Wylie East Students Serve Up Appreciation with Annual Fish Fry

More than lunch was served up at the annual fish fry hosted by students at Wylie East High School.

Nestled between the football field and the field house, this cookout was a hands-on lesson in independence, teamwork, and gratitude.

Under the direction of teacher BJ Smith, students spent the morning preparing a full meal for school custodians, along with invited guests, including coaches, administrators, counselors, and even officers from the Wylie Police Department.

From cutting potatoes to mixing hushpuppy batter and carefully frying fresh crappie, each student played an important role in making the fish fry a success. For Smith, this annual cookout has become a meaningful tradition that he and his students have hosted for the past five years.

“Patrick Wyatt [former WEHS security guard] donated all the crappie. He caught it himself,” Smith said. “The kids learn every step: how to make the shopping list, what to buy, how to prep ingredients, and how to check the temperature in the fryer. But most importantly, they learn the reward of serving others.”

The students look forward to the cookout each year and especially enjoy being a part of making it happen.

“I cooked everything: the potatoes, the fish, the hushpuppies,” junior Christian Reyes said. “My favorite part was all of it!”

The fish fry is more than a meal; it is an act of appreciation. Smith said the event was created to honor the custodians, who play a vital yet sometimes overlooked role in keeping the school running smoothly.

“We do this to show appreciation for the custodians because they often go unnoticed,” Smith said. “This is our way of saying thank you.”

Students also develop leadership and communication skills thanks to the annual fish fry. Staff member Marion Wright said watching students grow through hands-on experiences is one of the best parts of the program.

“It feels amazing to see the kids show independence in an area you don’t always expect,” Wright said. “They’re gaining confidence, learning to lead their peers, and experiencing what it means to take care of others. Being able to feed people is powerful.”

Meanwhile, students in Tamara Bowles’ classroom prepared desserts to accompany the meal. The process teaches practical life skills, particularly those related to food safety.

“Each class makes a different dessert,” Bowles said. “They learn to follow recipes step-by-step and how to maintain a sanitary kitchen by washing hands and keeping surfaces clean. These are skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.”

For the students serving up lunch, the pride in their work was clear.

“I like cooking the chips,” junior Cynthia Govea said. “It gets pretty hot, but our teachers make sure we’re safe.”

Teacher John Maxwell manned the fryers and helped the students use them safely.

“The best part of my job in the classroom and getting to participate in community based instruction field trips is teaching kids how to function outside in the real world,” Maxwell said.  “Watching them learn real-world experiences is the greatest part  of being an educator.”

As food was enjoyed and smiles exchanged, the annual fish fry was about much more than filling bellies; it was about community, pride, and the joy of giving back.