In 2018, Pinedale High

School graduated 55 students out of 57 who

first walked through the doors as nervous

freshmen. The school’s graduation rate of

97.5 percent is the fifth highest in Wyoming,

according to Principal Brian Brisko.

When compared to schools with more than

35 students, PHS has the second-highest

graduation rate in the state, Brisko said.

Behind those numbers are a faculty and

staff dedicated to their students, small classroom

sizes and an open and innovative administration

willing to listen to new ideas,

said faculty members.

Students are people, not numbers

“Our main focus is on the kids,” said

English teacher Jasper Warembourg. “I believe

that’s where the focus should be. The

kids are the future.”

Pinedale High School is a place where

every student is regarded as a person worthy

of respect and capable of achieving success.

Teachers, staff and administrators all seem

to know each student by name and personality.

Teenagers are not just statistics or test

scores in Pinedale.

School counselor Hannah McKinney

works with students to make them wellrounded

people ready for the wider world.

McKinney meets with every student in the

school, starting with freshmen, to develop

graduation requirements and goals to meet

the individual needs of each student.

“We work to seek out what motivates

each student to graduate,” she said.

This might be preparing a student to go

to an elite college like MIT. While the MITbound

student might attract more outside

attention, however, the student who came

to school struggling and turned their life

around to attend Western Wyoming Community

College or pursue a vocation is just

as noteworthy to McKinney.

Standardized test scores are important,

but McKinney believes in preparing students

for the world by cultivating relationships

and building traits like integrity,

character, honesty, good time management

and rapport. These “soft skills” are increasingly

sought after on the job market, McKinney

said.

PHS has a student teacher ratio of approximately

one teacher for every 12 students.

This provides an environment where

teachers can really reach out to students and

connect with their interests through a wide

variety of electives, McKinney said. She

added that these relationships build respect

between students and teachers. Students are

more motivated to stick with school if they

know trusted adults like teachers care about

them, she said.

Social studies teacher Rose Robertson

said that staff and faculty all work together

to create a “safety net” for students. If a

teacher sees that a student is struggling

academically or personally, the teacher will

“dig in” to determine the problem and work

with administrators and counselors to find

a solution, she added. Robertson explained

that these efforts involve a lot of outreach

to parents.

“The staff cares about the kids and their

future,” she said. “We all do what it takes to

make sure all kids succeed.”

Options

Reading, writing and arithmetic are still

the foundation of learning at Pinedale High

School. Yet for a relatively small community,

students have a diverse offering of

classes to choose among – from vocational

classes to choir and creative writing.

“We offer a lot of programs to get kids

ready to meet the world and get the kids on

the right path,” said Warembourg. “They

make the choice about their future, but we

give them something to reach for.”

PHS offers courses in career and college

preparation, Warembourg said. He explained

that individual teachers also have

the flexibility to teach skills such as resume

writing or public speaking in class.

Community members from near and far

frequently visit the school to give presentations

about careers or colleges, Warmebourg

said. The list includes college

admissions officers, businesspeople, the

Wyoming National Guard, professionals

and technicians.

PHS also provides a variety of extra-curricular

activities to keep students invested

in school.

“It’s easy for kids to get involved here,”

said Robertson, adding that students who

are involved in activities tend to have a

higher grade point average. Students can

choose from an array of sports, including

recent additions like indoor track and

cheerleading, Robertson explained. But she

added that there are a lot of activities beyond

sports such as student council, Future

Farmers of America and even a new gaming

club.

Community organizations like BOCES

also reach out to the school to provide student

opportunities, Robertson said. She

added that BOCES helps fund internships,

Wyoming History Day and an annual trip

for students to attend the state Legislature.

Great kids

In Warembourg’s 26 years teaching

English, humanities and creative writing

at PHS, he has interacted with hundreds of

students. But they all left a positive mark.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of (teaching)

and every kid I’ve taught,” he said. “We

have a really good school with the best kids

in the world.”

Robertson agreed with her colleague,

saying that the “great kids” at PHS deserve

their share of credit for the school’s graduation

rate. Kids in Pinedale seem to have

a “hardworking mentality,” she said. Overall,

she is impressed by how polite, respectful

and well-mannered students are at the

school.