Short teacher adds to family
My AISD
Volume 1, Issue 3, February 2016
Short teacher adds to family Short Elementary kindergarten teacher Angela Lilley knew she wasn’t in the best of situations in 2011 when two students at the school were in need of help. But Lilley didn’t see any other way, and now 4 ½ years later Lilley and her husband Paul Harvey are the parents of five instead of three. It was far from an easy decision and it hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but now twin brothers Noah M. and Isaiah M. are better off with their adopted family, and that’s all that really matters to Lilley. “Once we heard the whole story about what was happening, I came home and talked to my husband about it,” Lilley said. “You know, being a teacher you hear a lot of stories. For some reason this one really stuck with me. I’d hear a little bit of the story and a little bit of the story. By the time I got involved in sixth grade, I started piecing it all together. I came home one day before Christmas and said, ‘We’ve got to do something.’ [Harvey] goes, ‘Let’s go find them.’” Lilley, who has been a teacher at Short for nine years, met Noah when he joined student council as a sixth grader. Noah told Lilley his brother Isaiah needed to be with him wherever he went. After Lilley agreed to that, she began finding out more about a home situation that wasn’t good at the time.
From left, Paul Harvey, Isaiah M., Zoe Harvey, Angela Lilley, Noah M. and Ethan Lilley. The Morgan brothers were bouncing from homes to friends houses to sometimes sleeping on the streets. Lilley’s oldest son Ethan befriended the two so they would have a place to come with a stable home environment. It started with them coming over for a couple of days. Those days turned to weeks and then Noah and Isaiah would only return to their birth mother
when absolutely necessary. At one point, there was a 10-day span in which neither had heard from their birth mother. That led Lilley and Harvey to contact the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the police department to see what their options were. They were told as long as they MORE LILLEY, PAGE 4 went six months without a relative
A message from Dr. Cavazos It’s hard to believe that there’s only three months remaining in the 2015-2016 school year. It’s been an amazing school year, and we have great things on the horizon. We continue to roll out our new strategic plan, and the feedback we’ve received on
it has been positive. There’s more information on the plan on page 3 of My AISD. The newsletter continues to highlight just a few of our many success stories. We have further proof that our teachers put the children first, with the story of Short teacher Angela Lilley on page 1.
We also see how former AISD students makes difference. Juan Gonzalez Jr., whose father was a superstar for the Texas Rangers, is an AISD product who’s working in the district trying to make an impact. That story on page 2 is proof our mission is working.
Bond update My favorite movie is..... The 2014 Bond package is being implemented over the course of five years. On the facilities side, the construction projects are divided into five phases (See what is in each phase here.) Most projects in Phase I are now under construction, Phase II projects are in design and architects for Phase III projects are being hired. By this summer, 44 schools will have ongoing construction work or already be complete. Current construction includes: two new elementary schools, new multi-purpose activity centers at each high school, Ousley Junior High, Workman Junior High and Corey Academy. Two bond construction projects are already finished: Ferguson Education Center and improvements to the baseball field at Lamar High School. For more updates and photos, including information about the other areas of the bond – fine arts, transportation and safety, security and technology – visit the bond website and sign up for the e-newsletter.
