By: Sherry Leavitt
Heart River Elementary School Site Coordinator
Heart River Elementary School is now a North Dakota Full-Service Community Schools (NDFSCS). NDFSCS and CREA (Central Regional Education Association) are a consortium representing a variety of ND schools and organizations who are passionate about helping ND students and families succeed. NDFSCS serves as a place and a set of collaborative partnerships that embrace the whole-child, whole-family approach to student success. We partner with community leaders to coordinate comprehensive support using our 8 pipelines. Our pipelines are Early Childhood Education, Remedial and Academic Enrichment Activities, Family Engagement, Community-Based Supports, Wellness, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Workforce Readiness and Development, Mentoring, and other Youth Development Programs. Students cannot learn when their basic needs are not met. Not all students have the resources to meet all needs. NDFSCS supports schools and community partners in navigating these challenges together.
I serve as the NDFSCS Site Coordinator at Heart River Elementary and have dedicated time to extend the school's capacity by assisting students and families in overcoming barriers to learning. This holiday season, we identified some families that needed a holiday meal. That is where The Meals from the Heart was born. With the help of our community partners, we were able to provide ham or a turkey, potatoes, corn, broccoli, gravy, buns, butter, cheese, crackers, appetizer meats, oranges, an apple pie, cookies, and candy canes to our families.
We want to thank our sponsors from the bottom of our hearts for their generous donations to make these meals a success. Thank you to The Backyard Play Café, Bosch Lumber, Out of Town, The Saucy Blonde Boutique, Bravera Bank, Vizion Signs, and the Putala Family. With your support, we made many families' hearts happy and full this season.