars, balance beams, floor, trampolines, safety foam pit, rings, all within a 15,000 square foot facility that is fully air-conditioned. (Stephanie wanted everyone to know that!!)
And then we offer a basic cheer/tumble class and a basic tumble class. We don’t offer competitive cheer or gymnastics but we do offer grooming for both of those. Both boys and girls come to Flips, beginner to advanced classes. It’s mostly a one hour a week recreational gymnastics class.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about Flips?
I don’t think a lot of people know our story. Especially when they walk in, because, a lot of people that call the gym know Darlene, like, they know her name, but they have no idea that the backstory is that our roles are almost entirely flipped, except, in addition, she was my coach. I think that backstory makes the story of our gym quite different. A lot of people don’t even know she ever coached gymnastics, much less was my coach and owned the gym at one time.
What has the relationship been like?
She was my coach, which– any competitive gymnast has a very strong relationship with your coach because you spend so much time with them, weekly. So, she was very much a mother figure to me for many years and it evolved, more so as I got to be a little older, into a friendship. And we truly are best friends. Before we knew our spouses, we knew each other. We have a very long history. We have known each other for 37 years. We have always had a respect for one another that we could respect our work roles yet change over and have a personal friendship outside of work. It’s a pretty rare thing we’ve been able to do – work for each other and sell a business one to the other and then, still, we are best friends.
What do You two like to do together outside of work?
Stephanie Mayfield, on her wedding day, wearing coach + more, Darlene Brooks’ wedding gown
We don’t spend as much time as we used to, but (she laughs) we eat Mexican food every week together! We’re just good friends all the time, though. We’ve vacationed together…we were in each others’ weddings. I actually wore her wedding dress!
What does it mean to you when people shop local?
The mere fact that we do have a wonderful gym. We have many, many people who took at Flips when they were children and now bring their child. That’s SUCH a compliment. People tell their friends to bring their kids here and that is the BEST compliment I could get.
What do you love about Waco?
I love that it is a city but that it has such a small-town feel, I love that it’s Christ-centered. It’s a wonderful place to raise your kids. It’s such a great environment to raise your kids…I love that you turn on the TV and see people you know. You open up magazines and see people you know. It is big enough that people you meet, you may not know them, but you know the same people – you’re inner-connected.
Beth Whittington remembers sitting on the Waco suspension bridge as a girl, visiting family friends. Legs dangling off, watching the Fourth of July fireworks spark the sky. Been a Waco local for the better part of 19 years. Gaps explainable by the awkwardly untrue term of “ex-missionary.” Beth thrives on: generating ideas + copywriting. Can’t wait to: visit South Africa. Favorite part of Waco: Bangkok Royale + the HOTHTC. Wants: everyone in Waco to get Towny because it’ll make life better for us all if we let it.
Take your local support up a notch – pop in Towny + have a look around.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Madiha Kark with additional reporting by Neyra Bazaldua
Walk in to the Wells Fargo in downtown Waco and you’ll probably see him, his smile is quick to appear as he greets customers, his eyes are framed by black rectangular classes, and his round gentle face is marked with a short, maintained goatee.
Carlos Vera is the branch manager. In addition to his full-time job, he is also a full-time student and a full-time father to four children. He has an office in the back of the bank, but he is rarely there. Carlos is usually at the front of the bank greeting customers and helping them with whatever brings them in that day.
For Carlos, it’s been tough finding the balance between all these roles. “My motivation comes from many places and people. My wife and kids will always be my number one motivation, but I am most motivated when I have made a difference in someone’s life.” he says. When you hear his schedule it almost feels like he has more hours in the day than the rest of us.
Despite his myriad responsibilities, he carves out time to spend quality time with his kids. He also finds the time to participate in extracurricular activities such as, the Men of Color Success Initiative. The initiative is designed to address challenges for first generation college students, traditionally underrepresented groups, and students in need of academic and personal direction. The students are assigned a mentor to help them succeed.
At 35, Carlos is pursuing an Associate degree in Business Administration, he is not what is considered a traditional student, but he hasn’t let his age hold him back. Carlos’s mentor Dr. Ronald Hochstatter helped him apply for FAFSA and encouraged him to apply for scholarships through the MCC Foundation. “My first semester, I paid everything out of pocket, tuition, books, everything. I didn’t know anything about FAFSA.” The next semester he was able to get a refund, he couldn’t believe it.
With college prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, more families are looking for ways to spend less for quality education. Student loans are one of the most significant debts that Americans carry and at MCC, there are countless options to alleviate that burden, whether through scholarships, affordable classes or providing students with the resources that will help them academically and financially.