MARCH DATES Youth Art Month Texas Independence Day NEA’s Read Across America Texas Public School Week Begin Daylight Saving Time Spring Break St. Patrick’s Day Absolutely Incredible Kid Day First Day of Spring Good Friday (AISD holiday) Easter
March 2 March 2 March 7-11 March 13 March 14-18 March 17 March 17 March 20 March 25 March 27
My favorite movie is “An Affair to Remember.” I love this movie because of the intricate storyline and the character interaction. I think the dialogue from the 1960’s was so clever! Courtney Kelly Williams Elementary
in a positive way. Kimberly Griffiths Moore Elementary
My favorites are super hero movies. I love the idea of an underdog turned superhero. But it must be in the Marvel franchise. Meara Healy Ousley Junior High
I enjoy watching movies and one of my all time favorite is “Beaches” with Bette Midler. Angelique Bell Shackelford Junior High
I usually watch action movies like “The Avengers,” “Captain America” & “Iron Man.” Georgiana Hicks Community-Based Pre-K One of my favorite movies is “Remember the Titans.” It shows the struggle with differences and how to overcome those challenges,
“The Princess Bride.” It’s a classic. Michelle Quigley Roark Elementary
My favorite movie is “Forrest Gump” because it is a sweet story that encapsulates so many iconic facts and shows history in a touching way. Sarah Cowman Bebensee Elementary HAVE A FAVORITE MOVIE, BOOK OR SONG? SEND YOURS TO [email protected]
What your peers are reading Anderson Elementary librarian Margaret Resendez suggests “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis. Here’s why: This Newbery Honor award winner and Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner has been a favorite of mine since college. Ten-year-old Kenny tells the story of a visit to his grandma
in Birmingham, Ala.. His entire family, the Weird Watson’s of Flint, Mich., head out on a road trip to end all road trips. As the family travels south, they experience some of the struggles for civil rights taking the country by storm at this time. This hilarious, touching, amazing debut novel by Curtis will leave readers thinking for a long time afterwards.
LILLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 went six months without a relative trying to make contact, they could adopt the two boys. Six months to the day after that Lilley contacted lawyers and began the adoption process. Now both Noah and Isaiah, who are in the choir at Arlington High School, refer to Lilley and Harvey as mom and dad and are comfortable.
“It’s been a lot smoother than it could have been,” Lilley said. “I don’t think we went into it thinking it would be honkey dory. We’ve had ups and downs, but we wouldn’t change anything. That’s how we roll now.” They’ve had some help, too. In addition to their other children Ethan, Zoe and Alex warming to new siblings, Short has as well.
While Short principal Tracey Cross supported his teacher trying to help children in need, he also realized the school was in an awkward position when both boys were still at the school. They’ve now been official members of the family though for more than a year and a half. The Short faculty helped the family raise funds when they sent the
boys on a choir trip. “[Lilley] has a great heart,” Cross said. “She gives back to the community in a lot of different ways. With that whole thing, we were fearful because as a school we didn’t want to over step our bounds. Those boys are now in the best spot they can be in. They fit right in with the family.”
Volume 1, Issue 3, February 2016
Short teacher adds to family Short Elementary kindergarten teacher Angela Lilley knew she wasn’t in the best of situations in 2011 when two students at the school were in need of help. But Lilley didn’t see any other way, and now 4 ½ years later Lilley and her husband Paul Harvey are the parents of five instead of three. It was far from an easy decision and it hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but now twin brothers Noah M. and Isaiah M. are better off with their adopted family, and that’s all that really matters to Lilley. “Once we heard the whole story about what was happening, I came home and talked to my husband about it,” Lilley said. “You know, being a teacher you hear a lot of stories. For some reason this one really stuck with me. I’d hear a little bit of the story and a little bit of the story. By the time I got involved in sixth grade, I started piecing it all together. I came home one day before Christmas and said, ‘We’ve got to do something.’ [Harvey] goes, ‘Let’s go find them.’” Lilley, who has been a teacher at Short for nine years, met Noah when he joined student council as a sixth grader. Noah told Lilley his brother Isaiah needed to be with him wherever he went. After Lilley agreed to that, she began finding out more about a home situation that wasn’t good at the time.
From left, Paul Harvey, Isaiah M., Zoe Harvey, Angela Lilley, Noah M. and Ethan Lilley. The Morgan brothers were bouncing from homes to friends houses to sometimes sleeping on the streets. Lilley’s oldest son Ethan befriended the two so they would have a place to come with a stable home environment. It started with them coming over for a couple of days. Those days turned to weeks and then Noah and Isaiah would only return to their birth mother
when absolutely necessary. At one point, there was a 10-day span in which neither had heard from their birth mother. That led Lilley and Harvey to contact the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the police department to see what their options were. They were told as long as they MORE LILLEY, PAGE 4 went six months without a relative
A message from Dr. Cavazos It’s hard to believe that there’s only three months remaining in the 2015-2016 school year. It’s been an amazing school year, and we have great things on the horizon. We continue to roll out our new strategic plan, and the feedback we’ve received on
it has been positive. There’s more information on the plan on page 3 of My AISD. The newsletter continues to highlight just a few of our many success stories. We have further proof that our teachers put the children first, with the story of Short teacher Angela Lilley on page 1.
