Bill the miniature horse munched on hay, oblivious to the schoolchildren who petted him.

A few feet away, some sheep and goats showed more appreciation as they nuzzled the curious small hands that reached toward them.

Harley Hernandez was among those children, who will enter kindergarten at Pineview Elementary School next week.

Harley wasn't a stranger to sheep, because he's ridden on them in children's rodeos, his mother Pauline Hernandez said.

The Hernandez family was cruising through the second annual Back to School Bash, held at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, the Natrona County Public Library, and the space in between on Saturday.

"It's a blast, the kids are having a great time," Hernandez said.

The family checked out the exhibits, watched the entertainment and learned of new programs for the children in the morning, a few hours before the afternoon rain forced the bash to shut down early.

"The point of this bash is to show the students and their families that the district and community support them," said Jennifer Schultes, communications specialist with the Natrona County School District. The District and Mercer House were the two primary sponsors of the event.

"We wanted to change the connotation of 'back to school,'" she said. "We thought that it had a negative connotation."

"Back to School" implies summer's over, fun's over, and parents are thrilled, she said.

"We wanted it to be positive and exciting for everyone, so we decided to throw a party," Schultes said.

Exhibits showcased nonprofit organizations, the Casper Police Department, the Youth Empowerment Council, businesses, food, and the schools themselves - even the kindergarten-through-grade six Red Creek School 28 miles southwest of Casper on Wyoming Highway 487.

"It's a small school, great teacher-student ratio," said MarKessa Baedke whose daughter, Delilah, will enter the first grade.

It doesn't get much greater than three students with one teacher.

The isolation can pose some problems, Baedke said.

Some families may need to drive their children 10 miles or more to Red Creek, but the school district offers travel vouchers for families, she said.

The district might save money by closing Red Creek and transporting students to its affiliated school in Alcova or even Casper, but that could cause other problems, Baedke said. "They don't want kids riding the bus 28 miles to school."

While Red Creek is 28 miles from Casper, it's as close as the Internet because every student is provided with a laptop computer, she said.

It's close in other ways, too, she said.

Last year, the whole school - students, parents, and recently retired and legendary teacher Hazel Scharosch - went to Thermopolis for a weekend, Baedke said.

The students sometimes visit the Alcova school, the families have Christmas parties, and they have their own sporting events under the mascot the Red Creek Rattlers, she said.

Last year, the students learned about the democratic process up close because the school is a polling place, Baedke said.

Next week, recent University of Wyoming graduate Lacey Bach begins her teaching career at Red Creek.

The parents of the students interviewed the teacher candidates and chose - with the ultimate blessing of the school district - Bach, Baedke said.

Bach will live in a small house next to the school, so her commuting time is measured in footsteps, she said.

The isolation doesn't bother her, and her peers seem jealous, Bach said. "I have a lot of friends who are teachers who think it's great."

At their exhibit at the Back to School Bash, Bach and Baedke showed off pictures of the students playing and studying, a display of mounted insects found near Red Creek, and the pride of keeping part of rural America alive.

"The benefits are so much greater than a big school," Baedke said. "It's a tight-knit community and everybody has your back."

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at tom.morton@trib.com. Read his blog at tribtown.trib.com/TomMorton/blog.