Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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At the start of the school year, staff at Ralph Witters Elementary (RWE) set a few goals and are well on their way to meeting those goals for the 2017-18 school year. The library went under a bit of renovation to create a special space for books dedicated to a reading leveling system. At the beginning of the year each student was assessed as to their placement within that reading system. Once their benchmark was set in the Fountas and Pinnell system, each student worked toward improving where...
Friday morning at Thermopolis Middle School, seventh and eighth grade Health/Physical Education teacher, Shannon Hill, received quite a surprise as she was announced as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award and $25,000. The Milken Educator Awards, created by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987, recognizes teaching excellence publicly not only to inspire educators, but students and entire communities about the importance of joining the teaching profession. The prestigious honor, to be...
As you can imagine, discipline within the school system has changed enormously, going from corporal punishment (spanking) to a more meaningful removal of privileges (no activities) and opportunities to bring grades up. Along with absenteeism, grades can make or break a high schooler’s career and chances of acceptance into college. At Hot Springs County High School, the warning list for grades includes those students carrying a D or F. A student that finds themselves on the warning list can be i...
Studies have shown student absences have a detrimental effect on overall learning and grades. Students who miss a large number of classes are sometimes not able to catch up with their studies, and on a high school level, this can lead to higher drop out rates. At the December meeting of the Hot Springs County School District #1 Board of Directors, data was presented that indicates a generally much lower absentee rate so far this year as compared to last year. Dean of Students Catelyn Deromedi... Full story
The Hot Springs County High School Drama Club had an amazing weekend at State Drama in Casper last week. "They worked so hard and I received so many comments about how talented, respectful, compassionate, and responsible my students were," said Drama coach Mary McGillivray. The one act play "Flowers for Algernon" took first place in the Proscenium category over all schools in the category. With that honor, the Bobcats were featured on KTWO-TV, with interviews with McGillivray and Tyler Kay over... Full story
Educators from Hot Springs County School District #1 reported to the school board last week regarding their attendance at the first Wyoming Autism Summit held in Jackson. Autism is the largest growing population of Special Education (SPED) in schools across the state, and right here in Hot Springs County, we have autistic students in all three schools. Autism covers a wide range of issues in both children and adults and they discussed a number of types of autism within the spectrum and how to...
The Wyoming Department of Education recently released their school performance report for 2016-17, listing math, reading and science proficiency for each district based on PAWS and WY-ALT tests. Third and fourth graders at Ralph Witters Elementary took the PAWS tests with the following results: Third grade math: 15.22 percent below basic, 26.09 percent basic, 41.30 percent proficient and 17.39 percent advanced. Totals are 41.30 percent doing math at basic or below basic and 58.70 percent are doing math in a proficient or advanced level. Third...
Sometimes, our young people just need a little help to get them on their way to success. Heather Pebbles knows this, so she has started Copper Mountain Tutoring featuring one on one instruction for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. She can give homework support, diagnose reading and math difficulties, provide homeschool relief and support and improve your student’s study skills. With a double Bachelor’s Degree in education through sixth grade and special education through 12th grade, she has over 18 years of quality teaching and...
Teachers at Thermopolis Middle School presented students with their "Exceeding Expectations" banner the school received during Voices last Friday morning. TMS was one of only three middle schools in Wyoming who received the honor....
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed National School Lunch Week to celebrate the school lunch program throughout the country. This week, Hot Springs County School District and the nation are celebrating School Lunch:Recipes for Success. On Monday morning, students at Thermopolis Middle School learned the new name for their cafeteria after putting in suggestions. They held an unveiling first thing in the morning, announcing "Catateria" as the new name. The lunch crew got a little break...
Though starting earlier this school year, on Sept. 25, Ralph Witters Elementary third grade teacher Rayann Casciato is certainly no stranger to Thermopolis. Having been born and raised here, following high school she attended the Sheridan campus of Northern Wyoming Community College as a psych major, then finished a Bachelor's in Elementary Education at the University of Wyoming in May this year. Casciato's interest in education came from her babysitting for various families when growing up,...
School is now well underway and teachers and staff at Ralph Witters Elementary (RWE) are pressing forward with their goals for the school year, including some changes to reach those goals. In the 2016-17 school year, they embraced two goals, one, that 85 percent of students meet their projected growth goal, plus one point, based on the math MAP assessment, by spring of 2018, and two, that 85 percent of students meet their projected growth goal, plus one point, based on the reading MAP...
Hot Springs County School District #1 Board of Trustees held their monthly meeting on Tuesday night, starting things out with a meet and greet of the new teachers in the district. David Duncan and Carrie Ryan were on tap for the district initiatives discussion, telling the board what they are doing to help those students with problematic behaviors in the classroom. Duncan said it isn’t just the students with disabilities they are working with, although some of the students do qualify as s...
