LCSD1 Public Schools` Chronicle June Edition

Chronicle
Public Schools’
June 2015
Volume 23, Issue 5
ONLINE
The Laramie County School District 1 Report to Stakeholders | Cheyenne, Wyoming
See Page 10
2 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Bain Elementary students welcome
high school mentors into classes
F
or the second year
in a row, Bain Elementary welcomed
South High School freshmen, sophomores and
juniors into their school
for South Triad Day.
When they arrived,
Bain Principal Todd
Burns handed out assignments. He’d created a list
of classes the older students could visit, minus
the kindergarten rooms.
The little ones had
taken a field trip to South
High’s campus to participate in obstacle courses,
art projects, math games,
geometry labs and many
other educational activities.
In Lisa Will’s first-grade
class, high school students
helped organize books for
the kids’ afternoon reading exercises. Then they
played math games to
help students prepare for
a math assessment.
Jody Bonifer’s thirdgrade class read their
animal reports to their
classmates and to three
high school students that
stopped by. While a classmate held up the student’s
colorful drawing of their
assigned creatures, such
as dolphins, monkeys
or wolves, the students
read detailed information
about where the animals
can be found, what they
eat and how long they
live.
In a sixth-grade class,
elementary students
discussed the middle ages
with their teachers, while
high school students
listened and offered
their thoughts about the
historical period. In another classroom, the older
students helped younger
kids with poem writing.
The events varied depending on what the younger
students were studying.
Two juniors helped
Daniel Box with his P.E.
classes, working with
students on various fitness
goals.
One of the boys said,
“It’s pretty interesting.
This will be my first time
coming to help out.”
“We’d like to show the
younger students how we
are at South,” the other
boy said. “We want the
little guys to be comfortable with us.”
“This is fun,” a fifthgrade girl said. “It’s nice
the South students can
come and help us.”
Harold Page, a South
High psychology and
social studies teacher, said
the idea to hold the South
Triad Day came from a
variety of ideas teachers,
principals, counselors
and other school staff had
considered. “Last year was
just trial and error to see
how it worked and how
we could get the schools
together. At some point,
we would like to include
the junior high students
in this day,” Page said.
He explained South
High students visited all
south triad elementary
schools and kindergarten
students visited South
High to meet with high
school students.
Burns said South
High and the other triad
elementary schools are
looking at ways to make
the event better. He anticipates changes as those
ideas are tested.
“I believe it might be
better to hold the South
Triad Day at the beginning of the year when
school has just started,
rather than at the end
when school is closing
out,” Burns said. “That
way there would be more
of a classroom focus.”
Burns stressed that
while students are actively
engaged with classroom
studies at the end of the
year, there are special activities going on that take
the emphasis away from
the enjoyable triad event.
Overall, he has seen positive results.
“It’s great for Bain
students to have the high
school students come out
and work with them,”
Burns commented. “It
lets them see there really
is light at the end of the
tunnel. It’s also nice when
Bain kids can come back
here. This is one of those
really good community
Students in Jody Bonifer’s Bain Elementary third-grade class wait for their turn to give their animal reports.
building activities and we definitely
enjoy having the South High students
visit.”
Coloful paper covers an area in Jody Bonifer’s Bain Elementary third-grade classroom.
—Photos & text by
Cindy Keen Reynders
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 3
Hobbs hosts a Math Olympiad
In this
issue
4 Poetry slam
5 Fairview author
6 ThunderShack
7 Hebard science
8 Anderson
papermaking
9 Construction
& geometry
10 Congrats to our grads
12 District Profile
13 Freedom history
Registration
14 Deming poetry
M
erriam Webster’s dictionary describes
Pythagorean Theorem as
“a theorem in geometry;
the square of the length of
the hypotenuse of a right
triangle equals the sum of
the squares of the lengths
of the other two sides.”
If you are still not sure
what it is, ask any math
wizard in the central triad.
These students will tell
you that it is A2+B2=C2.
Some of Hobbs Elementary School’s math wizards
came together one May
afternoon to showcase
their talents.
“I started the Math
Olympiads because I
noticed in elementary
schools, top-tier math
students needed an opportunity to do what they
are naturally good at,”
computer lab teacher Erik
Wagner said.
Participating students
are in fifth and sixth grade.
Exceptions have been
made depending on the
student’s ability. Students
are invited to the Math
Olympiad based on their
MAP math score, Wagner
said. Participating math
wizards get homework
assignments every week,
which need to be done
and returned to Wagner
on their meeting days.
Students also receive a
study guide pertaining to
the subjects being covered.
The students study subjects
in math and physics with
topics including Pythagorean Theorem, algebra,
probability, Newton’s Laws
of Motion, kinetic energy and potential energy.
Further, students learned
about historical mathematicians to round out their
knowledge.
“The students do a lot
of advanced math, at
the junior high and high
school levels,” Wagner
said. “These kids grasp the
concepts pretty easily.”
“I like Math Olympiad
because math can be really
confusing and I like to
figure out difficult things,”
a boy said. “I am here not
just to win but also to
understand why math and
physics are the way they
are.”
“I joined the Math
Olympiad because I
thought it would be fun
and it will prepare me for
seventh grade,” a girl said.
“Me too, I wanted to
get ahead while learning
advanced math,” another
girl agreed.
“I joined because of
Mr. Wagner; he really
gets excited when he talks
about math,” another girl
said. “I thought that was
really cool and so I went
for it.”
Wagner hosts two Math
Olympiads per year. The
fall event includes the
central triad elementary
schools. The spring event is
just for Hobbs Elementary
students. Students compete
against each other in a
single-elimination bracket
and one is crowned the
winner.
During the event, two
students enter a room.
Wagner asks them eight
questions and they have
a couple of minutes to
answer each. The first
student to have three correct answers moves on. If
students don’t answer any
of the questions correctly,
they are eliminated from
the competition.
“I figure if the kids cannot answer one out of eight
questions correctly it is
time to move on,” Wagner
said.
The spring Math Olympiad was held in the Hobbs
computer lab. Proud
parents as well as teachers
and classmates filled the
room. In pairs of two, the
students competed for a
trophy, the right to take the
elimination bracket home
and bragging rights for a
year. Defending champion
sixth-grader Josh Ahern
kept his title and central
triad champion, sixthgrader Kayla Ketterling,
took second place.
“The Math Olympiad
gives the students a chance
to show off their skills in
front of family, friends,
peers and teachers,”
Wagner said. “I hope we
will continue them for a
long time and have other
schools in the triad host
them as well.” —Text by
Susann Robbins
15 Hobbs art
16 Standard
grading,
Accreditation
17 New schools
On the cover
Congratulations
Class of 2015!
4 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
East, South slammin’ it poetry style
“Poetry is language at
its most distilled and most
powerful.”
—Rita Dove, Pulitzer
Prize winning poet
ast and South High
school students used
their poetry to talk
about current issues and left
their emotions on the floor
during a poetry slam at the
Laramie County Library in
April.
“When I was in school
in Laramie County School
District 1, we used to do
poetry slams all the time,”
South High teacher Lisa
Hushbeck said. “Therefore,
Sonja Turner from East
High and I decided to team
up and bring poetry slams
back, while bringing our
two schools together.”
“The students learn about
poetry and write their own
during our creative writing
class,” Turner said. “The
class is an elective but it also
E
ties into the district’s GVC
(Guaranteed and Viable
Curriculum).”
Subjects covered in the
creative writing curriculum
include autobiography writing, fiction writing, poetry
and public speaking, Turner
said. Students prepared for
the poetry slam by reading
and performing poems of
published poets as well as
writing their own.
“I taught the principles
of poetry and writing, but
these are the voices of the
students,” Turner said.
“At South we started
a poetry club to give the
students more chances to
practice,” Hushbeck said.
