GREEN RIVER — Green River High School science teacher Dan Parson has been named Sweetwater County School District (SCSD) No. 2’s Teacher of the Year.

Parson was presented with the Teacher of the Year plaque at Tuesday’s SCSD No. 2 Board of Trustees meeting. Parson will be moving over to Expedition Academy this next school year.

District 2 Superintendent Craig Barringer presented the plaque to Parson at the board meeting and praised Parson for his exemplary accomplishments teaching science.

“We will never top what Dan Parson has done for us,” Barringer said.

Parson received a standing ovation from the Board and others in attendance at the meeting. Parson expressed gratitude for the nomination and Teacher of the Year award and his acceptance speech was brief and to the point.

“I am an amalgam of those who have mentored me,” Parson said.

In an interview following the meeting, Barringer explained how Parson endeavors to live the science that he teaches.

“Dan is a fishing guide during the summer on the Green River. He’s been a guide for almost 20 years. He’s guided Hollywood movie stars, Supreme Court justices; he has an impressive client list,” he said. 

Parson will now move on to compete for the Wyoming Teacher of the Year award.

Give Us Our Cupcakes

District Food Service Director Leah Kenison answered questions the Board had regarding government regulations pertaining to what kids eat at school.

“The policy is not new, it’s just being updated to follow state and federal guidelines on what we can and cannot serve kids,” Board Chair Steve Core said afterwards. “Concern is the birthday cakes, donuts, etc. that sometimes are brought into the buildings. We believe there should be some latitude to allow this. Also, what can be served to the general public at sporting events. We just asked them to re-look at the policy to clean up some of our concerns…”

At the Board meeting during the discussion regarding students bringing birthday snacks for their classmates, for example, Core did not favor regulating this aspect of classroom fun. “We’re not going to go that deep” on food service regulations, Core said.

Barringer denied that the school district would ever try to prevent parents and their kids from bringing snacks to celebrate with their classmates. “That’s not a problem,” Barringer said.

He added that food service is one aspect of schooling that is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the Department of Education.

“Sometimes the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations are not given with an educational focus, let’s say,” Barringer said.