Williston Basin School District #7

A huge thank you to all the parents who attended the Missouri Ridge Elementary School's Back-To-School FAMILY BBQ on Friday, 9/15! Parents were invited to join their kids for a BBQ lunch of hamburgers and hotdogs, followed by fun outside with bouncy houses and a petting zoo! A great time was had by all! Shout Out to the incredible Missouri Ridge PTO for hosting this fantastic event for students and their families! Thanks to the Missouri Ridge staff for their assistance in facilitating this valuable educational opportunity. A HUGE THANKS to the BBQ Sponsors: MonDak Portables LLC XTO Energy Handy Andy's Nursery Yellowstone River Beef Adkins Family Ellingson Family G-Style Transport Braaten Plumbing McDonald's Fort Union Supply and Trading Co. MARS of Williston KLX Energy Services Shift Services Capex Oilfield Services Green Thumb Weed Service Destiny Med Spa Safari Trampoline Ascend Automation Your generosity is the key to our success, and your support is GREATLY appreciated!

Seventh grade students in Ms. Owan's Life Science classes were working on their first Engineering Standard for the year! The Criteria: The bridges must be 14 inches long and hold 5 lbs of weight for at least a minute! The Constraint: A budget, materials, and time The winning team from each class will meet for lunch in Ms. Owan's room next week. If there are any local restaurants or families that would like to help make this happen for our students, we would appreciate it!

We are pleased to introduce our new parent handout highlighting our essential education tech tools for WBSD7 parents, PowerSchool and ParentSquare. PDF Version: https://5il.co/23z93 We are currently crafting a dedicated web page to welcome and assist our newest district families. Your feedback is important to us! What essential information and resources would you like to see included?🤔 Please share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇 #NewToTheDistrict #wbsd7 #CommunityFeedback WillistonSchools.org

📣 Calling all educators & community members! Williston Basin School District #7 is in need of Substitute Teachers to provide essential support our students. Your involvement can truly help shape their educational journey. Our substitute teacher positions offer a flexible schedule, allowing you to balance work with other commitments, while making a difference in our students' lives. Read on to find out how to join us and help our students succeed! APPLY:👩🏽‍💻🧑‍💻 WillistonSchools.org 🔸️HOW TO BECOME A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER: To become a substitute teacher, you will need to visit the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board website at nd.gov/espb/. The requirements to obtain a substitute license in North Dakota are: - Completion of an online application, including official transcripts documenting a minimum of 48 semester hours of college coursework (uploaded to application). - Three (3) positive personal/employment references with email addresses. Be sure to inform your references that they will receive an email reference survey. Applications without completed reference surveys will not be considered. - Successful background check completed through ESPB. - Valid Email account and phone number. The substitute license is $80.00 and is good for a period of 2 years. Williston Basin School District #7 will reimburse the license fee to the substitute after they have worked at least 145 hours for the district. The license expires on the applicant's birthday. The substitute license allows a person to be a substitute teacher grades K-12 in all North Dakota schools. After receiving your North Dakota substitute license from ESPB, please attach a copy of the license to your WBSD7 online employment application. Apply: WillistonSchools.org For questions, please contact: LuAnn Nelson Substitute Secretary Williston Basin School District #7 luann.nelson@willistonschools.org

For the 2023-2024 school year, Williston Basin School District #7 will continue to provide full in-person instruction, after school activities, and extracurricular programs. Review our 2023-2024 Return to In-Person Learning Plan located on our website under Menu > Departments > Health and Wellness https://5il.co/23sev This declaration of commitment to providing the best environment for our students, is meant to satisfy the requirements for accepting additional funds through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2, was enacted on March 11, 2021. ARP ESSER provides funds to states and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students. If you have any feedback or questions regarding this plan, please reach out through our Comments & Inquiries Form located on our homepage. tinyurl.com/WBSD7feedback

Immunization Clinics will be held at each Williston Basin School District #7 school in September. All students must be up to date on immunizations or have a completed exemption form on file by October 1, 2023. *Exemption forms must be completed yearly To View Immunization Requirements & Immunization Clinic Schedule: www.willistonschools.org/page/immunizations For any questions related to immunizations, please contact our Director of Nursing: Lynn Douglas (701)572-0967 ext. 11573 For a Certificate of Immunization (exempt form), please contact: Upper Missouri District Health Unit 110 West Broadway Williston, ND 58801 (701)774-6400

School Board Workshop Wednesday, August 30 5:30 - 7:30 PM LOCATION: WBSD7 District Office 1201 9th Ave NW FOCUS: The focus of the workshop will be centered around a potential bond referendum. For the agenda, visit: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/2185

K-5 Boys & Girls are invited to join Cub Scouts! Learn more at our open house Thursday, August 31 from 6:00-7:00pm in your school gym. Our family program is designed for making lifelong memories with your Scout while they learn values and important life skills. View Flyer: https://5il.co/23bnd

JOIN US at McVay! Regular School Board Meeting: Monday, August 28 at McVay Elementary School Gymnasium 420 University Ave TOUR the school at 5:00 PM! Board meeting starts at 6:00 PM For the agenda, visit: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/2185 To watch the meeting live, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@WillistonBasinSchoolDist.../streams

Student Enrollment Visit the District Office during the following hours to enroll your student in school. Hours for the Week of Aug 28 - Sept 1 August 28: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm August 29: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm August 30: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm August 31: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm September 1: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Address: 1201 9th Ave NW WillistonSchools.org

