Willow Clausen, front left, with Happy, and Estella Weishaar, holding Retirement, present the two female Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats to retiring Minot Public Schools Superintendent Mark Vollmer outside the school administration building Monday. Several staff members, school board members, family and others gathered for the surprise gift, initiated by retired teacher Patrice Mitchell, at right, and Mary Schmidt, a Minot business owner, to remind him of the “kids”as he leaves public education. Vollmer operates a ranch but once told Mitchell he didn’t have goats, which helped spark the idea for the gift. Happy and Retirement were born this spring on a Mohall farm to different show goat mothers.

Mark Vollmer holds Happy, one of the two goats given him as a gift Monday to remind him of the kids as he retires this month as superintendent of Minot Public Schools.