Students also prepared in
their free time by reading
their chosen poems over
and over again in order to
become more comfortable
with their performance.
“In order to deal with my
nerves, I just kept reading
it out loud to myself in a
corner somewhere and just
felt the vibe of the poem,”
East High student Isiah
Colbert said.
“I have been a part of the
speech and debate team.
Being in front of people
was nothing new to me, but
performing my own piece
was,” East High student Annaleise Johansen said.
Students selected four
of their best poems to
perform. They faced three
rounds of elimination and
one extra that could have
been used as tiebreaker,
Hushbeck said. A poetry
slam is more than just a
simple poetry reading. Performance plays a big part in
how the audience perceives
the poem and the emotions
attached to it, Turner added.
On the day of the event,
a room at the Laramie
County Library was filled
with family, friends, school
staff and poetry admirers ready to hear what the
students had to offer. The
audience seemed to experience happiness as well as
agreement, when students
brought up current issues. A
few times they were moved
close to tears.
While the audience
listened to the speakers, the
judges assigned Olympic
scores to the poems.
“It was hard to judge this
because there was no one
way to do it,” East High
teacher Cody Fournier said.
“The students brought a lot
of emotions to the floor and
it was a bit nerve-racking
for some of them.”
“I loved the connections
the kids made and the
vulnerability they showed
in the expression of their
poetry,” South High teacher
Julie Bogaard said.
“Sometimes I am not very
good at talking to express
myself, so I write to do that,”
East High student Ryen
Nielsen said.
“Writing is all that I do. I
write every day and poetry
is my way of sharing it with
others,” South High student
Savannah Haudenshild said.
“I write my poems like
country songs, because they
tell stories and I have a lot of
them to share,” South High
student Kaili Trump said.
“I really loved how some
of the kids had very deepfelt emotions both happy
and sad, as well as angst,
which is what you expect
from high school kids,”
LCSD1 Board of Trustees
assistant clerk Marguerite
Herman said. “The poetry
slam gave them a way to
express their feelings.”
—Text by
Susann Robbins
LARAMIE COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT 1
John Lyttle
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Tracey Kinney
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
Matt Strannigan
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
David Bartlett
Assistant Superintendent of Support Operations
Dr. Marc LaHiff
Director of Instruction
Colleen West
Assistant Director of Instruction/School Improvement
Alice Hunter
Director of Special Services
J.P. Denning
Assistant Director of Special Services
Gordon Knopp
Director of Technology
Board of Trustees
Sandy Shanor • Chairman
Lynn Storey-Huylar • Vice Chairman
Mark Klaassen • Clerk
Marguerite Herman • Assistant Clerk
Tim Bolin • Treasurer
Jim Landen • Assistant Treasurer
Nate Breen • Trustee
Dave Evans • District Counsel
Darlene Davis • Executive Secretary to
Board of Trustees & Superintendent of Schools
Cheyenne Schools Foundation
Jim Yates • President
Scott VanHorn • Vice President
Kristen Siegel • Secretary
Robert Dahill • Treasurer
Sheryl Fanning, Sue Riske,
Cathy Ellis, Pat Moore • Grants Chairpersons
Chronicle
Public Schools’
Mary Quast
Editor in Chief • Design Director
Cindy Keen Reynders
Advertising Manager • Contributing Editor
Susann Robbins
Contributing Editor
The Public Schools’ Chronicle is the bi-monthly
magapaper of Laramie County School
District 1, published five times a year as a
report to parents and the community at large.
Letters to the editor or requests for permission
to copy material may be submitted to Mary
Quast, Community Relations Director. For print
advertising information contact Cindy Keen
Reynders in the LCSD1 Community Relations
Office, 2810 House Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001,
or call (307) 771-2192, [FAX 771-2252]. As
a nonprofit publication, advertising revenue
from the printed version is used to pay for
printing costs. All pre-press production,
including writing and photography, is
done by Community Relations’ office staff
unless otherwise attributed. All material is
copyrighted and may not be reproduced for
distribution without permission. The printed
Public Schools’ Chronicle is direct mailed to all
Cheyenne area residences and businesses and
has a circulation of 43,000.
Circulation: 43,000 © 2015
The State of Wyoming provides Hathaway Merit
and Needs-based Scholarships to Wyoming
students attending the University of Wyoming
and Wyoming Community Colleges. Every
student who meets the merit requirements can
earn a Hathaway Merit Scholarship. Contact
your school counselor for more information.
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 5
Famous author visits Fairview
O
nce upon a time,
there was a little
boy who wanted
to become an author. He
read a lot and he wrote a
lot. That little boy grew up
to become world-famous
children’s author Ken
Thomasma.
When Thomasma visited Fairview Elementary
April 15, he held workshops to teach students
about his successful techniques. He started the day
with a presentation for
the entire school. Next, he
met with students in their
classrooms.
During Thomasma’s
visit with a group of thirdgraders, he quickly had
their full attention. A tall
man with white hair and
a firm voice, he told them
he was in grade school
when he wrote his first
book.
“It was five chapters
long,” the former elementary school teacher
explained. “I don’t think
it was very good. I didn’t
know how to write back
then and I wish someone
would have told me. So I
wrote a book about writing and I’m going to give
you a free copy today.”
“Sweet,” one boy said.
“It’s only one page,”
Thomasma advised, “but
there are 12 tips listed. If
you do all those, you’re
going to be a super
writer.”
Thomasma handed out
his fliers to the students.
Some of the tips included;
have a good idea, do your
research, use great words
and write about powerful
feelings. Throughout the
workshop, Thomasma emphasized why each tip is
important and answered
students’ questions.
“If you are a boy or girl
who loves to read, I am
happy for you,” Thomasma said. “You’re going to
go places. You’re going to
be one of the best people
you can be if you read.
I read all the time—on
vacation and other places.
Try to read a little bit
every night.”
Thomasma said he
learned about Naya Nuki
when he read a book
about Lewis and Clark’s
expedition. In there, he
discovered how Naya
Nuki might have survived
and the dangers she probably encountered.
He recommended students check out books like
“Call it Courage,” “Island
of the Blue Dolphins,”
and “Wheel of the Moon,”
because they have young
characters the students
can identify with.
Thomasma held up a
dog-eared notebook and
said he used it to write the
outline for his book about
Naya Nuki. “I still write
with pen and paper,” he
explained. “I first make
a plan for the book with
how many chapters I’ll
have. I know what’s going
to happen from beginning
to end.”
“When you write, boys
and girls, it will last forever,” Thomasma stressed.
“Especially if it’s something people like.”
Fairview teacher Virginia Jorden said: “Thomasma’s storytelling is truly
captivating for all ages.”
Children’s author Ken Thomasma visits with third-grade Fairview Elementary students about what it is like to write a book.
She explained his book,
“Naya Nuki: Shoshoni
Girl Who Ran,” won a
Wyoming Library Indian
Paintbrush book award.
She said fourth-grade
students read the book
as part of their Western
expansion unit of study.
The Cheyenne Schools
Foundation grant she was
awarded in 2014 for her
project “One School, One
Book” made this activity
possible.
“The goal was to provide
children with an opportunity to connect with a
successful author,” Jorden
said. “Third- and sixthgrade students buddied
up and read ‘Naya Nuki’
together. With this event,
they were also able to experience the storytelling
part of reading and writing. The teachers will get
copies of Mr. Thomasma’s
writing tips and study
the different points. That
way they can emphasize
them at different times in
students’ writing.”
—Photos & text by
Cindy Keen Reynders
Children’s author Ken Thomasma poses with his famous book “Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl
Who Ran.” Thomasma visited Fairview Elementary this spring through a teacher grant
funded by the Cheyenne Schools Foundation.
6 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
ThunderShack serves healthy food options
A
s students reach high school, they
gain more independence; they
get to choose their class schedule
and how to spend their lunch breaks. For
students, this is part of growing up and
getting ready for the future. However,
parents may still wonder if their children
always make healthy food choices.
