2025-26 Weekly Post

Hello Tigers, 

We applaud all of our parents and students who have made sure our students are here, in class, and on time! We thank you all so much for your support and encouragement to ensure our students have that life skill as they prepare for their future.  Last week, we transitioned to our second point of emphasis and have worked with our students to ensure they understand the importance of meeting deadlines and making up work when they are absent.  To the end, this week/weekend you may begin getting automated emails from my email which are generated when a teacher refers your students to either catch-up lunch or student responsibility block (SRB).  When you get these emails these mean that our teachers DO NOT have from your student what they need.  The email will tell you the rest but please know that this must be taken seriously and addressed ASAP so we can make sure we are meeting the needs of your student.  

This week we will begin our third point of emphasis: Actively Participate in Classroom Activities.  

We have worked with our teachers, district-wide, extensively on equipping them with tools to ensure that active engagement is happening with the students in the classroom.  Research confirms, and we all know, the ones doing the work are the ones doing the learning.  In order for us to guarantee high levels of learning for all students every day, we must have students actively participating in classroom activities.  Trust me, our teachers are using best practice and when they ask students to participate, they need it to allow students to learn or reinforce a skill or standard, to assess students current ability levels, and to make adjustments based on that assessment to how to change their instruction and intervene with students as appropriate.  Thank you in advance for encouraging and reinforcing the importance of your students' active participation in classroom activities.   

I had the pleasure to meet with each grade level last week to discuss other areas of respect, responsibility, and safety to ensure we have the best school year.  Some key points were made to students to ensure they understand that with privileges comes responsibility and reinforced what they need to keep the privileges they enjoy.  We also discussed the vital importance of keeping a drug and weapon free school.  Students were reminded that violations of this will result in a long term suspension with the possibility for expulsion.  I promise to all of you that your students can come to school free from the exposure to drugs, weapons and violations of this are taken VERY seriously in order to maintain a safe learning environment for all.  We also discussed the importance of treating others with respect, kindness and empathy.  Bullying and harassment of any kind are also strictly prohibited at LVHS and will be dealt with promptly and seriously.  Please work with your students to report any issues to a school staff member, safe2tell, or to law enforcement when necessary.   We are blessed to have such a wonderful group of students and we thank you in advance for continuing to have these conversations with your children to ensure a safe, happy, learning environment for all!  

To celebrate our students' success in these accountability efforts we have been giving out all kinds of snacks this week and will continue next week. Thank you again for your support with our accountability process.  As I told our students, LVHS is built through a system of privileges and responsibilities and if you don’t take care of your responsibilities we must restrict privileges until you take care of expectations.  Our goal is to have 100% of our students on track for graduation, currently 94% of our students meet that expectation and we will improve that number each day as we work with your students during SRB and lunch to get them there, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY!   

Thanks for all of your help to make sure your students were here and ready for picture day, retakes are scheduled for September 29 for those that missed it or know that they will want a new picture taken!  Students not here should go to the office so that we can get them a 2025-26 ID card with appropriate privileges attached to their cards.   

Mrs. Stanbury will be working with all seniors during SRB on Wednesday, September 10th and will host a Senior Parent/Student Informational night for Post-Secondary Planning, Monday, September 15th at 6pm in the LVHS Auditorium.  You do not want to miss this night as it will connect you to some greatly important resources that will make this process so much easier.     

On Wednesday, October 22, our school will provide an opportunity for students to take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  The PSAT/NMSQT:

• is available to sophomores and juniors. The test is optional.  Some schools use a 3.6 GPA as a guideline for students taking the PSAT.  The fee of $18.00 must be paid in the guidance office at the time the student signs up for the test.

• is the first step, for juniors, in entering the National Merit Scholarship Corporation competitions for scholarships and recognition.  Less than 1 percent of the nation’s graduating high school seniors will qualify as Semifinalists.    This is only a test-taking experience for sophomores; they are not eligible for this competition.  Being a finalist or semi-finalist on this test is one avenue to the LVHS Academic Hall of Fame.

• measures the reading, math, and writing skills needed for college.  After the test, a score report will tell students how their skills measure up.  Students can use it to find their “skill gaps” and then make plans to fill those gaps before college begins.

• gives students a chance to see how their skills compare with those of other students who will apply to college.

• provides practice for the upcoming SAT exams

• allows students to predict their SAT scores in time to work on specific skills.

