The halls of Reinhardt Elementary echoed with disappointment Sept. 8 when it was announced that the afternoon “watch party” for student Bryce Cass had been cancelled.

Technical problems prevented Alan Engle, the school’s instructional technology specialist, from showing a much-anticipated video featuring 10-year-old Bryce in the season premiere of “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” 

Complicating matters was the fact that construction workers severed a fiber optic line, leaving Rockwall school district without internet or phone service.

But that didn’t stop Reinhardt’s fifth grade “TV star” from beaming, shaking my hand and politely welcoming me to his school. His contagious smile and positive demeanor lit up the library where his parents, Rick and Terry, welcomed my questions with gracious enthusiasm. 

I’m dreaming of a Jason Castro Christmas, and the jingle jangle of Patti LaBelle. Could it be that my Christmas wish is coming true? Is the American Idol finalist from Rockwall really joining Grammy award-winning recording artist Patti LaBelle live on stage, right here in Garland?

A little elf told neighborsgo it’s so...Jason Castro's coming to town!

The YMCA Adventure Guides recently hosted a contest in which participants were asked to write about “What the Adventure Guides program means to me and my family.” Contestants’ names were placed in a hat and a drawing was held for the grand prize – the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Texas Rangers game.

Chris Adams of Rockwall, along with his daughter Hannah of the Sugaree Circle and his son Paden of the Bandits Circle, enjoyed that honor during Texas Rangers/Adventure Guides Night at the Ballpark. Eight other winners got to walk onto the field for a pre-game ceremony.

Adams and his children shared their essay with neighborsgo, and we are reprinting it here to shine the spotlight on the fantastic father/child program offered by the YMCA. The Adams trio, known as Grey Wolf (dad), Dancing Frog (Hannah), and Golden Wolf (Paden) worked together to write the following:

The Adventure Guide program is a tremendous blessing for our family. Both son and daughter are in the program, and it has provided wonderful memories, amazing outdoor experiences, and a lifetime bond with friends from our Circles. But the greatest thing has been how close Dad has grown to son and daughter while sharing these experiences together. We can't wait for our next AG event! Camping, canoeing, fishing, derby day races, zoo camp-ins, archery, horseback riding, rock climbing, or even just cooking s’mores by the fire – the adventures go on and on.Dad is amazed at how Hannah (Dancing Frog) and Paden (Golden Wolf) continue to try new things and build confidence in their daily lives. Examples: I never thought I’d dream of seeing Hannah jump off a 35-foot tower into a lake at CampClassen - and then say "I want to do it again!"....or witness Paden climb to the very top of a 33-foot rock wall at Collin CountyCamp, at age seven!Dad initially joined the AG program (formally Indian Guides) when he was six and he remembers amazing times with his father 34 years ago.In a few weeks, Jody (Cool Mom) is going with us to an AG camp and we are excited for her to experience the fun!The Adventure Guide program has truly been one of the greatest experiences in our lives. 

As the mother of Shooting Star and Star Chaser, I couldn’t agree more. My husband (Strong Bear) and kids have been part of the Rockwall YMCA Adventure Guides for years. While vacationing in TurnerFalls over the Fourth of July, they took me (Mama Bear) on a tour of CampClassen, where so many precious father/child memories have been made.

Share your family’s memorable moments on neighborsgo.com, for a chance to see your adventures highlighted in an upcoming print edition.

Admittedly I’m not a die-hard football fan, but I cheer for our home teams and I enjoy a good tailgate party. And with the football season comes the hope for cooler weather and a reason to eat more nachos.

And let’s not forget all the other sports. For my family, the weekend means ice hockey games, martial arts and drill team performances, a little fishing, hiking and bike riding, impromptu badmitton and volleyball games in the backyard, and more time to focus on that triathlon I’ve been training for (okay, I’m making up the part about the triathlon – but still, the weekend gives me time to dream...)

Now we have one more reason to look forward to Fridays. Neighborsgo has made the move from Saturday to Friday, to accommodate more local sports coverage and to give you a jump on the weekend.  

With our inaugural Friday issue on Sept. 5, we’re welcoming a new member to the neighborsgo family: HSGameTime, a four-page pullout section featuring your best high school sports photos and stories. You can help us make this sports section as timely and relevant to our community as possible by posting your sports news on HSGameTime.com/dfw.

Neighborsgo will continue to publish the stories and photos that you and your neighbors post on neighborsgo.com. You’ll also see staff-generated stories about people and places you know, and more feature stories from writers like Marcia Carroll-Burzair, whose name is familiar as a frequent neighborsgo contributor and community columnist with The Dallas Morning News.

Have questions or comments? Drop us a line at community@neighborsgo.com.

Neighborsgo and our colleagues at The Dallas Morning News were busy blogging live as children headed back to school on Aug. 25. It was an amazing effort by contributors across the Dallas-Fort Worth area who, along with neighborsgo editors, posted hundreds of first day photos on neighborsgo.com.

Included in this week's issue of Rockwall/Rowlett neighborsgo are several back-to school smiles from The Fulton School of Heath, Heritage ChristianAcademy, Pullen Elementary and Reinhardt Elementary – not to mention our cover story – which provides a glimpse into all the great things that our Rockwall-Heath senior varsity cheerleaders are involved in.

Stay tuned for more back-to-school photos to come, and be sure to post your news on neighborsgo.com to see your school featured in an upcoming print edition.

And now for the really exciting news...drum roll, please...Neighborsgo is moving! Moving to a new day, that is.

You’re used to seeing neighborsgo every Saturday morning with your home-delivered copy of The Dallas Morning News or in Starbucks. You’ll still see us in Starbucks. But starting Sept. 5, look for us in your Dallas Morning News on Fridays.

In addition to seeing the same timely and relevant stories and photos that you and your neighbors post on neighborsgo.com, you’ll see more staff-generated stories about people you know, as well as get an extra day to use our community calendar to help plan your weekend.

And, just in time for high school football season, you’ll also see more high school sports coverage. We’re partnering with The News’ HSGameTime.com to provide stats, plus your best photos and stories about your favorite high school teams.

Want to see your best sports and spirit shots in neighborsgo? Just post them on hsgametime.com/dfw.

If you have any questions or need more information about this, simply visit neighborsgo.com/connect or e-mail us at community@neighborsgo.com. Otherwise, TGIF!