East High School students, faculty and
staff have the perfect solution to help
students choose wisely. It’s called the
ThunderShack.
“The ThunderShack has been around
for about 15 years in various forms,” family and consumer science teacher Maureen
Eldridge said. “We adopted the industrybased curriculum ‘Pro Start’ from the
National Restaurant Association. Part of
the program was to implement a schoolbased business for the students.”
While the ThunderShack is open,
students fill the positions of manager,
assistant manager, cashier, cook, beverage maker and runner. Runners go into
classrooms to take orders from students
as well as teachers.
“Students gain basic skills and run
a culinary operation while using their
culinary skills. They also learn customer
service, the cost of food and inventory
control,” Eldridge said. “The ThunderShack could not have operated without
the help of East High’s faculty and administration since they allowed us to send
runners into their classrooms because we
are open during class periods. We also
got a little bit of walk-in business on a
daily basis.”
ThunderShack, which is open for about
seven weeks in the spring, serves as the
main fundraiser for East High’s culinary
arts program, Eldridge said. Money
raised helps the students buy extra supplies for competitions and practices. It
also supplements the general budget of
the program. Further, students participate in local and regional competitions as
well as the Taco John’s Culinary competition.
Breakfast burritos and banana oatmeal pancakes are just two of the healthy options available at the ThunderShack.
“We compete in culinary and baking
competitions,” a student said. “We had to
buy the supplies, figure out a menu for a
three-course gourmet meal and work in
simplified kitchens consisting of folding
tables and Bunsen burners.”
“The competitions were a lot of fun,”
another student said.
One of the toughest challenges students
faced was adjusting the menu for the
ThunderShack in accordance to USDA
guidelines.
“When you look at these guidelines,
everything has to be very nutrient-based
and one of the main six nutrients has to
be the highest value,” Eldridge said. “Our
offerings had to meet calorie limits, had to
be either high in protein or whole grain,
be low in fat, sodium and sugar.”
“At first, we didn’t like the idea of having
to change the menu,” a student said. “But
after doing research for appropriate offerings, what we could offer and still sell, we
came up with a great menu.”
“It definitely changed my outlook on
food, because I never realized what all I
put in my body that didn’t have any nutritional value,” another student said.
Students researched possible menu
items online and had to calculate cost
versus profit. Through a combined effort, they developed delicious items like
banana oatmeal pancakes and fruit yogurt
parfaits.
“One of the favorites, the breakfast
burritos, are made fresh and don’t have
too much cheese in order to keep the fat
content low,” a student said. “All of our
smoothies have bananas in them and we
use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt
because it is healthier.”
“Students come away with a sense
of pride because they have learned to
run their own business while providing healthy meal options for their fellow
students,” Eldridge said.
­—Photo & text by Susann Robbins
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 7
Hebard students are ‘Wild About Science’
E
xcited chatter filled the air as students
filed into Hebard Elementary school’s
art room during lunch. Students
quickly found their partners, sat down at
tables and ate their lunch while discussing
what they had to accomplish that day.
The students are part of Hebard’s “Wild
about Science” club, which has met twice a
month since January.
It focused on exposing students to the
different STEM (science, technology,
engineering and math) disciplines in a fun
and educational way, tutor Cindy Busby
explained. The monthly lessons focused on
matter, engineering, math and measurement, and technology. It was so popular
signup sheets for the club were always full
and a wait list was started.
“Oftentimes our students are not afforded
a lot of experiences outside of school. In
the classrooms we cannot always do extra
experiments,” third-grade teacher Terri
Mercer said. “We started the club to give
the kids more hands-on experiences with
science and to supplement what we teach in
the classrooms.”
As the group of third- through sixthgrade students finished off their lunches,
they listened as Mercer explained the day’s
objective: “You have to finish building your
robots and then program them to perform
certain tasks. First the robots should do
required tasks and then the fun stuff you
want them to do.”
Students cleaned off their tables, pulled
out the plastic boxes containing their robots
and got to work. Giant robot men, airplanes,
bird and monkey robots took shape around
the classroom.
“Our robot is an airplane; we want it to
spin its propeller and make some sounds,” a
boy said.
“We are building a monkey robot. When
we are done programming it, it will make
monkey sounds and move its arms up and
down,” a girl said.
Students accessed the Lego robot kit
website in order to ensure they were building the models right. They also reviewed
instructions on how to program the robots
correctly.
“We were able to buy some of these kits
with money we received through a Cheyenne Schools Foundation grant and other
kits we borrowed from STARBASE,” Mercer
said.
“Barb Marquer, Wyoming STARBASE
Academy director, and Melanie Fierro,
Laramie County School District 1’s science
coordinator, have been a godsend,” Busby
added. “Without these two ladies and the
grant, we would not have been able to do all
the fun stuff we have been doing.”
One student said while they are having
fun and learning about STEM subjects, they
are also learning to work together in groups
and make new friends outside their own
grade level.
A group of younger girls had issues building their giant robot man and were unable
to program it correctly. Without much
prompting from the teachers, a group of
older girls went over and helped them. Together, they figured out the problem and got
both robots to work. The students cheered
each other on for a job well done, while
showing what extra functions and sounds
their robots could perform.
“I am very pleased that we have had so
many girls in the science club,” Mercer said.
“I think that now we have planted the seed
for interest in science and hopefully they
will continue this path throughout senior
high.”
“I thought everyone was always friendly
and it was cool that we got to try new stuff
we never had done before,” a boy said.
“I think the science club was fantastic,”
Fierro said. “I was just speechless to see
what they were doing with the kids. So
many kids volunteered to give up their
lunches to engage in scientific activities.”
—Photos & text by Susann Robbins
Hebard students built various robots and programmed them.
8 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Recycling unit culminates
Anderson students learn value of paper
A
nderson Elementary first-graders recently
learned the value of a single sheet of paper after
they had a chance to make their own version
of the material one morning during class. Their teacher,
Shannon Pederson, used the project as a culmination of
the class recycling unit.
She explained students routinely place used paper into
a class recycle bin rather than throw it into the garbage.
Pederson said she thought papermaking would be a fun,
memorable way to drive home the importance of these
recycling activities.
“The last couple of weeks students learned about recycling and how to keep our Earth healthy, which includes
air pollution, recycling paper and keeping our oceans
clean,” Pederson said. “I wanted them to see the full circle
and know what happens to the paper when we put it in
the recycle bin.”
In preparation, Pederson took home a batch of shredded paper from the recycle bin. She soaked it in water
overnight and filtered the mixture into an old food processor to create pulp. She brought the pulp to class where
she explained how she made it.
“It looks like a giant brain,” one boy commented as he
gingerly stuck his hand out to touch the cold, solid mass.
“Awesome!” another student shouted as his fingers came
into contact with the pulp.
“The purpose of this is to know what happens when we
put paper into the recycle bin,” Pederson explained.
A tub full of water sat at the front of a short assembly
line. Students eagerly awaited their turn to swish pulp
through the water and on to a screen, which helped drain
the water. The screen was placed face down on a towel
where another group of students took sponges to remove
additional water. Eventually, the thin mixture was peeled
off of the towel and on to a piece of newspaper where
students took it to the front of the room to dry.
Students mixed the pulp with water and filtered it through a screen to create a sheet of paper.
“It’s going to take awhile but once it’s dry what will
we have?” Pederson asked her students. “Paper!” they
exclaimed.
Throughout the class period, students remained busy
creating paper. Periodically they would switch work stations so everyone could experience different parts of the
painstaking process. Creating a full sheet without holes or
tears was a terrific accomplishment.
“Be careful,” one girl said to another as they moved a
fresh sheet of paper to the front of the room for drying.
“We have to go this way because we don’t want to step on
our paper!”
