FCSD#25 Board approved travel, resignation requests; Hired new assistant soccer coach
By Ernie Over, managing editor, county10.com
(Riverton, Wyo.) – The Fremont County School District #25 Board of Trustees took care of business in 25 minutes Tuesday night, approving two out-of-state travel requests, a resignation and a new coaching hire.
The resignation from the District’s Teacher of the Deaf, Rosemary Patterson, was accepted. It is effective at the end of the current school year.
Out-of-state travel requests were approved for the Riverton High School Jazz Band to attend the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival in April, and for two students and their chaperone to attend a DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) national meeting in Anaheim, Calif., also in April.
Activities Director Jeremy Hill forwarded a recommendation to the board to offer a contract to Zach Tolman as an Assistant High School Boys Soccer Coach. The recommendation was accepted.
Kristen Wederski, left, an RyKel Menor, right posed with FCSD#25 Board Chairman Mark Stone at Tuesday’s night’s school board meeting. A request for the girls to attend a national DECA conference in California this April was approved. (Ernie Over photo)
A highlight of the meeting was a presentation from two RHS DECA students, Kristen Wederski and RyKel Menor, who told the trustees about their winning presentation at the State DECA Conference, which qualified them for the national competition in Anaheim.
The two said they won the state competition by creating a program called REGAIN, an acronym for Radiance, Embrace, Guidance, Acceptance, Interconnection and Next Step. It is a self-esteem, empowerment program which they put on over an afternoon and evening for high school girls from 9th through 12th grades.
“It’s a very empowering experience, especially for girls who need an extra boost of confidence,” Menor said. “We had numerous activities, we created our own curriculum, and it was all about issues that teenage girls face. We also used it to set personal goals for the participants.”
Wederski said one girl, a sophomore student, provided a written testimonial about how the program helped her to build confidence. The high points of the letter included the student noting that she now looked at life in a different light and that participating in the group was not uncool or unfun. “It made it possible to for me to change, and it doesn’t always have to be completely terrifying to be at school,” the student wrote. “Sometimes you don’t know what is missing in your life.”
The pair said their 30 page presentation, complete with a PowerPoint, earned them first place at the state event and by attending the national DECA convention, they hope to spread the program to other schools.
Menor said they were also taking the lead to introduce the program into the Riverton Middle School, a project they are still working on.
In other business at the short meeting, Board Chairman Mark Stone said the trustees have scheduled a work session to discuss the next fiscal year budget on March 5th at 6 p.m.
