September 6, 2012 I The Lovell Chronicle I 3
I•
BY PATTI CARPENTER
When the school year
rang in this year, it was on
the heels of the retirement
for several long-standing
educators from both Big
Horn County School Dis-
trict No. 1 and No.2.
DIANA RODGERS
Diana Rodgers retired
after seven years as the Ti-
tle I teacher at Rocky Moun-
tain Elementary School.
Rodgers taught in Big Horn
County School District No.
One for 34 years. She saw
many changes in the dis-
trict over those years, in- DIANA RODGERS CAROL MCMILLLIN AUSTIN GIBBONS DARLENE MONCUR
cluding the consolidation
of many small schools and special programs to help McMillin. the team won the state was to be close to our grand- as they learned from her.
the construction of the new them get caught up so they McMillin has suffered championship, kids and our children." "With the one student
school buildings that serve could eventually go back to with rheumatoid arthritis Gibbons is back on the who was blind, I learned
them today, the regular classroom pro- since a young age and she AUSTIN GIBBONS farm he inherited from his that he wasn't handi-
Prior to her tenure in gram," said Rodgers. said her disease makes the For 30 years Austin father. In the few shortcapped, he was blind," ex-
the district, she taught for "It was not necessari-day a bit longer and hard- Gibbons taught skills like months since his retire-plained Hawley. "He was
nine years in the state of ly the most needy children er for her because there are welding, auto mechanics ment, he and his wife have smart and very capable. He
Michigan. She first stepped who needed this help, it was some things she just can't and other vocational class- built a house on the land was smarter than I am."
into the classroom in Wyo- students at all levels," she do anymore, es, as well as math dur- and Gibbons has harvested So far, Hawley is en-
ming as a fifth grade teach- said. "An aide and myself "Of all of the different ing his teaching career at two crops of hay. He hopes joying her grandchildren,
er and later taught first would work with students things I do in my job, I love Lovell High School. to have cattle on the land volunteering at her church
through fourth grades, to help support and make coaching the most," McMil- "Austin was student again some day, like hisand helping her cousin in
When the principal them more fluent readers or lin. "My disease makes itcentered and always will-father did when he was aher fabric store. Sleeping in
asked her to take ori the to help with specific math difficult for me to do things ing to help staff or students child, and now it's his own and taking life easy is high
Title 1 teaching role, she concepts. We would catch like swing anymore but the in any way he could," said children and grandchildren on her list of priorities. She
jumped at the opportuni- those kids right away, be- girls still work hard for me Big Horn County School who are at his side. sees a few road trips in the
ty to work one on one with fore they fell behind." and I'll continue to do what Dist. No. 2 Supt. Dan Coe. future where she plans to
students to help improve Rodgers said she didn't I can for them. As long as I "He was a teacher leader at JUANITA HAWLEY visit her grandchildren.
reading and math skills for leave because she was am contributing and they LHS and provided great ad- Paraprofessional Juan-
those who needed a little "too old, or too sick, or too are gaining from having me vice for school improvement ita Hawley retired after 19 DARLENE MONCUR
extra bit of help to stay on burned out." there, I will be there for the throughout his career." years of service in School Darlene Moncur started
track with their studies. As "I had a great year and girls." Gibbons learned many District No. 2. She began teaching in Big Horn School
a title teacher, she worked I just knew it was time to McMillin has two as- of the skills he taught work- her career at the Children's District No. Two in 1986.
with grades kindergarten retire," said Rodgers, who sistant coaches (Camaren ing on the farm along side Resource Center and later She taught Family and Con-
through fifth, is enjoying time traveling, Boettcher and Kayla Hon- of his father in Afton. went on to work at Lovell sumer Science part time at
"As a Title 1 teach- working in the garden with eyman) who she says have "I think what I enjoyed Elementary School, whereLovell Middle School and
er, you usually get to work her husband and spending bought into her philoso- the most is seeing the kids she worked along side of a in 2006 added teaching the
with small groups of kids time with her mother, whophy and make a big contri- figure things out on their blind student from kinder- same subject at Lovell High
who needed a little extra is 86 years old. bution by helping with the own," said Gibbons. "Somegarten through his success- School, which filled the oth-
help," said Rodgers. "In the "I was about to turn 66 physical aspects of training really took the initiative ful graduation from higher half of her day. Moncur
situation I was in, because and I had taught all of those that are hard for her to do. and did just that and have school and through a year was the AdvancED Chair
I had been teaching in the years and I needed to take "When you have two as-gone on to do really well. of college, for School Improvement at
classroom for so long, I got some time to relax and dosistant coaches who have a It's always satisfying when Hawley taught her- Lovell Middle School for
some pretty big groups." some other things," said philosophy that falls right kids come back for a vis-self to read and transcribe many years.
