Previous Success Stories

June 2024

• Congratulations to the MVHS Student Council who was recognized this month by the Wyoming Association of Student Councils as the Student Council of the Month. Our MVHS Student Leadership Team was recognized for their efforts during the Make-A-Wish fundraiser where the student council met their fundraising goal of $1,000 as well as for student efforts for the Random Acts of Kindness Bingo. This is an awesome recognition for our students who consistently make efforts to be involved in things that are bigger than themselves. At the end of the school year, the student council also coordinated fundraising efforts to support Lifting Hands, International where our students - in less than a week - raised over $500 to support that organization that supports refugees across the world.

• MVHS would also like to recognize the efforts of our students AND staff in finishing the school year strong. Numerous students raised grades - with the support of teachers around the building - and put themselves in a position to be both academically eligible and retain credit. MVHS finished the semester with only two students receiving a failing grade in any class. This is so impressive and speaks to the care and concern that our staff has for students and that they want students to earn that credit and stay on track for graduation. So impressive!

May 2024

• We want to be sure and recognize the efforts of our students involved in year-long activities as well as our athletes. This year (once again) each of our athletic and activity programs at MVHS has been recognized by the WHSAA as either Distinguished or Outstanding based on the average grade point average of the participants. At the end of each sports season we recognize our athletes for their academic efforts, but it is important that we remember we have many, many students involved in year-long activities who are excelling in the classroom and with their activity as well. Congratulations to these students and to their activity advisors as well.

  • • WHSAA Outstanding (3.5 - 4.0): Academic Challenge: 3.78, Student Council: 3.76, Band: 3.71, FCCLA:3.67, Art Underground: 3.53, Choir: 3.51

    • WHSAA Distinguished (3.0 - 3.5): FFA: 3.47, Guitar: 3.39

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition:

  • • Brittney Deckert, Linda Newton and Colette Bugas: I was super thrilled to see the announcements and notices about the additional after school help, tutoring and instruction you're providing for students this spring. I'm optimistic you are working together to help provide our SPED and more at-risk students a meaningful opportunity to improve relations and grow within your classes. I understand the extra time, work and effort the duty entails. I also understand the sacrifice you're making towards your personal time in order to help provide this for students. I appreciate your collective dedication towards helping students learn and grow by offering this opportunity for them. Thank you for taking the time to offer this. Great work!

    • Lori Erickson, Stacey Morrison and Milly Webb: Thanks a ton for stepping up to take on our ESY needs this summer. All of these duties require some time during the summer, away from family. I understand the sacrifices you're making to help our students grow. Your willingness to help teach our students over the summer should help them find success in school next year. Your commitment to helping our students is awesome! I appreciate your good, hard, positive work very much. THANK YOU!

April 2024

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition:

  • • Matt Clark: Thanks for getting all of your para evals done ahead of time. Your evals were amongst the first to arrive. I appreciate the extra time and effort you made to do this. I also appreciate your willingness to take on the work experience program for our 8th graders again this year. I know that takes a little time out of your summer, but it really means a great deal to our students and parents. Thanks for going the extra miles! I appreciate it!

    • Ashley Robbins and Alle Brown: Thanks a ton for stepping up to take on our 2nd-5th ESY needs this summer. All of the old guard kept telling me, "Good luck with summer/ ESY school, nobody wants to do that anymore." I was super excited to hear that Ashley was thinking about it. When I heard you both committed it made me very proud to see that our SPED Dept still rocks and cares deeply about the success of students. I also understand you are considering the WDE new teacher boot camp. All of these duties require some time during the summer, away from family. I understand the sacrifices you're making to help our students grow. I appreciate your good, hard, positive work very much. THANK YOU!

    • Bart Lyman and Dan Mayer (BOCES): I wanted to take some time and thank you for your work last week and this week and your commitment to helping UCSD #4 in a time of great need. I don't think I've even had time to talk with Dan, because he's been with students every time I've seen him. Bart's willingness to step into one of our most challenging IEP teams has been super helpful too. I understand the sudden nature of our need probably caused some stress and created some additional inconveniences that you both had to make sacrifices for. However, I think your work will have a positive impact on our students and their ability to grow. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate this. Thanks for your help!

• This month, we spotlight the maintenance crew at the Town of Mountain View for the many times they have provided assistance to the school district. They are great teammates. Representatives from the Town of Mountain View were on hand at the board meeting to be celebrated for the strong partnership between the schools and town. The people at the Town, from the secretary through the mayor, are always willing to step up in their support of students. From snow removal to loaning of equipment, the town and UCSD #4 continue to be great partners.

• April is Prom season and this weekend's prom and floorshow did not disappoint. Many thanks to the students, parents, and staff who help make prom the special event that it is. The Mountain View community is supportive of all things MVHS, but especially our prom and floor show. Traditions are worth keeping and the Mountain View Prom is no exception. Special thanks to junior class advisors Brittney Deckert and Michael Collins for their work long beyond their regular work schedule to keep prom a reality. And also a thanks to the choreographer of the floor show, Chelsea Brunski, for her willingness to corral 50 or so teenagers into their floor show event. Thanks to all, especially our students!

• On Monday, April 8, the MVHS chapter of National Honor Society inducted 34 new sophomore members. These newly inducted members of this prestigious group complement the other 60(!) members of NHS. 28 NHS seniors will be graduating this spring proudly wearing the gold stoll with their graduation gown showing their committment to the four pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. Thanks to Mrs. Christopher in her role as NHS advisor where she coordinates important learning and service opportunities for our highest achieving students.

