GUERNSEY – The Platte County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees held their first board meeting of the new year and looked toward the end of the school year for the 2023 graduating class. 

Liesl Sisson opened comments with items which are pertinent to the coming year.

K-12 Enrollment is currently at 206 students.

She began with a recap of suggestion box submissions and mentioned among student’s suggestions was the idea to clean out the long jump pits. Sisson said this was forwarded to the track coach. 

At the Coffee with the Principal, there were a few staff, but no parents.

There is a staff roundtable with principals scheduled for Friday, Jan. 13 at 1:45 pm.

The second semester is back in full swing. A testing schedule has been created to help the winter testing window go smoother than the fall window did. 

The bands’ Big Bucks Bingo was held Jan. 7 and Sisson said it went well.

“The December concerts were well-attended, and the students did an awesome job,” Sisson said.

The English and language arts curriculum team has narrowed down their search to two curriculums and has or will have webinars to help them understand the programs more in depth. 

Sisson said a question was asked regarding automated external defibrillator (AED) training. She informed the board anyone who receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training also receives AED training.

It was reported Guernsey-Sunrise High School (GSHS) senior Caleb Christensen won third place at the VFW department/state Voice of Democracy contest.

GSHS music teacher Matt Hebbert won the Smart-Maher VFW Teacher of the Year award for the state of Wyoming. He will now go on to the national level. 

The theatre group is starting the “Midas Touch” production this week; “Greek, sassy all with an inflatable unicorn.” 

Sisson has purchased a giant dollhouse for teammates. Multiple teammates/kids will help with this project. The dollhouse can be auctioned off for Christmas 2023, along with the wreaths. 

Students are getting ready to replant the Viking greenhouse. They have shared the last couple of months harvest with Guernsey senior citizens and the school cafeteria. 

Upcoming events include a science fair scheduled for Jan. 24.

In personnel issues, the administration will be holding interviews for a title paraprofessional this week.

Superintendent Mike Beard then reminded the board of the legislative forum Feb. 5-6 in Cheyenne and the board workshops Jan. 14 in Riverton and Jan. 28 in Casper. 

He asked them to let Mrs. Martin know if they plan to attend so she can get them registered and find rooms if needed.

Beard also thanked the custodial staff for keeping the snow cleared off the sidewalks around the building. Beard asked the board to revisit the phone system at the February board meeting.

The board of trustees took the following actions at their meeting: approved the minutes for the Dec. 12, meeting and special meeting Dec. 19; named Banner Capital, First State Bank and Wyoming Government Investment Fund as the official depositories; named the Guernsey Gazette with the Casper Star-Tribune, in case of emergency, as the official newspaper for legal notices; approved the financials; approved paying the bills as presented; accepted resignations from Sonya Klipstine, special education, and Lisa Schuldies, counselor, effective at the end of the school year. 

Klipstine and Schuldies were thanked for their time and dedication to PCSD No. 2 and were wished the best. Board Member Shawna Reichert thanked Mrs. Martin for all she does for the district and for time taken to register the board for the workshops, forums and for reservations to attend the conferences. 

The next regular meeting of the board will be held at Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose Room. Items to be discussed, in addition to regular business, will include a new phone system and an audit report.