Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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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...
Hot Springs County School District #1 Board of Trustees held a special meeting last week to accept resignations and offer initial contracts to incoming teachers. Resignations included Megan Kraushaar as the TMS Lights On site coordinator and Jessica Morris as special education paraprofessional. The board also accepted the resignation of high school English teacher, Alex McLean. Initial teaching contracts were offered to Noni Weber and Katie Decker, both of whom will be teaching high school English. Special Education teaching contracts were...
Hot Springs County High School's FFA program recently attended their State event in Cheyenne. One of the highlights of the trip was the "booth contest" which the team won through a combination of excellent presentation and a little help from hand-held technology. FFA member Jeffrey VanAntwerp created a Wyoming trivia quiz with an interactive program that was then plugged into a TV in the booth. Those passing by could access the program via their smart phones and play along. Strite Daniels,... Full story
Parents, students and boosters have been very concerned about the future status of various activities at both the middle school and high school. A meeting last Wednesday afternoon with the entire coaching staff from both schools, activities director Brandon Deromedi and superintendent Dustin Hunt outlined cuts that will go into effect for the coming school year. Five coaching positions have been eliminated including freshman volleyball, freshman boys and girls basketball, an assistant cheer... Full story
A number of parents and students were in attendance at the Tuesday night meeting of the Hot Springs County School District’s Board of Directors, having heard rumors that certain programs were going to be eliminated for the upcoming school year. Before opening the floor to public comment, board chair Nichole Weyer read a statement from the board asking people to understand that no assumptions should be made about certain programs based on whether or not a teacher is retained or let go. Weyer said... Full story
The Bobcat Speech and Debate team finished their season strong last weekend at the National Qualifying meet at Casper College. Coach Cindy Glasson said the team’s finish fits perfectly with what usually happens – bad State Tournament, good National Qualifiers. Although they didn’t have anyone qualify for Nationals in Birmingham, Ala. this summer, Tyler Kay and Katie Burrows did place fifth, making them the third runners-up for Nationals. “Tyler (Kay) and Katie (Burrows) did an amazing job,” Glasson said. “They were the only freshman te...
Spencer Axtell, left, placed fifth out of 11 at the FFA district speaking contest, and Jason Clouse placed third and will move onto the regional contest Tuesday March 14 at 3 p.m. at the auditorium. During the contest, students have to recite the FFA creed, and answer questions from judges. Thermopolis FFA members Logan Bartholomew, Ryan Bleak, Taylor Nuttall, Jessi Pennoyer and Dreama Thorpe are 2017 Wyoming state degree recipients....
Mary McGillivray, music educator at Ralph Witters Elementary (RWE) and high school drama director, was recently awarded the Outstanding Young Music Educator for the North Big Horn Basin. Nominated by her colleagues, McGillivray has spent a lifetime in music and theatre, attending Casper College where she was deeply involved in the music and theatre departments before moving on to Black Hills State University where she received a Bachelors in Vocal Music Performance, a Bachelors in Music Educatio...
At their January 17 meeting the Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees held a lengthy discussion on whether or not to move to a four-day school week for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. Six years ago, when the board decided to move to the 4 1/2 day week, it wasn’t a financial decision, but one based on student absenteeism and a better way to combat it, especially on the high school level. At the time, the majority of missed school days were on Fridays with students p...
