Ribbon cutting celebrates new center name
Thanks to a generous donation from Lee and Felicia Castellow, the Adult Learning Center at Casper College will be renamed the Lee and Felicia Castellow Adult Learning Center at Casper College Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m.
According to Ann Dalton, the Castellows wanted to provide funds to the center to help it continue to serve those needing their high school equivalency certificate or needing to learn English through the center’s English as a Second Language program.
“We are so thrilled with their generosity, and the funds will help the center better serve both those seeking their equivalency certificate and those new to the United States wanting to learn English and even prepare for their citizenship exam,” said Dalton, associate director of development for the Casper College Foundation.
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“We just thought it would be a lovely thing to do for the Casper community,” said Felicia Castellow. “That was really our only goal to give back to the community of Casper.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is free and open to all and will feature light refreshments. The center is located in the Werner Technical Center on the Casper College campus.
Tarzan opens full season of CC theater
The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance will celebrate its 35th year at the Gertrude Krampert Center for Theatre and Dance during the 2020-2021 season.
Disney’s “Tarzan” will be the first offering. Under the direction of William Conte with choreography by Aaron Wood, the musical will run Oct. 22-25 and 28-31. “Tarzan” is based on Disney’s animated musical adventure and Edgar Rice Burrough’s “Tarzan of the Apes.” The musical, featuring a score by rock legend Phil Collins, tells the story of an infant baby taken in and raised by gorillas after he washes up on the shores of West Africa. “This is a family-friendly show with an amazing cast. It will be a charming evening and look at the connections that tie us together and the importance of family,” said Chontelle Gray.
This year’s dance production will occur in December with “A Merry Mixed-up Christmas.” The story revolves around a slightly tipsy grandmother who has been sipping on eggnog while she tells the tale of “A Christmas Carol.” While telling the tale, grandma “ ... begins bringing characters from other Christmas stories and TV specials into the mix. She is a little mixed up, but that makes the story even more fun,” noted Gray, adding, “In the end, we realize that things may be a little mixed, but everything will be OK. Christmas will still come.” Directed and choreographed by Jodi Youmans Jones, “A Merry Mixed-up Christmas” will run Dec. 3-6 and 10-12.
To coincide with the 2021 Humanities Festival and its theme “Celebration/Milestones,” the theater department will present “Cyrano de Bergerac” Feb. 25-28 and March 3-6. Edmond Rostand’s classic play looks at Cyrano de Bergerac, a brilliant poet and swordsman during the reign of Louis XIII, who is in love with the beautiful Roxane. “This is a classic tale of romance and a beautiful show that also features swordplay, so there is something for everyone,” Gray said.
The final production for the season will be “Bright Star, ” which is ”... a heartwarming musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell,” said Gray. Inspired by a true story, the Tony award-nominated musical “... is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the 1940s and 1920s and uses charm, humor and bluegrass music to tell the story of love lost and found,” she said.
According to Gray, all four productions will take place on the Mick and Susie McMurry Stage in the Krampert Theatre. Due to COVID-19, all audience members will be required to wear a mask. “We are practicing social distancing between groups, so only a limited number of seats will be available each night. Tickets must be purchased through the box office either by phone or in person so that we may ensure seating with distance between groups,” Gray said. In addition, for added safety, hand sanitizer is available at the doors, and the theater is deep cleaned and sanitized between performances.
Tickets for all productions will go on sale Monday, Oct. 5, and can be purchased by phone at 268-2500 or toll-free at 800-442-2963, ext. 2500 or in person at the box office, which is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tickets for each performance are $12 for adults and $10 for students aged 5 to 18.
de Vries on display at CC gallery
An exhibition of paintings and sketchbooks by John de Vries is now on display at the Mildred Zahradnicek Gallery. The exhibit, “Seasons,” will be on display through Thursday, Oct. 22, and will also include a brief talk by the artist’s daughter, Janet de Vries, as part of the RedStone Recital and Gallery series Friday, Oct. 2.
de Vries made his living as a commercial artist in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, but, according to information provided by the artist’s daughter, his real passion was in watercolor painting, pencil sketching, and pen and ink drawing. de Vries was always sketching, even during his four years spent in the U.S. Army in the European Theater during World War II. Using the GI Bill, de Vries graduated from the Cleveland School of Art. “Dad spent most of his career working for the Crawford Company in Akron, where he moved up the ladder from the manager of the mimeograph department to art director and vice president when he retired in 1980,” said Janet, Casper College retiree and former director of what is now known as the student success center.
