Communities In Schools of Northeastern Nevada (CIS) expands its reach in Humboldt County to five schools and nearly 2,500 students, with the addition of Grass Valley Elementary School and Sonoma Heights Elementary School. In total, CIS of Northeastern Nevada now works with 12 schools across Humboldt and Elko County School Districts.
“Humboldt County School District is incredibly fortunate to have created a strong relationship with Communities in Schools of Northern Nevada,” said Colby Corbitt, director of student services, Humboldt County School District. “For the past two years we have seen the benefits their site coordinators provide to students at Winnemucca Grammar School and Winnemucca Jr. High School, ensuring that we meet the needs of the whole child. In the past year alone, CIS has added their valuable presence and services to three additional schools in our district. We eagerly anticipate further collaboration and growth with our partnership with Communities in Schools and cannot thank them enough for the generous support they have provided.”
In December 2020, CIS also added French Ford Middle School to its growing roster. CIS site coordinator, Alexandra Schirrick continues to work with students, identifying their needs and supporting student goals through CIS’ services and programs.
“We are so excited to expand our student reach in Winnemucca with the addition of Grass Valley and Sonoma Heights elementary schools,” said Sarah Goicoechea, executive director, Communities In Schools of Northeastern Nevada. “We are grateful to be able to continue to expand our support of students and school in Humboldt County. If there is anything we’ve learned these past couple of years, it’s that students and families need support now, more than ever and we are eager and ready to deliver where and when needed. We are especially grateful to our community partners and donors who enable us to do what we do best – identify the barriers that prevent our students from crossing the graduation finish line and recognize the best versions of themselves, both in school and beyond.”
Since the new school year commenced on August 30, CIS site coordinators Allison Ballard and Ann Lampshire have been working closely with Grass Valley and Sonoma Heights elementary schools’ faculty, staff and students to evaluate their greatest needs and identify the appropriate services and supports to meet those needs.
The Community Resource Room was established to expand our capacity to ensure that CIS could meet the most critical basic needs of any student with the Humboldt County School District. While a school does not need to have a CIS Site Coordinator on campus, CIS will work with the school staff and administration to meet a student’s need when it is identified at the school site.
“We are also thrilled for the addition of a CIS Community Resource Room, providing a centralized resource ‘closet’ to meet our students’ needs,” added Corbitt. “Every student in our school district, regardless of school site, has access to school supplies, backpacks, clothing, coats, blankets, pillows, and toiletry kits. These resources allow our school district to meet a child’s basic needs, which translates to a student feeling safe and comfortable to learn in our classrooms.” By employing a network of more than 100 community agencies and nonprofits, CIS uses an evidence-based methodology to help students graduate. The work of CIS is critical given that Nevada ranks 45th in the nation for education, a statistic that should alarm all Nevadans. Students who are hungry, sick, anxious, bullied or troubled, may be too overwhelmed to learn, leading to failure in the classroom and eventually dropping out. CIS literally brings the community into schools to provide students with the services and resources they need to alleviate outside pressures and encourage them to stay in school. CIS’ long-term vision is for every child enrolled in a Title I School to have access to a site coordinator and an Integrated Systems Support.
