SUMMER & SEPTEMBER 2026
CONNECTED ADIRONDACK NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS Connected District Bulletin Connected Partners Collaborations & Contributions
Woogate Pines Women’s Golf League End-of-Year Tournament Connected Site Coordinator Belle had the pleasure of attending the Woodgate Pines Women’s Golf League End-of-Year Tournament. This year, the league set a goal to give back to a local organization, and we are so grateful that they chose the Adirondack HUB!
Training Highlights Initiative Wide Highlights Staff
The ladies generously collected and donated a plethora of hygiene items, shelf-stable food items, and other essential supplies to support local families in our community. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity, thoughtfulness, and commitment to giving back locally. Thank you, Woodgate Pines Women’s Golf League, for helping make a difference in our community!
July & August Recap
BOONVILLE-ONEIDA COUNTY FAIR PARADE Connected Team Members—Will, Katlyne, Adam, Jessica and her children, and Belle—proudly participated in the fair parade to help kick off the Boonville-Oneida County Fair! Our staff had a wonderful time throwing candy to paradegoers, connecting with members of the community, and celebrating this exciting local tradition. It was a fun-filled evening, and we are grateful for the opportunity to represent Connected while engaging with such a fantastic crowd! CONNECTED ADIRONDACK
Over the past two months, our Open HUBs continued to be a consistent source of support for local families, with a steady number of families accessing groceries, essential items, and other resources. Our Connected Adirondack Team remained committed to making sure every family—including those visiting for the first time—felt welcomed and received the support they needed. We were also excited to welcome Working Solutions as a new community resource, giving families an additional opportunity to learn about available supports and services. Each month, we continue to strengthen the connections that help families access the resources they need within our community.
September Recap COMMUNITY EXPO - FORESPORT TOWN HALL The Connected Adirondack Team participated in the Community Expo at the Forestport Town Hall as an opportunity to introduce our program and services to local community members. We tabled at the event to share information about who we are, the support we provide to students and families, and the different community resources and partnerships available through Connected Community Schools. The event allowed us to build awareness of our role within the community, connect with local organizations and residents, and make new connections that can help strengthen future collaboration and referrals.
REALITY CHECK Reality Check, led by Val Webb, connected with students during high school lunch periods to introduce the program and encourage students to learn more about getting involved. Val used the informal lunch setting to interact directly with students, answer questions, and share information about Reality Check’s focus on giving young people a voice and encouraging them to take an active role in issues that affect their communities and peers. By bringing the program directly to students during lunch, Val created an accessible opportunity for students to stop by, connect, and explore ways they could become involved.
INTERNET SAFETY PRESENATIONS
Amanda Galindo from Ride for Missing Children visited our high school to provide students with an educational presentation focused on Internet safety and making safe choices online. The presentation addressed important topics related to students’ use of the Internet and social media, including being aware of online risks, protecting personal information, and making responsible decisions when interacting with others online.
COLLABORATIONS COLLABORATIONS & & Contributions
July and August September Mrs. DeJong Nicole Moore Working Solutions
Connected Adirondack would like to thank everyone that helps! We cannot do it without you!
Woogate Pine’s Women’s Golf League Cara Greer Amanda Galindo - Ride for GWF NSDAR Missing Children -Mohawk Valley Spirit Animal Sanctuary Mary Ann Candee Foresport Town Hall Debbie Nowicki Val Webb - Reality Check Boonville Fair Association
Connected PARTNERS Rubenzahl, Knudsen and Associates (RKA) Psychological Services continues to be a valuable resource for the Connected Adirondack community, providing access to mental health counseling and support. Over the past several months, the Connected Team has made multiple referrals while maintaining a strong relationship with RKA and continuing to connect students and families with appropriate mental health resources when needs arise.
The School-Based Health Center continues to be an important resource for Connected Adirondack students and families by providing convenient access to medical and mental health services within the school community. Intake packets are available at the Connected HUB, and the Connected Team is available to assist families with questions, enrollment paperwork, and referrals when needed.
Our Resiliency Team has been working incredibly hard to support families, connect them with the resources they need, and help them work toward a more successful and stable future. We are proud to have supported families through their challenges and, as a result of their progress and the support provided, have been able to successfully close several cases. While closing a case is always something to celebrate, we know our work doesn’t stop there. We look forward to continuing to build relationships, support more families, and help our community thrive!
LINKTrends Trends
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School Faculty/Staff
Connected Site Coordinator
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Services / Resources
Team Approach
Food insecurity continues to be an ongoing need within our school community, with families seeking assistance in accessing reliable food resources and support. The Connected Team remains committed to connecting students and families with available community resources and working alongside Community Partners to help ensure families have access to the food and support they need.