Through sheer determination, hard work, and encouragement from his mentor, Carlos applied for the Hoover Title III scholarship and received it. The scholarship will cover his tuition and books, leaving him a little less worried about finances. The experience to be in college has been rewarding in many ways for Carlos, though he feels left out or mature for most activities his fellow students prefer, he appreciates the comradery and willingness to help each other.
Carlos will graduate in fall 2019 and hopes to attend Texas Tech University through the University Center at MCC. MCC has opened many doors for Carlos and he hopes to do the same one day for other students.
Madiha Kark is a Marketing, Communications and Photography Specialist at McLennan Community College. She holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of North Texas. She loves to travel, cook, and read nonfiction books.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
(This post is the first of what we hope will be an on-going series profiling local folks who have taken advantage of the many higher education opportunities we have available in Waco to further their careers or pursue new opportunities. We hope these profiles help spread the word about exciting educational and career opportunities we have here in the Waco area. Enjoy and be inspired! – ALW)
By Clinton Dennard
Have you ever thought you might like to go into police work? Assistant Police Chief Robert Lanning graduated from the Tarleton Waco Program with a Master of Criminal Justice degree in August of 2013. In today’s career spotlight he shares some insights about a career in the police.
What is the career you are in now and what do you do?
I work in local law enforcement as an Assistant Chief of Police for the Waco Police Department. For the last four years, I have supervised the Criminal Investigations Division, which includes all detectives and the Victim Services Unit.
Can you list some challenges and victories you have faced in this career?
The challenges have varied by position. As a new patrol officer, I dealt with the same issues faced at some point by most officers: Shift work, missed holidays, working under sometimes adverse conditions, and seeing people at their worst. In my current position, I am frequently confronted with complex legal, policy, budget, and personnel decisions. The offset to facing these difficulties is that I now have the authority to affect positive change, such as overseeing the development of our Peer Support Team, which assists employees in need.
What was the path you took to arrive here?
After graduating college with a degree in management, I initially worked in a family business; however, my interest was always in law enforcement. In 1993, I began my career with the Waco Police Department as a patrol officer. Over the last 24 years, I have worked as a detective, as a member of the SWAT team, and as a member of the USMS Fugitive Task Force. In 2003, I began taking promotional tests and rising through the ranks to my current position.
What education did you need and how did you get it?
A minimum number of college hours is required by many departments, including the Waco Police Department. Additionally, applicants for promotional tests receive bonus points for having a college degree and a minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required to apply for the position of assistant chief (having a graduate degree is preferred). I attended Baylor University from 1980-1984 to obtain my BBA.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The most rewarding part of this job is helping people in need. As an officer, you have many opportunities to assist others: Giving directions, looking for lost children, enforcing the law, etc. As a supervisor, I find fulfillment in teaching and mentoring new officers.
What advice would you give someone interested in your line of work?
First, invest some time and find out what the job that you’re interested in (local, state, federal) is really like—do your research, talk to people in that field, and do ride outs or internships. Next, prepare yourself for being a good candidate by obtaining as much relevant training, experience, and education as possible. Finally, all law enforcement and licensing agencies have standards related to drug/alcohol usage and criminal activity and you should make good decisions accordingly.
What pros and cons should they be aware of?
A career in law enforcement in extremely rewarding, but it is not a good fit for everyone. Most law enforcement positions offer the satisfaction of helping others and good benefits/retirement plans, but it can also be dangerous and involve harsh working conditions.
What kind of things do you wish you had known when first beginning?
That policing was such a great job—I would have started this career immediately after college!
If you are interested in learning more about the Master of Criminal Justice program offered at Tarleton Waco, contact the main Tarleton Waco offices at 254-299-8322 to set up your advising appointment today!
This post was written by Clinton Dennard. Clinton is a self-proclaimed poker aficionado and 90’s music trivia savant. In his free time, you can find him on one of Waco’s spectacular bodies of water doing all the aquatic things. In his professional life, you will find him oscillating between lecturing and advising undergraduate Tarleton Waco students in an effort to make their dreams a reality. Further, you can find him recruiting for the Tarleton Waco programs throughout the Greater Waco community. On most evenings, he serves a Licensed Professional Counselor at Premier Neurofeedback and Counseling Services.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
by Claire Hutson and Elizabeth Keomanikhoth
We are all aware of the physical changes a baby undergoes in its first few years of life. It’s easy to observe: from sitting up to crawling to walking and talking, babies develop a great deal. But what about the mental changes that go on underneath all of that? Those are a lot less easy to observe, especially to the untrained eye, but helping your baby’s brain grow is just as important as helping the rest of its body grow. So how do you do that?