Rodgers worked with Rodgers, who already miss- m line with yours, you it and tell me about all the Braille. Throughout the "Darlene provided great
groups of one or two and es the kids and the reward- couldn't ask for a better sit- things they've done with years she also worked with teacher leadership with the
sometimes up to 18 children ing experience of making a uation," said McMillin. "It what they learned. It's the three other blind students, staff," said Supt. Coe. "She
at a time helping students difference in their lives, gives us three people, with icing on the cake for me." offering the support they was always striving to help
improve their reading and "I thoroughly enjoyed it all different skills levels,Gibbons and his wife needed to succeed in thestudents and challenge
math skills, and I'm already missing it," who have the same philoso- have moved to Afton to beclassroom, them to greater learning
"It was classroom sup- said Rodgers. phy. So our girls are getting closer to their children and"As a paraprofession-heights."
port, that's what it was," the same coaching all thegrandchildren, al our job is to keep kids on Editor's note: Mon-
explained Rodgers. "I loved CAROL MCMILLIN way around." "We loved •living in track and to help them be cur was out of town and un-
it because I was brought up Carol McMillin also re- Boettcher and Hon- Lovell, loved the town and successful," said Hawley. available for interview at
in a one-room school house tired from Big Horn County eyman assisted McMil- the people," said Gibbons. Hawley said shelearned the time this article was
when I was little and that School District No. 1 after lin in year 2010 when "The main draw for leaving as much from her students written.
is what it reminded me of.*' 20 years of teaching Family
Rodgers said she per-and Consumer Science, PE
formed many "interven- and coaching the volleyball
tions" over the years, help- team. McMillin has contin-
ing students who were ued coaching volleyball.
otherwise not succeeding in "I decided to retire
the reading and math pro- mainly because my hus-
grams in their classrooms band works out of town
for various reasons, and I would like to spend
"The idea was to set up some time with him," said
Romombranc ,', Colobration
Join us on
Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 6:00 PM
at Greybull High School Football Field
to honor and thank first responders and
military members in our community!
Special honorees include fire, police, sheriff, highway
patrol, emergency medical services, search and rescue,
veterans, current military, and families of all the above. All
service members are encouraged to wear their uniforms
iiiiii
~iiiiii
iili~
ion
"A: New ]Call fashions
Live models " •
s5 bracelets and scarves
Door prizes
Refreshments
Sunday afternoon beginning Sunday, Sept. 9
RedZone takes you live, from game to game,
to catch the crucial plays as they happen.
miss out.., Get TCT's $50 SEASON PASS today!
to the event. "J Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Northwest Wyoming
Event is FREE and open to all~
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recom-
mends that men have a chance to make an
informed decision with their health care
provider about whether to be screened for
prostate cancer.The decision should be
made after getting information about the
uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits
of prostate cancer screening. Men should
not be screened unless they have received
this information. Ken Ferbrache
The discussion about screening should take MPAS. PA-C
place at age 50 for men who are at average
risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10
more years.
This discussion should take place starting at age 4_5 for men
at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes
African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative
(father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an
early age (younger than age 65).
This discussion should take place at age 40 for men at even
higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative
who had prostate cancer at an early age).
After this discussion, those men who want to be Screened
should be tested with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
blood test: The digital rectal exam (DRE) may also be done as
a part of screening.
If, after this discussion, a man is unable to decide if testing
is right for him, the screening decision can be made by the
health care provider, who should take into account the pa-
tient's general health preferences and values.
Assuming no prostate cancer is found as a result of screening,
the time between future screenings depends on the results
of the PSA blood test:
Men who choose to be tested who have a PSA of less than 2.5
ng/ml, may only need to be retested every 2 years.
Screening should be done yearly for men whose PSA level is
2.5 ng/ml or higher.
Because prostate cancer often grows slowly, men without
symptoms of prostate cancer who do not have a lO-year life
expectancy should not be offered testing since they are not
likely to benefit. Overall health status, and not age alone, is
important when making decisions about screening.
Even after a decision about testing has been made, the
discussion about the pros and cons of testing should be
repeated as new information about the benefits and risks
of testing becomes available. Further discussions are also
needed to take into account changes in the patient's health,
values, and preferences.
The PSA bloodtest will be offered at the Health Fair for only
$30, blood draw dates are September 8th, and 10th - 15th, 7
a.m. to 10 a.m. at New Horizons Care Center.
NORTH BIG HORN HOSPITAL CLINIC
1115 Lane 12 • Loveli, WY 82431, www.nbhh.com • 548-5201
