Names & notes

Tuesday, June 3, 2008 1:36 PM MDT

NCSD plans book discard

The Natrona County School District will conduct its annual summer book discard June 4-6 in the board room at Central Services, 970 N. Glenn Road.

The district offers textbooks, reference books and other materials, no longer being used, to the public at no charge.

This event is expected to be larger than usual since there was not a winter discard in 2007.

School board plans retreats

The Natrona County School District board of trustees will meet for three working retreats during June.

The board will meet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 5, June 11 and June 27 at the Petroleum Club. Topics of discussion will include superintendent goals and evaluation planning.

Board meetings are open to the public.

Potter named to DWU Dean’s List

Cassidy Potter of Casper recently was named to the 2008 spring semester Dean’s List at Dakota Wesleyan University.

To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must have a semester GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 point scale. They also have to complete at least 12 hours of academic work during the semester.

DMJH announces Jumpstart dates

Jumpstart will begin on Monday, July 14, and run through Friday, Aug. 1, at Dean Morgan Junior High.

The day will start at 8:45 a.m. and continue until 1:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and busing will be available each day.

Graduations

Martin from Morningside College

Miranda Martin of Casper was one of 291 students who received degrees from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, on May 10 during the college’s 110th spring commencement exercises.

A Kelly Walsh High School graduate, Martin majored in biology and received a Bachelor of Science degree.

She is the daughter of Heidi Wilhelm of Casper and Doug and Jill Martin of Cathlament, Wash.

Molyneux from Vanden High School

Rachael Molyneux, daughter of Casper native Rev. Dr. Dan and Beth Molyneux, graduated as class valedictorian at Vanden High School in Fairfield, Calif.

She is the granddaughter of longtime Casper residents, Everett and Evelyn Molyneux.

During high school, Rachael was a member of the Vanden Robotics Team, was involved in drama and academic activities, such as the Astronomy and German clubs.

She also was active in various church ministries and volunteered at the public library.

Rachael will be attending the University of Wyoming in the fall, majoring in petroleum engineering. She was admitted into the Honors Program.

Winship from Davidson College

Brenton B. Winship of Casper was among 423 students who graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., during commencement exercises on May 18.

Winship earned a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in biology. He plans to attend medical school.

While at Davidson, he rowed for the college club-level crew team, winning gold and silver medals at the Head of the Chattahoochee and Head of the South regattas in 2005 and 2007.

Winship also studied abroad at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, and spent a summer working and researching at a rural hospital in Mwandi, Zambia.

He was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the pre-medical honor society, and also Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

The son of Terry and Steve Winship, Brenton graduated from Natrona County High School in 2004.

NCHS graduate receives $10,000 scholarship

The Natrona County High School Class of 1962 presented the Robert J. Ford Memorial Scholarship for $10,000 to Sara Shutts, a 2008 graduate of NCHS.

Frontier students support peers abroad

Frontier Middle School students are bringing a little color to Nicaragua n in the form of colored pencils, crayons, markers, paints and more.

A committee of student volunteers has led the charge, with the guidance of school nurse Gail Chrisp, to collect school supplies for Nicaraguan children in need.

Chrisp is one of 36 Casper area residents who plan to travel to Nicaragua this summer to help rebuild a school.

She said that her group, which is associated with Highland Park Community Church, has been asked to collect school supplies for the children in the area she will be visiting. She talked to Frontier’s principals and sent out an announcement for students interested in participating.

“I didn’t have to recruit a single kid,” Chrisp said. “I just put out the notice, and they came to me.”

Some students said they were drawn to the idea, especially when they learned how different student experiences in Nicaragua can be. For example, one student explained, the average annual income for an entire family is only $450.

“That’s what hit home to the kids,” Chrisp said.

Students helped lead the schoolwide effort to collect school supplies and even went through their own stocks, donating anything they personally felt they could spare.

They also teamed up with Prince of Peace Preschool across the street, where staff put out three suitcases that were quickly filled with supplies.

“I felt it was the right thing to do,” said sixth-grader Nate Nelson.

“I think they should get just as much education as we do,” added seventh-grader Joel Haines.

Sixth-grader Audrey Chrisman also said the experience was eye-opening for some students, who may take their opportunities here in the U.S. for granted.

“Some kids said they wish we could be like those kids in Nicaragua, because they don’t have to go to school,” she said. “They just don’t get it. They (the kids in Nicaragua) want to go to school really badly, and we say we ‘have to.’”

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