UPCOMINGEvents Events
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER PRESENTATIONS DATES TBD
TRAININGHighlights Highlights
CONNECTED ACADEMY
Every summer, all of our staff come together for a training series called Connected Academy. This time is used for staff to get refreshers to start the new school year ready to go, learn new updates within the Connected Initiative, and learn about new resources available to bring into the schools and support the students and families we work with. This year’s Connected Academy included the opportunity to talk to a panel of experts from our schools and community about the work they do, and how our staff can use their advice in their own work. Many staff appreciated the different perspectives and ability to learn from those who have been making an impact in our schools and communities. That same day, Jim Sodja with the Rome City School District, presented to our staff on safety, so that staff who facilitate home visits and go out into the community can do so safely. Lastly, our staff received a full day One Trusted Adult training. Many staff shared that this training was extremely helpful and engaging, teaching staff how to be a support and trusted adult for the students that come into their HUBs. Connected Academy was a success for yet another year, and got our staff energized and ready to tackle a new school year!
ADVISORY BOARD
In August, we had our quarterly Connected Advisory Board meeting. Many of our Project Managers attend these meetings in order to discover what our community partners are up to and report back to their teams. At this particular meeting, we had Terri Salisbury and Gabrielle Cornish from Kindred Connections with The Neighborhood Center share information about their program and services. Terri and Gabrielle were able to provide handouts and information about the support they can provide to families who have adopted or have guardianship of a child, as well as how to connect families to them. This is a great resource for many of our schools’ families that Site Coordinators can help connect them to.
CONNECTED PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS September kicked off the start of our Connected Partner Highlights for the ‘26-’27 school year. These are held every month throughout the school year for staff to discover and build connections with various community partners. Our first presenters included Susan Gehrig with Oneida County Child Support Services and Sarah Quigley and Rob Mansfield with Epicured. Susan shared with our staff how they can direct families to apply for child support, what the process looks like, as well as how we can support parents who pay child support and are having trouble keeping up with payments. Sarah and Rob presented to our staff on a program called Epicured, which is a service available through the Social Care Network that provides medically tailored food boxes, delivered directly to families. Food insecurity continues to be a significant need for many of the families we work with, and this is a wonderful resource that can meet that need for those who are eligible. We look forward to building additional partnerships in future Partner Highlights.
INITIATIVE INITIATIVE WIDE WIDEHighlights
CONNECTED BOOKWORMS
Connected Bookworms continues to bring families together through a love of reading, offering stories, hands-on activities, and plenty of bookish fun! Held twice a month at the Connected Impact Center, these themed gatherings encourage children to explore books, spark their imaginations, and enjoy reading in a fun, welcoming environment. With activities designed to make reading engaging for all ages, Bookworms is open to families from all Connected districts, giving readers of every age an opportunity to learn, create, and discover the joy of books together.
W H O A R E W E A N D W H AT D O W E D O ? The Ride for Missing Children (RFMC) - Mohawk Valley is a community-driven organization dedicated to the prevention of child abduction and exploitation. While our mission is famously represented by our annual bicycle ride, our impact continues year-round through our dedicated Community Education program. In partnership with Connected Community Schools, we provide students and families with practical personal safety strategies, empowering the next generation with the tools they need to stay safe both online and in their everyday lives.
TOUCH A TRUCKS: T R U C K LOA D S O F F U N Safety education was on the move at several local TouchA-Truck events, where The Ride for Missing Children – Mohawk Valley connected with children and families through interactive activities and resources. At Mount Markham, Clough, and GWF, children enjoyed safety puzzles, coloring activities, and trivia games, while the Firetruck Spectacular offered safety trivia and prize giveaways. Families received tips on bike, personal, child, everyday, and online safety, along with reminders about trusted adults and staying visible while riding. These events provided a fun and engaging way to make important safety information accessible to local families.
N O T R E DA M E S U M M E R CA M P Students participating in Notre Dame’s summer program enjoyed an interactive safety presentation led by The Ride for Missing Children - Mohawk Valley’s Educator alongside Ride volunteers. Through engaging discussions, students explored bike safety, personal safety, and online safety while learning practical skills they can use every day. The visit concluded with a lively safety trivia game that gave students the opportunity to test their knowledge and earn fun prizes while reinforcing the important safety lessons they learned.
M O N T G O M E R Y C O U N T Y YO U T H D AY The Ride for Missing Children - Mohawk Valley joined families from across Montgomery County for Youth Day in Fonda, providing safety education through interactive games and resources. Children tested their knowledge with the Safety Trivia Wheel, completed hands-on activity pages, and earned prizes while learning important bike and personal safety skills. Parents and caregivers also had the opportunity to take home educational materials designed to encourage meaningful conversations about child safety at home.