Talking and Reading to Your Baby
A baby’s brain develops through their interactions with their parents and the environment around them. Simply talking to your baby is incredibly important for building the brain. But communication with your baby does not just mean spitting out words at them. It can also be shown through mimicking the faces and movements that they make, and putting an emotion title to the faces or attitudes they express. For example, if your child is laughing and smiling, you could say, “You seem to be very happy right now!” This simple acknowledgment places context to certain words and enables them to gain a better understanding of the world around them. Exploring what will happen when they fuss, blow bubbles, giggle, babble, and even throw food on the floor helps further their brain development. These experiments allow them to communicate with you and other caregivers, and are the building blocks for a properly wired brain. Research shows that talking to and interacting with your baby in the first 3 years of their life builds the ultimate foundation for what will be needed to support later reading and thinking skills.
You are your baby’s first teacher. Learning to read depends greatly on having and hearing a large vocabulary. Reading to your baby allows them to hear words that you may not normally say to them on a daily basis. It also puts pictures and a story to the words that you are saying. You are exposing them to new vocabulary and concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes. It will build memory, vocabulary, and listening skills. When your child hears more words, it increases the number and variety of words they will understand and use later on in life. Reading books will keep them entertained, especially if the book includes a song for you to sing, and will make talking to your baby much easier and more engaging.
What is the Nurse Family Partnership?
But I am only acutely aware of these things because of almost four years of training on the subject, and even so I would be quite nervous to actually put it into practice and raise of child of my own. Many moms do not know the importance of these building blocks, and for many, these simple interactions do not come naturally. So how do we help moms in our community turn this into the status quo of parenting? That is where Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) comes in. NFP is an evidence-based organization for first time expecting mothers. They provide education, empowerment, and access to resources in our community. They teach first time mothers the importance of things like talking to your baby. NFP provides ways for women to be the best mothers possible. To be eligible for this program you have to meet the basic requirements. This includes being a first-time mother (at any age), at or less than 28 weeks pregnant, and you must be a McLennan County resident. If you know of any first-time mothers in McLennan County, have any other questions, or would like to volunteer, please feel free to contact the office at 254.202.1130.
Elizabeth Keomanikhoth (Pictured left) will be a senior at Baylor University. She is majoring in Child and Family Studies, and following a pre-medical track in hopes of pursuing pediatrics.
Claire Hutson (Pictured right) will be graduating from Baylor this August with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Jamie Schmitt
Everybody knows someone who has been affected by incarceration. The goal of the McLennan County Reintegration Program is to make sure that individuals who have current or previous justice involvement are allowed to become the person they were truly meant to be! The McLennan County Reintegration Program is a collaborative effort between the City of Waco and McLennan County in partnership with Heart of Texas Region MHMR. It provides transitional services to those currently in the county jail and those just released. The assistance may start while the client is in jail, and often continues post release. Services focus on helping individuals successfully reintegrate into the community and avoid re-incarceration. Services include employment readiness, job search, locating housing, mental health counseling, addiction counseling, and various other support services.
Successful reintegration begins while individuals are still incarcerated. By participating in the program while incarcerated, participants receive individual and group clinical services designed to holistically support the recovery process and achieve the self-sufficiency required to sustain a productive lifestyle free from involvement of illegal activities.
The Program has two phases: one while individuals are still incarcerated and another phase after the individuals are released. During our jail-based portion of the program, which begins in the McLennan County jail, individuals participate in an assessment, group and individual counseling along with pre-release planning to prepare for a stable reentry into the community. Upon release, the program continues to work with the individuals to help prevent recidivism. The program offers weekly groups and individual counseling sessions as the individuals attempt to re-establish and maintain their role as a family member, employee, student, parent, and community member.
Mentorship is an important part of successful reentry and studies show that it helps to prevent recidivism. The program has wonderful community partners who dedicate their time speaking with our clients in the McLennan County jail. Our volunteers include Alcoholics Anonymous, Winner’s Circle and Narcotics Anonymous group members. Having these motivational speakers is an important part of the recovery process which builds positive relationships while in early recovery. The relationships built continue to support clients well into the long-term recovery journey.