March 2024

• Congratulations to Mountain View Middle School Principal Tarl Van Dusen for his selection as the Wyoming Art Education Association’s Art Educator of the Year Award Recipient for Administrators for his support as a supervisor of art teachers and art programs. This award was given at a reception in Casper at the Nicolaysen Art Museum during the WYAEA Spring Conference on March 3rd.

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition:

  • • IEP Team Members Tarl Van Dusen, Kim Stephens, Andrea Dolezal, Tae Colbert, and Brent Walk: I wanted to take a minute and recognize this IEP team in front of the entire district for their work with a particular case this year, so far. They've had nine IEP meetings and two other meetings for a case so far this year. A few of the meetings have gone for over two hours and have been tense. This entire team agreed to meet, and did meet, at 6AM recently to accommodate for parents that could not take time off. Throughout all of these meetings every team member has listened and maintained patience, professionalism, and a student centered focus. Parent advocates, Consults, Specialists, Attorneys, and WDE staff all have expressed at different times how impressed they've been with this team. As a result of their hard work, the student is still in school, attending and achieving at a higher level than they ever have. Their hard work is having a positive impact on the student. I believe they have the support and thanks of the entire UCSD #4 District.

    • Annie, Kim, Stacey, Megan and Marlene: I wanted to take a little time and say thank you for helping with the BVE Coalition Family Night last night. I know that took time away from your personal and family time. However your commitment to going the extra mile for students was evident to many parents and students as they visited your booth. In the end, the activity resulted in additional students being identified for kindergarten. The earlier we can get students and parents identified and engaged in our district, the earlier we can start meeting their educational needs. Thanks for helping with this last night. You all help make UCSD #4 an excellent school district!

• MVHS would like to thank our three teachers who each teach a section of freshman Speech and Reading. These teachers once again put together an awesome display of the public speaking and presentation skills of our 9th grade students at the 2024 Annual Speech Showcase on Monday, March 25. Mrs. Deckert, Mrs. Christopher, and Mrs. Tinker continue to provide meaningful opportunities for students to deliver informative speeches, interpret literature (including poetry), and have group interpretations of popular literature. The effort and hard work of over 20 of our 9th grade students was on full display at this year's Speech Showcase. Thank you to these staff members and to all of the students who participated as speakers or by providing an introduction. Great job to everyone involved!

• MVHS would also like to recognize all of the participants in winter sports this year. Every single winter sports program has been recognized by the WHSAA as either Distinguished or Outstanding due to their combined average grade point average. These academic scores are a compliment to the student-athletes and also their coaches for their consistent focus on taking care of things in the classroom at the highest level:

  • • Outstanding (Greater than 3.5): Girls Basketball: 3.81, Boys and Girls Indoor Track: 3.64, Cheer: 3.52, Boys Basketball: 3.51

    • Distinguished (Greater than 3.0): Boys and Girls Wrestling: 3.27

February 2024

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition:

  • • Jolene Schnackenberg: I wanted to thank you for querying the data from PowerSchool that I requested about IEP students that had been retained over the last 10 years and had dropped out of school. I know this request took some time. I appreciate how quickly you were able to get it and then how thoroughly you disaggregated it. I also appreciate your willingness to meet with me and explain it all. I'm happy to report to the admin team that, in the end, there really have been zero IEP students that were retained that have dropped out of school in UCSD #4. I think this is quite a testament to the support services provided through the UCSD #4. Very impressive! I'll share the data with you all when it's my turn again at our admin meetings. Thanks again Jolene for taking the extra time to look into this for me. Great work!

    • Tarl/ Kim/ Kelsey: This week hasn't been easy. In my twenty plus years of working with at-risk low SES populations I've had my fair share of student tragedies to navigate. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the work you've done, and will do, to help our students get through this. The fact that one of our student's mother came to Tarl for support and advice about how to break the news to her son is such a HUGE testament to positive relations you build with students and parents. I wanted to let you know that I saw this. I know the extra time, stress, hours you've put in this week. I see the weight you bear for students, parents and the community. I really appreciate it! THANK YOU!!

• MVHS says CONGRATULATIONS to the four seniors of the Class of 2024 who have been awarded the esteemed University of Wyoming Trustees Scholarship. This is a "full ride" scholarship to the University of Wyoming for these seniors and will surely set them on a path of giving back to their community! Congratulations to Spencer Erickson, Bridger Lake, Ali Sibert, and Kate Walker. The four of you make MVHS proud. This year for the students across Wyoming recognized as Trustees Scholars the average GPA is 3.97 and these students have an average composite ACT score of 32. Students had a rigorous application process including online and in-person interviews before being selected as a Trustees Scholar.

• MVHS would also like to congratulate our Cheer Squad for their EXCELLENT performance at the Wyoming State Cheer Championships. This crew of hardworking girls brought home the 3A Game Day State Cheer Championship. This is the third year in a row that the cheer team has won the Game Day event and the eighth consecutive cheer championship for the MVHS cheer squad. Simply amazing. They truly are "Second to None!"

January 2024

• This month, the spotlight shines upon 2nd graders who attended the monthly school board meeting to show their appreciation to school board members for the work they do to support our schools. Kelsey Van Dusen coordinated the effort.

• MVHS would like to congratulate the entire cast and crew of the recent musical production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. On January 10, the MVHS Choir under the direction of teacher Kayleigh Bluemel saw months of hard work come to fruition with a matinee performance on January 10 for all the second through fifth graders in the district, and then the entire crew put together an evening performance open to the public. It was a true showcase of student talent and hard work. Every member of the cast and crew was spot on with their skills and talents and their hard work showed through to the whole community. Great job to all!

