In Memoriam: Past Region 5 Director Bill Moye

Born in Beaumont, on Sept. 14, 1942, Moye was the son of Tryian and Sybil Moye. He lived a full life and had tremendous intellect. Moye excelled at everything he set his mind to as he served as an adult scout leader for decades and even achieved the Vigil Honor from the Order of the Arrow.

Moye was an active member of Warren ATPE and served in many Region 5 ATPE officer roles. He also taught Sunday school lessons at his church. Moye’s unique sense of humor could fill the whole room with laughter. He enjoyed many hobbies, including taking part in historical battle reenactments and listening to country music.

Moye was kind and always willing to help those in need. He was a loving father and grandfather, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him during his journey through life.

Sue Allen taught with Moye at Warren High School, and they both served as Region 5 ATPE officers.

“Bill was a dedicated teacher and became an outstanding ATPE leader on all levels,” Allen says. “He was an outstanding historian and history teacher who always had a story to tell. I loved sharing a table with him at any meeting because he could keep all of us entertained—especially in those boring faculty meetings we have all had to sit through over the years. Bill was a true friend who loved his family and was always talking about them.”

On the Claybar Funeral Home Bill Moye Memorial Wall, several of Moye’s former students shared their thoughts and memories.

“Mr. Moye was one of the most caring teachers I ever had,” Daniel Odom wrote. “He was passionate about education and bettering the lives of his students, and he was one of the reasons I chose a career as a teacher. I offer prayers for the family, and thanks for all the years you shared Mr. Moye with his students.”

Karl Tolar shared: “Mr. Moye was one of those teachers that connected with students on a life level, not just at the point of education. Anytime I ran into him after I graduated, it was always a good catch-up conversation. He had a robust sense of humor, and it was always a good time talking with him about the world. He made a lasting impression on many young people and I’m glad to have been one of them.”

“It’s been about seven years since being in Mr. Moye’s class, and he was always very sweet,” Caly Bradford wrote. “My favorite times were once a year when he would bring the cannons to school to let us see them and hear what they sound like when fired. He will be missed.” continued from page 7—Your Ally threats to campus threat assessment teams. Identities may only be disclosed to the team, district, or law enforcement to investigate. Districts must maintain a confidential record of reporter identities.

ATPE extends its sympathies to the Moye family and friends.

CLASSROOM DISPLAY OF “IN GOD WE TRUST”

Per HB 2012, a classroom teacher cannot be prohibited from displaying a poster or copy of the national motto in their classroom.

Educators should look for additional information from their school districts as these policies are implemented and be advised that educators’ rights may be further modified during the anticipated special session on public education issues this fall.

continued from page 10—Your Voice have on legislators as they approach issues important to educators. Think of it as a small investment in yourself and your students that could return huge dividends.

3. VOTE LOUDLY.

What does this mean? Educators have too often been told not to seek out trouble, not to stir the pot, and not to talk about political issues. And while care should be taken in delivering curriculum, the problem with that advice overall is that public education is a political issue. It doesn’t have to be—and shouldn’t be—a partisan issue, but it is absolutely a political issue. We do ourselves a disservice by not talking to everyone we can about the importance of prioritizing public education at the ballot box. We ourselves need to base our votes on public education issues, but that is not enough. If we want a Legislature that prioritizes public education, we must tell our family, friends, and neighbors which candidates support our public schools and ask them to vote for them, too.

continued from page 14—Student Homelessness them blend into the school environment. The project resulted in the donation of 3,000-plus cans of food and hundreds of pieces of clothing.

“Over 300 families benefitted from the clothes and food that we had,” Saani says. “This also meant we could support one family for an entire year through just our food drive.”

Volunteering for programs and organizations such as Round Rock ISD’s Families in Transition and Project Red are some of the best ways to help. Project Red also has internships available, and you can donate to both causes.

“The decisions that our interns and our volunteers make directly impact what we do as a nonprofit,” Vu said. “The best way to [help] is to donate to organizations like us, who know what to do with these resources so that these people in need of resources can get them in a way that isn’t harmful to them.”

Family support provided by Round Rock ISD’s Families in Transition program includes enrollment assistance, free school meals, tuition fees for summer school, parent education resources, counseling referrals, transportation, and services for homeless students, such as early childhood and special education programs.

“It’s a really nice space,” Viramontes says. “It’s a space where families come in and get the care that they need and the case-by-case management that they’re looking for.”

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Viramontes wanted to still help families in need while also keeping them safe. So she began doing curbside services to give them the resources and supplies the families needed while also maintaining social distancing, and while doing curbside, she had a lightbulb moment that would include the help from Project Linus.

“I immediately go and email Linus Blankets, so instead of making quilts, they started making face masks,” Viramontes says. “So, the next time he came through, he had Hulk and Iron Man (facemasks) and was the happiest kid.”

It can be difficult for adults and teachers to connect with students and youth experiencing homelessness. What separates Project Red from other organizations is the fact that it is entirely student-run, which helps the project provide homeless students with material and personal support.

“We’re students ourselves, and other students relate with people like them,” Vu says. “They might not listen to an adult. We’re on their level; they trust students like us, and I feel like they appreciate that so much more.” continued from page 17—Scholastic Esports start a club,” Williamson says. “And then they can experience for themselves how rewarding esports can be for not only their students but also for themselves.”

Just before the tournament, Williamson prepared his players by asking them to take a deep breath and remember to have fun.

“You’ve put in the practice, and you guys deserve to be here,” Williamson said to his team. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose because you are getting the chance to play video games with your friends. In my book, you’ve already won!”