Also, the Student Search Service gives PSAT/NMSQT test-takers the option to voluntarily place their names and addresses in a pool of college-bound students interested in receiving admission and financial aid information from certified colleges, universities, and scholarship agencies.

The test will run from 8:00 a.m. until approximately 12 p.m.  A travel list will be issued to notify teachers of the students’ absence. Students are responsible for the make-up work in the classes they miss on the day of the test.  Students should bring a calculator and sharpened #2 pencils.  

Thanks to all of our parents who were able to come to our Open House last Tuesday night.  We are always happy to work with our parents and want to remind you that we will always make ourselves available, so if you were not able to make it or have other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let us know. 

September is National Suicide Prevention Month and thus LVHS will dedicate this week to Suicide Prevention. We will be doing announcements and small educational activities all week around this important topic. We know for some this can be upsetting and we want to make sure that parents and students are aware of the resources available.    

Suicide Warning Signs for Adults

*Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased, and if it seems related to a painful event, loss, or change

• Talking about or making plans for suicide.

• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.

• Talking about being a burden to others.

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.

• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.

• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

• Sleeping too little or too much.

• Withdrawing or feeling isolated.

• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.

• Displaying extreme mood swings.

Suicide Warning Signs for Youth

It's time to take action if you notice these signs in family or friends:

• Talking about or making plans for suicide.

• Expressing hopelessness about the future.

• Displaying severe/overwhelming emotional pain or distress.

• Showing worrisome changes in behavior, particularly in combination with the warning signs above, including significant:

• Withdrawal from or changing social connections/situations.

• Changes in sleep (increased or decreased).

• Anger or hostility that seems out of character or out of context.

• Recent increased agitation or irritability.

Help for You

Talking with someone about your thoughts and feelings can save your life. There are steps you can take to keep yourself safe through a crisis. Call or text 988 any time or chat online with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to get support also find resources on:

• Finding a therapist/support group

• Building and using a support network

• Making a safety plan for yourself

Help for Someone You Know

Learn how to recognize the warning signs when someone’s at risk—and what action steps you can take. If you believe someone may be in danger of suicide:

• Call 911, if danger for self-harm seems imminent.

• Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to talk to a caring professional.

• Ask them if they are thinking about killing themselves. This will not put the idea into their head or make it more likely that they will attempt suicide.

• Listen without judging and show you care.

• Stay with the person or make sure the person is in a private, secure place with another caring person until you can get further help.

• Remove any objects that could be used in a suicide attempt.

• Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to talk to their professionals and follow their guidance.

The counselors in the LVHS Counseling Office are here to help you if you or anyone you know is feeling suicidal.  If you are worried about reporting to them or it’s after school hours, you can always make a report to Safe to Tell anytime, day or night.  The most important thing is that you get help.

Greetings Tigers, 

I just wanted to thank you all for such an incredible start to our 2025-26 school year.  As mentioned in last week’s post we are emphasizing the importance of student responsibility in the classroom and our first priority was to make sure that our students are here and on time.  We had an incredible four days where our students exceeded our expectations and I can’t thank them or our parents enough for ensuring that our students are in their seats ready to learn.   This week we will add another emphasis to our Big Four Expectations and that is to Complete assignments on time and make up work form absences in a timely manner. Please remember that as mentioned in last week's posts you will soon start seeing updates to your students' responsibility grades in ICampus and like last year they are individually marked for each of our Big Four Expectations.  Here is our scale to determine proficiency levels on each of the Big Four.  

Our teachers set deadlines for each and every assignment they give and we will be working with our students specifically to ensure they understand the importance and value of meeting deadlines and also understand the privileges that are associated with that positive behavior.  We have also synced our grade book and so anytime you as a parent are receiving notifications of a student who has missing evidence, represented by the letter M,  the gradebook will also indicate that their overall grade in the class is incomplete represented by the letter I.  We often are asked how parents can help hold their students accountable and I love the question as we simply cannot do this alone. I would suggest that parents take it week by week.  Once we are in full swing you will begin getting missing assignment reports for any class where they have a missing assignment, you will also get copied on any referrals to our Student Responsibility Block (SRB) and to our Catch-up Lunch (CUL).  The catch-up lunch referrals should be emailed no later than the Friday before the week begins to let students know to plan for staying on campus at lunch.  The missing assignment report follows on Monday.  I would say using that information you make the expectation that your student will have all the work on the missing assignment report completed by Friday.  That gives them the week to deal with it, allows our systems to play out and is a reasonable time to allow for work that is technically already late.  After that time, if I was the parent I would ensure that my students' weekends would look differently than normal.  So phones and video games would be confiscated or minimized, leaving the house would not be allowed and students would work until all work was completed.   The school will already be revoking privileges and you supporting this on revoking their privilege at home will go a long way in motivating your student into being accountable to the work.  

