Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Encampment preschool, kindergarten, and upper-grade students had the opportunity to experience what it is like to work on a ranch with the sounds of goats, cows, and cattle dogs and the sight of tractors and bailers. Encampment K-12 hosted its inaugural agriculture day on Wednesday, May 8. This event received support from students of local ranchers, businesses, and Encampment FFA. Students and the community took the time to see how ranchers work their day-to-day operations. Justin Stern, Water R...
Local law enforcement hosted a bike safety rodeo at the Platte Valley Community Center on Wednesday, April 24. The purpose of the event is to educate young children on bike safety regulations such as wearing a helmet and abiding by traffic laws. It is also a good way for the children to interact with first responders who protect and serve the community. Members of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Saratoga Police Department, and South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) were pr...
Mike Erickson, principal at Encampment K-12 School, will be retiring at the end of the school year after 19 years with Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2). On March 5, a community forum giving parents and staff a chance to speak with Erickson’s possible replacement was held. Jacob Johnston and A’Lisa Mueller, both made their case on why they should be picked as the next principal at Encampment. Both Johnston and Mueller took questions from the audience with Robin Brown as the mod...
Encampment K-12 School’s recent Books and Breakfast was in honor of local first responders. On March 6, parents, students, teachers and first responders met at the Encampment School Library to spend time reading together. This event encourages students to read books and improve their reading skills. After reading at the library, members of the community had breakfast in the cafeteria with local heroes who made important sacrifices in protecting children and the Plate Valley Community. This w...
Lesley Urasky, a science teacher at Saratoga Middle/High School in Saratoga, Wyoming, has been named the 2024 recipient of the American Geoscience Institute’s (AGI) Edward C. Roy Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching. Urasky earned both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in geology from the University of Wyoming and has achieved National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification in science as well as National Geographic certification in education. In her 2...
American families are expected to spend record-high amounts this back-to-school season. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), families with children in elementary, middle and high school will spend $890 on average for school items, while those with college-aged students are looking at more than $1,360 in shopping expenses. Whether your kids are off to kindergarten or college, here’s how you can shop smarter and prepare for the school year: - Upgrade Your Devices. Electronics and tech are a top priority for families this school s...
Is the SAT or ACT on the horizon for your high schooler? A lot of emphasis is placed on college entrance exams, and your child may be anxious about their scores. To adequately prepare for the SAT or ACT, consider these tips: - Practice, practice, practice: Encourage your student to take free online practice tests early and often. Not only is this an effective way to get familiar with the types of questions that will be on the test, it can give your child a sense of where they stand currently...
Funding is often the largest hurdle to improving access to data and resources in Wyoming. But amid the opioid crisis, another challenge has emerged: deciding how to spend millions of opioid settlement dollars flowing into the state. In late January, the Wyoming Department of Health reported it would use part of its $4.38 million in anticipated settlement money to expand access to opioid use disorder treatment, training and outreach. As far as data goes, WDH plans to spend $575,000 on...
Since 1993, the Platte Valley Arts Council has been enriching the quality of life in the area and expanding educational opportunities for all forms of the arts, whether it is music, literature, dance, visual arts, or theater. It’s mission is to “to foster awareness of and participation in any form of the arts, with the aim of developing vibrant and cohesive communities.” The arts council’s purpose is to keep Art in our everyday lives. In the year 2000, the arts council began awarding scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrated that ar...
Spirits were high at the Saratoga High School as the Class of 2023 graduated. The ceremony began with Principal JD Johnson welcoming everyone, and speaking about the class. Johnson was followed by teacher Jason Williams, leading everyone in a prayer. Next, class president Gabby Johnson spoke. Gabby Johnson started her speech by asking the audience to stand up and spin, saying "I read that if you moved your audience they would never forget you, and we're a pretty unforgettable class so I didn't...
Joe Gaspari knows the importance of taking care of our children and raising them up "in the way that they should go". "I consider it an honor to be chosen. I'm here to help the people's voices continue to be heard in regards to their children's education," said Gaspari when asked about his reaction to being appointed. He was elected to serve on the Carbon County School Board District #2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees and has been a board member since 2010. In 2023 he was appointed to serve on the...
School music programs are struggling everywhere, and Saratoga's schools are no different. Shirley Hillyard, President of the Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC) reached out to Ivy Palmer, the band instructor for Saratoga elementary and middle school, asking if they needed anything. Hillyard said, "I soon realized that the need was far greater than I had anticipated." She was told that the funds needed were approximately $7000.00. Hillyard said PVAC has funds available and they are working on...
Ranchester, Wyo.-April 26, 2023-The University of Wyoming Extension is now accepting applications for 2023 Ranch Camp, an educational program led by extension personnel and hosted by Padlock Ranch. The event will take place Monday, June 12, through Friday, June 16. Open to applicants ages 18 and older, Ranch Camp provides an immersive introduction to ranch economics, management and diversification as well as animal science, meat science, range science and soil science. The program balances...
Saturday, April 1st, the Wyoming State Spelling Bee took place in Rock Springs at Western Wyoming Community College. Cooper Smith, a sixth grader from Saratoga won the competition and will represent the State of Wyoming in Washington D.C., two months from now. According to a press release, no one from the state has ever won the national contest. The contest itself started back in 1925. Officials said the words this year were difficult. Fifty eight participants started the competition in the...
Students at Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School and Hanna Elementary School have recently spent the 3rd Friday of each month out on a limb. Or, rather, a STEM as they are involved in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program. In February, students from the University of Wyoming visited HEM and gave presentations in their fields of study to both high school and elementary students. It was the first endeavor of this kind to mix the students of all ages in a learnin...
In the Platte Valley, it seems the name Jerry Paxton is synonymous with education. Paxton, who served as House District 47 representative from 2013 until 2022, has been involved in education since the early 1970s. For five decades, he has been involved with education with nearly 30 of those years as a teacher at Encampment K-12 School. After teaching for 27 years, Paxton became principal before retiring in 2005. Along with serving four terms in the Wyoming Legislature, Paxton also served as...
The schools in Hanna have begun a new program which aims to recognize students who may typically go unnoticed. The staff of Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School and Hanna Elementary School are working together to select one student from each school and spotlight them. A student doesn't have to be strong academically or a star athlete to qualify for selection. What the schools were looking for in the selection was a person who was kind and helpful to others without looking for any...
Kaitlyn Larson is a split position teacher at Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School "I teach 7th grade math, 8th grade math and two sections of Biology 1 and two sections of Biology 2," Larson said. Larson is also the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher. This means she has taken over the STEM Fridays and set up field trips that celebrate the subject matter of STEM. "This year I have either field trips or speakers for our STEM Fridays that happen once a month,"...
Madison Teichman, a senior at Saratoga Middle High School recently participated in the Wyoming Jazz Educators' Honor Vocal Jazz set of rehearsals and performance at Natrona County High School in Casper. Madison was selected as an alto singer in the Vocal Jazz Ensemble; one of twenty six students selected out of over one hundred auditions state wide. The director of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble was Kerry Marsh of the professional performing group Vertical Voices. Marsh has also been on the Vocal...