Wyoming Breezes

JoAnn Conwell Wind River High School Kinnear, WY approx. 1985 When I returned from teaching overseas, I got a job teaching Language Arts and Journalism at Wind River High School. The school sat adjacent to the highway between Kinnear and Morton. The staff was young, and we eventually worked together for over 20 years.  JoAnn was the high school secretary, and she kept things running smoothly. JoAnn always called the staff "kids" which looking back made sense because most of us were young. The staff lounge/workroom was adjacent to the principal's office and had a connecting door to the front office where JoAnn worked. One day, JoAnn came into the staff lounge via the principal's office with her hands in front of her, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Now kids, don't laugh." She sat on the arm of the ugly, celery green sofa and sheepishly explained that she had superglued her thumbs together. Despite her warning, we all laughed and wondered how o...

Sunday’s supper Bierock/Runza/Kraut Burger January 2022 A week ago, a woman on the Next Door app was taking orders for Bierocks: the Moose Lodge was having a fund-raiser. Some people on the app didn’t know what the group was selling, but Bierocks (aka runzas or kraut burgers or cabbage rolls) were a popular meal that Ferne and Rosie prepared in the school cafeteria nearly 40 years ago. One of my coworkers even wore a loose dress when cabbage rolls were on the lunch menu so she could enjoy seconds. My friend Sue occasionally made a batch of cabbage rolls and shared some with me. Thanks, Sue I ordered a dozen (they freeze well) from the Moose and picked them up yesterday afternoon. The building smelled amazing, and all I had to do was follow my nose!  It seems odd to have a German meal with a Mexican beer, but favorites tend to go together. 😉 Do you have a favorite dish that you rarely prepare? 

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WRHS Faculty 1981 Front row: Ethel R., Sue O., Bev S., Margaret S ., Chuck G ., Bill H ., Sharon N.. Second Row: Alice N., Allen H., Jim N., Nancy J. Back row: Nancy S ., LeRoy S ., Jim N., Bert O., Kris N ., Louise O. After I returned from teaching in Japan, my next job was teaching Language Arts (English) and Journalism at Wind River High School. Even though I saw a LOT of principals come and go during that time period, the staff members were fairly consistent. In my opinion, it was the longevity and dedication of the staff that kept the school from imploding from the revolving door on the principal's office. For a period of time, we had a new principal every year or every other year and a somewhat militant school board as well. It was the staff that provided the stability the students needed during those years. This group of educators and support staff always put the students first, and I was proud to work with every one of them. Over the years, one by one, we retire...

source Richard Bong Theater walkway Misawa AFB Misawa, Japan (I didn't take this photo but wish I had.)  The Richard Bong Theater was one of two movie theaters on base. The Bong was near the Base Exchange on the main base, and the other theater was on The Hill. The archway kept those waiting to purchase tickets dry in the relentless rain during the typhoon season and warmer when the snow was falling and blowing sideways. At the beginning of every movie the National Anthem was played while the audience stood at attention. One time the recording stopped abruptly, and without hesitation everyone began singing where it left off. The high school did not have a stage or theater; thus, my drama students staged their plays in the Officers' Club - Club Mutsu. In 1980, when that building was not available, I made arrangements for Twelve Angry Men to be performed on the Bong Theater stage one afternoon. The stage was actually quite large and worked well for the performance:...

LeRoy S. Wind River High School approximately 1988 Where do I begin? LeRoy (aka Captain America) was a colleague for many years, but he was also a teacher of mine when I was a senior. My senior business teacher died mid-year, and LeRoy, a teacher at a rival school (Morton High School), was asked to teach some of her classes (probably during his planning period). My school, Pavillion and Morton were scheduled to consolidate the following year to form Wind River. I returned approximately twelve years later, as an English (Language Arts) teacher at Wind River. LeRoy was a jokester and through the years, he dished out as much as he received. One April Fool's Day, several of the teachers slipped into LeRoy's room and removed ALL the typewriters, opened the windows and waited for LeRoy to discover his room had been robbed. Some of the men unhooked a trailer from behind his vehicle and hid it. They had informed the Sheriff's deputy beforehand, so the "joke" ext...

Bill H., Nancy S., Joy G., LeRoy S., Susan K., and Nancy J. show principal, Hank T. (a Raiders' fan) that he was in Bronco territory approx. 1985 Most of the staff at Wind River High School were Denver Bronco fans, and if they weren't, they got a bit of ribbing from those who were. Hank T. was the principal, ironically from Denver, and was a Raider's fan. The staff donned Orange Crush shirts and decorated Hank's office to leave no doubt that WRHS was Bronco territory!