Click on the following links to read success stories of the Reintegration Program:
- http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/An-Inmates-Second-Chance-McLennan-County-Jail-Pilots-Reintegration-Program-409602635.html
- https://www.wacotrib.com/news/mclennan_county/music-behind-bars-helping-inmates-prepare-for-freedom/article_c803c8ce-2bce-5921-9d2f-f7c13f5ec1ce.html
- http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Local-jails-reintegration-program-proves-successful-for-inmates-expansion-in-the-works-436436873.html
If you would like more information please contact Jamie Schmitt by phone or email 254-297-7706, jamie.schmitt@hotrmhmr.org.
Jamie Schmitt, MSW, LCDC, PRSS-TOC has been counseling in the recovery field since 2003. With a passion to provide a true Recovery Oriented Systems of Care for all individuals and their supports, she co-founded Heart of Heart of Texas Region ROSC in 2011. In 2017, Jamie was honored to receive the D. Frank Davis Professional and Community Outreach Award which is presented to individuals who have a demonstrated tenured dedication to the addiction profession while actively supporting the mission of recovery through their involvement in other key organizations. #RecoveryHappens
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
(This post is a part of a regular series “Trails & Trials,” a monthly adventure series inspiring others to experience the physical, mental, and social benefits of cycling, running or swimming in Central Texas. For more posts in this series, click here: Trails and Trials. – ALW)
By Natasha van der Merwe
The big day had come, July 15th. The day of the 10th Annual TriWaco triathlon which takes place in the heart of Waco. We get to swim in the Brazos river, ride on the roads surrounding the Baylor University campus and run through Cameron Park and its daunting hills. All in the middle of July, which brings sweltering temperatures typically topping out at around 100 degrees for the day.
Preparation is taken seriously as putting all of the above together is no easy task. Many that stood on the shores ready to jump in the water at 6:30am that morning were also undertaking their first triathlon. We all do our best to prepare for all three different sports – swimming, biking and running – but when it comes to putting it all together, race day can bring in a number of new unforeseen challenges.
I have been competing in this sport for just over 10 years, 9 of them as a professional triathlete. Each race is a new experience which turns this sport into a lifelong endeavor. With the ever changing courses, conditions, competition, ones own fitness, and race adversity, one can never be too prepared. Unfortunately, what happened at Tri Waco for me this year was a touch of misfortune. Everyone will encounter a bit of misfortune sometime in their sporting careers.
My original goal going into the race was to give it my all and end up one step ahead of my competitors. This was not to be. 8 miles into the bike leg, and in the lead of the race, I encountered my first flat tire in my 10 years of racing. There were little shards of glass on the road in which I just happened to ride straight over, slicing my tire. I don’t race with a flat repair kit, so my only option at that point was to pull over to the side of the road. 30 minutes later Bicycle World’s Support vehicle carrying spare tubes, found me on the course, and assisted me to get back on the road.
Some might have called it a day, saving their legs to get back into their next training block.
In this case, I made the decision that instead of bemoaning my bad luck on the side of the road, I was going to figure out a way to still benefit from this experience. One often learns more from our setbacks than our successes.
Here are five ways to turn what might have been a bad race into a good outcome:
Be Flexible With Your Goals
One reason many triathletes are disappointed with their races is that they have only one goal for the race, such as setting a personal best or placing in a certain position in their division. When they don’t achieve that goal, they think they have had a bad race. Often those negative thoughts will overwhelm them during the race.
A better approach is to start every race with a series of goals. Start with the absolute best outcome you can reasonably hope for. That will be your “A” goal. A “B” goal, will be to just do one’s best in face of fierce competition which will still be great, and a “C” goal, is in the face of any adversity on the course one still finishes. This will still be an accomplishment for you on that day. That flexibility in your goals will help you to stay motivated and keep pushing during the race.
For example, on this day, my A goal was to win the race. As soon as I flatted, I turned to a new goal of turning my race into a training day. Not only did I benefit from some great fitness training finishing the race which was a 1500 meter swim, 25 mile bike and 10k hilly run, but I also got a fantastic preview of what I would experience at the end of October when I come back to race the much anticipated Waco 70.3 Ironman. I now have those hills in Cameron park fresh in my memory as I prepare my running legs to stay strong through the half marathon that we will have to run that day.
Turn your thoughts away from yourself
I personally think that this is the number one strategy in overcoming any adversity in a race. Don’t throw yourself a pity party but instead immediately switch your thoughts to “what can I do for others”. This will immediately lighten the mood, as you look around and realize there is always more to life than one race, and the attempt at supporting others always makes you feel better.