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition:

  • • Amie Antonino: I recently learned about your willingness to help learn and provide transportation services for one of our students in lieu of some staff shortages. I understand the duty might present some inconveniences, however I respect your willingness to take these on, in an effort to help us better provide consistent services for our students. Having your help with this duty will ultimately translate to increased learning and growth for students. Thank you for helping with this!

    • Ashley Robbins: I wanted to let you know how impressed I've been with how you've handled some of the recent challenges that have come our way with 2/3rd grade cases. Your timeliness with coordinating meetings, communicating with staff and parents has been excellent. Your professionalism around some of the interesting staff dynamics that have come to light has also been commendable. Your willingness to accept feedback and directions from team members makes it easy to work with you. You're doing a great job this year. Keep up the good work!

    • Colette Bugas: While meeting with Mr. Carr, he informed me how impressed he was with you in a meeting with a student and a parent who were considering dropping out of school. Mr. Carr said it was very clear that the positive, caring relationship you have forged with the student and the parent made all of the difference in persuading them to reconsider and stick with high school. As an administrator, I always love it when other administrators tell me how awesome my staff is. Thanks for being awesome today! Great work!!

December 2023

• Congratulations to the MVHS Student Council that was recognized at the State Student Council Summit as a "Student Council with Meritorious Distinction." This process for a student council to apply and meet all the criteria for this designation is rigorous and time consuming, yet our students have done it the last five years! What an honor to be led and served by this group of students. Fewer than 10 schools in the state of Wyoming received this recognition. Well done!

• One component of being a Student Council with Meritorious Distinction is the student council advisor has to be on her toes to be sure all of the components are met in this process and this often begins in the springtime, long before State Student Council. Well MVHS is lucky enough to have a Student Council Advisor who was recognized by her peers with the Jeannie Tinnen Advisor of the Year Award. Congratulations to Mrs. Colette Bugas for her hard work and this special recognition.

• In other Student Council news: Mckynleigh Barney received the MVHS Student Council's Hidden Hero Award. Thank you for all that you do, McKynleigh. She is dedicated to improving the lives of those around her. And another congratulations to Noell Kaiser as she was chosen as a Wyoming Association of Student Council's All-State recipient. Only 12 students from across the state earn this distinguished award.

• MVHS is also proud of Diana Tims who was recognized as the 3A Volleyball Coach of the Year. And, for the first time, assistant volleyball coach Jessica Anderson was recognized as the Assistant Volleyball Coach of the Year! Congratulations and thank you both for your hard work for our students.

November 2023

• This month’s Spotlight shines upon teachers Colette Bugas and Linda Newton for being selected as Mentors of the Year by the DisAbility IN: Uinta County organization. Colette and Linda have been helping MVHS students transition successfully from high school to the work force, trade school and college for 25 years now. Congratulations and thank you to Colette and Linda.

• Congratulations to our State Champion Volleyball Team. Mr. Newton and the board recognized the consistency and effort of the volleyball team, particularly over the last four years where the team has played in the last four WHSAA 3A State Championship games, winning three of those games, including the last two championships. Thank you coaches, families, players, and especially our seniors.

• MVE would like to thank Mr. Madsen and all of our staff who helped organize our 11th annual Turkey Trot. This is a great event that is educational, but also gives us a chance to donate food items to our local food pantry. We also want to recognize our 3rd-5th grade students who participated. Running the mile on a cold day is not easy, and all gave their best! Great job to all!

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition for November (so far):

  • • Kara Olson (HS Sped para) - Thanks for being willing to help us with some student transportation needs this fall. The staff involved in the case have all spoken very highly of your ability to step in, work with the student and help ensure they have safe transportation to Hayden Peak. I understand the duty came up sudden and was probably a disruption to your regular routine. I appreciate your flexibility in accommodating our students' needs this way. Through this case I've learned that you are committed to students and your work has a positive impact on our students.

    • Sarah Walker (HS Sped para) - Thanks for being willing to help us with some student transportation needs this fall. The staff involved in the case appreciate your ability to step in, work with the student and help ensure they have safe transportation to Hayden Peak. I understand the duty came up sudden and was probably a disruption to your regular routine. I appreciate your flexibility in accommodating our students' needs this way. Through this case I've learned that you are committed to students and your work has a positive impact on our students.

    • Andrea Dolezal/ Chary Porter (Middle School) - Thanks for inviting me to observe the gallery walk writing lesson in your classroom last week. Gallery walks are a great way to get kids up, moving and engaged. Each small group seemed engaged in the work that you wanted them to do. It was great for me to see how effective paras support services are for students. I saw Chary actively engaged with students during the lesson - supporting the learning and their needs related to it. It's obvious that you both put some thought and planning into the lesson. I'm confident our students' growth and progress will be positive under your cooperative support and instruction. Thanks for inviting me to observe.

    • Sala Condos (Middle School Secretary) - Thanks for helping us out in Krista's absence last week. I know that you had to field several negative phone calls from a challenging parent of ours. I know how stressful that can be. Thank you for doing this and doing a professional job with it! Also - thanks a ton for being the point on the collection and ordering of flowers for Krista. I know that added a little to your plate that day, but I really appreciate the help with it. Your efforts help put our staff in the right state of mind to make a positive difference for students.

    • Gayle Martin and Kelly Anderson (K-1 Sped Paras) - Recently it was brought to my attention that you both have continued the work towards the RBT certification that you started last year. On your own time, without anyone asking, you have completed course modules each month this fall. Although we compensate you for this work, I still think that your commitment to do it is impressive. I know you both have to take time away from personal obligations to do this. I know that the learning you are doing, you will and have applied to your job, which will help our students learn and grow more. You are making a positive impact on students in our district. Keep up the great work!