Several times through the process, students held up
shredded pieces of plastic or cardboard that didn’t soak
up water and turn into pulp. After the final sheet of paper
was drying, Pederson gathered her students for a group
discussion. She asked what they had learned.
“Sometimes people put cardboard and even plastic into
the recycle bin,” one girl noted, adding these things don’t
belong in there.
“Do you think it’s important to recycle and why?”
Pederson asked.
“Yes, because if we didn’t then Earth would turn into
a giant trash ball,” one boy said. Another boy said it is
important to avoid this. “If that happened then there
wouldn’t be very many places for other people to live.”
Pederson agreed and pointed out the students had
made 13 sheets of paper using just a little bit of recycled
trash. The first-graders said in order to keep the classroom and their homes clean, they planned to recycle
more. Next, students took out their writing journals and
wrote about the process.
“This is such a good thing because when my brother
messes up a piece of paper he just throws it on the floor,”
a boy commented “Now, he can pick it up and put it in
the recycle bin.”
—Photos & text by Mary Quast
Anderson teacher Shannon Pederson made pulp from recycled paper.
Paper sheets were placed on newspaper to dry.
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 9
South High Geometry and Construction students put their math skills to use building a mini house.
South High class infuses geometry with construction
A
new class offered this year at South
High School has helped eliminate
the question students inevitably ask
their math teachers: “When will I use this?”
Geometry and Construction class is
modeled after a similar program offered in
Loveland, Colorado. Its success rate with
students led to a partnership at South High
between geometry teacher Fred Pillivant and
construction trades teacher Tom Skaar.
Students taking the class receive two-hour
instruction blocks on Mondays and Wednesdays. Typically this begins in the classroom
with a geometry lesson. The second hour is
spent doing construction.
“We’ll take that geometry from the classroom right to the construction site and in the
process of that smooth transition we’re trying
to eliminate the question of ‘when will I ever
use this?’ because they know we’re going to
use it next hour,” Pillivant said.
Skaar said, “It’s contextual learning, which
means we relate the geometry to the construction and the construction relates to the
geometry.”
Prior to the class beginning, Pillivant and
Skaar attended training, which outlined
teaching methods and provided construction project ideas. Skaar said they opted to
build a mini house since it fit within their
workspace and budget.
The 9-foot-by-20-foot structure has an
upstairs bedroom loft. Living space includes
a compact kitchen and bathroom. The interior contains tongue-and-groove car siding,
hickory hardwood floors and cabinets as
well as custom counterops. Exterior log siding and a steel roof complete the cabin-like
home. The house will be given to the highest
donor and proceeds will be used for next
year’s class project.
“We filled out a grant and got some money
from the Cheyenne Schools Foundation;
Mr. Stone with the district’s Career and Technical Education Department matched the
grant,” Skaar said. “We also received $1,000
from Kohl’s Department Store and that’s
really made a difference for some of the nice
things we were able to add to the house.”
Pillivant and Skaar said in Loveland,
Geometry and Construction classes have
been offered for approximately 10 years.
Their students consistently score better on
standardized tests when compared to other
students in similar Colorado communities.
“It’s a pretty nice program,” Pillivant added.
“I decided to take the class because I
thought mixing geometry with construction
would help make it easier to understand
what geometry is used for and make remembering it a little bit easier,” 11th-grade student
Rebecca Hodgson said.
Hodgson said it has helped her tie math
into the real world. She said: “Talking to
regular geometry students we do things so
much differently. Our math problems are
more tied with construction so we know
how to build things and how to use problems
and formulas.”
Although traditionally more males are
inclined to take construction trades classes,
Hodgson and 10th-grader Sierra Nichols
said they are enjoying the class and learning
a lot. For example, they have learned about
different wood types, materials such as metal
and sheet rock, how to do plumbing and
install windows.
“I would recommend any female to take
this class,” Nichols said. “It teaches you a lot
about the real world.”
Skaar and Pillivant also worked with
students at the beginning of class about the
importance of teamwork. Throughout the
course of the year, students have learned construction skills and are comfortable working
with a group.
“They’ll go right into their group and do
what they need to do,” Pillivant said. “We
know as employees you’re not always going
to work with somebody that you like or
choose to work with. We’re introducing that
idea to them now.”
According to 10th-grade student Chris
Trujillo, in addition to construction and
math, the class is also helping with leadership
skills.
“It’s helped me because I learn a lot more
with hands on,” Trujillo said. “It teaches a lot
of friendship and teamwork too. I have a lot
of fun in this class.”
Pillivant explained the pace of the math
lessons is determined by the construction
project. At the beginning of the year, he and
Skaar started students out with a model
home to learn ratios. Then they learned
about triangles in order to build the roof.
Volume and area were next so students could
calculate the amount of project materials
needed.
“We stress to our students the thinking
that goes into construction,” Skaar said. “You
have to be 10 steps ahead so it really helps
with critical thinking and math. When they
can relate their math to a project, it really
helps with the learning.”
—Photo & text by Mary Quast
10 • June 2015
South
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Congratulations
Class of 2015
Coming together during one of their
last weeks of high school, five South High
seniors were ready to share parts of their
stories.
“I really liked high school because it
was all about the person I want to be and
what I want to do,” Samantha McClure
said. “I got the chance to do sports, activities and take classes which aligned with
my future.”
McClure added her favorite activity was
cheerleading and classes were newspaper
Central
Triumph
East
As they savored the last few days of
high school, a handful of Central High
seniors agreed the relationships they built
along the way will stay with them long
after graduation.
“There is a lot that happens in your
four years,” Samantha Erickson commented. “My favorite part is the way that
you grow as a person.”
Erickson said she loved orchestra.
Along with her family, her teacher Michele Lazarus was a huge influence. She
On a cool May morning, five Triumph
High School seniors came together
to share their stories. They had nearly
reached a major milestone—high school
graduation.
“My son, Daniel, is the reason why I
came to Triumph,” Rowley Andersen
said. “I wasn’t on a good path before, but
I realized I wanted to be a better person
and mother.”
“I was about to drop out of school,”
Whitney Erickson said. “But coming to
Several of East High’s 2015 graduates
credited friends and family, extracurricular activities and teachers for encouraging
them to achieve their goals.
“LCCC’s Gear Up program helped me,”
Ophelia Danso said about the program
that assists high school students in sharpening academic skills.
Born in Africa’s Republic of Ghana,
Danso’s family arrived in Cheyenne when
she was 15. “I completed all four years
of high school at East,” Danso explained.
All Grad Articles Continue on Page 11
Editor’s Note: Principals at the district’s high schools were asked to recommend a group of students to provide insights about their high school careers. Every attempt
was made to ensure the articles were similar in size and content. Although only a handful of students are listed on these pages, we congratulate each and every one of
our graduates and wish them the best in the years to come.
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 11
Congratulations Grads Continued from Pages 10
South
and yearbook. Her biggest
influence was Scott Hume,
her yearbook and newspaper teacher. She will attend
Laramie County Community College for a business
management administration degree.
“I love how I could
establish myself as an individual as well as an athlete
at South High,” Amber
Codr said. “I have gained
leadership skills and great
friendships.”
Codr enjoyed being part
of the track and field team
and the guidance she has
received from her jump
coach Tim Woodard. She
will attend Black Hills State
University as a member of
their track program and
pursue a degree in veterinary science.
“I just really liked going
to school and the teachers,”
said Shuaib Hamid, who
emigrated from Yemen
in 2009. “I learned a lot
of new things and I got to
play soccer.”
Hamid’s soccer coach,
Jeremy Francis, was the
biggest influence during
high school and challenged
him to take on bigger roles
on and off the field. Hamid
will attend LCCC and play
soccer there while working
to become a professional
player.
“I had many options to
choose from throughout
high school,” Joey Saenz
said. “I really liked playing
football, being in the band
and taking the leadership
class.”
