Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) appears to have solved their problem with property in Medicine Bow following their December 17 meeting. For more than a year, the school district had leased property surrounding the old Medicine Bow High School—which had been bought by Viridis Eolia in April 2017—to MedBow Lodging, LLC. The company then subleased the property for recreational vehicles used by contractors working on nearby wind energy projects. As was reported previously (see “Sc...
At each monthly meeting of the Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees, board members are asked to review or approve changes to the many policies that govern how the district operates. During their December 17 meeting, the board discussed Policy GCPA, which directs the school district in how to handle reduction in professional staff work force and the status of continuing contract teachers. The policy was first adopted in April 2002 and last reviewed in February 2017....
*UPDATE* During the December 17 meeting of the Carbon Count School District No. 2 Board of Trustees, the board voted unanimously to permanently approve the Encampment Football program. The program will remain self-funded with the exception of the district providing funding for officials and travel to away game. Two years after receiving permission to begin a six-man football program, the student athletes of Encampment High School will appear before the Carbon County School District No. 2...
Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School senior Taylar Scott signed on Thursday to attend Black Hills State University (BHSU). Taylar signed the papers in front of her parents, grandparents and coaches in the HEM school library to allow for social distancing. Jackie Jones, HEM track head coach was happy for her athlete/student. "Taylar was actually the first one recruited by Black Hills and she is officially the first one to sign for their track and field program for next year's campa...
Each year as student athletes take to the hardwood or the wrestling mats throughout the state, there is another batch of students that participate in a different indoor activity as they compete in speech and debate. Don't let the dress suits, jackets and ties fool you though; this activity is highly competitive. It is so competitive, in fact, that the National Speech and Debate tournament can be quite exclusive. It was only a matter of time, then, for the free market to see a niche and provide o...
Parents and staff members alike were in attendance at the November 16 meeting of the Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees to express their concern and frustrations over a “blanket quarantine” issued by Carbon County Public Health for three sports teams in the school district. As was reported previously (see “Over 100 cases in Carbon County” on page 1 of the November 18 Saratoga Sun), CCSD2 Superintendent Jim Copeland announced the news of the quarantine on November 15 vi...
As classes in Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) enter their third month of being in session, there have been changes to every aspect of how school is conducted. During their November 16 meeting, the CCSD2 Board of Trustees heard an update from Encampment K-12 School Principal Mike Erickson on how his school was adapting to the changes for the 2020/2021 School Year. “I kind of thought that I would do something a little bit different than normally we do with the reports,” said Erickson....
As the Wyoming Legislature prepares to face down a substantial budget deficit and following significant departmental budget cuts from Governor Mark Gordon, school boards across the state are having to examine their own budgets. In the case of Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2), a potential 16 percent cut in funding could come in the form of reduced personnel. During the October 19 meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees, both the board and CCSD2 Superintendent Jim Copeland discussed a le...
As Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) continues to move forward into the school year with some students attending virtually instead of physically, the potential of teacher burnout has become a topic of discussion. During the October 19 meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees, Director of Curriculum Noel Manning touched on the subject during his monthly curriculum update. According to Manning, the district was pushing the increased use of the Schoology program beyond just teachers who...
The Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees spent part of their October 19 meeting again discussing property in Medicine Bow that is leased to MedBow Lodging LLC. As the end of the calendar year approaches, so too does the end of the lease, which expires on December 31. Discussion of the lease and the property was placed on the agenda by CCSD2 Superintendent Jim Copeland. “This is just a reminder so it doesn’t sneak up right at the very end but their lease runs out Dec...
Wyoming students in grades 4-12 are invited to enter the 2021 Wyoming Letters About Literature reading and writing contest. Students from all schools—private, public and homeschool—are encouraged to enter. The statewide contest opens on November 1, 2020. Postmark submission deadline for entries is January 9, 2021. The contest asks students to read a book, poem or play, or choose one they have already read that inspires them or shows them a new way to see the world. The student then writes a personal letter to the author (living or dead) to sha...
A young Bill Cody (Buffalo Bill) could be seen walking around the grounds of the Grand Encampment Museum (GEM) on October 9. In actuality, it was not Wild Bill, but actor Thad Turner. He is working in a movie that the Western Writers of America (WWA) are producing for educational purposes. Candy Moulton, Executive Director for WWA, explained what was being filmed at GEM. "We are working on a program called 'Packing the West', Moulton said. "It has been four years in development and now we are...