The exhibition is also part of the RedStone Recital and Gallery Season’s opener Friday, Oct. 2. A gallery reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Zahradnicek Gallery, followed by the recital, featuring Casper College music faculty at 7 p.m. in the Wheeler Concert Hall.
All events, including the RedStone Recital and Gallery season opener, are free and open to the public.
The Mildred Zahradnicek Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is located in the Music Building, located on the Casper College campus.
New scholarships available
Five new scholarships have been established at Casper College, thanks to the generosity of Lee and Felicia Castellow.
Four of the scholarships are directed specifically at the trades. They include the Lee and Felicia Castellow Diesel Mechanics Scholarship, the Lee and Felicia Auto Mechanics Scholarship, the Lee and Felicia Castellow Welding Scholarship and the Lee and Felicia Castellow Trades Scholarship. The fifth scholarship is the Lee and Felicia Castellow Adult Learning Center Graduate Scholarship.
The diesel mechanics, auto mechanics and welding scholarships are all worth $1,000 to be divided equally between the fall and spring semesters. Each scholarship is open to any nontraditional Casper College student majoring in that specific field with a cumulative GPA of 2.0, who is enrolled in six or more credit hours and is a Wyoming resident who can show financial need.
The trades scholarship is open specifically to Wyoming high school graduates who are enrolled in a trades industry program at Casper College, are single or a single parent and can show financial need. The scholarship is worth $1,000.
The fifth scholarship established by the Castellows is the Castellow Adult Learning Center Scholarship. The scholarship is specifically for a Wyoming student who has graduated from the Lee and Felicia Castellow Adult Learning Center at Casper College, earned their High School Equivalency certificate and is attending Casper College. To be considered for the $1,000 scholarship, students must be single, or a single parent, and show financial need.
“The Castellows wanted to give Wyoming residents the opportunity to attend Casper College. They also wanted to give back to the Casper community that has been so good to them,” noted Ann Dalton, associate director of development for the Casper College Foundation.
For more information on any of these scholarships, contact Dalton at 268-2325.
Private school needs teacher
Excel Academy Private School is currently accepting applications for a full-time math/science teaching position. This position will be with students ranging from grades 3-9. Current infant, child, adult, CPR/First aid preferred. Must be flexible, hardworking, able to think outside of the box, organized, have a good positive attitude, show dedication and want to ensure all students are having their needs met. If interested please email resume to: jawistisen@excelacademywy.com or drop off at 500 S. Jefferson St. Questions may be directed to Jennifer Wistisen at 259-4599 or 237-3963. Excel Academy Private School is an equal opportunity employer.
Enroll for school lunch program
Natrona County School District participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. This program provides free and reduced-price meals to students who qualify. In order to qualify your household income must fall between the guidelines and each family must complete one family free and reduced application for the new school year.
If your family’s financial situation changes throughout the year, you may complete the application again.
Natrona County School District encourages you to use the online application for free or reduced meals. The process is quick, easy and secure.
As families begin to prepare for #BackToSchool, parents and guardians can set up a My School Bucks account for assistance in navigating their student’s Food Service accounts. My School Bucks is an online payment service that provides a quick and easy way to add money to your student’s meal account using a debit or credit card. (My School Bucks does charge a minimal fee for the credit/debit card service.) You can also view recent purchases, check balances, and set up a low balance alert at no cost.
Enrollment is easy.
1. Go to www.myschoolbucks.com and register for a free account.
2. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to activate your account.
3. Add your students using their name, school and student ID.
4. Make a payment to your students’ accounts. A fee will apply to this service.
Early Head Start accepting applications
Early Head Start is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. Early Head Start is a FREE, quality program for children from birth to three years and pregnant women. Applications are available at 160 N. Washington. Head Start is a United Way agency. Call 473-5831.
CC offers classes for educators
The Center for Training and Development at Casper College offers a large selection of classes for educators. Each course lasts for six weeks, and two start dates are available in the fall, one in September and the other in October.
Creating a Classroom Website is a fun, easy-to-understand course for teachers that will help them become more modern, effective and dynamic while helping them build a published classroom website complete with content, images, animation, links and a blog, according to Ed2Go.