    • Lori Jensen (Middle School) - Yesterday I noticed that, although you were scheduled to take leave, you stuck around to make sure your students got off to a positive start with your substitute. Many teachers would have just left. You went the extra mile recognizing there were a lot of subs and your extra 5-10 minutes getting students settled down and working could make a huge difference for the substitutes and the students. It's obvious you care very much about your students and their success. You are willing to sacrifice your personal time to help them find success. In my mind, it's the little things like this that make a huge difference for students. Thanks for going the extra mile!

October 2023

• October's district spotlight shines upon Susan Anderson and Sarah Butters as members of the Wyoming Teacher- Mentor Corps. Both Sarah and Susan were nominated and selected for this role and are participating in this program voluntarily, which involves a good amounts of their personal time, including time in the summer. The program is sponsored by the University of Wyoming and is designed to develop mentors to support emerging teachers during the pre-service or induction phases.

• MVHS would like to recognize the efforts of our school counselor, Mrs. Stormy Hauf. The beginning of the school year can be a challenge, and Mrs. Hauf handles registration, schedule changes, and working with students with a genuine enthusiasm for doing what is right for students. And in October, Mrs. Hauf is coordinating ASVAB testing for juniors and an ACT retake opportunity for seniors as well as a nationwide ACT testing date here at MVHS. Mrs. Hauf has a real impact on the positive culture of MVHS and she works to make it a place where students learn and where they are safe. Thank you Mrs. Hauf for your hard work behind the scenes in making MVHS a great place to learn!

• MVHS would also like to thank a substitute on long assignment here at MVHS: Mrs. Mindi Mills! Working as a substitute teacher brings many challenges, but Mrs. Mills comes in to a very dynamic environment in English 11 and is helping students every day. She is engaging with students; she communicates with parents; she is a hard worker who takes her role in helping students learn very seriously. On several occasions, Mrs. Mills has said, "This is what I do; I help kids." She has the heart of a true teacher and is a valuable member of our staff while she covers Mrs. Christopher's classroom. Thank you, Mrs. Mills! 

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition for October (so far):

  • • Andrea Dolezal: Your work as a teacher and a parent this week in our district has impressed me. Thank you for taking time out of your personal schedule Wednesday evening to present to our Special Education Parent group. Your presentation was well thought out. Your willingness to share the presentation will benefit other parents. Thank you for your participation and leadership with this group. I witnessed firsthand this week how your consistent practice of emailing and communicating achievement milestones in your reading class promotes positive parent relationships. For many parents your emails may be some of the only positive communication they receive from the school. I know that students and parents really appreciate this. I also know that it helps foster positive, productive relationships which will be very helpful for the IEP teams you serve on. I know this is extra work on your behalf, but I really think it is an excellent example for all teachers and administrators to follow. Our staff, parents and students benefit from this work. Thank you!

    • Chris Stoddard: I wanted to take some time to thank you this week for your work in helping the family that has students identified under the McKinney-Vento act. Your communication with them has been excellent and your work to help provide them with warmer winter clothing very timely. I'm glad to hear that they were appreciative. It's also good to hear their situation may be improving. Your help on the IEP team for a student this week was also very important. Reaching out to the other health related service provider and being able to determine factually what was being provided and accomplished with the student and family was super helpful and will be moving forward with the case. The work that you do helps to remove barriers to learning for students and promotes growth for them. Awesome work! Thanks!

    • Brent Walk: In the short time that I have worked with you I have come to recognize your ability to form positive relationships with challenging students and parents is invaluable to the district, the special education department and the middle school team. I've known you to be a strong coach for quite some time, but I've also known a lot of coaches that were not good educators. In the last month I've watched you lead hard, yet productive, conversations with parents and students that have ultimately led to their students' overall ability to improve their learning. Your heart and passion for helping students as a teacher is every bit as apparent as your passion for coaching. I know your work with staff, parents and students helps to make them better. Thanks!

    • Tae Colbert: I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your work this week. I know that your time on-site, in our school this week was not necessarily contracted. I understand that you took the time to get here, meet with students and participate in IEP meetings because you care about the teachers, students and parents in our district. The positive relationships you have developed with challenging students and parents proved to be very helpful in a recent IEP meeting. Through the trust you have built with the family, and your leadership, we were able to come to a team consensus around some changes in the IEP. Your help and work with our students and families are having a positive impact. Thanks!

    • Bonnie Rudy: I really appreciate the help and work you've invested in one of our cases this week. The time you spent with Christine Manning and your willingness to work with her to help establish a safe transportation routine for the student has been excellent. Your friendly, personable nature makes it a joy to have you on any team. I really appreciate your sense of urgency and knowledge of special education law with the case this week. Thank you for having the confidence to express your concerns and keep the team moving forward. I'm looking forward to your work with Mr. Clark, paras, drivers and Christine Manning as we attempt to get a student back into a safe, consistent, routine for school. Your work has a positive impact on our students and staff! Thank you!

    • Ashley Robbins: Thank you for taking the time to schedule the pre-conference and observation this week. Thus far your initiative to meet deadlines and get things done has been excellent. It was an absolute pleasure watching you teach this week. It is clear that you are an experienced teacher. Your lesson was well planned. You transitioned efficiently through three activities that incorporated three different learning modalities with ease. Your students were obviously well trained as to your expectations and the routines in your classroom. Your relationships with the students were caring, yet professional. They love you, but they also know you when it's business time. I think the 2-3 Pod is lucky to have you. I'm looking forward to future observations. I know that your work with our students and staff will have a positive, meaningful impact and lead to growth. Keep up the great work!

