Greetings! For the first time, Gallatin County will participate in National County Government Week (NCGW), an event created by the National Association of Counties in 1991 in hopes of raising public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of the nation's counties. Although it is called National County Government Week, Gallatin County has planned a gaggle of activities throughout the month of April that, we hope, engage citizens and help better inform how counties respond to their needs and serve the general public.
The theme for the 2008 NCGW is “Protecting Our Children.” We have focused our activities in such a way to educate our community about the many ways our county works to protect and enhance the health, welfare and safety of children. We have made every effort to create interesting events and activities. We look forward to seeing you at one of our events!
Below is a list of those events in April. Schools and teachers are encouraged to invite speakers to their classrooms and utilize the resources available over the next few months for use in the classroom in order to further the education of our students on the role of County Government in their lives.
Kidsville News - The April edition of the Kidsville News will have National County Government Week/Month puzzles, quizzes, interesting articles, and tid-bits.
Internet Scavenger Hunt - A scavenger hunt will be available to students on Gallatin County's website, in the April edition of the Kidsville News as well as hard copies available in the Commission office and at all the April public meetings. All of the answers can be found on the county's website. A small prize will be given to each participant and there will also be a random drawing of all entrants for fair/carnival passes for two! Drop boxes for completed "hunts" will be placed in each school, but “hunts” can also be turned in or mailed to the Commission office
(311 W. Main Street Room 306, Bozeman, MT 59715).
Coloring Contest - This contest will be geared toward children grades K-5 and 6-8. The K-5 group will be provided a sketch of the county mural hanging in the Courthouse Community Room. The 6-8th graders will be given a blank county map and asked to draw/color the County as they see it. Each entrant will receive a participation ribbon and all of the art will be displayed in the County's Law and Justice Center during an "Art Show/Safety Day" on April 26th. Border's gift certificates, in the amount of $15, will be awarded to three entrants.
Art Show/Safety Day - (April 26th 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) During the Art Show, as mentioned above, we will also offer a variety of other events such as the "Scotty Smoke Trailer," car seat checks, fingerprinting and identification processing, take a seat in the DARE truck and hop on Bozeman and Belgrade fire trucks (kids will be able to get in and look at the equipment), K-9 demonstration (1-2 p.m.), and tours of the Detention Center for anyone who is interested.
Election Trunk - The Election Administrator and other NCGW planning committee members have put together a "trunk" that will be available to teachers. The trunk will be filled with items which will enable teachers to hold a mock election in their classroom. Inside the trunk will be:
· Voter registration cards
· Ballot (including 2008 Presidential, Montana Governor and Gallatin County Commissioner)
· Tally Sheet
· "I Voted!" stickers
· A voting Booth
· Curriculum guide
Contact the Election Department at 582-3060 to reserve your trunk. Trunks will be available for pick up on April 1st. The Election Department will schedule your return time. Final results will be tallied and distributed by the Election Administrator on May 9th.
County Commission Public Meetings - The County Commissioners hold regular public meetings every Tuesday and Wednesday. During the month of April these meetings will be held in various schools around the county. The County Commissioners invite teachers to bring their students to view any portion of the meeting and welcome students' questions and participation in any discussion.
April 2nd |
Ophir School, Big Sky |
1:30 pm |
April 8th |
Three Forks High School |
9 am |
April 16th |
Anderson School, Cottonwood/Hyalite area |
1:30 pm |
April 22nd |
Manhattan High School |
9 am |
April 23rd |
Gallatin Gateway School |
1:30 pm |
April 30th |
Belgrade High School |
1:30 pm |
Speakers/Presenters - Elected officials and department heads have volunteered to speak to classes and be available for Q&A. View the list (see link below) of who will be available and the topics they are able to address. Please call 582-3000 to schedule a speaking engagement.
We're excited about the programs, events and information we have to offer teachers, students, parents, and the public for this event. We hope you'll take advantage of as many of these opportunities as possible and look forward to serve you.
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