Our emphasis on the above has led to so many amazing results!  We are so proud of our students and want to celebrate the success of last year's graduating class.  We recently published our annual LVHS Profile for the 2024-25 school year.  This report shows you all of the great colleges and universities where our students were accepted and currently attending.  It also shows you our ACT scores compared to our state average.  Please keep in mind that the state of Wyoming is the top state in the nation amongst those who test all students.  So when we outpace the state by 1.9 points, and the state is top in the nation…this is a HUGE deal!  We are extremely lucky to have such a high quality guidance department who works tirelessly to ensure our students are ready for their post-secondary options.  A big part of this is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rate.  This past year we had a 76% completion rate on that important form, the national average was just 46%!  Seniors in the Class of 2026 will soon begin this process and please trust me when I say that we have your backs and will support you through this process.  Mrs. Stanbury will be working with all seniors during advisory on Wednesday, September 10th and will host a Senior Parent/Student Informational night for Post-Secondary Planning, Monday, September 15th at 6pm in the LVHS Auditorium.  You do not want to miss this night as it will connect you to some greatly important resources that will make this process so much easier.     

Please don’t forget these other immediate calendar items: 

September 1st – Labor Day No school for students or staff

LVHS Open House – Tuesday, Sept. 2nd 6-7pm All parents and students are welcome to come and talk to one or all of their students' teachers.  Come anytime as we will not follow any schedule, you will be able to move about the building as needed and leave when you would like prior to 7pm  Please note this is different from originally published in last week's blog, but Tuesday Sept 2nd is the correct date!

Lifetouch Photo Day – Wednesday, Sept 3rd  8am-11am.  All students will get a picture for the required ID card and yearbook.  Parents wishing to purchase photo can get a packet at the LVHS office or go to mylifetouch.com with your picture day ID: EVTHHPR4Z

Students will immediately receive their ID Cards after pictures and they  already know this but ID card must be present on  all students while at school.  This is how we check students in and out of the building and also will be color coded based on the privileges that they have.   If your student has the following color of card this is what it means: 

Green – They are a junior or senior and are on track for graduation and have not had excessive absences or tardies and thus are allowed to leave campus for lunch and community experience during SRB.  

Charcoal – They are probably a sophomore and are on track for graduation and have not had excessive absences or tardies and thus are allowed to leave campus for lunch.  No sophomores however are allowed to leave during SRB, thus the different color from most juniors and seniors.  Some juniors and seniors may also have this card if they are on track for graduation, but still have an ILP from a class that they need to make up that would prevent them from leaving at SRB.  

White – All freshmen as they are not allowed to leave for lunch or SRB, they are working to earn those privileges by demonstrating they can earn their credits, demonstrate their responsibility and be in class and on time.  Many sophomores, juniors and seniors will also have white cards to begin the year, which means they have struggled with behavior, attendance or grades.   Freshmen who do not meet expectations during the year, will not be allowed sophomore level privileges next year.  

Please remember that if your student is to receive a  green or charcoal card we need the appropriate forms signed by you which allows them to leave at lunch and/or SRB.  You DO NOT have to sign those, and if you choose not to we will issue them the appropriate card until you do.  As it is also your right to restrict privileges here at school.  Please let us know if we can help you anyway in this regard.  

Students' cards will be pulled if they are not following our expectations, so if attendance, responsibility, or grades become an issue we reserve the right to change card colors, and privileges at any time.   

The Lander Valley High School Speech and Debate team will be hosting an informational meeting this Friday, September 5th, in the teachers' lounge during lunch. This will be an amazing opportunity for anyone, and everyone that is curious and/or considering joining the Speech and Debate program. Everyone is invited to come, and learn about life changing experiences. From learning critical thinking, public speaking, and sharing your opinions, we change the world one speech at a time. Because "when we argue we remind the world that ideas have power". Additionally, lunch will be provided!!! We look forward to seeing you there!