In the case of this race, I had flatted by riding over broken glass on the course. After pulling off to the side of the road, knowing I could not fix the flat, I laid my bike in the grass on the side of the road and proceeded to clear all the glass by picking it up with my hands piece by piece, which hopefully helped avoid future flats for my fellow competitors. While doing so, I also had the opportunity to see my fellow Bicycle World Racing Team mates come by along with other athletes I know in Waco and I excitedly cheered them on, telling them all how great they looked and how they were closing in and catching anyone in front of them. While doing so I was able to see the enjoyment they were having racing, which gave me that encouragement that I needed to finish the race once my tire was fixed by the support vehicle.
Appreciate the amazing crowd support
When I am typically racing all out, I am usually so focused on the task at hand that I sometimes fail to really appreciate all the spectators and volunteer support that is out on the course. Having the flat tire and taking a step back to just finish the course at a more leisurely pace allowed me to take in all the funny signs and bobble heads of their friends that they are supporting. I also took the opportunity to thank all the volunteers that were standing in the day’s 90-100 degree heat. Volunteers handing us water, Gatorade and ice towels all why throwing in a few encouraging words as you run by them. Without all that support, there would be no race. The level of gratitude that I carried that day rose to a new level resulting in a ton of joy for the experience that I was having.
Reflect on What You Accomplished
After every race, don’t forget to pick out all the positives of your race as you reflect on your accomplishment. In this race, I was extremely excited with how I felt in the swim, being less than a minute behind the leaders. This has given me more confidence in my training which is building excitement for my upcoming races. I was also proud that I never gave up, and there is nothing that can beat that feeling of accomplishment of finishing something you start, especially when you maintain a positive mindset throughout.
Start Thinking About Your Next Race
There are no failures, just feedback for future training sessions and lessons learnt for future races. All race experiences, good or bad, are always building blocks for a better future. I walked away from my TriWaco experience extremely excited to tackle the Waco 70.3 in October. From the downtown course with a homely feel with the camaraderie that is always had between fellow athletes on the course, and the sidelines filled with family and friends. You cannot walk away from a race like this and not feel rejuvenated and motivated to tackle yet another one. There is nothing quite like this experience to make you feel like you are living your best life.
Come out and watch us on October 28th in Waco for the 70.3 Ironman. You might just get the motivation you need to be on the start list next year.
Natasha van der Merwe is originally from South Africa. She is mom to a 19-month old girl, former professional tennis player and tennis instructor, and a professional triathlete representing Bicycle World and Waco Running Company. She has multiple top 10 finishes in Ironman and 70.3 events around the world. She is Director of Team Programs for Bicycle World, Texas
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Ashley Bean Thornton
Is there anything in this world more hopeful and full of promise than brand new school supplies? The smell of a new box of colors. A brand new sharp pencil full of letters and words and pictures and numbers waiting to be set free. A bright, clean spiral notebook ready to be filled with ideas, and dreams, and problems, and scribbles about who “hearts” who “4-evah,” and drawings of houses and families and fast cars and rockets and dinosaurs. To all the grown-ups out there…if you have forgotten the joy and power of school supplies, you have forgotten a precious thing.
A few months ago, the Act Locally Waco book group decided to read and discuss the book “Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom” by Lisa Delpit. We had heard through the grapevine that our (then new) WISD school superintendent, Dr. Marcus Nelson, had recommended it to principals in the district, so we put it on our list. On a whim, I decided to invite him to our book discussion, and lo and behold, he came! We had a thought-provoking conversation about heavy issues affecting our schools…and more to the point…our children. I will confess I left the discussion feeling overwhelmed with the complexity and magnitude of the challenges before us.
In the course of the conversation, Dr. Nelson mentioned a poem about a child and a pencil that he thought made an important point…
‘Cause I Ain’t got a Pencil
By Joshua T. Dickerson (reprinted with permission from the author)*
I woke myself up
Because we ain’t got an alarm clock
Dug in the dirty clothes basket,
Cause ain’t nobody washed my uniform
Brushed my hair and teeth in the dark,
Cause the lights ain’t on
Even got my baby sister ready,
Cause my mama wasn’t home.
Got us both to school on time,
To eat us a good breakfast.
Then when I got to class the teacher fussed
Cause I ain’t got a pencil.
This poem is a prism. When you look into it one way all you see is poverty. It can leave you feeling sad and overwhelmed. When you look at it another way you see a bright, capable kid solving problems and figuring out what it takes to keep on keeping on. She (or he) is exasperated with the rest of us because we can’t see that if we would just help her out a tiny bit with a pencil she could get on with the business of getting an education.