• MVE would like to recognize Lisa Proctor, Tami Stoddard, and Angi Martin who helped organize or first Title I Family Night of the year for our 4th and 5th graders and their families. The theme was glow in the dark, and students were able to participate in educational activities, have a treat, and each student received a book for their home libraries. Many students and families were in attendance, and all had fun. What a great event! Thanks for making this such a fun and educational night for our students!

September 2023

• This month's spotlight shines upon all Uinta 4 staff members for the systematic influence over many years which has resulted in MVHS attaining “Exceeding Expectations” on the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act School Report. We are one of only 10 high school to achieve this level!

• MVHS would like to recognize all of the students holding class officer positions for the MVHS Student Council. This week's Homecoming events were well organized and set up for maximum fun for the students. Whether it was game night on Monday, Stud Volleyball on Tuesday, Kickball on Wednesday, or the parade on Friday, and dance on Saturday, Mountain View High School students do Homecoming right! It takes many hands for Homecoming week to come off as successfully as it does and the student council officers and their advisor, Mrs. Bugas deserves special recognition for their organization, communication, and hard work during all of the events.

• UCSD #4 Special Education Director Staff Recognition for September:

  • • Geraldine Schell: I wanted to take some time and thank you for your good hard work this week. I've stopped by almost every day this week and hit you with various questions and issues. You've always been happy to stop what you're working on to help me. I loved hearing about the interventions you've employed already with some of our new students. I can already tell that you are a valuable resource to the K-1 pod. I am really looking forward to seeing the growth of the students you serve this year. Thanks!

    • Krista Flint: It was pretty clear to me early on that you were very good at your job. I wanted to take a little time to thank you for your work the last few weeks though. As I'm learning the Sped process and all of the forms in Sped Advantage, I've been blown away at how efficient you are at keeping me and our case workers on track with everything. I've hit you with interruptions, questions and tasks all week and you've been happy to help me. I feel super fortunate to have you as our Sped Dept secretary, especially as a new director. Our department functions better with you at the helm and I know our students will grow because of it. Absolutely awesome work! Thanks!

    • Lori Jensen: In the two weeks I've worked here so far I've noticed that you are always out and about and supervising students in the morning. Your positive, friendly nature provides a warm welcome to students as they arrive. I've also noticed that you are the "go to" person for other sped teachers when they need help with the technical aspects of the IEP paperwork and meetings. I recently heard positive comments about an observation Tarl and Jeff did last week when you were co-teaching. I thought you did a great job with your transition meeting last week. I know you are a top-notch educator! We're fortunate to have you and I really appreciate how much you're willing to help us all. Our students and teachers are better because of you. Thanks!

    • Elizabeth Vitt: Thank you for taking the time and initiative to reach out to homeschool students and offer services. I believe your commitment here will eventually help these students stay in school and make more progress when they are here. Your willingness to take the lead on learning how to document the homeschool students with the private school form has been very helpful. Your expedient work with our EL student and screening them is appreciated as well. The work that you've saved me the last two weeks probably makes up for the time that you'll be in Italy. Honestly, I'm beginning to understand the trust and leadership you have with the related services department and our teachers as a whole. I'm excited to see you in action with students. I know they will grow because of your work! Thanks!

    • Lisa Jensen: I just wanted to say thanks! Thanks for taking the time to attend Dr. Peifer's case study session with me last Friday. I know you didn't have to do that. You might have even taken time out of your personal schedule for this. I appreciate that. Your feedback, engagement and questions in that session really impressed him. When he asked how our district stacks up with others in the state, I knew right away what he was thinking... He was thinking, "Are all of your teachers like this?" As you've transitioned into the 4th grade team I was impressed with your attitude and optimism around learning the new Voyager reading intervention program. I believe you are making a solid effort to integrate your experience and knowledge into this team. Thank you for the great work you are doing. I know that our students will grow and benefit from it!

August 2023

• The August Spotlight on Success shines on the staff of the Uinta 4 and 6 BOCES (a.k.a. Valley Learning Center). The crew there are such strong supporters of students and families and their work benefits the entire Bridger Valley community. Not all of them could make it to be recognized at the August 8 meeting of the Uinta 4 board of trustees, but Amy and Wendy were able to represent Holly and Jamie and hear the appreciation from Superintendent Newton and the board for their contributions and hard work. Thank you to the staff and board for the Uinta 4 and 6 BOCES.

• MVHS would like to recognize Student Body President, McKynleigh Barney, for her presentation to parents at the Fall Sports parent and student meeting. McKynleigh presented to a large audience about the efforts of the MVHS Sportsmanship Committee over the last two years to keep good sportsmanship as a conversation among our students. McKynleigh attended the State Sportsmanship Summit last fall and has been a strong part of the Sportsmanship Committee and her leadership was on strong display as she explained to parents the purpose and activities of the Sportsmanship Committee.

• The Mountain View High School staff is so appreciative of the hard work of our maintenance, custodial, and grounds crew. The work this team puts in over the course of the summer in order to have the building ready for students is daunting. They do it with a smile and they do a fantastic job of getting floors and classrooms ready as well as having our gyms and grounds ready for athletes. Thank you to this whole team!