Golf is on the road this weekend, as is the football team, you can catch the volleyball team at 5:30 tonight or 3:30 on Saturday as they open the season with the LVHS Invite.  Girls Swimming opens their season with the Lander Relays tonight and the Bruce Gresly Pentathlon on Saturday!  Cross Country competed yesterday with the Girls team placing 3rd with Dorothy Jensen leading the pack with a first place finish and named Queen of the Mountain.  Logan Milek finished in the top spot for the boys with a 6th place finish.  

I hope you all have a great week and a fabulous Labor Day Weekend and we can’t wait to see our students in class and on time while also completing all assignments by their deadlines!  Let us know how we can help with the success of your students! 

Hello Tigers, 

I am so excited to welcome you all back for the 2025-26 school year here at Lander Valley High School.  For all of our new students and freshmen I welcome you to the Tiger Family.  This is my weekly blog which I generally send out on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning depending on the week.  I include any updates, pertinent details, and upcoming scheduling items to make sure that everyone is on the same page.  I try to keep them short and to the point but from time to time they will be a little lengthier, like this one!  

We are excited to see everyone on our 1st day of school, this Tuesday, August 26th.  Doors are open at 7am, breakfast opens at 7:30, and school begins promptly at 8am.  Please make sure that you make sure you are here a bit early so that you can be in your seat and ready to learn at 8am.   When you arrive you will go to your advisor, you can find your advisor at the bottom of your schedule on Icampus or we will have them listed for you in the commons.  You will go there just for 5 minutes to check in and grab the most current schedule and then will proceed to your 2nd period class (Students will go to periods 2,4,6,7 on the first day). For most students your schedule is probably accurate on ICampus, but we always print them on Monday afternoon to make sure everyone has the most current schedule after all changes and adjustments have been made.  Please note that because we will not go to school on Monday this week, we will follow our traditional Monday schedule on Friday, so students would report to periods 1,3,5 and SRB.  The next week we will do the same as there is no school for Labor Day.   Students who are eligible to leave during SRB will be asked to stay (at least for part of it) this first week as we take care of some tasks.   

Thanks to all who have turned in the forms that were mailed to you earlier this month.  Those forms are required and we must have them back for all of our students.  Please if you have not already done so, please bring them in Monday or send them with your student to hand into the front office on Tuesday.  Some of those forms are what allow privileges and thus those privileges will not be allowed until the forms are turned in.  

Welcoming New Faces

We’re excited to welcome several talented educators and staff members to our LVHS family this year, each bringing unique skills and experiences that will strengthen our team:

Matt George, I-D-A-H-O, another Vandal enters LVHS, yep that is 3 now…comes to us from Idaho where he has served as AD, Assistant Principal, and Principal as well as a former math teacher and takes over as our new Activities Director.  

Eric Watson, our current wrestling coach and former Natural Resource Conservation Service employee, will now take over as our new Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor in addition to his wrestling duties.    

Michael Melson just finished his coursework in Art Education after many years of pursuing that passion internationally, and will now take over here and at PHS in the Art Department. 

Wade Anderson was once a member of our LVHS Maintenance team, returning after a stint at the Job Corp to take over our Autos Program.    

Megan Boysen originally from Cody, she recently finished her degree after a Study Abroad experience in Spain and will join the Language Arts Department.  

Robert Parker a native of Nevada, is coming to us from Guernsey and will take over band duties for LVHS and LMS.  

Jenara Seeley, a Lander native, makes the return after working in the Loveland area in Colorado where she will join our Individual Education Team as a behavior teacher.  

Tia Groenewold a former Game and Fish and Forest Service employee, Tia joins the front office team as the LVHS Attendance Assistant.  

Darla Mason makes a return visit after previously working in our behavior room and will join our extended resource room as a paraprofessional.  

Wyatt Michaud after a few library jobs and some college, Wyatt returns to his alma mater as the Media Center Assistant.

Wendy Jones an SLP at Gannet Peak for the past few years, she heads up to the high school to take on the Special Education Coordinator duties.  

Morgan Schubring an MTSS Coordinator at Gannett Peak for the past couple of year, joins the LVHS/PHS/BCE Elementary team as the School Psychologist.  

I am sure that these staff members are a great fit to join our incredibly dedicated and hard-working staff that pushes our students to achieve greatness in many areas, while also maintaining a very compassionate relationship that truly values the best interest of each individual.

