Names & Notes
NCSD teachers honored by CC ed students
Casper College education students recently recognized four Natrona County School District (NCSD) teachers as “Distinguished Mentor Teacher.”
“We wanted to recognize these teachers and show our appreciation with this recognition,” said Renee Griffith, education instructor at Casper College.
Instructors recognized are Ben Schanck, ninth-grade social studies teacher at Centennial Junior High; Kathy Thunselle, fifth-grade teacher at Grant Elementary; Destiny Hildebrand, fourth- and fifth-grade reading and math teacher at Grant Elementary; and Stacy Mittelstadt, fourth-grade teacher at North Casper Elementary.
Marc Fleming and Malinda Qureshi, who nominated Schanck, noted that “Ben was a master at creating a fun and informative environment” and according to Qureshi, “Mr. Schanck has given me a great example of what it takes to be an active teacher and person of the community.”
Chandra Wostenberg explained that Thunselle “…involved me in critical classroom settings and let me try my own ideas and techniques. She valued my opinion and helped me to understand hers.”
“She had a welcoming personality n everyone in the room felt like they belonged, and knew she cared about them,” said Jennifer Harshman of her mentor teacher, Hildebrand.
In her nomination of Mittelstadt, Michelle Dollentas said, “I have observed numerous acts where she put extra time in to help students who didn’t speak English. … She was a sincere definition of a real teacher. She truly cared about her students and she wanted all to succeed.”
According to Griffith, Casper College education majors are required to take “Public School Practicum” (EDUC 2100) and to serve 60 hours during the semester at an accredited school under the supervision of a certified teacher.
Roosevelt honors Griffith for Woman of Distinction
Staff and students at Roosevelt High School surprised teacher Susan Griffith with congratulations April 4 at breakfast.
It was the second surprise in as many days for the social studies teacher, who has taught at Roosevelt since 1988.
On April 3, Griffith was named the 2008 Woman of Distinction. The award is sponsored by Casper groups including Soroptimist International of Central Wyoming, the American Association of University Women, Alumnae Panhellenic and The American Society of Women Accountants.
When Griffith arrived at the Boys & Girls Club April 4 for Roosevelt’s daily breakfast, exercise and fellowship session, the club was decked out in pink and white streamers and an assortment of balloons.
Her son, daughter-in-law and grandchild also were there holding a bouquet of flowers.
Students and staff members came by to offer congratulations, then raised their milk and juice in a celebratory toast.
Star Lane plans presentations
The community is encouraged to attend presentations by Star Lane students at 1400 S. Fairdale.
The freshman and sophomore students have been researching information for a car crash problem. They will evaluate evidence from a crash scene and determine what, if any, charges should be filed in connection with the accident.
They will present their findings to community audience members on Wednesday, April 16.
Junior and senior students have been working on an American dream problem.
Students have been studying financial markets and economic stability in America in order to determine the reality of the American dream.
They will create a multimedia presentation of their discoveries to share with audience members on Thursday, April 17.
For more information, call 261-6116.
BOCES plans retreat
The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) will hold a retreat meeting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 25, at the Casper Petroleum Club.
Issues to be addressed include evaluation of current programs, the process of establishing line-item budget requests and policy issues.
NCSD Robotics Team competes in regionals
The Natrona County School District Robotics Team, comprised of eight Kelly Walsh High School students and two Natrona County High School students, recently traveled to Denver to compete in the Regional Robotics Competition and finished in 10th place out of 54 teams.
The students spent six weeks in January and February designing, planning, building, trouble shooting, programming and shipping the final product to Denver.
"This is an extremely arduous, frustrating and often late-night task," said Robotics coach Chad Sharpe.
The hard work paid off, though, as the team made the quarter finals for the third time in five years.
The students also worked together to overcome obstacles, such as several rebuilds of the robot's arm, programming glitches and conflict resolution.
"Trust me when I say our future is in great hands!" Sharpe said.
CY Junior High Summit classes
CY Junior High again will offer Summit classes during the 2008-09 school year for academically talented students in grades 6-9 in the areas of mathematics, language arts, science and social studies.
Mathematics Summit classes allow qualified students to be placed in a math course either one or two years above their regular grade level.
Students placed in Summit language arts will be expected to read a higher level of literature than is typically read at that grade level and to write using more complex structures.
Summit science and social studies classes will explore concepts in greater depth than in regular classes, and the students will be expected to be able to read and write content that is more difficult and complex.
Qualifying criteria for Summit classes include RIT scores, PAWS scores, past year’s grades and teacher recommendation. For those students not yet selected for Summit, more information is available by calling Janet Thies, CY academic counselor, at 577-4474.
Registration Deadline for Next ACT College Admission Exam is May 9
The next ACT test administration for college-hopeful high school students is Saturday, June 14, 2008. Students who wish to take the exam on this date must register online or have their paper registrations postmarked by the end of the day May 9. The late registration postmark deadline is May 23 (an additional $19 fee is required for late registration after May 9).
The June test date is a popular one for high school juniors. Many of them take the ACT at the end of 11th grade to see how they fare, knowing they can always re-take it the following year. Based on the information they receive in their score report, students can study to boost academic weaknesses before taking the test again as seniors. Students who take the ACT more than once may choose which set of scores to send to college.
ACT offers an optional Writing Test. Many colleges do not require students to submit a writing score, so students should check the admission requirements of the colleges they are considering before registering for the ACT. The registration fee is $30 for the traditional ACT exam or $44.50 for the ACT Plus Writing.
Students may obtain a registration packet from their high school guidance counselors’ office, or they may register online at www.actstudent.org. The ACT website also features test-taking tips, practice tests, an online test prep program, and a searchable database for students to find out if prospective colleges require a writing score.
ACT scores are accepted by all colleges and universities across the U.S. The ACT is an academic achievement exam that measures the skills and knowledge taught in school. It includes four required tests—English, reading, math, and science—plus an optional Writing Test. The Writing Test adds 30 minutes to the normal three-hour testing time.