Police watching crosswalks
The Minot Police Department will be monitoring school areas and pedestrian crosswalks for any violations as Minot schools start on Wednesday.
The department urged parents to take the time to walk with their children to school to make sure they are comfortable with the routes they are using and that they use crosswalks proprely and know the exact route to and from school.
Drivers are asked to use extra caution during the beginning and end of the school day and to slow down and be alert in school areas. Drivers are reminded to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Drivers are to look and be alert around crosswalks. If they do see other vehicles stopping at a crosswalk, they are reminded to slow down and stop before the crosswalk. They may not be able to see a pedestrian in the crosswalk due to the view obstruction of the stopped car. Pedestrians do have the right-of way in crosswalks.
Drivers are also reminded that if they are dropping off a student at the school, they should not drop the student off in the middle of the street. Schools have loading zones or areas designated for them to take their children to drop them off. These are safe areas where they can leave their children and not be in the street.
Job Corps ceremony Friday
Quentin Burdick Job Corps Center will hold a graduation ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Burdick gymnasium.
More than 30 students are graduating. Ron Allen, executive director of Bourgault Industries, a global agricultural manufacturing business in Minot, will be the keynote speaker for the event. Bourgault is also a work-based learning partner for the Job Corps Center and Allen is a member of the industry council for the center.
Job Corps centers across the country are also holding their graduation ceremonies on Friday.
MSU department reaccredited
The Minot State University Department of Communication Disorders' speech-language pathology graduate program recently received reaccreditation through Feb. 29, 2020, by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, according to a release issued by MSU.
"We are pleased that the CAA recognized the strength of our program by granting us continued accreditation for the next eight years," said Leisa Harmon, chair of the department of communication disorders, in a press release.
The council holds six standards as essential to quality education in the audiology and speech-language professions: administrative structure and governance, faculty, curriculum (academic and clinical education), students, assessment and program resources. The council's site visitors spent two days at MSU in February. They reviewed the program, examined the facilities and on-site communication disorders clinic, and interviewed faculty, staff, students, alumni, employers and consumers. MSU's master's degree program in speech-language pathology was found to be in complete compliance with all standards.
To document MSU's due diligence in continuing compliance, the communication disorders department will submit its next annual report by Feb. 1, 2013. The university's next on-site visit is scheduled in eight years.
"I am grateful to all faculty and staff who helped prepare for the CAA visit," Harmon said in the press release.
The council, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's accrediting body, is the only accrediting agency for audiology and speech-language pathology education programs recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and U.S. Department of Education.
BND releases banking app
Bank of North Dakota announces the availability of "Big Start," a new mobile app that focuses on helping parents educate their children on financial literacy. Children under the age of 6 learn about saving money and participate in age-based career-planning activities. It can be used on any Apple or Android smartphone, or the iPad.
The BigStart mobile app is the first of its kind and is available through the College SAVE Plan administered by BND. It is available for download from iTunes for iPhones and iPads, and Google play for Android smart phones.
"The app makes learning about the value of money fun for children," said BND President Eric Hardmeyer in a press release. "I encourage parents and grandparents to use the Big Start app to start teaching children about saving money and spending wisely when they are young."
New applications for 7-12 year olds and 13-18 year olds will be released before the end of the year.
The "BigStart" app features four interactive sections that appeal to kids' learning styles. These include:
Little By Little This section illustrates how taking small steps can help accomplish big goals like saving for college. Children can listen to a narrator read the book, activate animations with sound effects and learn how to say "little by little" phrases in Spanish, French, Korean, Hawaiian and Swahili.
What Is Money? The concept of money can be difficult to grasp as a child, but "What is Money" teaches kids the basics of money and how to earn it.
When I Grow Up "When I Grow Up" helps children start thinking about what they want to be and the schooling it will take to get there.
Save, Share, Spend Learning how to save can be daunting for anyone regardless of age. This section introduces children and their parents about reaching savings goals.
It is never too early to start planning to finance college. Hardmeyer encourages North Dakota families to learn about the available matching grants and tax incentives through the College SAVE Plan and to make a financial plan for college. To date, families have saved over $322 million in North Dakota's College SAVE Plan.
For more information about North Dakota's College SAVE Plan, call 866-728-3529 or visit (www.collegesave4u.com) to obtain a plan disclosure statement.
The College SAVE Plan is a 529 plan established by the State of North Dakota. Bank of North Dakota acts as trustee of the College SAVE Trust and is responsible for administering the plan. Upromise Investments Inc. and Upromise Investment Advisors LLC serve as the plan manager and recordkeeping and servicing agent, respectively, with overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including marketing and distribution of the plan. The Vanguard Group Inc. provides underlying investments for the plan. The plan's portfolios, although they invest in mutual funds, are not mutual funds. Units of the portfolios are municipal fund securities and the value of units will vary with market conditions.
Investment returns are not guaranteed, and you could lose money by investing in the College SAVE Plan.
Williston chamber hosting reception
The Partners in Education and Leadership Committee of the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 2012 Teacher Appreciation Reception from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Airport International Inn and Suites at 3601 Second Ave. W. in Williston.
Educators and staff from any area school, including District 1, District 8, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Trinity Christian School, HeadStart, 8 Mile School District No. 6 in Trenton and Williston State College are invited to attend.
The event is a come and go affair with hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, a make your own sundae bar and door prizes.