F 3 C O N N E C T E D C A R N I VA L Families attending the F3 Connected Carnival in Rome stopped by The Ride for Missing Children’s booth to participate in interactive safety activities, spin the Safety Trivia Wheel, and take home educational resources. Along with prizes and safety materials, children were delighted to receive balloon animals, adding an extra element of fun while creating opportunities for meaningful conversations about personal and bike safety with local families.
HERKIMER CONNECTED C A R N I VA L The Ride for Missing Children - Mohawk Valley continued its summer outreach efforts at the Herkimer Connected Carnival, connecting with children and families through interactive safety education. Visitors tested their knowledge with our popular Safety Trivia Wheel, explored engaging activity pages, and took home resources designed to reinforce bike safety, personal safety, and online safety. Community events like these help extend safety education beyond the classroom and into neighborhoods across the Mohawk Valley.
H O L L A N D PAT E N T S U M M E R S C H O O L Students participating in Holland Patent’s summer school program took part in an engaging safety presentation focused on staying safe throughout the remainder of summer. Students reviewed important bike and personal safety skills before putting their knowledge to the test with a “Spot the Hazards” activity. The interactive game encouraged students to identify potential hazards and think critically about the safe choices they can make in everyday situations.
O N E I DA C O U N T Y C O M M U N I T Y H O P E A N D H E A L I N G D AY The Ride for Missing Children – Mohawk Valley joined families and community members at Oneida County Community Hope and Healing Day in Rome for an afternoon of safety education, activities, and connection. Children and adults alike were invited to test their knowledge with the popular Safety Trivia Wheel, while families could take home safety tip sheets and resources designed to encourage conversations about bike, personal, and online safety. Interactive puzzles, coloring activities, and other hands-on materials gave children a fun way to engage with important safety concepts.
F L OY D T O W N PA R K S U M M E R R E C P R O G R A M Students participating in the Floyd Town Park summer recreation program spent time learning about the 4 Rules of Personal Safety and what it means to have trusted adults in their lives. Students shared their ideas about the qualities that make someone a trusted adult and practiced identifying people they can turn to for help and support. The group then put their knowledge to the test with an active True or False game, moving around the space as they made safety decisions and explained their thinking. The combination of discussion, movement, and play made for an energetic and memorable safety lesson.
S T R O U G H L E V E L U P B O O T CA M P Students participating in Strough’s Level Up Boot Camp explored the challenges of making safe and responsible choices online, particularly when navigating peer pressure and group conversations. Through an interactive “Post It, Pause, or Don’t Post It” activity, students considered how they might respond to realistic online situations and discussed the potential consequences of different choices. The group also explored digital footprints and the importance of taking responsibility for their online behavior before learning about the STOP skill (Stop, Take a Step Back, Observe the Situation and your Feelings, and Proceed Mindfully) as a strategy for making thoughtful decisions online.
B AC K T O S C H O O L E V E N T S Connected Educator for RFMC-MV brought safety education to families at both the Ridge Mills Back to School Bash and the Adirondack Back to School Backpack Giveaway, helping students kick off the new school year with fun, learning, and important safety information. Children put their safety knowledge to the test through puzzles, coloring activities, and our spin-the-wheel safety trivia game, while families could explore helpful safety resources. The excitement grew as children returned throughout the events to answer more questions and challenge themselves, with several becoming safety trivia pros and earning our “big prize” of a bike lock and/or helmet. Through games, conversation, prizes, and handson activities, Connected helped make safety education engaging while giving students the knowledge and tools to start the school year prepared.
OPEN HOUSES
GOOD FOOD, GOOD TIMES Families at both the Canastota Back to School Cookout and General William Floyd Elementary School’s Back to School Cookout came together for food, fun, and community connection as they prepared for the new school year. At each event, The Ride for Missing Children – Mohawk Valley brought safety education to the festivities, giving children and families opportunities to explore interactive activities, puzzles, and helpful safety resources. Students tested their knowledge with our Safety Trivia Wheel, answering questions about bike, online, personal, and everyday safety, as well as trusted adults. Families also took home practical resources to help continue important safety conversations at home, while students enjoyed showing what they knew, learning something new, and earning prizes along the way.