• The UCSD #4 Special Services Department would like to recognize Mr. Clark this month. Mr. Clark's work this summer has been incredible! Mr. Clark was observed out and about with the summer work crew supervising and working with them. He also had an unexpected hand in organizing and planning the changes resulting from the DVR director. Mr. Clark spent some time teaching/ providing services for ESY and his students this summer too. As the new Special Ed Director transitioned into the new position we've had some difficult cases where we have had to start having IEP meetings already. Mr. Clark's quick response to emails and texts, sometimes after hours, has really helped us to be able to move at a pace to be prepared for students when they return to school. We know Mr. Clark is spending time away from family to write the IEPS, PWNs and required Sped paperwork in a timely manner for these cases. His commitment and time with these cases will translate into well planned, organized and quality educational experiences for students. In the end, families and students benefit from the work Mr. Clark is doing. We are excited about the growth Mr. Clark's students will make this year. We wanted to let you know how much we appreciate the work you've done this summer! 

  • • As the new Special Education Director, I want to thank Mrs. Wentz for inviting me to come visit her classroom this summer and meet some of her students. As the new guy, that made me feel a little more comfortable. I also wanted to thank Mrs. Wentz for the extra time that she put in this summer helping me interview paras and make sure there were appropriate transportation schedules for some of our students transitioning to high school. I know this work required additional time away from her family and summer time. I believe Mrs. Wentz's prompt help and attention to the matter will translate into staff that are better trained and more prepared to meet the needs of students when school starts. I'm excited to work with Mrs. Wentz and see how her students progress this year.

    • In a recent special education staff meeting during a team building activity where I asked staff to tell us about one thing they were looking forward to for this school year, Amy Lansdowne responded by saying, "Easter, I just really like Easter and eggs and all of the games that go along with it!" or something to that effect. She made us laugh... or, well at least me. Thanks! When I visited Amy's room today as she was prepping it for next week her friendly, positive demeanor was awesome. She showed me the stage and other facilities she uses for her students. I can already tell that Amy's humor and positive, friendly qualities will help to put students at ease that might otherwise struggle with her content area (PE). I can see how students will love her class, just because they love you! I'm looking forward to working with you and seeing your students grow this year. 

    • Linda Newton and Colette Bugas recently attended the professional development session on reading intervention with Dr. Kilpatrick. I attended part of it as well. Having spent a good chunk of my career at the secondary level... I was beginning to question what I had gotten into about halfway through Dr. Kilpatrick's presentation. I won't lie, it was a bit over my head. You can imagine my surprise when both Linda and Colette started asking for Dr. Kilpatrick's books and expressing enthusiasm and ideas about how they intended to use the training to improve the reading instruction and interventions at the high school level with students (who are struggling readers). I grew excited to help support their efforts with this and I'm confident students will benefit. Thank you for embracing Dr. Kilpatrick's training and working to put it to use to help our students! If you approach the rest of this year with this mindset—it's going to be one of your best years! It will have a positive impact on students.

July 2023

• This month we spotlight our Transportation Training Coordinator and Bus Driver, Carmen Erickson, for the excellence she demonstrated at the Wyoming Pupil Transportation Association's 2023 Wyoming School Bus Rodeo in Casper a few weeks ago. Out of 64 competitors, Carmen received 5th place in the Transit Class, completing a variety of specific tasks related to driving and safety challenges that complemented her skills and training as a bus driver. Great job, Carmen!! Carmen was joined in the spotlight at the July school board meeting by Transportation Director Brian Deru, accepting the district's thanks to the entire UCSD#4 Transportation Department for their hard work in driving our students!

• June 2021: This month the Spotlight shined upon Tanner Erickson for his perfect score (36) on the ACT.  This a tremendous and rare academic achievement. Only .334% of students nationwide who take the ACT get a perfect score. In other words, only about 3 students per 1000 that take the ACT get a 36! Nice job Tanner!

• May 2021: The staff at MVHS would like to recognize our graduates for the Class of 2021. What a unique year for everyone, and for those graduates most of all. For them to make it through the challenge of online learning in the spring of 2020 and then to come back for in-person learning this year shows their resiliency and their ability to overcome hardships in the future. Thank you to the Class of 2021! A very special group of students.

• April 2021: The high school staff would like to thank and wish good luck to the junior students as they complete a month of ACT prep during their Academic Honor Time. These students are getting ready for statewide administration of the ACT on Tuesday, April 6. Good luck to these students and the staff members helping them test.

  • • MVHS is proud of the following FCCLA students who participated in the State FCCLA event in March. These are excellent representatives of our school and district: Recognized with a First Place National Programs in Action - community service program: Jaxon Sweep and Spencer Erickson. First Place in Cake Decorating, Kenadee Hadley. Third Place in the FCCLA Creed Contest, McKynleigh Barney. Second Place in Extemporaneous Speaking, McKynleigh Barney. Third Place Extemporaneous Speaking, Damon Schoengarth. Recognized as a Volunteer as a Lead Consultant, Angelica Mosher. FCCLA All-State Recognition for his involvement in FCCLA over his entire high school career, Senior Caden Sweep. Thanks to FCCLA sponsor, Kirsten Bird for coordinating this culminating event for our students as well.

• March 2021: MVHS is so proud of the Speech & Reading students who participated in the Speech Showcase in the MVHS auditorium on March 3. This was an event that incorporated reader's theatre, dramatic productions, informative and persuasive speaking, and poetry readings. It was so impressive to see these students share their interests and work with their peers and friends on individual and team dramatic scenes. Thank you to the MVHS Language Arts staff and their willingness to create this opportunity for our students.

  • • At the March Board of Trustees meeting we recognized the  14 students in MVHS who have already met the ACT requirement to be eligible to receive the highest level (Honors) of the Hathaway Scholarship.  These students  have already scored a 25 or higher on their ACT Composite which is the qualification for the highest level of the Hathaway Scholarship program. Currently, the Honors level will pay $ 1,680 per semester for eight semesters for a total value of $13,440. The other qualifier that must be met is a GPA of 3.5. Congratulations to these students for their exemplary academic achievement. 

