North Dakota Full-Service Community Schools (NDFSCS) Consortium takes an equitable approach to providing place-based programs and services through collaborative partnerships, leading to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.

WHAT'S NEW!

Dedicated Mentors are at the heart of Check & Connect, an evidence-based student engagement intervention used with K-12 students who are at risk of dropping out. The Check & Connect Mentor at Washington Elementary in Minot was featured recently at their national conference Attend, Engage, Invest! Here is what he had to say: “The students I work with look forward to their weekly meetings where they receive undivided one on one attention. They feel valued, appreciated and cared for. Students have shown improvement in attendance and grades. Being a Check & Connect Mentor has been a shear joy and has given me the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a student.” -Chuck Kranz, Check & Connect Mentor

To Learn More About Bringing Check & Connect to Your School

Click Here to Contact Anne Williamson

The Central Cass Treehouse recently provided a $1,000.00 donation to the recently launched basic needs pantry at Northern Cass. The operation at Central Cass has received such an abundance of support that they are now paying it forward to support neighboring schools with their efforts to meet student and family needs.

Click Here to learn more about the Central Cass Treehouse

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Ellendale Responds to Food Insecurity

When students are hungry, learning becomes increasingly difficult. When the Full-Service Community Schools Site Coordinator, Kristen Kaiser was recently hired, she made addressing food insecurity her first priority. Kaiser said, “We started our Backpack Program in January and ten students were served the first week. Since that time, the program has grown and we are now serving 29 students with backpacks that provide food over the weekend when school meals are not available. The partnership between the Ellendale Community Food Pantry and the Great Plains Food Bank has made this program possible.”

Solen Cannon Ball Improving Access to Health Care

For small, rural school districts like Solen-Cannon Ball, providing students access to necessary healthcare can feel like a nearly impossible task. Little school nursing support and limited school counseling staff can quickly overwhelm school staff with demand. For students with physical or behavioral health needs that the school is not equipped to address, a 20-mile drive to the nearest medical facility presents an additional barrier to accessing required care. In 2017, Solen-Cannon Ball partnered with the ND eCare School Health Program to provide their students access to physical healthcare. Through this program, students can connect with an experienced school nurse at any time during the school day through two-way video communication. “We found a lot of success with the physical health component, having someone with more expertise there to guide us,” said Jenna Feldman, Principal at Solen High School. “So when the opportunity came to add [eCare’s] behavioral health component in 2018, that was a no-brainer just to get our students some more resources.”

Click Here to continue reading more about Solen Cannon Ball's

implementation journey

Or contact Liz.Tofteland@k12.nd.us if you are interested in eCare's School Health or School Behavioral Health Programs

PIPELINE PARTNER & PROVIDER

NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS

Children need to know a lot before they begin Kindergarten. Waterford UPSTART can help. Their at-home program is currently available to families in North Dakota at no cost (spots limited) through the support of both state and philanthropic partners. Qualifying families will receive a device to use along with the software and coaching needed to effectively deliver the curriculum at home in just 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week.

Connect families here: https://www.waterford.org/upstart/

Contact beckyeberhardt@waterford.org

WELCOME TO OUR

NEW NDFSCS

ADVISORY MEMBER

Please join us in welcoming, Rebecca Engleman who serves as the Arts in Education Director for the North Dakota Council on the Arts, to our NDFSCS Advisory.

"I am excited to work with all the amazing members of the NDFSCS Consortium and the organizations they represent. Now is the time for us to come together to connect, collaborate, and link our arms around youth and families in North Dakota to create schools where all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential."

Click Here to read more about Rebecca and hear how the ND Council on the Arts will mutually benefit from working collaboratively.

SCHOOL SITE ADMINISTRATOR REFLECTION

“Education has turned into so much more than academics. Students can’t be successful in the classroom without additional support. The programs and services we’ve implemented provide consistency for our students, save time for families and meet students right where they are. I feel so much more supported as an Administrator and can focus more on doing my job as a result of implementing the Full-Service Community Schools model.”

-Jenna Feldman, Principal, Solen High School

HAVE YOU HEARD?

On February 23rd the ND Full-Service Community Schools Consortium was invited to present to the ND Legislative Education Policy Committee.

Thank you to the Consortium members who took time to present:

Luke Schafer, Oversight Team Member & Executive Director of CREA
Heather Simonich, Oversight Team Member & Pipeline Service Provider from Nexus-PATH Family Healing
Sheila Freed & Liz Tofteland, Pipeline Service Providers from Avel eCare
Jolene Garty, Pipeline Service Provider from ND Reading Corps

Click Here to View the Full Recording

ENDORSED OPPORTUNITIES

TRAINING OPPORTUNITES

Trauma Sensitive Schools - One in four children have been exposed to a traumatic event that may have a lasting impact on the well-being and functioning of students and their families. By understanding how trauma impacts students and adopting a trauma-informed approach, educators can play a crucial role in mitigating both the short and long-term effects of trauma. This interactive professional learning series will leave you with a renewed commitment to reach some of the most vulnerable students and their families.

GRANT OPPORTUNITES

Teacher Innovation Grant - North Dakota Department of Public Instruction will be soliciting proposals from North Dakota teachers that encourage innovation in our classrooms. The department will fund one innovative proposal each quarter submitted by a North Dakota teacher. The next application is due April 27th.
CaringforCommunities Grant - Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota recognize that developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong process and our communities play an integral role. Successful grant applications demonstrate strong collaboration and sustainability, incorporate proved, evidence-based approaches, and encourage civic engagement. There is no deadline to apply and applications are accepted year-round.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

NDFSCS Website Coming Soon...