The Ride for Missing Children – Mohawk Valley brought safety education to the Willard Prior, Mt. Markham, and Denti Open Houses, giving students and families a fun and interactive way to start the school year with safety in mind. Families stopped by our table to explore takehome safety resources, puzzles, and coloring activities, while students put their knowledge to the test with our popular Safety Trivia Wheel. At each open house, students selected from a variety of safety categories and answered questions about online and bike safety, trusted adults, and making safe choices in everyday situations. The trivia wheel quickly became a favorite, with students lining up for their turns and often returning for more questions—and a chance to win a prize along the way!
D E N T I L U N C H T I M E AC T I V I T Y We kicked off our new monthly safety program at Denti Elementary with a conversation about an important question for every child: Who can help me? During our first visit, students explored the qualities that make someone a trusted adult, focusing on the words and actions that show us a grownup is someone we can turn to for help. Students identified trusted adults in their own lives and created a take-home activity by listing and drawing pictures of people they trust. They were also given a bonus discussion question to bring home and talk about with a trusted adult: “What are some other ways you can help me when I have a problem?” Our monthly visits will continue throughout the school year, giving students opportunities to build their safety skills one topic at a time. In October, we’ll focus on Check First, where students will practice recognizing situations when they should stop and check with a trusted adult before going somewhere, trying something unfamiliar, or accepting something from someone.
J E F F E R S O N E L E M E N TA R Y B A C K T O S C H O O L C A R N I VA L We helped Jefferson Elementary families celebrate the start of a new school year with a little safety mixed into the fun! Students could stop by our table for safety-themed activities and take-home resources before stepping up to the trivia wheel for a chance to test their knowledge. With five categories to choose from and prizes for participating, the game kept students coming back for another spin, turning important safety conversations into something they were excited to be part of!
A D I R O N DAC K H I G H S C H O O L P R E S E N TAT I O N S We spent two days with Adirondack High School social studies classes taking a closer look at what youth safety looks like in today’s world and, most importantly, what students can do when something doesn’t feel right. We started with “The Truth in Numbers,” exploring current statistics and facts from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help students understand the real-world challenges young people are navigating both online and in person. Students then learned how to recognize red flags and manipulation tactics that can appear in different types of relationships and interactions, including online conversations, texts, DMs, and face-to-face situations. We discussed what they can do when they notice those warning signs and how trusting their instincts can be an important part of staying safe. We also explored the lasting nature of our digital footprints (or “digital tattoos”) and how our words and actions online can create a ripple effect that reaches further than we may realize. We wrapped up by discussing the growing concern surrounding AI-generated child exploitation material and the importance of knowing where to turn when something goes wrong. Students were reminded that making a mistake does not mean they have to face the situation alone, and sometimes, even when someone does everything they were supposed to do, they can still find themselves in a difficult situation. There is always help available. Students were left with NCMEC tools and reporting resources, so they know where to turn for support and what steps they can take if they or someone they know ever needs help.
UPCOMINGEvents
Oct. 20th - Lunchtime Activities at Connected Denti Elementary - (Monthly - 3rd Tuesday of each month) Oct. 20th - Connected Canastota Fall Festival Nov. 9th: Lunchtime Activities at Connected Bellamy Elementary Nov. 10th & 16th: Presentations at Connected Jarvis Middle School Nov. 17th: Lunchtime Activities at Connected Denti Elementary (Monthly - 3rd Tuesday of each month) Dec. 1st: Presentations at E.A. McAllister Elementary Dec. 7th: Lunchtime Activities at Connected Bellamy Elementary
MEET AMANDA GALINDO As a Community Educator for The Ride For Missing Children - Mohawk Valley, Amanda dedicates her time to engaging with each of the Connected Districts as well as other districts.
Amanda can be reached at amandag@connectedcs.org.
RFMC COMMUNITY EDUCATOR
HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY AND MAKE YOUR TOMORROW BETTER?
How can I help you today and make your tomorrow better?
If you know someone that may need help, our LINK system is here to assist with any struggle, worries, or needs that may arise. If you see someone in need of help (whether it's tangible items, assistance with housing, mental health, primary care, or anything) please contact one of us.
Connected Adirondack Connected Adirondack Team Team
Colleen Matthews
Belle Kranbuhl
YOUR ADIRONDACK YOUR ADIRONDACK DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR
YOUR ADIRONDACK YOUR ADIRONDACK BOONVILLE BOONVILLE ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY Belle is at Adirondack MS and HS
colleenm@connectedcs.org
(315) 272-8968
isabellak@connectedcs.org
CENTRAL HUB TEAM KNOW SOMEONE F HELP? WHO IS IN NEED O
Have them reach out to a Site Coordinator today!
ALEXIS TOWNE
KALI FOUNTAIN
VICE PRESIDENT OF CONNECTED INITIATIVES
DELIVERY TEAM
NORA BAJOHR
DUSTIN TROTZ