2026-27 Weekly Post

Hello Tigers, 

I am so excited to welcome you all back for the 2026-27 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 25th.  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 Infinite Campus (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 (8/24) 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 (8/24) this week, we will follow our traditional Monday schedule on Friday, so students would report to periods 1,3,5 and SRB.  We will do the same thing anytime there is no school on Monday, such as the week of September 7th, 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 ASAP or send them with your student to hand into the front office on the 1st day of school, Tuesday (8/25).  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:

Tevya Robbins is coming to us from Alaska and will take over band duties for LVHS and LMS.  

Tatum Zickefoose was teaching the past 2 years at Thunderbasin in Gillette, will join the LVHS Science team.

Debbie Raleigh will become a new extended resource paraprofessional, a position she has held in both Idaho and Oregon.

Dan McDonald will become  our new Job Training Facilitator after working in the business world, which will serve our students well as we create more opportunities in our community.  

Kris Watters joins us after serving in the U.S. Military as our new Coffee Shop paraprofessional.  

Amy Larsen heads to Lander after gaining experience in both Riverton and Shoshoni in special education.  She will use that experience in a similar position in our extended resource room as a paraprofessional.  

Same Faces, New Spaces

Ashley Moran is moving from paraprofessional in the extended resource room to Special Education Teacher in that same room!

Juhvy Mowrey is moving from paraprofession in inclusion to Special Education in the Big 4 Lab!

Robyn Deininger is moving from Special Education Teacher in extended resource to be a second Special Education Coordinator.  

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 of 80% 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: 

Tuesday, September 1st – Open House 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  

Wednesday, Sept 2nd  8am-11am – Lifetouch Photo Day  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.

Monday, September 7th – Labor Day No school for students or staff

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 with some incredible scores being posted, especially on the boys side!  

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 ACT as a National Distinguished School for Post-Secondary Planning 2024, 2026

• 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: 91% this past year and  89% average over the past 8 years (up from 82.5%).
  
  

• Advanced Placement Growth:
  
  

  • Four of the 11 AP courses recorded highest percent of success in LVHS History

• 80% of all AP students earned a 3 or better on an AP exam

• AP exam success rate new record with 75% of all AP tests earning a 3+.
  
  

• A record 41% of the Class of 2026 graduated with a 3 or better on an AP exam (less than 1% in 2015).
  
  

• 39 AP Scholars this year including a record 11 AP Scholars with Distinction, an all-time high.
  
  

• ACT Excellence: Averaging 1.6 points above state composite scores, in a state that consistently leads all other states in mandatory ACT testing success rates.  

• Athletic Achievement: 4 State Championships this past year, including the 30th consecutive Boys Swimming title,  Girls Swim, 3 consecutive Girls Track, and the first-ever boys soccer!
  
  

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!