Ramona Curtis who works in the Department of External Affairs at Baylor starts each school year by joining the NAACP to welcome and cheer on the young scholars at J. H. Hines Elementary on the first day of school. For a few years now, she has noticed that even with the many, many wonderful school supply drives throughout our community there were still too many kids coming to school without supplies. Several conversations with the principal and outreach coordinator at Hines confirmed that school supplies are a big issue. Even when kids have enough in August, they often run out long before the school year is over. I’m sure teachers do fuss at kids who don’t have pencils – I know I did when I was a teacher! – but teachers also routinely dig into their own pockets to provide supplies for their kids. There never seems to be enough to make it to the end of the school year.
With all this in mind, this year Ms. Curtis is working through the Solid Gold Neighbor Initiative at Baylor along with numerous organizations throughout the community to organize a school supply “power” drive. The goal of this project is to make sure that the five Transformation Zone schools (Brook Avenue Elementary, J. H. Hines Elementary, Alta Vista Elementary, Indian Spring Middle School and G. W. Carver Middle School) who already have so much on their plates this year, do not have to worry about school supplies.
Ms. Curtis and her team visited with the principals at each of the five schools to make a list of the supplies needed for the whole school for the whole year. They got back numbers like 996 boxes of crayons, 2500 glue sticks, 12000 pencils, etc.
Now they are working through churches, sororities and fraternities, non-profits, local businesses and every other kind of organization they can think of to gather those supplies and deliver them directly to the schools to be divvied up among the teachers and distributed as needed with discretion and discernment throughout the school year.
The Solid Gold Neighbor program has made it easy for you to participate. You can donate money directly by clicking on www.baylor.edu/SGNschoolsupplies or by texting BUSGN to 41444. Follow the Solid Gold Neighbor Facebook page for updates about how to donate school supplies and what supplies are still needed. Or contact Ramona Curtis at ramona_curtis@baylor.edu to see how your business or organization can join in!
Not all problems can be solved with a pencil. But sometimes a pencil – or a box of markers, or some paper, or a glue stick — makes a big difference. We have bright, capable kids in Waco ISD. Many of them face tough situations every day and yet resiliently get to school anyway and go about the work of learning the best they know how to do. We have some significant challenges in our schools, and it will not doubt take time to chip away at most of them, but one thing we can do right now is to make sure there’s a pencil available when a kid needs one. Let’s do that!
* You can follow Joshua T. Dickerson on his Facebook page, “Joshua T. Dickerson Speaks,” or on Twitter: @joshtdickerson
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, she has lived in Waco almost 20 years now. Far longer than she ever lived anywhere else. She likes to walk. If you see her out walking, honk and wave and say, “Hi!”
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Anna Dunbar
- Half is better than none.
You may be new to Waco curbside recycling. Start with paper and plastic water, soda, and juice bottles! Once you establish a habit, start adding other recyclables such as shampoo and detergent bottles, flattened cardboard, magazines, and aluminum and tin cans.
- You can recycle glass in Waco.
Glass bottles and jars (as well as other recyclables) can be taken to the Cobbs Citizen Convenience Center (Recycling Center) by anyone, regardless of residency. The center is open on Tuesday – Saturday from 8 AM until 5 PM.
- Look beyond the daily paper.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, paper and cardboard are America’s most recycled materials by weight. The Waco curbside recycling program and Cobbs Recycling Center accept newspaper, corrugated cardboard, cereal and tissue boxes, mail, catalogues, and phone books. The Cobbs Recycling Center accepts those items from anyone, no matter their place of residency.
- Close the Loop
The recycling process doesn’t stop at the Waco blue curbside cart! After materials are processed and back on the shelf as new items, it is up to you to buy recycled products. Look for products and packaging with recycled content to do your part as a recycling-conscious consumer.
- Recycling: it’s not just in the kitchen.
Don’t trash your detergent and shampoo bottles! Take a few extra steps to put your empty bottles in your blue Waco curbside recycling cart pr take them to the Cobbs Recycling Center.
- Know your limits.
Putting materials in your blue recycling cart that aren’t collected from curbside contaminates the recycling process. Items that are common mistakes in curbside recycling carts include Styrofoam, food contaminated cardboard, such as a pizza boxes, chip bags, ziplock bags, juice boxes, and straws. All of those items go into the grey trash cart.
- Answer the call to recycle your wireless phone!
More than 100 million cell phones retire each year to sit in our drawers or closets, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Do you have out-of-use mobile phones in your home? Consider donating them to a local charity or retail outlet that collects cell phones. Before you drop off your old cell phone, make sure that you have terminated your service contract for the phone and erased any data in the phone. Target Greatland has a drop-off box at the door closest to the pharmacy. The Waco Family Abuse Center accepts cell phones at its thrift store, Second Chance. And finally, the Cobbs Recycling Center accepts cell phones from Waco residents only.