Williston Middle School Central Campus Families: Responding to parent concerns regarding 5th grade start and dismissal times at Williston Middle School Central Campus, the administration has taken steps to address the issue. Effective tomorrow, August 24, 2023, the start and dismissal times for 5th grade at Williston Middle School Central Campus will be aligned with those of grades 6-8. The adjusted bell schedules are as follows: Grade 5 Start: 8:15 AM Dismiss: 3:00 PM Grades 6, 7 & 8 (remains the same) Start 8:00 AM Dismiss 3:05 PM Additionally, the earliest drop-off time for all Williston Middle School Central Campus students is 7:30 AM. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to create a more harmonious schedule for all students and families. If you have any further inquiries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at studentservices@willistonschools.org

Williston High School First Day of School Schedule August 22, 2023

UPDATE for Middle School Central Campus & Garden Valley Elementary School parents and students (correspondence also sent via ParentSquare today) Principals are working diligently to assign students in PowerSchool. Over the last few weeks, two challenges have arisen that are impeding the scheduling of Williston Middle School Central Campus students in PowerSchool. The second of these issues has also had an impact on the scheduling of Garden Valley Elementary School students. 1. Due to a technical issue within the electronic scheduling system for middle school students, it became necessary for staff to manually enter all student schedules. 2. While awaiting the school board's acceptance of certain teachers' contracts on Monday evening (8/21/23), we are currently unable to input these teachers into PowerSchool until their employment is officially confirmed. In the interim, it is necessary for us to utilize placeholder teacher names in PowerSchool to facilitate student assignments. We invite you to join us at our Open House events on Monday, August 21. During these events, we will provide accurate printed schedule information for both you and your student(s). Students will meet their teachers and become familiar with their classrooms. OPEN HOUSE EVENTS: Williston Middle School Central Campus: 4:00 - 5:50 PM All Elementary Schools: 5:30 - 7:00 PM We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and stress that this situation may cause for you and your child(ren). Your patience and flexibility during this time are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Special School Board meeting: Monday, August 21 5:30 PM at the District Office 1201 9th Ave NW, Williston For the agenda, visit: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Agenda/2185?meeting=597292 To watch the meeting live, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@WillistonBasinSchoolDistrict7/streams

School Bus Schedule If your child is in grades K-8 and you registered them for busing, your child is accepted to ride the bus. Your bus stop is the one nearest to your residence. Times are approximate and may be subject to change as the school year progresses and the number of students on the buses change. Bus routes with only one stop also accommodate children registered with McKinney Vento. These busses currently do not have capacity for additional group stops. However, this is subject to change and may be modified during the school year. McKinney Vento & Special Education Students: If you are a parent/guardian to a child that is registered with McKinney Vento or SPED, you will be receiving a phone call with the approximate pickup/drop off time for your children, if you haven’t already. Thank you for your patience during this transition period and we look forward to the 2023/2024 school year! ~ Harlow’s School Bus Transportation FAQ's: willistonschools.org/page/transportation Bus Schedule PDF Version: https://5il.co/22ipw

Williston Basin School District #7 is working diligently to address previously overcrowded classrooms in our schools and ensure that class sizes are equitable across the District. This is not an easy task. However, it is necessary to make sure that classrooms do not have 29-30 students while others in the same grade have significantly less. The District is faced with considerable space challenges in our elementary schools due to student enrollment growth. We are doing our best to utilize the space that we have available to provide equitable class sizes. This means that principals of our elementary schools must contact families to notify them of school assignment changes. All elementary schools in our District provide supportive, nurturing, high quality educational environments for students. On August 11, 2023 we sent a communication to all families whose students were not yet enrolled for the 2023-2024 school year. We outlined in this communication that we cannot guarantee that their child will be placed at the same school that they were placed in the previous school year. We thank you for your patience and understanding as the District team works together to provide equitable and balanced elementary class sizes throughout the District. If you have not yet completed your child's enrollment process, please go to: https://wbsd7.ps.state.nd.us/public/home.html NOTE: Returning Student Registration can only be completed through the PowerSchool Parent Portal via an internet browser. You cannot use the PowerSchool App to access the registration link. For Questions/Comments: tinyurl.com/D7inquiry Williston Basin School District #7 WillistonSchools.org

Tomorrow is the Final Day for: Kindergarten Screening August 14 and August 15 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Lutheran Brethern Church 213 26th St E Williston, ND 58801 All incoming kindergarten students need to be screened for kindergarten readiness before school starts. No appointment necessary, first come, first serve. You will need to plan on staying with your student the entire time, which should take approximately 30 minutes. If your student was already screened this past screen, they do not need to do it again. If you have questions, please reach out to Dr. Begay at sheeresa.begay@willistonschools.org

‼ UPDATE ‼ We gave away ALL the Backpacks we had today! BACKPACK GIVEAWAY 🎒🖍 Free Backpacks with Supplies Available at the District Office 1201 9th Ave NW *Limited Supplies Available

School Start & Dismiss Times: ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Start - 8:15 AM Dismiss - 3:00 PM MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS Grade 5 Start - 8:35 AM Dismiss - 3:20 PM Grade 6, 7 & 8 Start - 8:00 AM Dismiss - 3:05 PM HIGH SCHOOL Monday-Thursday Start - 8:00 AM Dismiss - 2:53 PM - with the intervention hour ending at 3:37 PM Friday Start - 8:00 AM Dismiss - 3:27 PM

Back to School Open House Monday - August 21, 2023 4:00 - 5:30 PM Williston Middle School Central Campus - ASB Innovation Center - Bakken Ridge Center - Coyote Center 5:30 - 7:00 PM All Elementary Schools Bring School Supplies & Meet the Teachers!