Homeschool With Success is for those wanting to know how to homeschool their children to “ensure that they get what they need academically and socially.” The Ed2Go class will provide information and guidance so that parents and guardians can plot their homeschooling class for years to come.
Teachers wanting to have a more orderly and peaceful classroom are urged to enroll in Solving Classroom Discipline Problems. The Ed2Go course “provides a step-by-step approach to effective, positive classroom discipline, and it’s continually rated by teachers as one of the most valuable they’ve taken.”
A class specifically for those teaching preschoolers, Teaching Preschool: A Year of Inspiring Lessons, will show participants “... how to develop creative and balanced preschool lesson plans for every month of the school year.” The Ed2Go class will also equip participants “... with a lesson plan template, and over 100 engaging and interchangeable activities for circle-discussion, art, literacy, motor skills, science and music.”
Finally, Reading Strategies Suite “... is comprised of four classes that will help teachers develop effective reading strategies,” said Sarah Schneider, workforce training specialist at Casper College. According to Schneider, the four classes are Ready, Set, Read, Guided Reading and Writing Strategies for Maximum Student Achievement, Guided Reading: Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom and Response to Intervention: Reading Strategies That Work.
The cost for each course, except for Reading Strategies Suite, is $89. The cost for Reading Strategies Suite is $395. Schneider noted that PTSB credits are available through the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board for these classes.
To register for these classes, as well as find more classes and full class descriptions, go to ed2go.com/casper. For more information, contact Schneider at 268-3847 or sarahschneider@caspercollege.edu.
New scholarship at CC
A new scholarship has been established at Casper College in memory of former construction and welding instructor Mark Steinle who taught at the college for nearly 22 years before his retirement in 2016.
The Mark Steinle Scholarship in Construction, Drafting, and Engineering is open to any Casper College student majoring in construction, drafting, or engineering with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and who is enrolled in six or more credit hours.
“It is important to honor my husband, who enjoyed teaching in construction and business with this scholarship in his name,” said Steinle’s wife, Pam. “He was a great teacher and loved his students,” she added.
The scholarship, worth $500, will be awarded each spring to one student, according to Ann Dalton, associate director of development for the Casper College Foundation.
For more information on the Mark Steinle Scholarship in Construction, Drafting, and Engineering, contact Dalton at 268-2325.
CC offers bookkeeping certificate, degree
For those looking to improve their skills, start a new career or have recently graduated from high school, Casper College offers a degree or certificate in bookkeeping.
“Completing your education in accounting or bookkeeping boosts your opportunity to work in many roles across every business,” said Mark Oxley, accounting and business instructor. According to Oxley, both the certificate and degree are for those “... wanting to start or extend their career in bookkeeping.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2019, bookkeepers in Wyoming earn $11.24 to $27.84 an hour and $23,390 to $57,900 annually.
“Both the bookkeeper certificate and bookkeeper degree can be obtained entirely online, and many classes can be taken as an online or lecture class,” Oxley noted. Some of the class topics that both degree and certificate programs cover include accounting principles, QuickBooks, payroll accounting and spreadsheet applications. The degree goes further in-depth to cover business law, intermediate accounting, management, marketing and other areas.
For more information or to register, contact Oxley at 268-2414 or moxley@caspercollege.edu or Rachel Wright, academic assistant at 268-2494 or rwright@caspercollege.edu. Fall semester begins at Casper College Monday, Aug. 24.
Register for Calvary Academy
Calvary Academy, 1800 S. Conwell in Casper, is currently accepting applications for enrollment for the fall of 2020 for K-12. Calvary Academy offers a solid traditional Christian education with Christ at the center and the Bible as its foundation. The enrollment for half-day kindergarten is now half-price. If the educational needs for your children include traditional methods with small class sizes and character-building strategies while integrating personal responsibility, a Christian curriculum and qualified, caring teachers, please contact the school at 266-5417.
CC graduation still available for viewing
The Casper College class of 2019-2020 posted some impressive stats despite the COVID-19 pandemic that saw a traditional graduation ceremony turn into a virtual ceremony.
The ceremony took place May 15 on both Facebook and YouTube, and 178 graduates participated.
