During our 5th grade seminar meeting this month we learned what it means to be a good friend Being a good friend means treating others with kindness, respect, and honesty
Good friends listen to each other, support one another during tough times, and celebrate each other’s successes. They communicate openly, share fairly, and apologize when they make mistakes A good friend includes others, respects differences,
This month, Marina returned to Connected Jarvis to talk about communication with the 5th grade students. Students talked about different ways they communicate and struggles with communicating Students then sat back to back and using only words had to have their partners draw the picture they were explaining. Students were able to see the difficulty with communicating with others and also found ways to communicate differently with each other. and doesn’t talk behind people’s backs. They set healthy boundaries, solve disagreements calmly, and stand up for their friends when needed. Most importantly, a good friend helps others feel safe, valued, and appreciated for who they are
At CVA, RHYP was in the HUB where students were able to play trivia and had the students spin a wheel and answer the questions
Deb and Rachel visited the CVA HUB during 6th-period lunch to lead students in a financial literacy session on “What is a Budget?” Students learned important skills for managing their money and practiced creating their own budgets, gaining valuable knowledge to help them make informed financial decisions.
Connected is proud to support families across our Connected districts through our annual holiday assistance program. Once again this year, the Connected Herkimer County school districts came together to host a special day where local families were welcomed to “shop” for their children in a joyful, festive setting. Parents and caregivers had the opportunity to select meaningful gifts they knew their children would love, making the holiday season a little brighter for them. Families also received food boxes, ensuring everyone who attended left with both full hearts and full hands. This event was a wonderful reminder of the power of community, generosity, and coming together to support one another during the holidays.
Herkimer County Connected staff helped organize and carry out a gift drive at the Herkimer Walmart, collecting monetary donations, gifts, and new toys to support local families in need The generosity of the community helped bring added joy and support to children and families during the holiday season
Reconnect &Restock
District families were invited to a Christmas Family Movie Night to start their holiday break. Families watchedThe Santa Clause Movie in their comfy clothes and enjoyed popcorn and refreshments It was a great relaxing way for families to start their holiday break.
While Open HUB hours were not held districtwide during this period, food support was provided through a food bag giveaway at the Herkimer County Holiday Assistance event. Twelve district families were able to take home food bags during the event. In addition, identified Jarvis students received small bags of essential items prior to the holiday break. Teachers helped identify students in need, and the Site Coordinator conducted outreach with families to ensure support was in place In total, five students benefited from this additional assistance over the break.
HUB HUDDLES HUB HUDDLES
This month, students enjoyed a variety of HUB lunch activities that promoted teamwork, communication, and fun. Third graders participated in an energetic balloon game that encouraged movement and good sportsmanship, while others enjoyed a holiday-themed movie lunch group for a relaxed social option
Fourth graders took part in a teamwork challenge that required clear communication as they guided a blindfolded peer through an obstacle course. Microwave Monday featured mug cakes, allowing students to practice following directions, measuring ingredients, and learning kitchen safety all while working together and enjoying a tasty reward.
The Connected Site Coordinator held a HUB Huddle with first grade students. During the activity, Christmas themed coloring sheets were provided, and students were encouraged to color them to take home and share with their parents
The Site Coordinator at Fisher continues to build positive relationships with the first-grade students by spending time with them and helping them understand what Connected Community Schools is and the support it provides.
This month in the Jarvis HUB, the students worked on decorating the HUB door and adding their own designs to it. Students also decorated ornaments to take home or display in the HUB. During lunch groups, we made holiday slime which challenged the students to work together and follow directions We ended the week before break with a Silent Disco in the HUB Students were able to listen to music while they ate lunch. They learned about their friends' different music tastes and it gave them a nice way to end the week before break.
The HUB is utilized at CVA throughout the day for breakfast and lunch periods, 1st and 4th period study halls and after school The students eat, socialize and play games Other students work on school work and discuss popular topics happening in the school and community.
