A brand is a mark used by cowboys to identify cattle on a ranch. Ranchers are typically proud of their brand. Brands have stories behind them. For example, one of Texas’ largest existing ranches, the Four-Sixes (6666), earned its name by being won in a game of poker.
While poker may not be the driving force of everyone’s brand, to those who play the game, it has meaning. It’s important. And, it represents something big. It’s personal.
To a cowboy, ranching is more than a job. The brand is more than a mark on cattle. To a cowboy, the brand represents a symbol of values, commitment, and relationships. The people on the ranch are family, and they share a bond with each other by a symbol binding them together. When cowboys feel this connection, they call it “Riding for the Brand.” Growing up in West Texas, “Riding for the Brand” meant that one was committed to a team, family, or anything else that manifested ownership and pride. Those people and those things were burned into the hearts of those who lived there. They became the fibers of tradition.
Kids, families, teachers, bus drivers, principals, superintendents, secretaries, heck, I guess everyone, is better when they feel a sense of connection. When we feel love and support, we become hopeful. In Wylie ISD, we want everyone to have that feeling. From these connections, we have created our own brand.
Folks who find this kind of connection feel just like the cowboys who “Ride for the Brand.” They work to protect the people and the things they hold so dear; they know that those people and those things are the root of what’s important. They know that, above all else, those people and those things are what really matter.
The Texas Education Agency has released school district report cards; and, for the second year in a row, Wylie ISD received the highest rating of an A. Congratulations to everyone for your hard work and your dedication to the Wylie ISD brand. Because of you, we are one of the fastest-growing and highest achieving districts in Texas. That doesn’t happen overnight. It takes grit and determination. It takes courage.
The Wylie ISD brand is one that is built on tradition. It represents honor, trust, commitment, decency, and most importantly, CHARACTER. We WANT you to be proud of your campus and Wylie ISD. We want you to RIDE FOR OUR BRAND. When you ride for the Wylie ISD brand, you are not a stranger. You are someone who helps to make us who we are.
You are family.
Whether you are riding for Groves Elementary, Davis Intermediate, Burnett Junior High, or any of the twenty campuses we proudly claim as our own, you are representing the best. You are representing Wylie ISD. We love this commitment. We all ride for the Wylie brand.
We would like to invite you to show your commitment by “Riding for our Brand” and proudly displaying your new campus logo on the back window of your car. You can pick one up for free at any Wylie ISD campus. This allows our Wylie family to not only support their home campuses, but also our district as a whole. When we spot each other at stoplights, we can share in the pride of being one of the highest achieving districts in Texas and in the United States. How cool is that?
We thank you for all you have done in helping us get where we are today. We hope you know how much you mean to us. We look forward to seeing all of the cars in Wylie ISD with window decals that represent our campus brands. We are Wylie ISD. And together, we are strong.