Saenz’s influences at
school were Coach Tracy
Pugh and band teacher Eugene Hernandez. Saenz will
attend LCCC and would
like to return to South
High as a coach.
“I was able to take classes
that have prepared me for
the future especially all my
agricultural classes,” Cali
Stewart said. “I loved being
part of track and field; it
was a blessing throughout.”
Stewart’s dad has been
her biggest supporter and
hurdle coach Nicole Yurek
pushed her to go further.
Stewart will attend Hastings College in Nebraska
on a track and field scholarship while pursuing her
pre-veterinary medicine
degree with a minor in
equine chiropractic.
—Text by Susann Robbins
Central
also enjoyed physics. “I
liked all the concepts and
understanding how things
work.”
Erickson was a member
of National Honor Society
and will attend the University of Wyoming.
Reed Cone LeBeaumont
said he took AP classes
because he enjoys learning.
Also, swimming, soccer
and volunteering through
the National Honor Society
were rewarding.
He plans to attend Duke
University majoring in
engineering. Family and
teachers were his biggest
influence.
“Especially through
senior year, it’s always hard
for everyone to make it
through,” Cone LeBeaumont said. “I always tell
myself it’s a marathon and
I’m on the last mile and I
have to finish strong.”
MacKenzie Dehoff
explained she appreciated
all of her classes and their
diversity.
“The skills you get from
each class and the relationships you build with each
teacher is different, though
I really love math,” Dehoff
said.
She also served as student body president and
was involved with National Honor Society and
FCCLA. Her family and
teachers were her greatest
influences. She will attend
UW to pursue a degree in
kinesiology.
Cameron Harris said
he liked getting to know a
diverse group of personalities. “Meeting new people
really provided fresh
perspectives on life.”
Harris also enjoyed
physics. “I’m always interested in digging deeper
and understanding things.”
National Honor Society
and soccer played an
important part of his high
school career.
Harris said he appreciates his parents’ influence
and support. Next fall he
will attend UW to pursue
a degree in mechanical
engineering.
“Central is like my
second home,” Shelby Bell
said. “My dad’s a teacher
here and I was pretty much
born into this school.”
She values the relationships she’s built and enjoys
her AP French class and
cheerleading. Her dad
was her greatest influence.
“Another person who indirectly influenced me is my
brother; we compete with
grades all the time.”
Bell will travel to Belgium next year for a Rotary
Youth Exchange.
—Text by Mary Quast
Triumph
Triumph has opened my
eyes to new possibilities.”
Untraditional paths may
have brought them here,
but the close-knit community and family feel of the
Spartans has helped them
succeed.
“The person who
influenced me the most
was my algebra teacher,
Marissa Smith,” Sierra Cole
said. “She has helped me
through a lot of school and
personal issues. Without her I would not have
graduated.”
“Heather Bromagen and
Mrs. Smith are like mothers to me,” Anthony Glass
said. “They always treated
me like one of their own
and made sure I didn’t give
up.”
“It’s really like having
another family,” Alyssa
Geho added. “I have my
family at home, but I also
have a family in Triumph
staff and teachers as well as
my fellow students.”
Throughout their high
school careers, the students
enjoyed some favorite
classes like financial algebra, science, English and
Tech III.
“Algebra II was my favorite class because I struggled
in math before, but now I
succeeded in mastering it,”
Geho said.
While the graduates had
to find their path to graduation first, their futures are
now clearly mapped out.
Four of them will attend
Laramie County Community College. Erickson said
she will get work experience under her belt first
before making a degree
choice. Glass is pursuing
a career in orthodontics.
Cole will get certifications
as an EMT and paramedic.
Geho will start at LCCC
and next attend the University of Wyoming to become
a nurse. Andersen has a
summer internship with a
dentist as a dental assistant.
“I will also go to college
to move up the ladder,
because I always wanted
to be a dentist,” Andersen
said. “It is good money and
I will be able to support
Daniel by myself.”
—Text by Susann Robbins
East
She admitted at first she
didn’t feel very confident.
“My teachers really helped
me broaden my horizons.”
Choir, creative writing,
legal studies and East’s
mock trial team are other
activities Danso enjoyed.
She plans to attend Laramie County Community
College in the fall to earn
an associate’s degree in
criminal justice. Next, she’ll
attend the University of
Wyoming to major in law
enforcement.
“I’d like to become a
crime investigator,” she
said.
“I liked the opportunities
high school offered me,”
Donicio Trujillo said. “I de-
veloped personal interests
that helped me know what
I want to do the rest of my
life.”
Music became a large
part of Trujillo’s life. He
said East’s music teachers
influenced him the most.
He played saxophone,
participated in jazz and
concert bands, took a
music theory class and was
East High’s marching band
drum major. Outside of
school, he performed in a
Spanish band.
“I’m going to the University of Wyoming for
music education,” Trujillo
said. “I’d like to play and
perform as long as possible. Eventually I want to
teach at the high school or
college level.”
Riley Hargraves played
clarinet and trombone
and was a member of East
High’s band. Recently, she
joined the Wyoming Army
National Guard and will
attend boot camp in July.
“Traveling to tournaments with the speech
and debate team was also
exciting,” she added. “I
met so many new people.
After basic training, I’ll
attend the University of
Wyoming. I plan to study
psychology and communications.”
Biology and speech
classes, along with being
president of the Wyoming
Academic Challenge,
which is like “Jeopardy”
for students, were some of
Parker Grandpre’s favorite
high school experiences.
“I’m going to the University of Wyoming to study
microbiology and then go
on to medical school,” he
said. “My biology teacher,
Mrs. Zumo, was a big influence on me, along with
all my friends.” —Text by
Cindy Keen Reynders
12 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Parent volunteer makes
a difference in district
T
hough she’s traveled
far and wide, this
lady is proud to
call Wyoming home. The
mother of an East High
School freshman, she is
also a dedicated Laramie
County School District 1
volunteer.
“It started when my
daughter entered kindergarten in 2005,” Rose Ann
Rinne said. “I began helping where I could. Eventually I became president of
the Buffalo Ridge PTO.”
Rinne said when she
began donating her time;
she considered all the
things she could do for
her daughter, Alexandria.
It didn’t take very long,
however, for her to realize
helping other students
made a big impact.
“You don’t need to hold
a college degree or have
specialized training,”
Rinne said. “You don’t
need to spend unlimited hours. Something as
simple as monitoring the
cafeteria over your lunch
hour, chaperoning a dance,
reading with students or
helping a teacher with a
class art project can make a
huge difference in a child’s
life.”
The youngest of seven
siblings, Rinne’s father died
when she was in elementary school. Life became
difficult and money was in
short supply. Even though
she had to work three
jobs to support the family,
Rinne’s mother fostered
a sense of community in
her children, along with
the spirit of volunteerism.
Unfortunately, with such a
busy schedule, she was unable to attend many of her
children’s school events.
Parent volunteer Rose Ann Rinne began donating time to the district when her daughter started kindergarten. She said even small
amounts of time can make a huge difference in a child’s life.
“Parents of
my classmates
or my
basketball
team
would
sit with
me at
activities,”
Rinne
said.
“They
would call
when I got my
name in the
paper. They
encouraged me
as much as my mom did.
That’s been an easy model
for me to follow in this
district.”
Rinne believes it is important for parents to raise
their children with
consistency and
a firm foundation, just as her
mother provided for
her and her
siblings.
With her
mother,
there
was
never
any
gray area,
only right
and wrong.
“My mom
would send us
off to school, and I don’t
remember her being home
until around 9 p.m.,” Rinne
said. “She farmed all us
kids out to help people
around town to mow
district
PROFILE
lawns or do other chores.
