On Friday, the Little Falls Independent School District became part of the Connected Community Schools, which is a Rome-based initiative that combines efforts of over 100 businesses and community-based agencies in pursuit of finding solutions to a wide-ranging array of challenges facing students, their families, and the school community. In each district, we help to coordinate, streamline, and deliver needed services to students and families so that students can succeed despite personal obstacles.

Examples of areas where the CCS team can provide assistance include housing, food insecurity, medical and dental issues, and mental health. The initiative also provides embedded student and family engagement and classroom programming, where community experts are invited to educate and organize engagement opportunities for students and families. CCS Coordinators have been getting to know the community through open houses and orientations, and have already teamed up to create a “Hub Club” – a lunch group in the middle and high school with discussions and games surrounding Social-Emotional Learning, open to any students as needed.

Little Falls Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Keith Levatino shares “After several months of virtual, cohorted, and disrupted attendance, students have returned with some emotional and behavioral needs. CCS provides support both during the school day and beyond that to supplement our services to address those issues.”

“CCS provides a hub to link families and students to services in the broader region. We’ve always had community partners such as the YMCA and Little Falls Community Outreach, and those relationships continue to be essential to the district, but CCS connects us to a broader network within and outside the county” Levatino said.

CCS establishes a community hub at each school that provides families with no-cost essentials such as food items, hygiene needs, and school supplies that are available to any student or family with need. This can make the difference between a student being ready to learn and participate rather than worrying about basics. So far, our Little Falls Connected Hubs, housed in both Benton Hall Academy and the Middle/High School, have given out over 2000 snacks and provided food bundles, school supplies, and hygiene products to over 250 individuals.

“Little Falls has always been a caring community, and as a district, we have tended to reach out and support families in times of need. CCS is a natural extension of who we are and what we do” Levatino said.

Danielle Martin, Co-Leader of the Connected Community Schools Initiative expressed, “Our team is excited to partner and become part of the Little Falls School Family to create a connected school that supports not only their students and families but the community.”