We also see how former AISD students makes difference. Juan Gonzalez Jr., whose father was a superstar for the Texas Rangers, is an AISD product who’s working in the district trying to make an impact. That story on page 2 is proof our mission is working.
Bond update My favorite movie is..... The 2014 Bond package is being implemented over the course of five years. On the facilities side, the construction projects are divided into five phases (See what is in each phase here.) Most projects in Phase I are now under construction, Phase II projects are in design and architects for Phase III projects are being hired. By this summer, 44 schools will have ongoing construction work or already be complete. Current construction includes: two new elementary schools, new multi-purpose activity centers at each high school, Ousley Junior High, Workman Junior High and Corey Academy. Two bond construction projects are already finished: Ferguson Education Center and improvements to the baseball field at Lamar High School. For more updates and photos, including information about the other areas of the bond – fine arts, transportation and safety, security and technology – visit the bond website and sign up for the e-newsletter.
MARCH DATES Youth Art Month Texas Independence Day NEA’s Read Across America Texas Public School Week Begin Daylight Saving Time Spring Break St. Patrick’s Day Absolutely Incredible Kid Day First Day of Spring Good Friday (AISD holiday) Easter
March 2 March 2 March 7-11 March 13 March 14-18 March 17 March 17 March 20 March 25 March 27
My favorite movie is “An Affair to Remember.” I love this movie because of the intricate storyline and the character interaction. I think the dialogue from the 1960’s was so clever! Courtney Kelly Williams Elementary
in a positive way. Kimberly Griffiths Moore Elementary
My favorites are super hero movies. I love the idea of an underdog turned superhero. But it must be in the Marvel franchise. Meara Healy Ousley Junior High
I enjoy watching movies and one of my all time favorite is “Beaches” with Bette Midler. Angelique Bell Shackelford Junior High
I usually watch action movies like “The Avengers,” “Captain America” & “Iron Man.” Georgiana Hicks Community-Based Pre-K One of my favorite movies is “Remember the Titans.” It shows the struggle with differences and how to overcome those challenges,
“The Princess Bride.” It’s a classic. Michelle Quigley Roark Elementary
My favorite movie is “Forrest Gump” because it is a sweet story that encapsulates so many iconic facts and shows history in a touching way. Sarah Cowman Bebensee Elementary HAVE A FAVORITE MOVIE, BOOK OR SONG? SEND YOURS TO [email protected]
What your peers are reading Anderson Elementary librarian Margaret Resendez suggests “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis. Here’s why: This Newbery Honor award winner and Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner has been a favorite of mine since college. Ten-year-old Kenny tells the story of a visit to his grandma
in Birmingham, Ala.. His entire family, the Weird Watson’s of Flint, Mich., head out on a road trip to end all road trips. As the family travels south, they experience some of the struggles for civil rights taking the country by storm at this time. This hilarious, touching, amazing debut novel by Curtis will leave readers thinking for a long time afterwards.
LILLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 went six months without a relative trying to make contact, they could adopt the two boys. Six months to the day after that Lilley contacted lawyers and began the adoption process. Now both Noah and Isaiah, who are in the choir at Arlington High School, refer to Lilley and Harvey as mom and dad and are comfortable.
“It’s been a lot smoother than it could have been,” Lilley said. “I don’t think we went into it thinking it would be honkey dory. We’ve had ups and downs, but we wouldn’t change anything. That’s how we roll now.” They’ve had some help, too. In addition to their other children Ethan, Zoe and Alex warming to new siblings, Short has as well.
While Short principal Tracey Cross supported his teacher trying to help children in need, he also realized the school was in an awkward position when both boys were still at the school. They’ve now been official members of the family though for more than a year and a half. The Short faculty helped the family raise funds when they sent the
boys on a choir trip. “[Lilley] has a great heart,” Cross said. “She gives back to the community in a lot of different ways. With that whole thing, we were fearful because as a school we didn’t want to over step our bounds. Those boys are now in the best spot they can be in. They fit right in with the family.”
