Kids Schooling in North Dakota

Let's talk a little bit about those nurses that are going to be coming with a family. What advice do you give to parents about schooling? And can you share about the school system in Bismarck?

I don't have like little kids. My kid arrived here she was already on eighth grade or something. But anyways, what I learned here, first before coming here for those having kids try to research which school is good and then from that school because they are like zoning here so it depends from where you live, what's your zip code.

There are certain schools that are you know that you can enroll your kids and then with free bus also there is a certain distance that you can I forgot what's the certain miles that you need to be far from school for you to be able to get a free bus. So yeah that's the first thing like check for a good school and then choose the apartment based on the code that zip code because there's zoning here.

Okay, great advice. Anything to add to that Carla about the school system and advice for parents coming?

So I think one of the main concern of parents here is the bullying. So I guess one tip that I can give them because when we moved here my daughter was in fifth grade. So she was an elementary and had to transition to middle school. Middle School here is between sixth to eighth grade and then you move to high school from 9th to 12th grade so just an FYI.

So she was in her last year of elementary and what like Ruby said, it's per area here or district that's how they assigned the public schools to you so everything is for free. Otherwise, from those additional that you have if your child is like an art class they have some stuff that they would want you to pick up for your child for art supplies, aside from that everything is for free, and then the busing is also free.

So the main concern is about bullying. I just give them the heads up or advise them that if someone is kind of picking on them even if it only starts as a joke to tell the teacher or someone who's an authority, so that bullying kid or that other child does not continue doing that.

But my daughter because she's very good, she was able to adapt to the other kids very easily. So she had no issues at all with someone bullying her. But stereotyping is very much rampant as well, they were asking her are you from China? Because it's like, they only know that when you're from Asia, it's like China's the only country that they know about.

But that's actually one of the main points that she told me about, they thought that she was Chinese. They asked her if she was eating dogs or stuff like that so I told her just answer them and give them the knowledge that China is not only the main country in Asia, and there are a lot more countries there and just educate them as well. Because the kids here, what do they know about? So yeah, just to address that bullying issue right away before it even gets worse.

But thank God that my daughter never had to suffer from that so that's one thing and like what Ruby said, just research on the area where you want to live and the school - if you see like, if the school has very bad reviews from other parents then just look for another area where there's like a good public school, either an elementary, middle, or high school.

So that's how the school system here in North Dakota. I think also all the parts of the US it's kind of depends on where you live. Because if you move, your child also has to move schools with you. Yeah, that's what happens.

A lot of international immigrants don't realize how the zoning works that you have to live within that specific zone. So that's a great tip is to be able for parents to prepare. And that's where from the Connetics nursing agency side, we have a lot of resources that we provide to our nurses when they arrive because it's something that you just can't know because it's different in America  and I think any other country in the world of how the zoning for schools actually work. I think the fact that it's is rated one of the best places to raise a family is something that is really very encouraging and very inspiring for any parents. So there are things to learn, but at the same time really a great place to bring up a family.

Yes, very true. And one more thing that I wanted to add Tanya is you have the option to homeschool your child which I actually have started doing for about two years now with my high school daughter, so she's just homeschool. So all you need to do, I think is, as a parent, you just need to provide the school district or the school board with a diploma or a high school diploma and that's it. That's how I got approved to homeschool my daughter because I've been doing it for almost between two to three years now. That's also another option that they can do in case.

Yeah, that's really interesting. And that's a new trend, not just in North Dakota. The new trend in the US and throughout the different states are really interesting.