In total, 669 students qualified for 644 degrees and 169 certificates. The degrees were broken into six categories: Associate of Science, 301 degrees; Associate of Arts, 170 degrees; Associate of Applied Science, 77 degrees; Associate of Business, 18 degrees; Associate of Fine Arts, 26 degrees; and Associate Degree Nursing, 72.
Women graduates outnumbered men 433 to 236. Of that number, 386 graduates came from Natrona County. The other 22 counties in the state were represented as were 28 states and seven countries. Those countries included Canada, Costa Rica, Hungary, Norway, Serbia, Spain and Turkey.
The average age of this year’s graduates was 26.6, and 68 graduates were 40-plus. The oldest was 60 and the youngest was 17.
Thirty-three graduates were veterans or active service members.
Seven students graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
The 74th Casper College Commencement is still available for viewing on Facebook at facebook.com/CasperCollege/videos/601598747121858 or YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=X10MQH9aZPI.
Summer school, camps at Excel
Excel Academy Private School will be offering summer school and summer camps. All of these events will be in a face-to-face format. All appropriate guidelines and precautions will be followed. Camps are for ages 3 to 13 years of age. Summer School is for currently enrolled kindergarteners to 8th grade. Please call 237-3963 or visit www.excelacademywy.com for more information.
New scholarship for rodeo students
A scholarship in the memory of Tom Parker has recently been established by his family. The scholarship, worth $1,000, will be given at Casper College for the 2020-2021 school year.
According to Ann Dalton, associate director of development for the Casper College Foundation, those who apply for the scholarship must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours, have a high school GPA of 2.5, been a member of the Wyoming High School Rodeo Association and a part of the Casper College Rodeo program.
Parker retired from teaching agriculture at the college full time in May 2013 but continued as the head rodeo coach. For many Casper College Rodeo team members, past and present, Parker was their concerned and caring father figure. He loved the kids and always looked out for his team.
During his first 15 years at Casper College, the women’s rodeo team qualified for three College National Finals Rodeo appearances. The men’s team took the regional rodeo title in both 2011 and 2012 and finished either first or second in five of the last six rodeo seasons in the region before Parker’s death from liver cancer in 2017.
As a testament to what he did for college rodeo, Parker was posthumously named 2016-2017 Central Rocky Mountain Region Coach of the Year and 2016-2017 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Coach of the Year at the College National Finals Rodeo.
For more information about the Tom Parker Rodeo Scholarship, contact Dalton at 268-2325.
Weston scholarship established
A new scholarship in the memory of Curtis Moore Weston has been established with the Casper College Foundation.
Curtis Moore Weston purchased Decker Auto Glass in 1978. As the owner of Decker, Weston built the business from one small shop to four shops and a wholesale glass warehouse with distribution in Wyoming and western Nebraska. Weston was named Wyoming Small Business Person of the year by the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2004. He owned Decker until he sold it in 2008 and retired.
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must have graduated from either a Natrona or Converse county high school and/or are residents of either Natrona or Converse county and be seeking either an associate or bachelor’s degree.
For more information about the Curtis Moore Weston Scholarship, contact Ann Dalton, associate director of development for the Casper College Foundation, at 268-2325.
Head Start accepting applications
Head Start is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. Head Start is a free, quality preschool program that prepares children for school. Applications are available at 301 W. B Street in Casper. Head Start is a United Way agency. Call 577-1864.
New scholarship at CC for Wyoming resident
The newly established Bob I. and Edith Selby Scholarship will provide a Wyoming resident with a $2,000 scholarship for the 2020-2021 school year.
“Mrs. Selby earned her master’s degree from the University of Mary in North Dakota at the age of 52. She specifically told us that she wanted the scholarship to help a need-based Wyoming resident,” said Ann Dalton, associate director of development for the Casper College Foundation. Bob Selby was born and raised in Wyoming, and both he and Edith had careers in the oil and gas industry, while Bob also owned several companies, including one in construction. According to Dalton, Edith Selby believed that the second half of your life should be spent giving back.
Any nontraditional Wyoming resident who has a minimum 2.5 GPA, is enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and is majoring in business, construction management or construction technology at Casper College can apply for the scholarship. The recipient will be awarded $1,000 for the fall 2020 semester and $1,000 for the spring 2021 semester.
For more information about the Bob I. and Edith Selby Scholarship, contact Dalton at 268-2325.