Setting stage lights Missoula, Montana Winter 1978 In the mid to late 1970s, I travelled to several states for the International Thespian Society , as I was the Regional Director. Previous to serving in this capacity, I was the Wyoming State Director. I wrote about a memorable trip to Muncie, IN with the students in this earlier post . The photo above shows a Montana drama student setting the lights on the stage at the Missoula High School. I was impressed with the facilities and how much the Missoula community supported the arts. Today, the area still has a strong drama community and a traveling children's theater group . The trip to North Dakota's State Drama Festival was memorable because the last day of the event, a severe winter storm was bearing down on the state. I had flown into Bismark, and the festival was about an hour drive north in McClusky. I was certainly glad that I had a driver and that I did not have to attempt to find my way in the storm, as the sn...

Ditto machine This time of year always takes me back to the days of preparing lessons and informational handouts for my students. Thankfully, technology has made it easier for today's educators to prepare lesson for their classes. In order to have multiple copies of worksheets and information for my students, I used a ditto machine from the early 70s to nearly the late 80s. The machine was notorious for jamming if the ratio of duplicating fluid was not matched correctly to the speed of the turning drum on which the ditto master was secured. Many times, the sheets would come out blurry and quite damp. I can still vividly recall the smell of the duplicating fluid. The first machines I used were hand crank, but eventually, the school(s) replaced them with electric ones. The ditto masters were messy to prepare. I often would write on the master rather than type because any error or mis-strike on the typewriter required scraping of the thick blue material off of the white base....

"The Rock" Wheatland High School Wheatland, WY 1978 "The Rock" stood guard in the courtyard just outside my classroom, and I never knew from one day to the next what color it would be. Each year it grew in size until one summer it was sandblasted to remove the layers of paint added over the decades. "The Rock" was a large boulder the senior class emblazoned with its graduation year; that is, until another class or alumni slipped in under cover of darkness to stake their own claim to "The Rock." I admit to painting "The Rock" with a '69 one night before I left Wheatland. Did your school have a similar tradition?

Ferne Watson, me, Rosie Baker approx. 1994 Ferne and Rosie fed over two hundred individuals a delicious, homemade hot lunch for over 30 years. I doubt that one student ever said they disliked anything these ladies created.  I remember thick and creamy potato soup with oven-baked cheese sandwiches, shepherd pie, macaroni and cheese, cabbage rolls, chocolate pudding (not from a box), cakes, pies, cookies, and their famous cinnamon rolls. They baked bread or rolls every day. These women were Masters in the kitchen! They used federal commodities (cheese, canned fruits and meats, flour, etc.) to create their meals, but none of their entrees were pre-made and heated: their meals were prepared from scratch, and the results was heavenly. Students and staff often went back for seconds. Ferne and Rosie cared about the students they fed and would often check on someone who hadn't eaten lunch or who was experiencing some problems in their life. Ferne loved kids, and she and her husban...

Cardboard sign placed in the chalk tray when the material on the board was important and should not be erased.  In the days before white boards and Smart Boards, classrooms had chalkboards (some were black, but most were green). My classrooms in Japan had both black and green boards. The custodians at Robert D. Edgren High School were local hires, and all were native Japanese who spoke very little English. The signs shown in this post were used to tell the custodians when the notes or information on the board could or could not be erased. The signs eliminated confusion and frustration. Cardboard sign placed in the chalk tray when the material on the board could safely be erased and the board cleaned.  I had some excellent custodians in my 33 years in the classroom, and I regret not taking a photo of them each year in my classroom. The custodians made my job easier, and I appreciated every one of them.

Senior Class 1980 - 81 Robert D. Edgren High School Misawa AFB Misawa, Japan Back row : Sean Patterson, Lance Kirk, Bettina Quick, Raymond Turner, Lynn Lackey, Carl Manning, Shelleen Martinson, James Brewer.  Middle row : Carmel Beasley, Jeff Mellot, May Cortezano, Carrie Fear, Noy Bussler, Steve Naguillen, Peggy Reberry, Selena Arnold, Phil Wood.  Front row : Marble Christensen, Lee Williams, Jona Flynn, Cindy Mathie, Kat Heller, Shelley Biggs, Emmanuel Bradford, Ray Marriott. * * *  I was the sponsor for this class, and after 32 years, two of these individuals still send Christmas cards and letters. I am truly blessed.  Senior class party Golf Course Clubhouse Misawa AFB Misawa, Japan 1980

Cathy Rohn Pavillion, WY approx. 1968 Cathy and I went to all 12 years of school together and rode the same bus to and from school. Her house was about a mile and half to the east (near Ocean Lake), and sometimes I rode my bike or walked to her house to work on 4-H projects. This post has a photo of Cathy and me when we were about 5 years old. Cathy got her driver's license long before I did, and she drove a bright red, Chevy pickup with a short box. We were both in the Pep Club, and Cathy would often pick me up and take me to games or to Pavillion to catch the bus for an out-of-town game. Besides Pep Club and 4-H, another activity we had in common was FHA (Future Homemakers of America): Cathy was a State Officer when we were seniors. She also played in the band and sang in the choir. Mrs. Rohn was one of my 4-H leaders, so Cathy and I worked on a lot of our projects together. One summer, our club was canning cucumber relish at Cathy's house and somehow, I sliced my ...

