Orientation at Ramstad begins
Orientation at Erik Ramstad Middle School for the new school year will be this week. School will be held at the Minot Municipal Auditorium.
Eighth-graders will do orientation today; seventh-graders will do orientation on Wednesday and sixth-graders will do orientation on Thursday. Suggested times are 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for students whose last names begin with A to E; from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for students whose last names begin with F to J; 11 a.m. to noon for students whose last names begin with K to O; 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for students whose last names begin with P to S; 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. for students whose last names begin with T to Z.
Students will have an opportunity to pick up schedules and pay fees. Seventh and eighth graders playing football can pick up football equipment during open house.
There is no charge for planners. Purchase of a Minot High School athletic ticket is optional and is $30 apiece. Participation fees per sport is $25, up to a maximum of $62.50.
Technical education fees for eighth graders are $25; family/consumer science sewing kit fee for eighth graders are $15; yearbook fee is optional and is $20.
Students can also bank money for the school lunch program. A single breakfast is $1.25 and a single lunch is $1.90. There are also many a la carte items. Parents should write separate checks for the Ramstad Hot Lunch Program.
The first day of school is Aug. 22. Students report to their second hour at 8:51 a.m. Dismissal is at 3 p.m. Breakfast and hot lunch will be served the first day of school. There is no first hour on the first day.
Life Touch pictures will be taken on Aug. 24 during physical education classes. Retakes will be Monday, Sept. 24 at the Michael J. Photography.
Immunizations required for kids
State law requires that children enrolling in early childhood or day care or a K-12 school be immunized. Age-appropriate immunizations against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B disease, varicella (chickenpox), pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, and hepatitis A are required for preschools, early childhood facilities and daycares. K-12 schools require immunizations against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), and meningococcal disease.
However, state law enables parents to opt their children out of the immunization requirement if they have a sincerely held belief against vaccination, if vaccinations are against their religious beliefs, or if the child cannot be immunized for medical reasons. Parents who intend to opt their children out need to present the school or facility with an exemption form signed by a physician for a medical exemption, listing which vaccines the child is exempted from. The parent or parents must sign a vaccine exemption form for a religious or philosophical exemption, again listing which vaccines the child is exempted from.
The exemption form notes that children might be excluded from attending the school or day care or early childhood facility in the event of a disease outbreak.
State law requires that schools, preschools, daycares and early childhood facilities must keep the exemption form on file along with immunization records. The school or early childhood facility must make a report to the state health department on immunizations by November.
NDCPD to combat suicide
The North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities has been awarded a contract from the N.D. Department of Health, Suicide Prevention Division, to implement a statewide high school personnel training program. NDCPD is Minot State University's Center of Excellence in developmental disabilities.
"This is such an important endeavor for high schools in North Dakota. Our state has high rates of suicide ideation and attempts, and this training will help prepare educators to aid our students," said Brent Askvig, NDCPD executive director and project lead, in a press release issued by the university. "It is critical that this partnership with NDCPD and the N.D. Department of Health reach as many high school educators as possible. An investment of one hour in training may help save so many young lives."
NDCPD will utilize "Kognito At Risk," an avatar-based computer program, to prepare secondary school educators to recognize the common indicators of psychological distress and approach an at-risk student for referral to the appropriate school support service. The online training is free to high school staff.
The rollout of the system will begin in late August and will run throughout the next academic year.