• February 2021:  At the February Board meeting we recognized our bus paras and bus drivers for their excellent effort this year managing not only the normal challenges of driving bus, but also the additional challenge of keeping students in masks while they are on the bus. These are amazing people and we are fortunate to have them working for us.

  • • MVMS would like to recognize our substitute teachers who are always available to help us out when teachers and coaches need to be out of the classroom. Without them, quality instruction couldn't continue. Many of our subs know our students and teachers very well and work hard to make a connection with students. Thank you for being a very important part of our school.

    • The high school also appreciates the entire custodial crew of UCSD #4 with special appreciation to Sandy Baer, Jessica Leon, Tracy Alexander, and Dustie Slaugh for their efforts throughout basketball season. Under the best of circumstances the winter sports season presents some unique challenges for our custodians, but this season more than others. There were many late nights on Friday followed by an early morning when another basketball game followed close on its heels. Although the basketball season for our student-athletes continues, we don't host any more games this season and the efforts of the custodial staff for the high school and district deserve to be recognized. Thank you!!

    • MVHS recognizes and appreciates the efforts of our school counselor, Stormy Hauf, as we enter "High School Registration" season. Mrs. Hauf is in and out of classrooms helping students select classes for next year and then has to take all of that information and make a meaningful best guess on sections for the coming school year so that we can have a master schedule that balances student requests and student needs. She does this while also coordinating "College Application and Scholarship Season" when so many seniors are considering different options and looking at their needs financially. All this while also working with individual students and small groups to ensure the Social and Emotional Learning of our students remains a top priority. Thank you Mrs. Hauf for your efforts to support ALL students at Mountain View High School. 

    • MVE appreciates Mrs. Anderson's Environmental Science classes for sharing their books on water molecules with our 2nd Graders.  The high school students were very respectful and did a great job engaging the 2nd graders in the content of their books.  These students represented MVHS and the District well.  They exemplified what it means to be a Buffalo! Thank you Mrs. Anderson and students!

    • MVMS would like the recognized the efforts by Ms. Page and Ms. Egley with their work together on the MVMS Yearbook. The torch has been passed to Ms. Egley this year and she has done an excellent job with her student yearbook committee. Ms. Page has been instrumental with "behind the scenes" work that comes with producing a yearbook. Thank you to both of these great individuals for making sure our yearbook continues.

    • MVES and the Special Services Department of UCSD #4 would like to thank two incredible paraprofessionals.  Michelle Black and Gayle Martin have served in our district for a total of 32 years.  Michelle and Gayle have been trained as reading and math interventionists in the K-1 POD of MVES.  They are hard workers and dedicated to the students, staff, and district.  You will find them in many rooms helping all students.  We would like to say thank you for your many years of service and dedication to our students!!!

• January 2021:  This month we recognize all Uinta 4 students and staff members for their contributions to a successful school reopening this 1st semester. Because sacrifices were made by individuals for the good of the whole school, we were able to remain open the entire first semester. 

  • • MVHS would like to recognize the State Champion Cheerleading Team. This group of young ladies has overcome sickness and quarantine in January to absolutely represent Mountain View High School to the highest level. On January 28, that team won the 3A Game Day and 3A All Girl Cheer Awards. This is the second year in a row that the MVHS Cheerleaders have won the Game Day and third time in four years that they have been champions in the 3A All Girl Cheer category. Thank you to the families, coaches, and cheerleaders for their hard effort throughout the fall and winter sports seasons.

    • MVHS also recognizes the following students who were recognized as our January Students of the Month. These students get their picture posted in the library and receive an awesome pair of unique Buffalo socks and an MV bumper sticker! 9th Grade: Tanner Lord, Gracie Pennington, Joseph Leonard, Oaklee Lawrence; 10th Grade: Cooper Redden, Kiera Davis, Dallin Hoopes, Kendall Carr; 11th Grade: Tanner Erickson, Anna Jo Short, Connor Meeks, Shaelin Wiggill; 12th Grade: Sam Porter, Mikenzie Roberts,  Hudson Hysell, Shelby Parkinson, Shaelynn Mendenhall

    • MVMS would like to recognize Braxlyn Jorgensen for her amazing role streaming our boy's basketball game against Rock Springs. She was in charge of live streaming both games to the NFHS website. In addition to this, she also provided play by play updates during the game.

    • MVE would like to recognize all of our teachers for the time they have put into looking at math programs and tools.  They have really put a lot of effort to find things to fit in our curriculum to help our students better meet our state standards, especially in the areas we have deemed our "power standards".  The collaboration and work they have put into this has been awesome!

• December 2020: For the December Spotlight on Success, MVHS recognizes the students and staff who took on the challenge of teaching and learning remotely this semester. All staff have had to be ready to teach all of their sections for students who were absent because of quarantine. We have also had numerous students who have been quarantined for up to eight school days. Overall our students have been able to stay right on track with their learning during their quarantine time. Teaching, learning, and education overall have definitely changed over the last nine months and one thing we have learned is that Mountain View is up to the challenge. Thank you to all of our students and staff for their hard work as we finish the first semester and Merry Christmas!

• November 2020: MVHS would like to recognize our high school librarian staff of Kim Tait and Jaime Salinas as they took on additional responsibilities in November of checking in with students on quarantine. Kim and Jaime were emailing students and calling parents in an effort to be sure high school students who couldn't attend school were engaged in their learning and had access to all the technology. They have done and will continue to do an excellent job as advocates for those students not in school.

