Craig — Colorado Northwestern Community College opens its doors to students and community members Saturday for its annual orientation and free community barbeque.

Students are invited to campus from 9 a.m. to noon for orientation sessions including computer training, financial aid and student life. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with their faculty advisor and finalize their schedules. Individuals who have not yet registered for classes are welcome to do so at this time.

Students and community members are then invited to a barbeque from noon to 2 p.m., free and open to the public. The paleontology lab will be open for the public to tour the college’s new dinosaur bone collection.

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Classes start Monday and fall registration is open through Wednesday.

School board, CNCC Board of Control election petitions due next week

Four seats on the Moffat County School District Board of Education are up for election, as are three seats on the Moffat County Affiliated Junior College Board of Control for Colorado Northwestern Community College.

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To run for a seat on either board, potential candidates must collect at least 50 signatures from registered voters in Moffat County.

Petitions are due to the college academic building by 5 p.m. Tuesday and due to the school district administrative building at 775 Yampa Ave. by Friday.

For more information or to find out what election district you belong to for the school board, call the administrative assistant to the superintendent at 970-826-6261.

Packets of information for those interested in running for the CNCC board are available from the Craig campus administrative offices.

New student, Link Crew freshman orientation to take place Thursday

The second annual Link Crew freshman orientation will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday in the Moffat County High School gymnasium.

The orientation is designed to make the transition from middle school to high school a positive one, with volunteer seniors and juniors serving as leaders and mentors to the freshman. The afternoon will entail both large and small group activities to address students’ needs and concerns in a fun manner.

A meeting for parents of freshman will follow at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact MCHS Counselor Donna Weinman at 970-826-6611.

An open house for new students (sophomores and older) will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday. Students new to the district are urged to attend. Schedules, locker assignments and school maps will be available for students to informally walk around and become familiar with the building and surroundings.

Family connection day eases elementary students into school

All four Moffat County School District elementary schools will host a family connection day Aug. 31 in lieu of a regular first day of school for elementary students.

Parents and students are invited to find out who their new teacher is and to get to know them before the school year begins. Specific time slots will be assigned to families by each school.

Activities will be set up in each classroom for families and students to engage with each other, including one-on-one time with the teacher. The event is designed to help families build relationships with their teachers and schools.

There will be no busses for elementary students on Aug. 31. School will officially start for elementary students and normal bus routes will resume on Sept. 1.

Free or reduced price meal applications due

Families that may qualify for free and reduced meals must submit an application form to Moffat County School District food services for the 2015-16 school year.

Some households will receive a letter in the mail notifying them that they qualify for free and reduced price meals based on receipt of SNAP benefits. These households are not required to submit an application.

Households that do not receive an automatic letter must fill out an application for the current year, available in school registration packets, on the food services website or from the front desk of each school. Only one application is required per household. A letter in the mail will notify applicants whether they do or do not qualify. If a letter does not arrive, call the food service office at 970-824-2160 to confirm the application was received.

Families that qualified for free and reduced meals last year will be considered eligible for the first month of school, but must submit a new application to continue in the program. Families must pay meal charges if an approved, current application is not on file.

Households that qualify for free or reduced meals may also qualify for free or reduced book fees, class fees, sport and athletic fees and drivers education fees. Qualification for free or reduced sports and athletic fees must be identified before participation in any sport, and fees will not be waived after the sport or athletic program has begun.

Households whose circumstances change during the school year may apply at any time, however fees for programs will not be waived prior to the date of approval on the application form.

Contact Karma Willbanks in the Food Service Department at 970-824-2160 for questions or more information.