She made sure we were
active in the community
and we knew how to help
others. She’d say, ‘We might
not have everything, but
there are others who have
less than we do.’ ”
Rinne recalled the time
her mother was able to
take time off work to chaperone her class trip to the
Denver Natural History
Museum.
“I remember what she
wore and it was extraordinary,” Rinne said. “We had
a wonderful time.”
She and her twin sister,
who was also in the class,
never expected their mom
to chaperone again. They
knew since she was the
family breadwinner, it
wasn’t feasible. However, to
this day, she and her twin
still talk fondly about the
outing.
Once Rinne graduated from high school in
Wheatland, she attended
Eastern Wyoming College.
Then she attended the University of Wyoming. After
that, she began her modeling career and traveled all
over the world.
“It’s been fun to be a little
Wheatland girl and wake
up in different places,”
Rinne said. “I’ve been so
blessed, especially considering the challenges I faced
as a kid growing up.”
In the early 1980s, Rinne
returned to Laramie to
take care of her mother
who had fallen ill. For
several years, she operated
an embroidery company
there. Then she moved to
Cheyenne, where she lives
with her husband Dr. Mark
Rinne, a local dentist, and
their daughter.
Rinne not only gives
her time to Alexandria’s
schools, but she is involved
with other district activities. Additionally, she is
involved in the Cheyenne
community and volunteers
for many agencies.
Currently, she is the
president of the LCSD1
parent advisory committee. She said she likes being
able to share suggestions
from moms and dads who
have ideas about how the
district can operate more
efficiently for students.
“Our school district is
a vital part of our community and our children
are pieces of that puzzle,”
Rinne said. “If we all work
together, we’ll have a
greater result.”
—Photo & text by
Cindy Keen Reynders
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 13
Freedom students participate
in ‘Living History’ project
T
his is the third year Abigayle Paytoe Gbayee’s kindergarten through
sixth-grade art classes at Freedom
Elementary have participated in a “Living
History” project. The goal is to capture
and record life histories of community
members, then represent them with student artwork. Last January, the students
interviewed approximately 60 individuals.
They used tablets to take notes and film
segments about their subjects.
Paytoe Gbayee said students decided
what part of the stories they wanted to
focus on, then created mini dioramas to
represent their favorite part of the interviews.
“Our goal this year is to tell the stories
better than we have done before so people
can tell what’s happening in the scene
without knowing the whole story,” Paytoe
Gbayee said. “Part of this process is for
students to share what they learned in
their groups. They ask each other questions and have the opportunity to revise
their reports.”
One morning, as third-grade children
worked on their dioramas, they discussed
their interviews with Mayor Rick Kaysen.
Shelves stocked with colorful construction
paper and supplies surrounded the boys
and girls, whose excited chatter echoed in
the art room.
“I liked talking to him,” one boy commented while hot gluing green feathers
and tiny sticks on his diorama that he said
represented the jungles of Vietnam. “The
mayor also talked about dragons and he
was in the army.”
“This is mine,” a girl said holding up her
diorama featuring a spotted hound. “The
mayor has fun dogs. I’ve got cotton balls
for the clouds, but I still have to glue on
the mayor’s figure.”
Paytoe Gbayee walked around visiting with students. Every so often, she
stopped and made suggestions for those
experiencing difficulty deciding how their
diorama should look. To encourage one
little girl who seemed to be struggling, she
asked, “What else is going to be in your
picture besides color? Will the mayor be
in his house? Will there be a door and
a window? Or will he be outside somewhere?”
“I want it inside,” the girl said.
“That’s a good idea. You can design
around a family scene,” Paytoe Gbayee
commented. She helped the girl draw a
dog and explained how to cut it out, color
it and attach it to the diorama in a standing position.
Paytoe Gbayee said she decided to start
the “Living History” project after taking
classes in educational leadership. Based on
what she learned, she realized it would be
beneficial for the students if she administered authentic assessments. In order to
make art goals more engaging, she came
up with the “Living History” collaborative
art project.
She realized not many kids have connections with adults outside of their
own peer group, other than parents and
teachers.
“They aren’t familiar with adults and
their lives,” Paytoe Gbayee explained.
“They don’t interact with them or have an
opportunity to learn about their history.”
There also needed to be a culminating event, Paytoe Gbayee said. “I decided
there was no reason to have the kids do
this if there wasn’t a purpose for it or an
audience to view their work. I wanted
them to concentrate on why they are doing this and have an end result in mind.”
Therefore, in May each year, students
display their “Living History” art projects
at the school and invite parents and other
family members to come in and view
them. This year, on Friday, May 8, the
students exhibited their dioramas. People
walked through Freedom’s halls talking about the creations and visiting with
students.
“Having kids make artwork all about
themselves puts them at a disadvantage
if they ever want an art career,” Paytoe
Gbayee said. “In reality, they usually wind
up with a graphic design career or making
items for the public, but not necessarily for themselves. It’s good for them to
become familiar with other people so they
understand more about what they might
like.”
—Photos & text by Cindy Keen Reynders
Freedom students interviewed community members, like Mayor Rick Kaysen, then created work based on what they shared.
Registration continues in summer
T
hroughout the summer, families new to Laramie County
School District 1 will complete
online household registration and address verification at any of the district’s
secondary schools, with the exception
of Triumph.
Beginning Aug. 11, this process
will be completed at the student’s attendance area school. Families must
Freedom students created dioramas.
provide proof of address documents,
a copy of the child or children’s birth
certificates(s) and immunization
records.
Acceptable forms of address verification include light/gas bills, cable
bills and lease agreements. Water bills
will not be accepted.
Attendance area schools can be
found by entering the parent/guardian’s address on the district website:
www.laramie1.org. Click on “Our District,” “School Maps and Boundaries.”
Returning students that have moved
have the option to attend school at
the location verified in the spring, or
may attend their new attendance area
school pending space availability.
Parents/guardians will receive
elementary class list notifications in
August. In addition, from 7 a.m.–
4 p.m., Aug. 11–12, junior high and
high school schedules may be picked
up.
14 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
Deming first graders celebrate poetry
F
irst-grade students lined up in the
Deming Elementary hallway and
their voices filled the air. It was a big
day for them as they would present their
poetry to family, peers and friends.
“Now let’s go make movies in the minds
of your families,” their teacher, Terri Flock,
said.
The poetry celebration was the culminating exercise for the work students had
done in reading and writing throughout
the school year.
“In first grade we focus on narrative, informational writing, realistic fiction writing and add in some poetry,” Flock said.
Poetry fits into the district’s thinking
strategy for reading, as it makes use of visualization, Flock added. The students read
poetry throughout the year while thinking
about what they were feeling, seeing, tasting, smelling or hearing.
Students started by using their visualization journals and drawing pictures according to what they heard in the poetry. Next,
the pictures would change as they gathered
more information and gained a better
understanding of their words.
“After the visualization exercises, it was
time for the kids to pick up the writer’s pen
and write their own poetry,” Flock said.
Students learned how to put themselves into a setting while considering all
senses, called sensory writing, she said.
As authors, the students learned to paint
a picture in the readers’ minds with their
words and writing with a purpose. Students learned how important and powerful
words are while researching the best words
to express every single sense.
Further, students learned comprehension, how to understand their readings and
visualize them. Most of all, the students
became critical thinkers as they looked at
books with a writer’s eye, which helped
them improve their reading and writing.
They put together individual poetry
books with all their writings, drawings and
decorations. Each one was as unique as the
students.
“Publishing is a part of bringing the
writing work full circle,” Flock said. “It is
the final part, along with presenting it in
front of other people.”
That’s exactly what students did during
a special poetry reading event. Parents,
siblings and peers all came together in the
gym to celebrate the students’ writing and
enjoy their poetry.
“I had a lot of fun writing,” a student
said.
“I am really excited to read to my parents,” a little boy said.
“I hope they will like my poem,” a little
girl added.