This year we will again be teaching, reinforcing and holding students accountable to the  LVHS Big Four Responsibility Expectations:

1. Be in class and  on time

2. Complete assignments on time and make up work form absences in timely manner 

3. Actively participate in classroom activities

4. Seek assistance/use resources when needed

Just a reminder that like last year, all students' responsibility grades are tied directly to the Big Four with an individual score for each of the four areas to give you more quality feedback to help us make sure our students are college,career, or military ready!  This week we greatly appreciate your help on our first focus point: Being in class and on time.  One of the most important things you can do for your student is to ensure that they are in school and on time.   Your discussions with your students and helping get them out the door are vital to ensuring their success and we greatly appreciate your help in this regard.  

Parents of all Advanced Placement (AP) students will be receiving letters in the mail soon congratulating them for their students choice of taking these rigorous college-level courses and some of the increased expectations that we will be holding those students to so that we can sure our teachers are able to deliver the depth and breadth of rigor these courses require for their successful completion.  Please take time to read that letter and contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  We want to continue to improve our incredibly successful AP program by increasing the number of students enrolled and the percentage who successfully complete the course as measured by a 3 or better on the corresponding and required AP exam. This year LVHS set a new record 72% who passed an exam with a 3 or better!  We are always willing to intervene for academic skill issues but will be taking a more proactive approach to the will, or lack thereof,  issues that we see occasionally in these courses.  

Upcoming schedule includes: 

September 1st – Labor Day No school for students or staff

Lifetouch Photo Day – Wednesday, Sept 3rd  8am-11am.  All students will get a picture for the required ID card and yearbook.  Parents wishing to purchase a photo can get a packet at the LVHS office or go to mylifetouch.com.

LVHS Open House – Tuesday, Sept. 2nd 6-7pm All parents and students are welcome to come and talk to one or all of their students' teachers.  Come anytime as we will not follow any schedule, you will be able to move about the building as needed and leave when you would like prior to 7pm  

Good luck to our golf, football, cross country, girl's swim, and volleyball teams as they begin their fall season.  Golf has already competed in a couple events with both the boys winning the Coach Terry Berg Invitational at home this past week by over 40 strokes!     

Celebrating Our Successes

Over the past several years, our school has reached remarkable milestones that set us apart across the state and even the nation:

• Named by Wyoming Department of Education as a 2025 School of Excellence.

• Model Professional Learning Community: One of just five high school model PLCs in Wyoming and one of only 64 nationwide.
  
  

• National Recognition: Ranked among the top three PLCs in the U.S. in 2019.
  
  

• U.S. News & World Report: Named a Best School in 6 of the past 8 years, including #2 in Wyoming for college and career readiness.
  
  

• Graduation Rate: 89% this past year and  88% average over the past 8 years (up from 82.5%).
  
  

• Advanced Placement Growth:
  
  

  • Record-breaking AP enrollment, including Tier III and Special Education students.
    
    

  • AP exam success rate new record with 72% of AP students earning a 3+.
    
    

  • 37% of the Class of 2025 graduated with a 3 or better on an AP exam (less than 1% in 2015).
    
    

  • 36 AP Scholars this year including a record 10 AP Scholars with Distinction.
    
    

• ACT Excellence: Consistently averaging 1.9 points above state composite scores, outperforming both state and national averages.
  
  

• Exemplary Staff:
  
  

  • 2025 Wyoming State Teacher of the Year – Morgan Hahn
    
    

  • 6 of the last 9 FCSD #1 Teachers of the Year
    
    

  • A Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching national winner – Rachel Peters and another state finalist – Richard Atnip
    
    

  • Recognition as an Ellbogen Meritorious School for high numbers of National Board-Certified Teachers
    
    

• Athletic Achievement: 3 State Championships this past year, including the 29th consecutive Boys Swimming title, Girls Swim, and Back-to-Back Girls Track.
  
  

These achievements are not just numbers—they represent hard work, innovation, and a shared commitment to ensuring Every Student, Every Day receives the very best from LVHS. I am so grateful for each of you and your contributions to make all of the above possible! 

I look forward to serving you and your students and hope that you will reach me directly if you have any concerns or questions that I can help you with so that we can meet the needs of Every Student, Every Day as we strive to be the #1 high school in the state of Wyoming!