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Head Start:
See BECEP
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Health Curriculum:
In elementary school, Bismarck Public Schools uses a comprehensive health curriculum called Health and Wellness in grades K-6. These materials cover growth and nutrition, personal health and safety, drugs and disease prevention, community and environmental health, and mental, emotional and social health. The elementary health curriculum also includes Toward-No-Tobacco, a supplement in 5th and 6th grade that addresses tobacco issues, and LIFESKILLS, which teaches values such as caring, truthfulness, and responsibility.
In middle school, each eighth grade student is required to take a one semester health course, which covers such topics as drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex education, AIDS, stress, suicide, and death. There is also a new program called LIFESKILLS for students in grades 7-9. In senior high, students in grades 10, 11 and 12 may elect to take a more in-depth health class, which also includes family and parenting education. Health on the high school level is also integrated throughout the physical education curriculum. For more information on the health curriculum, call (701) 323-4290.
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Home Education:
The State of North Dakota provides an option for parents through which they can educate their own children at home. Public schools are charged with the responsibility of administering the program. More details can be found in our Home Education Handbook and by calling (701) 323-4074.
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Indian Education:
Services for American Indian students are in the form of tutorial services, home/school liaison, school supplies and cultural programs that are offered through the Johnson O'Malley program (tribally funded) and the Title VII Indian Education program (federally funded). To learn more, call (701) 323-4050.
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Interactive Television:
Bismarck, Century, and South Central High Schools, as well as the Career Academy, are part of an interactive television network (Great Western Network) with approximately 40 area school districts. Through the use of fiber optic cable and video equipment, Bismarck staff can teach high school courses to students in these schools or BPS students may receive courses from other school districts. Teachers and students hear and see each other in real time and operate just like traditional classrooms, except that their classmates and teachers are located in different towns. For more information, call the BPS Technology Director, (701) 323-4041, or visit www.greatwesternnetwork.com.
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The school system offers free full day, every day kindergarten for children who are five years old by July 31 of that school year. Registration is January-March. To learn more, call or visit your neighborhood public school. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, 938 kindergarten children were enrolled in the school district.
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Kindergarten Jump Start:
This free 2-week summer kindergarten program is designed to assist children with the transition to their first year of school. Students work on reading and math readiness skills and will be introduced to classroom procedures and proper use of school tools.
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Library:
All Bismarck School libraries are staffed with certified library media specialists.
In grades K-6, there are 10 elementary library media specialists serving 16 elementary schools. In grades 7-12, there are 6 library media specialists serving three middle schools and two senior highs. All of the school libraries have at least one library aide. Libraries are open before and after school every day.
The district library media center at Hughes Educational Center is open year round and provides instructional resources to all BPS educators, as well as area public and private schools who are members of the Teacher Center. The district library web page is at http://www.bismarckschools.org/library/. Individual school library web pages have a link from the district library web page and also at the top of each school's home page. For more information on library media services, call (701) 323-4075.
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Lunch:
See Food Service
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Bismarck has three schools serving grades 7-9: Horizon, Simle and Wachter. They each serve 850-900 students, for a total population at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year of 2,539 students. For information on curriculum in these schools, call the school office or the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary and Curriculum/Instruction, (701) 323-4073.
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Music:
The district employs trained music teachers to provide one hour of instruction each week for all students in grades K-6. In addition, students in grades 4-6 may participate in an extracurricular string instructional program.
Band instrument instruction is available for 6th graders five days per week. Middle school and senior high students can choose a variety of band, choir and orchestra electives as part of their regular class schedule. They may also take additional music courses as extra-curricular activities.
Parents are invited to concerts throughout the school year. These concerts are free at the elementary and middle school level; there is a charge at the senior highs, but booster tickets are available. There is usually a fee for multi-grade music programs and/or concerts held at an outside venue, like the Civic Center or Belle Mehus Auditorium. To learn more, call the Fine Arts Office, (701) 323-4082 (see "Extra-curricular").
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Noon Hours:
Lunch times vary from school to school. Middle school students must stay on campus during the noon hour; senior highs have an open campus policy (see "Food Services").
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Nurses:
Bismarck Public Schools receives special funding for 12 part-time public health nurses and 1 full-time nurse to serve our 16 elementary schools. To learn more, call (701) 323-4024 or call Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, 355-1540.
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