- Recycling: don’t exclude your leaves and grass clippings!
Waco residents can request a green (yard waste) cart at no extra charge. The yard waste cart is collected every other week on your trash day. To request a cart go to waco-texas.com or call (254) 299-2612.
- Recycling: don’t exclude your food.
Start composting your food waste at home. If you aren’t quite ready for a compost bin or pile, consider tossing a few biodegradable items into your garden or window boxes instead of the trash. Egg shells and coffee grounds enrich soil and break down easily. Or you can join the “blue bucket brigade” associated with Mission Waco’s Urban Renewable Energy & Agriculture Project. If you would like to donate food waste, mainly plant material, for compost, you can pick up a blue bucket at Mission Waco’s Urban R.E.A.P at 1505 N. 15th Street.
- Spread the word.
Now that you’re an expert recycler, consider hosting an educational recycling event in your neighborhood. Keep Waco Beautiful (KWB) or Waco Solid Waste can help with educational materials and assistance. Contact KWB at (254) 723-5714 or Waco Solid Waste Services at (254) 299-2496.
Still have questions? Contact me at annad@wacotx.gov or call Waco Solid Waste at (254) 299-2612.
Para informacion en Español: (254) 299-2612
Anna Dunbar is the Environmental Program Manager for the City of Waco Public Works. She is responsible for informing Waco residents and businesses about recycling and waste reduction opportunities as well as solid waste services in Waco. Her husband is a Baylor professor and her daughter is a Baylor University alum who works at Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. Anna is an active member of Keep Waco Beautiful and The Central Texas Audubon Society.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Meg Wallace
Deshaun is his name.
He was running in the grass alongside Highway 6 west of College Station. Alone. Looked to be about five years old.
I said, “That can’t be right,” and I pulled onto the shoulder with traffic whizzing by at 75 miles an hour. Robin and I got out of the car, and I slowly walked toward the running boy, holding my arms wide. He ran toward me, and I squatted down, put my hands on his shoulders, and asked his name.
“Deshaun,” he said.
“My name is Meg. This is Robin. Where’s your mama, Deshaun?”
He fidgeted, then pointed. “Car.”
“Was your mama in a car? Where were you before you were running?”
“Car.” He started to walk toward the highway. I moved to block him. He was pointing at my car.
“Do you want to get in the car?”
“Yes. Car.”
Of course. It was over 100 degrees. No telling how long he had been running.
We walked to the car, buckled him in, and gave him water. He was dressed in a spotless white T-shirt and shorts, his hair in two neat braids joined on the top of his head. He was wearing no shoes. We said we would see if we could find his mama. We drove to the next exit, a mile or two away, and pulled into the first gas station. We bought him a corn dog, then called 911. We could tell the dispatcher very little. Deshaun wasn’t able to help us understand. We suspected he was autistic.
After the police arrived (and Deshaun leaned into me and made anxious sounds when one of the police officers spoke to him), we found a quiet corner of the store. He pressed the lever on the Coke machine and was sprayed with sticky soda; tried to grab a couple of toy guns, which I moved out of reach; then carefully set down his corn dog and water and pulled a plastic dinosaur from the toy display. I noticed that the dinosaur was packaged with bubbles. Good choice, Deshaun. We blew bubbles while the police sorted things out. When I was distracted talking to the police, he solved the problem of a too-large bubble wand by pouring some bubble soap into a larger plastic cap so he could dip the wand in.
Not long after, his mother came around the corner with the police officers. She was overcome, beside herself with relief, but she gathered herself to explain to the officers that she had only fallen asleep for a moment, then woke up and he was gone. The police took her back around the corner to speak with her while we continued to play with bubbles, then another woman came, his mother’s roommate, and thanked us. She said that Deshaun is autistic.
His mother came back, thanked us, and gave each of us a long, emotional hug. Then she and her friend and Deshaun left with the police to go back to the house, where they could exchange information in case Deshaun goes on another adventure in the future.
Deshaun never looked at or greeted his mother. He expressed no recognition that she had returned.
I am thankful for police officers who understood. One of them was named Goodheart.
And I am overwhelmed by the vulnerability of little Deshaun and his mother.
Longtime freelance writer and editor Meg Wallace began her career shift by completing her Master’s in Social Work at Baylor in May, then launched the Amberley Collaborative to cultivate caring communities in Waco and beyond. Learn more about the Collaborative at https://www.facebook.com/AmberleyCollaborative/.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Robin Wilson, Ph.D.