Throughout the month students decorated the back window with holiday themed pictures. Students also made Christmas crafts, ornaments and cards for their families while decorating the small tree in the HUB These activities allow
students to be creative, share their interest with peers and might offer them some time to celebrate the holidays if they might not normally be able to at home.
ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCETrendsTrends
Students across the district set attendance goals for December and checked in regularly with their Site Coordinators for encouragement and accountability. At Jarvis, students with strong attendance were recognized with Stewart’s gift certificates, including two students who achieved perfect attendance after struggling in past years. Family outreach through calls, texts, and ParentSquare continues to reinforce the importance of attendance, with one parent even reaching out for transportation support after a missed bus. Site Coordinators at Barringer Road, Fisher, and CVA are working closely with families through ongoing check-ins and relationship-building to support improved attendanceandalignwiththedistrict’sattendancepolicy.
Connected Connected
Referrals to Neighborhood Center located in Jarvis and CVA buildings continue for students that could benefit from in school counseling. 11 students are seen at Jarvis and 4 are currently being seen at CVA.
PARTNERS PARTNERS
The Site Coordinators and the Family School Navigator continue to work together with families they both service. Through outreach by Connected Central Valley, non school age children can be identified and referred to Family School Navigation for additional services and outreach.
The Liberty Partnerships Program was established in 1988 under Section 612 Subdivision 6 of Education Law to address the significant dropout rate and promote positive outcomes of post-graduation among New York State Youth.
One of 52 collegiate programs, SUNY Polytechnic Institute was awarded the Liberty Partnership Program Grant in Fall of 2022. The SUNY Poly Liberty Partnership Program team strives to provide academic support, career and employment preparation as well as social emotional skill building for 5th - 12th grade students within six Herkimer County school districts: Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, and Mount Markham.
The SUNY Polytechnic Institute Liberty Partnerships Program currently serves over 200 students providing a series of engaging and supportive programs to aid in individual goal achievement and positive outcomes. Supports and Services include:
Individual Academic Support Meetings
Social Emotional Assessments
TrendsTrends
Personalized Learning Plans
Career Exploration
Employment Preparation
School-based academic support programs
Summer Programs
Holiday Assistance and Food insecurity has been the most requested need this month at Connected Central Valley.
LINK trends in the Central Valley this month were holiday assistance. Each building worked with community resourcestoensurethatfamilieswereabletohaveagoodholidayseason.
At Jarvis, the site coordinator worked with the guidance department on the Christmas for Everyone Holiday Assistance. Families were divided between this program and the Connected Community School Holiday Assistance Shoppingday.Itwasestimatedthatapproximately80familieswerehelpedbetweenthetwoprograms.
At CVA, Valerie Pettengill from Cornell Cooperative Extension reached out about adopting a student for the holidays. Working with the guidance dept, they were able to identify a student. Any students from CVA that were inneedofholidayassistancewerealsoreferredtoourConnectedCommunitySchoolsHolidayAssistanceShopping Day.
Last month, families were referred to our community partners Catholic Charities and Salvation Army for holiday assistance. Connected Central Valley also worked with families Care Management through Central New York Health Homes (CNYHH), ICAN and Neighborhood Center to ensure that our families were taken care of for the holidays.
Herkimer County has teamed up with Connected Community Schools as part of the Herkimer County System of Care Initiative in order to provide Mental Health support and connections to Herkimer County Youth. The Youth Ambassador Coordinator will work with school administration, school staff and Connected Community Schools staff to identify students who could benefit from serving as an ambassador within their school district and community. The Youth Ambassador Coordinator will organize and facilitate Youth Ambassador Councils across Herkimer County School districts and within the community. Monthly meetings will be held in order to organize and implement activities, events and programming related to Mental Health support and awareness. Youth Ambassadors may also have opportunities to coordinate with Youth Ambassador Councils across Herkimer County including the Annual Youth Summit.
In December, Katie Baker, our Youth Ambassador Coordinator, supported Holiday Assistance efforts in Herkimer County and in Rome during our Initiative-wide event. Her dedication helped provide holiday cheer and meaningful support to students and families throughout our communities.