Name Badges International Thespian Society Conference Ball State University Muncie, IN June 1976 Theater education was my college major; English and Speech education, my minor. Eventually, I would become certified in Journalism as well, but theater was my passion. I taught theater and directed plays for 8 years. When I returned from Japan, the school where I was hired already had a theater and speech instructor, and that is when I became the yearbook advisor; thus, resulting in becoming certified in journalism. During my six years of teaching in Wheatland, I directed four or five three-act plays yearly, and a musical every other year. The three musicals I directed were: Oklahoma, South Pacific, Godspell, and each production presented a unique challenge. I was blessed to work with two strong music teachers who handled that part of the productions. My theater students were dedicated and talented, and the Thespian Society was a vibrant organization at the school. I became the Stat...

Tom Gordy, Nancy Stearns, Robbin Oberheu, Dave Vogel and Ted Susan Davenport, and Kathy Kingston Autumn 1978 While teaching in Wheatland, my path crossed those of some wonderful individuals who became close friends of mine - several of which I still visit. Shown in the photo are: Tom, an engineer at the Gray Rocks Reservoir being built near Wheatland; Robbin, a college friend; Susan, Vocal Music; Kathy, Language Arts (we called it English then); Dave, Industrial Arts; Ted, a delightful Springer Spaniel with a fabulous personality, was a buddy to all, but especially to Dave, his Dad. We called ourselves the OTL (Out to Lunch) bunch, and since most were single, we did a lot of fun things together - shooting, exploring, and partying to name a few. The group included ten to twelve additional people. Two OTL couples eventually married: Tom and Kathy; Steve and Mary. Susan, Nancy, and Daisy June 1979 (This photo is for Chan who is Sissy's Mom.)  Daisy became a mem...

Robert D. Edgren High School Cheerleaders Misawa AFB Misawa, Japan - September 1979 Typical kids doing typical things on a gorgeous Fall day. . . Robert D. Edgren High School Football Misawa AFB Misawa, Japan September 1979 On the sidelines Misawa AFB Misawa, Japan September 1979

Homecoming Royalty Half-time presentation Fall 1967 In the 1960s, Homecoming Royalty toured the football field at half-time via convertible. Through the years, I've seen the royalty presentation on Autumn days when the sky was a gorgeous, clear blue; others, when huge snow flakes flew through the air. Some years, the wind simply howled. Despite the weather, the Queen and her attendants dressed in formal gowns for the half-time presentation, that is until the mid-80s when it became fashionable to simply wear slacks and a sweater. Paula Stearns, Georgia Arnold, Linda Stubbs Homecoming Royalty Fall 1967 The school band, shown in the background, often played at football and basketball games. The band also marched in parades at Homecoming, the Fremont County Fair, and Cheyenne Frontier Days. The music teacher at the time was Clayton Arnold, and his wife (Sammie) was the accompanist for the school choir. Under Mr. Arnold's direction, the band and choir often recei...

By far the best thing I ever learned in high school was how to type. Without that skill, I would not have been able to prepare the many term papers (research papers) that were required in high school and in college. I would not have been able to prepare the hundreds of worksheets, outlines, mimeograph stencils (does anyone else remember those?), applications, quizzes, tests, and reports that my job required. Little did I know that when I was typing the sentence, " the quick, brown fox jumps over the lazy dog " that I was using all the letters in the English alphabet. Mrs. Glaser was my typing teacher, and the typewriters in her classroom were manual like the Remington in the photo above. The keys on every machine in the room were capped so the letters were not visible. The only way to type was memorize the placement of letters and to drill, drill, drill - every day. The only help was high above the blackboard where a chart with the keyboard placement was displayed. ...

Vintage merry-go-round Hot Springs, SD Not much happening here, yet I feel like I am on a merry-go-round or knitting round and round getting nowhere. The merry-go-round in the photo was on the museum grounds in Hot Springs. I'd never seen one like it before. I've since seen it called the "Witch's Hat." When I was in elementary school, the playground had two merry-go-rounds. One was all metal and always cold to the touch. It was a simple design with two large circles (about 6' to 8' in diameter) spaced about 18 inches apart. It was possible to ride it in three different ways: push from the inside and ride the bars that supported the large rings, run on the outside and jump on side-saddle, or run between the outer and inner rings and jump on. The other merry-go-round had wooden seats, and resembled the one on this site . I remember getting splinters whenever I jumped up on the seats. It was possible to ride only one way: run while holding on and the...