NOVEMBER 2025
DOLGEVILLE CONNECTED
NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dolgeville Connected Moving Morning Connected District Bulletin This November, Dolgeville Connected tried Connected Partners something different. we hosted a Connected Movie event at Little Falls Collaborations & Contributions Valley Cinema! We showed the 2018 Training Highlights version of THE GRINCH and invited out Connected partners from SUNY POLY, Initiative Wide Highlights MVCAA, Fidelis and Excellus Insurance. Staff
This month at our Dolgeville Connected School, Ms. Deb Grogan was back to share more financial literacy and education with our Dolgeville students! This months programming was dedicated to learning all about checks versus debit cards.
Ms. Lisa Mang from Herkimer Working Solutions came to help us learn all about job applications. Ms. Lisa informed students on what kind of information they need to know to include on their job applications, including what makes an appropriate reference. Each student also completed a mock job application so they could get answers and feedback in real time.
Mr. Kevin Morales has been continuing his work with his boys youth group, The Council. The Council is an inclusive, strengths base group that builds leadership and respect amongst our young men. The Council meets on Wednesday and Fridays in the HS HUB.
Ms. Valerie Pettengill, Nutrition Program Educator from Herkimer County Cornell Cooperative Extension continued her nutrition programming with Ms. Countryman’s Home and Career Classes. This month they learned how to make healthier food fast as well as how to Power Up their breakfast. They made a variety of yummy food to try including mini pizzas and nutrition packed pancakes! ,
Ms. Wendy Richardson, from Herkimer County Cornell Cooperative Extension came to visit our four second grade classrooms this month. The students played a fun and educational agricultural game to learn all about farms, animals, and produce!
Ms. Eva Fuess working with some of our SUNY LPP friends during homework club this month! Homework Club is Monday afternoons from 2:353:30p!
HUB HUDDLES HUB HUDDLES
Our Connected HUB is always hoping with activity! Enjoying lunch, completing puzzles and magnet activities are always happening in our HUB HUDDLES and hang outs!
UPCOMING UPCOMING Events Events DECEMBER DECEMBER 4TH-CORNELL THERAPY DOG CONNECTION WITH WILLA AND MS LISA TO DCS DECEMBER 6TH MVCAA-DOLGEVILLE CONNECTED COZY COMMUNITY BASH DECEMBER 10TH-HERKIMER COUNTY CONNECTED HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE SHOP DAY DECEMBER 12TH-WORKING SOLUTIONS PROGRAM DAY (INTERVIEW SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES) DECEMBER 16TH-FIRST SOURCE FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMMING-WHAT IS CREDIT? HOW DO I BUILD IT?
Connect ed Dolgevi lle wou ld like to than k every one that he lps! We cannot do it wit hout you!
COLLABORATIONS COLLABORATIONS & & Contributions Contributions
Connected
Connected
PARTNERS PARTNERS
Joanne Zilkowski Family School Navigator Phone:315-429-3155 x 1801 Text: 315-880-0553 Our mission is to unite families, schools, and community resources to prepare children to reach their full potential in school and life. We assist children ages 0-12 and their families by identifying and addressing any barriers to learning.
Our Liberty Partnership Project currently supports 25 students!
Madison Bennett Marriage and Family Therapist 628 Mary Street Utica NY 13501 315-272-2748
Neighborhood Center provides on site mental health support. There are currently 43 students referred to the satellite clinic.
Eva S. Fuess Student and Family Advocate SUNY Research Foundation Hilltop 235 315-792-7340
Services Provided: INVIDIAUL ACADEMIC SUPPORT MEETINGS PERSONALIZED LEARNING PLANS SOICAL EMOTIONAL ASSESSMENTS CAREER EXPLORATION AND EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING SUMMER PROGRAMMING/CAMPS
Silence The Stigma - Hear The Thunder - Central Valley Academy Sports Psychology & Sports Management faculty faced off in a game of Hoops against First Responders to raise awareness and help to silence the stigma associated with mental health. Youth Ambassador Coordinator was present and provided information and giveaways to attendees. This event was hosted by CVA and all proceeds from this event were donated to The Christopher Newtown Memorial Foundation.
Youth Ambassador Coordinator, Katie has been meeting with district social workers and counselors in order to educate and outreach potential students for Youth Ambassador Council as well as Mother-Daughter Circles groups.
Katie joined the Connected Herkimer Team in November to help with Family Game Night. Katie took this opportunity to engage and build rapport with students and families in the Connected Herkimer District.
