Cardinal Community School District was recently awarded a $56,000 grant for the 2019-2020 school year from the Legacy Foundation. This grant will help fund an elementary counselor and a district social worker. The added support will allow Cardinal to provide mental health therapy on site for children of all ages.
Cardinal CSD will be adding an elementary counselor and two social workers. Partnerships with Pekin CSD, Great Prairie AEA and River Hills Community Health Center will allow these services to be offered while the costs are shared. “These partnerships are another great example of how you can offer more services for children and make the costs work within the budget,” said Cardinal Superintendent Joel Pedersen.
“The Legacy Foundation has been a longtime strategic partner with Cardinal CSD,” said Pedersen. “Our school is adding several mental health supports in place for the next school year. This grant allows us to add resources sooner and also provide the appropriate therapy on campus.”
The Legacy Foundation has prioritized Education throughout the lifespan of the organization and has funded many initiatives at Cardinal Schools. Previous grants include awards for technology, a 21st century classroom and the GPS program. “We are especially interested in providing supports to students that will enhance their ability to learn and attain the skills necessary for life after graduation – whether that be additional education and training or joining the workforce, stated Kelly Genners, VP of Programs for Legacy.
Cardinal Elementary teachers and staff are working very hard to provide research-based teaching practices, using a balanced literacy approach to teaching. Each day our school delivers a whole group literacy lesson, small group guided lesson, and a designated time for enrichment or intervention time to support each student. Cardinal Elementary teachers put forth great efforts to analyze student data and collaborate together to provide programming that meets each learners’ needs. Our Elementary has also partnered with the Iowa Reading AmeriCorp program to provide one-on-one tutoring sessions for Kindergarten- Third graders.
“We are devoted to providing our students the necessary skills and knowledge to assure they are successful life-long learners. The staff’s dedication to developing proficient readers, while also instilling a love for learning continues to be a priority and a daily focus,” said Cardinal Elementary Principal Heather Buckley.