Thermopolis Middle School teacher Kristin Ryan was recently awarded a $2,000 Unsung Hero Grant from Voya Financial. The firm awards grants to K-12 educators nationwide in honor of their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects and ability to positively influence their students. Ryan's idea, "TMS Living Wax Museum," which was held May 2 at the school, brought history through about 100 seventh and eighth grade students dressed up as national and local historical figures. People...
Hot Springs County School District #1 welcomed a number of new teachers for the 2017-18 school year. New teachers at Ralph Witters Elementary were featured in the August 24 edition of the Independent Record. This week, we are featuring new teachers at Thermopolis Middle School and Hot Springs County High School. Ayni McGee At Thermopolis Middle School, Ayni McGee will be leading the sixth grade students. McGee graduated from high school in Worland in 2013, then earned her bachelor's in...
School is in full swing at Ralph Witters Elementary, Thermopolis Middle School and Hot Springs County High School, and the overall student numbers increased slightly compared to the start and end of the 2016-17 school year. According to the numbers, there are 700 students enrolled in Hot Springs County School District No. 1 as of Aug. 24, compared to 687 on Aug. 25, 2016 and 663 on May 26, 2017. To find how much each class increased or decreased, compare the student total from a class at the end of the 2016-17 year to the total of the next...
Hot Springs County School District #1 Board of Trustees met Aug. 15, the last meeting before the start of the new school year. Laurie Graves, principal at Ralph Witters Elementary, gave a presentation to the board on how summer school went this year with the recent financial cutbacks. Graves said it was a little different, but Kinder Camp had a good three days focused on letter and word recognition. There was a 90 percent attendance rate for the little ones, which is a great turn out. First through fourth grades had almost a 100 percent...
Several new teachers have joined Hot Springs County School District #1 this year. This week, the Independent Record is featuring the new teachers at Ralph Witters Elementary. Watch for stories on the the new teachers at Thermopolis Middle School and Hot Springs County High School in feature issues. Jessica Carswell Joining the team at Ralph Witters Elementary is K-2 Special Education Teacher Jessica Carswell. Carswell grew up in Thermopolis, and after high school earned her undergraduate degree...
Summer vacation has again come to its end, and with the resuming of classes around town, it’s important for drivers to be aware of the increased foot traffic, particularly around the school buildings. Keep your eyes on the road and be aware of the other drivers as well, keeping in mind each new school year brings with it a batch of newly licensed high school drivers. Among the more common vehicles taking to the streets will be the school buses. These student transports are equipped with amber a...
Believe it or not, the first day of school for Hot Springs County School District #1 is just 42 days away, and crews have been working fast and furious to get the buildings all prepared for that first day. Maintenance Director Jere Apland said there have been a lot of things going on this summer, all major maintenance items that are paid for through the state. "None of the things we're doing are coming out of our budget," Apland said. "These are all major maintenance items that are funded... Full story
Four music students from Hot Springs County High School took the trip of a lifetime as they traveled to Europe with the Wyoming Ambassadors of Music. Chosen to attend by their music instructor, Lane Randall, Breeze Petty, Shay Skar and Danielle Randolph took to the skies from Denver for a ten-day, whirlwind tour of performances. Randall and Petty sat down to talk about the trip and the first thing they noted was it felt very much like "one long day with lots of naps." The two said they got very...
The Hot Springs County School District’s Board of Directors met last Wednesday evening and accepted the resignation of high school principal, Scott Shoop. “I regretfully inform you that I have decided to resign as Principal at Hot Springs County High School, effective June 30, 2017,” Shoop said in an email to students and staff. “I have accepted a job in Laramie for 2017-2018. This decision was extremely difficult, because I believe we are building something special here. I hope that I have de... Full story
The Class of 2017 received a total $249,561 in scholarships on Tuesday, May 16. Of those, $51,675 was in local scholarships. Jake Maksin was named Outstanding Boy, and Shaynie Bauer was named Outstanding Girl. Those receiving scholarships include: 4-H: Jessie Pennoyer Alma Cannon: Scholarship: Brant Turner American Petroleum Institute: Jessie Pennoyer and Korey Smith Bowling Scholarship (Worland): Caleb DeCroo Bowling Scholarships: Caleb DeCroo Career Outstanding Athlete: Jake Maksin and Jules W...
Valedictorian Maggie Ryan I was advised to give a speech about “looking towards the future,” but as I sat and pondered that topic, I realized that I probably just know an ounce more than a five year old. So with that in mind, I went to the elementary school and asked five to six year olds about life as a grownup and their advice for us. They had a lot to say, so I narrowed it down. Here are the “Top 19 Life Tips Straight from the Mouths of Five and Six Year Olds.” The hardest things about being a grownup is having to go to work every day. An...
