The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
he Wyoming State Historical Society’s Awards Committee has announced that their Clara M. and Henry E. Jensen Outstanding Wyoming Teacher Award has been given to Moorcroft High School teacher Andrea Wood.
Wood was nominated for this award by West Texas Trail Museum director Cynthia Clonch, “[for] her dedication, expertise, direction and leadership for an English historical project for her sophomore class. Andrea escorted all her students to the West Texas Trail Museum and the Crook County Museum where they each researched an important historical topic in Crook County.
“Topics varied from the Moorcroft Depot to the Western Cattle Trail, to the Coal Tipple and Guthrie Sheep Empire. The students, under the direction of Mrs. Wood, will organize all the research and present it in a volume for further public viewing”.
Two of Wood’s students who participated in the Crook County historical project shared their thoughts on the amazing opportunity they had to learn about their home.
Amasa Gerstner said, “She really pushed us into doing this and got us kind of inspired. It’s interesting and cool to find out the history of our county. I was able to work on the ranch that I live on and talk to my grandma about it and find all the pictures for the Empire Ranch; it has a really cool story. And that we got to put it on an app and let everyone else could listen and hear our cool history.”
Mattilyn Mosteller shared her thoughts: “It was a really good idea and it taught us a lot about our history. I did my [research] on the McKean Ranch at the bottom of Keyhole [Reservoir]; I didn’t know there was a ranch at the bottom of Keyhole. She made us work really hard and taught us life skills that we’re going to need, like research – how to gather information and how to type a paper based on your research.”
Wood also acts as advisor to the student members of the Moorcroft High School Coffee and News Club, Book Club and the Secret Squirrel Brigade. “To date,” according to Clonch, “her greatest accomplishment is working with students and community members to create the Moorcroft Town Center Teen Room, a safe space for students in grades seven through12 to get homework help and hang out.”
With this award, Wood received a gift of $500, a plaque and an invitation to the annual awards luncheon to be held in Pinedale, WY on Saturday, September 7, at the Museum of the Mountain Man.