Alexis Barney, a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Evansville Elementary School in Natrona County School District No. 1, was named Wyoming's 2021 Teacher of the Year September 22, during the Wyoming Education Summit. "Congratulations to Alexis on being named Wyoming's 2021 Teacher of the Year," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. "I find that her passion and charisma are contagious - and I'm excited for her to share that with others over the next year. Alexis has the...
Parents hoping to enroll their children in kindergarten next school year may have to wait due to legislation passed by the Wyoming Legislature during the 2020 Budget Session. This new information was provided to the Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees during their meeting on September 21 by Superintendent Jim Copeland. “The state has changed enrollment birthday deadlines for kindergarten. So, it has been September 15. They had to turn five before September 15 to e...
Though the 2020/2021 School Year just started, discussion of graduation appeared before the Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees during their meeting on September 21. While part of that discussion was about the graduation dates for the three high schools in the district, the larger part of that discussion centered around an early graduation request from a student at Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School. Early Graduation CCSD2 Jim Copeland informed the...
The beginning of the school year under regular circumstances can be difficult enough as the summer-time kinks are worked out. Add into that the precautions now required for school districts by the Wyoming Department of Education, and things can be a little less flexible. Despite that, Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) is working through operations in the age of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). On August 17, the CCSD2 Board of Trustees heard updates from Saratoga Elementary School (SES...
Laura Niswender has always wanted to teach in a rural small school setting. She has achieved her goal, although not teaching exactly. Niswender is the new principal of the Hanna Elementary, Elk Mountain Elementary and Medicine Bow Elementary schools. She will be the third new principal for the schools in three years. Niswender may be new to Carbon County, but she knows Wyoming well. "I was born and raised outside of Laramie and my husband, Terry, and I currently live out by Harmony, which is...
Each school year, Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) holds nominations to recognize one teacher and one staff member. Those nominations are filled with staff and teachers that, for one reason or another, are selected by their peers. For the 2019/2020 school year, current 6th grade teacher Stephanie Long was among those nominated and was, ultimately, awarded. "The first week of summer, I think, I got a call from Noel Manning. He called me and said that I had been nominated. That was the...
Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) passed the first hurdle in resuming school this fall as the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the district’s Smart Start Reopening Plan during the June 23 special meeting. According to CCSD2 Superintendent Jim Copeland, the district received guidance throughout the process from Carbon County Public Health. Before classes can officially resume on August 17, however, the plan has to receive final approval from the Wyoming Department of Education (...
The start of classes in Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) is less than a month away. As that date approaches, the district is working within requirements and recommendations from Carbon County Public Health and the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to provide a stable framework for students in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). At the July 15 meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees, Superintendent Jim Copeland provided the board with updates on progress. While he admitted...
Jarom Herring, 2020 graduate of Encampment High School, was awarded a scholarship with Central Wyoming College (CWC) for cross country running with the option of competing in indoor and outdoor track. Al Lara, Head Coach of Men's and Women's Cross Country at CWC, wanted to have a person-to-person signing with Herring two to three months ago. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was not possible until recently. Coach Lara said that he does not do a personal signing for every student stating, "These...
Despite an unusual school year that finished with students at home, Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) and the Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) have been working to help students and their families. Throughout the rest of the school year, following closures on March 16, the district provided emergency meals to families for both breakfast and lunch. In April, the school district served approximately 6,500 meals. Now, while school may have been dismissed for the summer,...
The Memorial Hospital of Carbon County Foundation Board has awarded four scholarships to local youth pursuing careers in healthcare. Qualifying applicants had to be a graduate of Carbon County School District 1 or 2, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, demonstrate previous or current community and/or involvement in extra-curricular activities, and plan to pursue a course of study which will lead to a career in healthcare. Riley Little (Saratoga), Makiya Johnson (Saratoga), Bailey Morgan (Rawlins) and...
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, many events around the state were cancelled. On the high school level, many sports seasons were unable to finish and competitors were left without a true ending. This was not the case for speech and debate. Starting on April 22, participants in Wyoming speech and debate were able to attend the state tournament online. Interpretation events were recorded prior to the tournament while debates were held via Zoom. The University of Wyoming was able to step in and provid...
The sun was shining down in Encampment on this past Memorial Day as friends and family came together to honor the fallen. Since 1984, VFW Post 1625 has held the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Encampment cemetery. This tradition is a constant reminder to the community to give thanks for veterans and fallen soldiers alike, and it was continued this year through the hardships the public has faced due to COVID-19. Along with the ceremony, the post places American flags on the graves of all veterans....