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Vol. 115 No. 12
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MARCH 20, 2020
School board votes to support workers, students during closure BY BRAD MOSHER bmosher@countrymedia.net
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Corona Virus threat sparks local closures STAFF REPORT
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ocal businesses and locations have announced closures for the week because of the threat of the Coronavirus in North Dakota. As of Sunday when the state announced the closure of all schools in the state, 100 people had been tested for the virus and 95 came back negative. The results of four others were pending. In the area there are several businesses and locations, which have decided to close because of the emergency pronouncements by the state over the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Among the locations are: All schools in Bowman County, Slope County and the rest of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced the closure of all schools in the state Sunday evening. That includes Marmarth School in Slope County, as well as the Bowman
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ABLE Inc. Repeat Outlet They also will not be taking in cans this week either unless special arrangements are made. Any questions or concerns, or special arrangements to be made please call us at 701-523-5844 Bowman County Regional Library The Bowman Regional Library will be closed through Sunday (March 22). All library materials will be renewed. Customers are
VIRUS» PAGE 3
SCHOOLS» PAGE 3
Fun Science Marmarth students mix fun, and science in ‘field trip’ BY BRAD MOSHER bmosher@countrymedia.net
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County School District schools, and in Scranton. Students involved in school meal programs should contact the schools for the arrangements, which are being made. Bowman County High School has a sign posted saying that the campus will be closed until March 20 as a result of the governor’s executive order. The school is scheduled to reopen March 23. The sign also recommends people to check its website and social media pages for more information or updates.
he Bowman County School Board voted unanimously to support its non-certified workers, students and teachers during the state-decreed emergency closure, no matter how long the campuses in Rhame and Bowman are affected. According to Superintendent Wayne Heckaman, the current emergency Superintendent Wayne should show just how strong Heckaman explains the the staff, school and comBowman County school munity ties are by making response to the closure sure they are not harmed of its campuses during financially. He suggested the school board meeting that even with the school Monday. being shut down Monday, PHOTO/Brad Mosher Tuesday and Wednesday before the school break at the end of the week, the hourly and staff workers should be paid as if they worked those days. Heckaman noted that it was not their fault for the emergency closure and the workers, students and coaches should not have to pay the price. In addition, he pointed out the teachers and staff will be looking for ways to make sure the students do not fall behind academically during the closure and ways to adapt the learning to the situation. The school is also providing student meals for pickup,
s field trips go, Marmarth students didn’t have a long way to go March 12. Instead, the science came to Marmarth and set up shop in the school gymnasium. The students found fun in building and firing off rockets made out of straws and tape, while others built parachutes or drew a series of interlocking
circles to create a geometric design. Those were just a few of the stations the students had to choose from at the “Gateway to Science” field trip. Among the other stations were straw architecture, Keva planks, learning how to build a closed system, candy structures and an air-powered vehicle challenge. For Joe McKeown, who teaches fourth through eight grades at the small Slope County School, it was a chance
Marmarth students stop at the end of the “Gateway to Science” field trip March 12 to pose for parents and teachers for a picture. PHOTO/Brad Mosher
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Sometimes rockets collided after takeoff during the science ‘field trip’ held at the Marmarth School gymnasium March 12. PHOTO/Brad Mosher
for the students to discover fun in science. “Whoa,” he said as students lined up to fire straw rockets at the door he was holding open in the gym. “We take the straws, put tape on the ends and then tape on the fins,” he explained as the straw “rockets” flew around him. The teacher added that it was a way to teach the students a little about aerodynamics and thrust. For some of the students it was a test of accuracy, others
were trying to send the straw rocket out the door. That didn’t mean the students didn’t have mid-air collisions or rockets flying off course. The event was a great experience for the students, according to Slope County Superintendent Jackie Kathrein. “This was a field trip with out leaving the building,” she said. But it was Bismarck-based Gateway to Science which made it possible, Kathrein explained. The van
brought the science activities to the campus for the students, then packed up and headed for a school in New Town for the next day’s activities. The Gateway to Science is based on the Bismarck State College campus. “Because we are a small school, they brought just 10 stations. Wee had volunteers to help run the stations,” the superintendent explained.
SCIENCE» PAGE 2