Kari Files, music director at Bethany Lutheran Church in Minot, and Pastor Craig Schweitzer of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Bismarck are serving as worship musicians at the 2011 Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, Fla.
Also at the assembly, Garrison native, Pastor Renee Splichal Larson of Heart River Lutheran Church in Mandan will be a featured speaker. She will preach in worship at the assembly today, focusing on the baptismal commitment "to strive for justice and peace in all the earth." The assembly's theme is "Freed in Christ to Serve."
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Makoti teacher gets Unsung Heroes grant
MAKOTI Joan Petrick, a teacher at Lewis and Clark-North Shore in Makoti, has received a $2,000 ING Unsung Heroes Grant.
Petrick's winning project is "The Advanced Placement Incentive Grant" which will enable teachers in her school district to train to offer advanced placement classes to students. One of the criteria for earning a $6,000 college scholarship from the state is for students to take an advanced placement or dual credit course in high school, but North Shore doesn't offer the advanced placement classes. Through the grant, teachers will be able to purchase textbooks, resources and materials for students who take the advanced placement classes and begin training to eventually offer the advanced placement classes.
Petrick will now compete with 99 other winners across the country for an additional $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 prize.
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N.D. joins interstate educational compact
North Dakota is now part of the Interstate Compact for Educational Opportunity for Military Children, an agreement with 36 other states to streamline the transition between various schools for military families as they deploy and move from state to state.
The state's involvement was marked by a special event Aug. 12 at the Grand Forks Air Force Base attended by Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley; Rep. Kim Koppelman; Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general; Superintendent Wayne Sanstead; and representatives of the active duty military and their families.
The compact is the result of legislation passed during the 62nd North Dakota Legislature and signed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple earlier this year.
"When our military men and women serve this country, their families serve, too," Wrigley said. "This compact helps ensure that while they are defending our nation here at home or abroad, we are supporting their children by helping them achieve their full academic potential."
The compact will assist the educational transition for military families who are oftentimes subject to deployments and movement from state to state. North Dakota is the latest to join 36 other states in furthering educational opportunities for the children of military families. Per legislation, a state council will be appointed to oversee the state's participation in the compact and Sanstead will serve as chair.
The Department of Defense assisted in drafting the compact along with the Center for Interstate Compacts, housed in the Council of State Governments.
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Williston State College offers business course
WILLISTON Williston State College is offering a business evening cohort program, a curriculum designed to help the working professional earn a college degree in his or her free time.
The program will begin this fall. It will provide a rigorous, accelerated program which will end with the earning of an associate of science degree in business. Coursework will be done on campus and online, with participants attending classes one night per week. They will finish the course with 62 credit hours completed.
"The participants will have the opportunity to meet other adults who share career interests, to develop their business leadership skills and prepare for possible advancement with their current job," said Wanda Meyer, Williston State College vice president for instruction. "The degree they earn will transfer to all other colleges in the state of North Dakota."
She encouraged anyone who wants to earn an associate's degree but can't quit their job to look into the program. She added that any company would benefit from sending employees through this program.
"Say you have an oil company," Meyer said. "That company, like every business, needs someone who can perform basic business functions that take place, including marketing, human resource skills, payroll, etc. To be at a level of professionalism and be where they are at, they will need to have management skills. This program will provide that training, helping the employee develop skills to help the company be better and more efficient."
For more information on the program, contact Leah Hess, enrollment coordinator at 774-4220, or Serena Christianson at 774-4526, or go to the Web site at (www.willistonstate.edu).
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Open house scheduled at Montessori school
There will be an open house at Montessori of Minot from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday. The public will have a chance to tour the school, which is located one mile north of the main gate at Minot Air Force Base.
Staff will be on hand to answer questions and register new students. Montessori of Minot will be offering free programs as well as elective classes for homeschoolers.
Elementary classes begin at the school on Tuesday. Preschool classes will begin Sept. 6.
The school will also offer a "day of fun" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 27. The school will have a truck touch (a chance to see and touch big rigs, police cars, and more), bounce house, games, and tours of the school. This is a free event open to the public. The Montessori of Minot PTO will be selling concessions.
For more information about both events, call 727-4994.