Mother Daughter Circle will begin on Monday, February 2 at the Central Valley Academy Connected HUB and continue for eight Mondays from 4:30–5:30 p.m. We welcome families of Connected Central Valley, Dolgeville, Herkimer, and Mount Markham families to join us. This group offers a welcoming space for mothers and daughters to connect, share, and grow together through meaningful conversations and activities. Please click this link or reach out to Katie to sign up.
December 2025 marked the 8th successful year of the Connected Holiday Assistance Program, supporting students and families across our Connected Districts during the holiday season. What began as a small act of care has grown into a powerful community-wide effort spanning all 13 Connected districts, rooted in generosity, collaboration, and compassion
16 Stone Brewpub th
Affair with Hair
Agway Holland Patent
Alteri's Restaurant
Arizona Tacos
Artani's Pizza
Bassett Medical Offices
Big Jay's Pizzeria - Rome
Bliss Environmental
Boss's General Store
Boyz From Italy
Central NY Academy of Dance
Cianfrocco's Subs & Wings
Collis True Value Hardware
Community Bank, N.A.Camden Community Bank, N.A.Rome
Franco's Pizza - Ilion Full Lotis
Gehring Tricot
Grande's Pizzeria
Haven Salon and Lash
Studio
Home Outlet Utica
Jervis Library
Joey's Pizza
Kylie's Diner
La Roma Pizzeria
Matteson Hotel
MetLife Insurance
The Power of Community Partnerships
This year, over 40 local businesses partnered with Connected by hosting donation bins for new, unwrapped toys and gifts Their willingness to open their doors and rally their customers played a vital role in making this program possible.
We are grateful to the 40+ local businesses that served as donation sites and helped make Holiday Assistance possible.
Mister Mikes Gyros
NBT - Rome & Utica
New Hartford Public Library
Nola’s of Clinton
Oneida County
Department of Comm.
Family Services
Petzotics
Remington Federal Credit Union
Rome First United Methodist Church
RT Federal Credit Union
Shook 40
Sorrento Pizzeria
Spresso’s Coffeehouse Square One
Coating
State Farm Michael Collea
Stuff the Bus
Style on Main by Nikki Marie Tanners Insurance Agency Toy for TOTS
Tucker Backyard Pools & Spas
Twin Rivers Paper Company
Woolner Family Eye Care
Connected Elves Holiday Project 2025
CONTINUED
Holiday Assistance Shopping by the Numbers & Gratitude
Through the collective efforts of donors, community partners, and dedicated volunteers, the Connected Holiday Assistance Program supported a total of 1,576 children during Holiday Assistance Shopping this season. With an estimated $59,000 in donated toys and gifts, this milestone reflects the generosity and commitment of our community-wide network, working together to ensure students across our Connected districts experienced the joy, care, and support they deserve during the holiday season.
Holiday Assistance would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, who generously gave their time to sort donations, support families, and assist throughout Holiday Assistance Shopping. Their compassion and commitment helped bring this program to life
We extend our heartfelt thanks to every business, donor, volunteer, and community partner who helped make this season brighter. Your generosity continues to strengthen our mission of supporting students and families during the holidays and all year long.
Together, we are Connected
TRAINING TRAININGHighlights Highlights
Mid York Library
Monthly Connected Partner Highlights are held virtually for staff to discover and build connections with various community partners. In December, Stephanie Markham and Diana Cassulus presented to our staff regarding what the Mid York Library has to offer. They detailed services such as the "Library of Things," through which people can borrow available items including snow shoes, games, and more! Library cards are free to apply for and can give access to the Library of Things as well as discounted museum and park passes, books, magazines, movies, and affordable in-building services like printing. They highlighted that libraries are safe spaces, resource hubs, providers of free, unfiltered computer access and paper tax forms, and hosts of free early literacy programs and events listed on the Mid-York website calendar. The Mid York Library is a great partner to our Connected schools and are eager to attend events with free books and tailored materials in Madison, Oneida, and Herkimer Counties!
