FARMINGTON — Cape Cod Hill School [CCHS] in RSU 9 is seeing transformative changes thanks to the First 10 Grant, which focuses on supporting children from prenatal stages to age 10. During a recent board of directors meeting, CCHS Coordinator Anita Stevens provided an update on her work as the First 10 Community School Outreach Coordinator.

“My position is new, it is grant-funded,” Stevens explained. “First 10 focuses mostly on prenatal through age 10, so I’m really focusing in on the younger years.” She described the First 10 Community School as a “resource hub that increases connection between schools, families, students and the community.”

Stevens highlighted initiatives to bridge the gap between pre-kindergarten and elementary school, including efforts to integrate pre-kindergarten classrooms with the broader school environment. “Often children who come to school, the pre-kindergarten is one hub in the school,” she said. “My goal is to help make a bridge between pre-kindergarten and the school.”

Stevens also described fostering family partnerships through the Family Den, a space created through the grant. “My desk is in there, so I work with the homeschool community, they come in, use computers, foster any needs they have,” Stevens said. “I collaborate with adult ed, Help Me Grow, and another organization to increase family education for anybody that might need it within our school.”

One major focus of the grant is addressing transportation barriers in RSU 9’s rural areas. “The idea is to create a ride program within the 10 towns that RSU 9 facilitates,” Stevens explained. “It would be a ride program for adults specifically; children can accompany them.”

Stevens outlined plans for the pre-kindergarten to kindergarten transition, which includes collaborative efforts between teachers. “The plan is to have the kindergarten teacher join the spring conferences for the pre-kindergarten kids so that they already get a warm handoff,” she said.

Superintendent Christian Elkington emphasized the importance of the grant, calling it essential for meeting the needs of rural families. “A lot of this work is helping navigate,” he said, referencing a past Maine program called Navigators. “CCHS is one of our more needy schools, a very rural population.”

The First 10 Grant has already secured $200,000 in additional funding and received local donations, including $50 from the Masonic Lodge and clothing contributions from the Eastern Star chapter, Stevens noted, “It has filled 21 needs so far.”

Chair Dorothy Robinson praised the efforts, saying, “Keep up the good work.”

Looking ahead, Stevens plans to continue community-building efforts with programs like a parent-powered texting campaign offering practical tips for families and school-connected play-and-learn groups. “The goal is to tie students, families and the community all together,” she said.