The students filed into the gym and took
their positions in chairs at the front of the
room. Some looked excited while others
were nervous. Both first-grade teachers,
Flock and Reana Pacheco, called the students to the front in twos. They read two
poems each, which ranged from favorite
activities and favorite seasons, to poems
about themselves.
Students seemed less nervous as they
took their turns. Parents proudly took
many pictures. Their applause celebrating
the students’ work filled the gym after the
last poems were read.
“The students are really writers now
with all the tools they need to succeed,”
Flock said. “They are well prepared for
second grade and freestyle poetry because
we have laid the groundwork for it.”
—Photos & text by Susann Robbins
First-graders in Terri Flock’s class show off their poetry journal entries.
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 15
Hobbs Elementary students’ artwork was showcased during the school’s “Night of the Arts.”
Hobbs showcases student art, future careers in arts
“The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing, and
arithmetic … music, dance, painting, and theater are all keys that unlock profound
human understanding and accomplishment.”
—William Bennett
Former U.S. Secretary of Education
n a chilly April evening, Hobbs Elementary was buzzing with the movement
and voices of students, parents and staff. It was the “Night of the Arts” and a
time to showcase what students had done during the school year as well as
give them an idea of where an education in arts and music can take them.
“I saw it as a chance to expose the students to some talents and skills related to
art and music they may not have known about before,” Hobbs Elementary Principal
Randy Hurd said.
Entering the gym, visitors were greeted by an art exhibit of their children’s works,
on paper and in the form of clay animals. Additionally, local artists showed their
work.
A quick-draw artist, Laramie County School District 1’s art coordinator, Lynn
Newman, created a masterpiece on the spot, which was part of the silent auction to
fund next year’s art event.
“ ‘The Night of the Arts’ is really a chance to share with the public what we do,”
Newman said. “It is the best of all worlds when you have an event like this, which
brings parents and the community together through the idea of art.”
Stepping into the hallway, one could hear kids say, “Mom, come this way, do you
hear that?”
They were referring to the sounds of drums coming from Cristin Green’s kindergarten classroom. Alex Simpson and Collin Sitgreaves were giving a demonstration
of dueling drums.
“Can I learn the drums? I really want to do that,” a boy said to his father.
“He really liked the performance and has been inspired by it,” the boy’s father said.
“I am glad there are things like this for our students.”
O
While wandering through the halls parents were greeted by children with funny
socks on their hands coming from Jill VanOverbeke’s room. It was a colorful parade of
peacocks, dinosaurs, princesses and magical animals.
“I really love my sock puppet,” a girl said.
To get a look inside wood working parents and students stopped in Brad Cartwright’s
room. Cartwright displayed some of his recent works as well as some tools needed to
create them. Next, students got a chance to create art that makes a difference. In Alexis
Garrett’s art room, they tried their hand at canvas painting.
“The kids painted canvas and put their names on it,” Garrett said. “The canvases will
be cut up, made into backpacks and sold. The proceeds will go to the Cheyenne Children’s Museum.”
At the other end of the school, students and parents alike were dazzled by the magic
of Reed Barrett. Barrett correctly guessed cards someone had drawn, made marbles
disappear and changed out cards across the room without ever leaving his spot at the
front of the classroom.
“How did he do that?” the students wondered aloud.
“I want to find out how to do that card trick,” a boy said.
Next students dove into the art of creating comics through their favorite superheroes.
Artist and Carey Junior High teacher, Chad Blakely, pointed out comics are another
form of storytelling.
“When kids see pictures they automatically want to tell a story,” Blakely said. “So
comic books lend themselves to visual storytelling.”
Parents and students capped off their art-filled night by creating collages and enjoying
Celtic music.
“The ‘Night of the Arts’ gives students a taste of what else they can do in this world,”
Hurd said. “Some kids really springboard off of it and do some amazing things in the
future. We have seen some venture into art as a career field and others have become artists on their own.”
—Photo & text by Susann Robbins
16 • June 2015
Public Schools’ Chronicle
District implements new reporting, grading system
Y
our student is late
to class so the
teacher deducts
points from his or her
grade. Federal forms are
due tomorrow; extra
credit is given to kids who
bring back their signed
paperwork. Homework is
not turned in so a student
receives minus 10 points.
While these practices
have become part of school
culture, do they really
help assess what a student
should know and learn?
Should they be part of a
student’s grade? Proponents
of a new pilot at Laramie
County School District 1
believe these factors should
not be tied to academics.
“If we’re going to improve
student achievement we
need an accurate reflection
of what the student knows
and is able to do,” said
Dr. Tracey Kinney, LCSD1’s
assistant superintendent
of instruction. “We don’t
know what to fix if we don’t
know what is broken.”
Since 2011, she has
worked with the district’s
grading committee to
promote a practice called
Standards Referenced
Reporting and Grading
(SRRG). Exactly what does
this mean?
Kinney said SRRG is a
system of assessing and
reporting that describes a
student’s progress in relation to standards. Student
grades are “referenced” to
learning standards or descriptions of what students
are expected to know and
be able to do at specific
times during their education.
“On the surface, parents
may question why grades
don’t currently reflect a
student’s learning,” Superintendent John Lyttle said.
“When we tell kids to bring
in a box of Kleenex and
they get extra credit, that
doesn’t reflect learning.”
The goal of SRRG is to
remove effort, behavior,
cooperation, attendance
and other “non-achievement” factors from a
student’s grade. Lyttle said
this SRRG implementation
was recommended by the
AdvancED accreditation
team as a next step for the
district.
Lyttle added: “How do
you monitor a student and
know where they really
are if you start deducting
points for behavior? Those
things are critical in the
world of work but we need
to make sure we address
them separately.”
Kinney said the intent
is to list behavior and
attendance separately on
a student’s report card.
Although there will be
consequences for negative
behavior they will not be
tied to a student’s academic
grade.
Kinney said another
piece of this issue occurs
when teachers weigh assessments differently. That
is why focus this summer
and next year will be on
prioritizing standards and
writing proficiency scales.
“We have about 300
faculty and some parents
who have gone through
extensive training and now
we are prioritizing and
aligning standards,” she
said. “We have to agree on
what’s most important in a
content area and on what is
a proficient level. We can’t
make grades consistent unless we agree on that.”
An additional complication involves the misinterpretation of single scores.
For example, a group of
students all score 10 points
on a math assignment,
which is comprised of com-
putation, problem solving
and number sense. Even
though the students have
different strengths in each
of the three areas, they all
end up with the same score.
One may be proficient in
computation and lack the
other skills. Another may
excel in problem solving but fall down when it
comes to number sense.
Kinney said in this
instance, SRRG helps the
teacher help the student
and report issues back to
the parents so they can
assist. In addition, students
know what they need
to master in order to be
proficient.
“A student will know
what to remediate or advance in order to get those
higher grades,” Kinney said.
Lyttle said: “I think Standards Referenced Reporting and Grading will give
parents and students a truer
picture of what the learning
actually is. Connecting the
grade with learning is so
critical.”
SRRG report cards will
be piloted during the
2015–2016 school year at
two elementary schools
and two secondary schools.
Kinney said once standards
are prioritized and proficiency scales are completed,
district-wide implementation is slated for the
2016–2017 school year.
Kinney said when this
occurs, parents can expect
to see report cards that
separate academics from
behaviors. While the letter
grade will remain, they will
also see a reporting of what
constitutes the grade.
“It will create consistency across the district,”
Lyttle said. “No matter what
teacher a student has there
is going to be a more objective view of what that grade
really means.”
—Text by Mary Quast
AdvancED accreditation team visits LCSD1
W
hat started as a school year of reflection
has ended with the staff at Laramie County
School District 1 planning for the future.
As LCSD1’s Director of Instruction Dr. Marc LaHiff explained, following a spring AdvancED accreditation visit,
staff members are poised to continue successful programs
and begin work on suggested areas for improvement.