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I decided to retire from being a campus principal to return to school to complete my doctorate. I have always loved to learn, and I knew I was ready to embark on a new journey…even though I was a little late in life to be pursuing a Ph.D. While pursuing this degree, I ended up focusing on how to better educate our local high school seniors, teachers, and administrators on what it takes to be college and career ready. There are personal skills, such as time management, study skills, self-awareness, and persistence, required. There are also academic classes, such as dual credit courses or AP (Advanced Placement) courses, that will help prepare a student for college or a career. But, in 2018, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) added a new term and a new standard of expectation for graduating seniors: CCMR.
What is CCMR?
To better meet the expectations of the 60x30TX, TEA expects all seniors, beginning with the class of 2018, to be College, Career, or Military Ready (CCMR). Each graduating student must meet at least one of the following to be considered CCMR:
College Ready
- Earn at least a score of 3 on any Advanced Placement exam or at least a score of 4 on any International Baccalaureate examination
- Meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) minimum score requirements in reading and mathematics*
- Complete a dual credit course/courses (earning at least 3 hours in English or Mathematics OR at least 9 hours in any subject)
Career Ready
- Earn an industry-based certification
- Complete a Career/Technical Education (CTE) course aligned with an approved industry-based certification
- Graduate with a completed Individualized Education Program (IEP) and workforce readiness (for certain students served through special education programs)
Military Ready
- Enlist in the United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marines).
While TEA gives students a variety of ways in which to meet the CCMR, many of these methods will not be known to students (like the TSI or available industry-based certifications/CTE courses aligned to certifications) nor will it be known to students that they should report to their schools if whether they enlist in the US Armed Forces. Therefore, everyone needs to be more familiar with this new requirement.
What is TSI?
The TSI (Texas Success Initiative) is the placement test used by colleges and universities to help determine if your child is ready for college-level courses. Although your child can be “admitted” to a higher education institution based on his or her ACT or SAT scores, “placement” in college-level coursework will depend on his or her TSI scores. If your child does not meet the standards or exemptions below, he or she will be enrolled in a developmental education program designed to help him/her become college ready. These developmental courses do not count for college credit, but your child will still have to pay the cost of enrolling in these college-level courses.
Minimum scores on TSI to be considered-college ready:
- Mathematics: 350
- Reading: 351
- Writing: a placement score of at least 340, and an essay score of at least 4: OR a placement score of less than 340 and an ABE Diagnostic level of at least 4 and an essay score of at least 5.
Exemptions from the TSI Reading/Writing assessment can be earned based on ACT/SAT scores or course completion:
- Score a 23 or higher composite on the ACT and a minimum of 19 on the English section
- Score 480 or higher on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and writing section (no composite score needed)
- Receive credit for completing the College Preparatory English course
Exemptions from the TSI Mathematics assessment can be earned based on ACT/SAT scores or course completion:
- Score a 23 or higher composite on the ACT and a minimum of 19 on the Mathematics section
- Score 530 or higher on the SAT Mathematics section (no combined score needed)
- Receive credit for completing the College Preparatory Mathematics course
What do these new standards mean for our school districts?
These new standards change the expectations for graduating seniors and how our high schools will receive their “A-F grade” from TEA (https://tea.texas.gov/A-F). The elementary and middle school campuses’ grades from TEA will still be based on STAAR test scores (100%), but high schools will now be graded on STAAR scores (40%), CCMR rate (40%), and graduation rate (20%). This new accountability for high schools will take the work of a village to ensure that all of our seniors graduate ready to pursue a degree at a higher education institution or move into the work force career-ready.
How can parents help make sure their child is college and career ready?
Parents can help in numerous ways:
- Encouraging your child to not only take dual credit or Advanced Placement courses but also perform well in those courses and on their exams;
- Reminding your child to take his or her opportunities to take the TSI seriously and to study any practice materials available for the TSI;
- Aiding your child in finding opportunities to earn an industry-based certificate (if their goal is to be career-ready) through participation in CTE courses, the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy or the Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy;
- Urging your child to utilize the college planning guide.
Your local high schools also need you to help educate your neighbors about CCMR. The new standards can be conquered, and our high schools can continue to provide our students with skills and knowledge necessary to be successful, but it will take the work of a village. Help spread the word in our community on what it takes to be college, career, or military ready!
Dr. Robin Wilson is the College Readiness Coordinator and AVID District Director for Waco Independent School District. She earned her Masters degree from University of Texas at Tyler and her Doctorate at Baylor University. She has worked as a classroom teacher, campus principal, a district administrator, an AVID professional development staff member, and a university adjunct professor.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.