  • • MVK8 Music staff would like to recognize JoAnn Pihl for always going above and beyond.  Not only does JoAnn do a great job cleaning and sanitizing the music rooms during the school day, but she also does more outside of her contracted time to ensure materials, instruments, and the music rooms are ready for students to learn and excel.  Recently she took the cans/boxes which hold instruments and manipulatives and painted/decorated them at home.  Thanks for helping to make the learning environment inviting for our students.   

    • Mountain View Special Services would like to give a shout out to Linda Newton and Colette Bugas for their dedication to MVHS students.  Over the years these veteran teachers have established a system to help their students succeed and graduate.  Thank you Linda an Colette for your dedication and hard work!!

• October 2020: Big shout out to our building office managers - Marlene Flint, Sala Condos, and Gina Tims - for such an excellent job and ongoing effort to make sure we have substitutes in the classrooms this year as necessary.  This year, more than ever, substitutes are hard to come by and so essential to keeping school open. It has taken lots of problem solving, creativity, and juggling of schedules to make this work.  Thank you!

  • • MVMS would like to recognize the efforts of Ms. Egley, our K-8 Art teacher, for her efforts to increase her student's artistic abilities by using "Inktober" during her Art classes. Inktober is a month long art challenge  focusing on improving skills and positive drawing habits. 

    • MVHS would also like to recognize the efforts of several students involved in Student Council during Homecoming Week activities. With so many events going on, several students in class leadership positions went above and beyond in terms of organizing and coordinating events for their peers: Natalee Rudy - Student Cornhole Tournament; Ali Rinker - Stud Volleyball; Kyia Rice - Powder Puff football; Haylee Rudy - Combat Bingo. Also, several student council leaders went above and beyond and those were the four students in charge of the Homecoming Parade that was one of the best ones hosted by MVHS during Homecoming Week. All four of these young ladies did an excellent job helping things run smoothly on a short timeline: Angelica Mosher, Ashlee Tims, Maddi Aimone, Kennadee Hadley.

    • The Board of Trustees will be honoring Gayle Eyre for her outstanding contribution to the school district over many years. We all wish Gayle the best in her well-deserved retirement! Thank you Gayle!

    • The Special Education Department would like to recognize and spotlight Mrs. Alison Lyman, who has served the district and students for 34 years.  Alison is the Office Administrator for the department and the compliance officer for the IEP process.  All of us would like to thank her for her hard work and dedication to our students, staff, and community!

    • MVE would like to recognize the great work our nurses have done to get this school year started.  Nurse Chris and Nurse Dallas put a lot of time in over the summer and have already had to field a lot of questions and scenarios that go above and beyond the "norm" of a school nurse's duties.  Thanks for your hard work and dedication to our students, staff, and community!

    • MVMS is proud to recognize the hard work put in by Isaac Kiefer with our remote learning classroom camera system. Mr. Kiefer has spent countless hours working in his own classroom, with our tech department, and other staff members learning about and using our system to help create the best remote learning experience for our students who currently cannot attend school in person. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication.

    • MVHS would like to recognize the outstanding contributions of Activities Director, Dustin Rees. Mr. Rees has been active all summer coordinating summer athletic activities so high school athletes could come into the building in a safe way for sports camps and weight room work. Mr. Rees's initial system from June of having students scan QR codes with their mobile device and confirming their health is still in use today and is being used by other districts to confirm their athlete's readiness to participate in sports. Mr. Rees has also been active in working with the MVHS music department to ensure that county and state guidelines are being followed so that parents can still watch their middle and high school students participate in choir, band, and guitar concerts. Mr. Rees has also been kept busy with new guidelines for athletic events and totally revising our athletic schedules for the fall and - most recently - for winter sports. Mr. Rees is also the head coach for the MVMS football team requiring travel and practice adjustments as he works to meet his responsibilities as a teacher and the district activities director. Thank you Mr. Rees for your hard work and dedication to the students of this district.

    • Thank you Coach Hamblin, Coach Kiefer, and students for a great Middle School Cross Country Season.  The final meet was held October 8th at Fort Bridger Historical Site.

    • Congratulations to Ashlee Tims for earning the WHSAA Good Sportsmanship Award for exemplary conduct and good sportsmanship shown during the Kemmerer volleyball game.

• September 2020: This month we will recognize Marissa Cornelison for her selection as the 2020 Wyoming Ag in the Classroom Educator of the Year. She was presented this award this summer at the Wyoming State Fair by Liz Cheney, Jennie Gordon and Jillian Balow. 

  • • We will also recognize Joe Webb for his tireless effort in finalizing the installment of the camera and sound systems and his continued help trying to solve the minor bugs in the system.

• August 2020: Uinta 4 Reopening Committee (Jeff Newton-Superintendent; Kim Dolezal-Assistant Superintendent, Ben Carr-High School Principal, Tarl Van Dusen-Middle School Principal, Bill Erickson-Elementary School Principal, Randon Lawrence-Special Services Director, Dustin Rees-Activities Director, Bob Alvis-Maintenance Supervisor, Pam Sibert-Business Manager; Chris Stoddard-School Nurse, Brian Deru-Transportation Supervisor; Joe Webb-Technology Coordinator, Brady Thompson-Elementary Teacher, Isaac Kiefer-Middle School Teacher, Jessica Moretti-High School Teacher, Colette Bugas-Special Education Teacher, Stormy Lupher-Counseling Services, Laura Jorgensen-Board Member, Kelly Carpenter-School Board Member, Angela Sweep-Parent, Vonda Phillips-Fine Arts Teacher, and Dallas Cottam-School Nurse)