“I was very pleased with the accreditation results,”
Superintendent of Schools John Lyttle said. “It’s valuable
to the district because it brings in a group of people that
aren’t standing in the forest with us. They give us honest,
objective feedback, which I think is critical.”
According to AdvancED, the process is designed to
provide an international protocol for institutions to
build system and school capacity to increase and sustain
student learning. Accreditation should also stimulate and
improve effectiveness throughout the system.
“It was a very comprehensive process,” Lyttle said. “This
is the third time in 15 years we’ve been through districtwide accreditation and Cheyenne High School was one of
the first accredited schools in the nation, 120 years ago.”
LaHiff said the accreditation team was comprised of 25
people from different areas of Wyoming and from across
the country. Prior to their visit, district teachers and staff
worked to finalize improvement plans and gather school
and department data, which was presented to the team to
demonstrate progress since the last accreditation visit.
Some of this data included a plethora of surveys that
were taken by students, parents and teachers last fall.
LaHiff said parent participation was extremely helpful
and he thanked people for taking the survey.
“Survey results helped the accreditation team develop
our overall score.” LaHiff said. “What was even more
meaningful to me was reading through the comments
to see if there was a preponderance of evidence showing
that something really needed to be addressed. I know at
the school level it was also helpful for them to get that
information.”
Based on survey results, Infinite Campus use, grading practices and customer service have been reviewed.
Customer service training is being implemented over the
summer.
After the accreditation team reviewed documents
they interviewed more than 700 stakeholders including
administrators, board members, staff, parents, community members, business partners, students and teachers.
They visited every district school and many individual
classrooms. A preliminary exit report was followed by
a 60-page written document, which recommends the
district receive full accreditation. LaHiff said this will be
final once the accreditation commission votes to approve
the report.
“We’ve already made some changes just from the initial
report, and we will begin to develop action plans around
those major areas that they describe as our next steps,”
Lyttle said.
According to the initial report, the accreditation team
commended LCSD1 for its culture of respect, learning
and high expectations. The team also commended the
practice of Lab Classrooms where teachers visit other
classrooms to learn teaching strategies. They were complimentary of the LCSD1 Board of Trustees for undergoing board governance training. The district’s systematic
process of recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff
was also a commendation.
In the area of improvement, the team suggested formalizing existing student advocacy programs across the
district and establishing systemic professional learning
community expectations. Consistent grading practices
and professional development evaluation and developing
a formalized process to analyze data were proposed next
steps. Finally, the team recommended technology integration to improve instruction, especially at the secondary level, can be improved.
“I think the report confirmed some things we thought
we needed to improve on and we’re starting to move
forward,” LaHiff said.
“We certainly see value in the process,” Lyttle said. “It’s
helped guide us in the past and will continue to do so in
the future.”
—Text by Mary Quast
Public Schools’ Chronicle June 2015 • 17
Prairie Wind, Davis schools
slated to open in August
T
he opening of new school buildings in Laramie County School District 1 next fall
also brings an opportunity for principals to build new relationships.
Even before the doors open at the district’s brand-new school, Prairie Wind
Elementary, incoming principal Mike Fullmer said he has been meeting with staff and
parents to develop a sense of culture. Prairie Wind students will have previously attended
Jessup, Hobbs and Davis elementary schools.
“Parents are excited; we’ve met with them a couple of times and we’ve already had three
or four staff meetings,” Fullmer said.
The first order of Prairie Wind apparel, with the Wolverine mascot and silver and maroon school colors, has also been placed. A Facebook page has been created and parents
are encouraged to like the page to receive updates.
“The intent of getting the merchandise out on the street is so we don’t open the doors
with people from three different schools; we open as just one,” Fullmer said.
Fullmer said the new facility with its wide, open hallways and creative use of space will
be unique for the community.
“The benefit, I hope, is that teachers will be encouraged to think outside the box,” he
said. “We’ve got the space now and the building shouldn’t hinder us from doing anything
we want to accomplish with kids.”
Many in the community know Fullmer as the principal at Davis Elementary. Next
fall, when he makes the switch to Prairie Wind, Mary Beth Emmons, who most recently
served as LCSD1’s elementary language arts coordinator, will step into this role.
As it turns out, the new Davis Elementary replacement building with capacity for 335
students is also slated to open this fall. Last school year, it operated from the remodeled
Eastridge wing at Carey Junior High.
“The staff at Davis has just been so open and willing to ensure students are successful
regardless of where they are at,” Emmons said. “They’ve made Eastridge such a wonderful,
warm place to be.”
For the upcoming school year, Emmons said she has hired seven new staff members to
replace some who transitioned to Prairie Wind and others who retired.
“We’re very excited about the new building and I’ve been working with the staff already
as we talk about the Davis culture so it’s inviting for students, parents and staff,” Emmons
said. “We want to continue that culture and build upon it with our new staff.”
She said one of the biggest changes with the new building will be the addition of open
learning spaces that will enable more collaboration. The two-story design was patterned
after Goins Elementary, which has seen much success with its new building.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the Davis team and really look forward to getting to
know the staff, parents and students and having a collaborative environment where we all
work together for the success of students,” Emmons said.
Superintendent of Schools John Lyttle said he is thrilled to have two new facilities
opening up. Prairie Wind, with its 550 student capacity will help ease overcrowding in
the Central triad and allow students in the Hobbs, Davis and Jessup areas to come back to
their neighborhood schools.
In addition, Dave Bartlett, LCSD1 assistant superintendent of support operations, said:
“One of the unique things about Prairie Wind is we will dramatically reduce the amount
of time spent on a bus for a lot of those kids who live in the far north rural. I think that
will have a very positive impact on their achievement.”
Lyttle said: “Prairie Wind is going to be an amazing facility. I think people are going to
marvel at some of the amenities and how it is designed. We are excited about Davis as well.
It will give us more capacity so we have an opportunity to get closer to that 16:1 student
teacher ratio in kindergarten through third grade that’s been mandated by the legislature.”
Bartlett said, “Anytime you’re able to open a new facility and enhance the learning environment for students and staff, everyone benefits.” —Text by Mary Quast
The new Davis Elementary building is slated to be open for the 2015–2016 school year.
LCSD1’s newest school, Prairie Wind Elementary, is slated to open in August.
Meadowlark to open August 2016
In the fall of 2016, Laramie County
School District 1’s first fifth- and sixthgrade school is slated to open at the corner
of Storey Boulevard and Chief Washakie.
The LCSD1 Board of Trustees recently
approved moving forward with the building’s construction. According to Dave
Bartlett, LCSD1 assistant superintendent
of support operations, design documents
are moving forward; the project is out for
bid and the board is slated to vote on the
contract at its June 15 meeting.
If approved, Bartlett said groundbreaking will take place this summer and the
facility would open the following year. “It’s
an aggressive schedule,” he commented.
The facility was approved as a way to
alleviate overcrowding in the East Triad
elementary schools. Fifth- and sixth-grade
students from Dildine, Buffalo Ridge,
Anderson and Saddle Ridge will attend the
school. This will free space at these schools
to alleviate forced busing for students in
kindergarten through fourth grade. Students attending Meadowlark will remain
with their cohort group of friends and
meet other students with whom they will
attend junior high.
“We’ve had so much overcrowding in
the East Triad,” Superintendent of Schools
John Lyttle said. “Meadowlark will help
make more room in those neighborhood
schools so we can keep more of the kindergarten through fourth-grade kids in their
neighborhoods.”
Since it is a new concept, Lyttle and
Bartlett explained once the school is open,
student progress will be closely monitored
and reported to the board.
“We don’t want to lose any ground for
our students,” Lyttle said. “We’re going to
report out to the board our student performance level compared to other fifth and
sixth graders to see if we had any change
one way or the other.”
—Text by Mary Quast