LINGLE – Lingle-Fort Laramie Elementary students made the most of their two snow makeup days Tuesday and Wednesday to close out the 2016-17 school year.
Following Memorial Day, the students hit the ground running, taking advantage of the warm weather and their end-of-school-year energy to visit Whipple Park. There, teachers, older students and para-educators treated the children to games, free swimming, full access to the playground equipment and a
barbecue lunch.

Fourth-grader Jersey Houk took a break from swimming Tuesday to enjoy a burger and baked beans.
“I like swimming,” she said regarding her favorite part of the last days of school. “And I like the ‘Step Back In Time’ stations (Wednesday), because I like to churn my own butter.”
The students returned to the school in time to line up at the loading/unloading zone and thank long-time bus driver Judy Sims for her 46 years with L-FL. Sims arrived in her bus to a flurry of signs, waving and chanting children and a bouquet of flowers.
Wednesday morning, L-FL Elementary’s top readers earned a fire-truck ride to school from Lingle and Fort Laramie volunteer firemen. Classmates stood outside the facility and cheered as the trucks pulled up, lights flashing and sirens blaring.
Following the dramatic entrance, students headed inside for more than three hours of “A Step Back In Time” stations. The children were divided into 10 groups and rotated through 10 different stations. The students moved every 15 minutes, ending at noon for lunch on the playground. During the event, students discovered how to perfect their jump shot, make bread and butter and rope like real cowboys. They also learned about science, soccer, soldiers, archaeology, history, tae kwon do and enjoyed a three-legged race.
By the time noon rolled around, students and staff alike had worked up an appetite and, at 1:30 p.m., the school closed the book on another successful year.