MEET KATIE BAKER
Youth Ambassador Coordinator, Katie spends time in each of the Herkimer County Connected Districts. Her schedule is as follows:
Monday - Mount Markham Tuesday - Herkimer Wednesday - Central Valley Thursday - Herkimer Friday - Dolgeville Katie can be reached at 315-360-4978 or katieb@connectedcs.org.
LINK LINKTrends Trends LINK is a single point of access embedded within every Connected school. It brings together school staff and community partners to identify student and family needs and connect them with appropriate supports, services, and local resources to promote student success. This year in our Dolgeville Connected District, we have supported 25 unduplicated families within our LINK system. The largest identified need in this past month has been connecting families to resources and services including mental health referrals, financial relief assistance and food insecurity relief. This month we have supported several district families with food boxes and community resource connections for food support. There has been significant stress and worry regarding SNAP benefits in our area, and our Connected HUB has been a valuable resource for many of these families for help! Food insecurity is stressful any time of year, but with the holiday season approaching it’s even more anxiety provoking. Our Connected initiative was blessed to work with the Compassion Coalition this month to provide 100 turkeys and potatoes throughout out districts, with ten specifically distributed in our Dolgeville community!
TRAINING Highlights TRAINING Highlights November Advisory Board
During the month of November, we hosted our quarterly Advisory Board meeting. For this meeting, we had two agencies present on the programs they offer. The first agency to present was CNY Fair Housing, located in Syracuse, New York. Tysha Martin shared with the group that the primary goal of CNY Fair Housing is to fight discrimination in housing for protected classes. They cover 13 counties in Central and Northern New York. Not only do they investigate and fight for tenants, but they also educate landlords and community providers on tenant rights. The presentation was very informative and a great resource to connect appropriate families that we work with. The second presentation was by the Utica Center for Development. This agency provides a variety of services specifically aimed towards veterans and their families including assistance with tangible items as well as mental health support. One of their programs, called the Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Program, works with veterans who have PTSD and other mental health struggles. This is an essential resource for veterans and their families we may work with.
Connected Partner Highlights: Monthly Connected Partner Highlights are held virtually throughout the school year for staff to discover and build connections with various community partners. During the month of November, we had three different agencies present on the services they offer. One program, the Cornell Cooperative Extension Child Care Council, shared that they offer Classroom Programming opportunities focused on social emotional learning. The Child Care Council has been a great partner of Connected and is frequently booked to come into our schools. They also offer assistance in obtaining child care and financial assistance to pay for child care in Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison Counties. Our second presenter was the Madison Community Action Partnership’s Permanency Resources Program. This state-funded program, which evolved from kinship caregiver programs, provides comprehensive support to kinship caregivers, adoptive families, and families going through legal guardianship or adoption processes, in partnership with the Neighborhood Center in Oneida County. This specific program is available in Oneida and Chenango Counties, but there are similar programs throughout the state. Last but not least, we also had Indium Corporation present to our staff on the Classroom Programming that they can offer. Indium can go into local schools and teach students about what Indium does, considerations for career exploration with Indium, and learning about the manufacturing process along with some STEMrelated education. This is a great opportunity that many of our staff only just discovered during this Partner Highlight. If you are interested in bringing Indium into your school, please reach out to your Connected Site Coordinator!
INITIATIVE INITIATIVE WIDE WIDEHighlights Highlights Holiday Assistance
Connected is in full Holiday Assistance mode, working to ensure students and families have the support they need this season. Last year, we assisted over 2,000 students, and we’re once again committed to spreading warmth and joy throughout our communities. If you or someone you know could benefit from holiday assistance, please reach out to your Site Coordinator or a member of the LINK Team—we’re here to help. If you’d like to help, donations are always welcome! Check out the Holiday Assistance bin map included on this flyer for convenient drop-off locations, or bring your donation to our main office at 207 North James Street, Rome, NY. Monetary contributions can also be made online at https://connectedcommunityschools.org/holiday-assistance/, and every gift helps make the season brighter for local families. Click here to access the Holiday Assistance Bin Map!
Now Open: Connected Purple Flamingo Thrift & Gift Store The Connected Purple Flamingo Thrift and Gift Store is now open! Bright, quirky, and full of character, the store offers a wide variety of thrifted and new items for sale. All proceeds benefit the Connected Initiative, making every purchase a way to support the community. If you haven’t visited yet, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Connected Community Spaghetti Dinner On November 19 in collaboration between The Connected initiative, Oneida County, and the Connected Rome CSD; the very first Connected County Spaghetti Dinner was held at Connected Strough middle school. The true strength of our communities in the Mohawk Valley is the spirit of resilience and collaboration to come together to support one another in the face of current and ongoing struggles. With the support of our volunteers from Oneida County, student volunteers, and Rome, CSD nutrition services staff we were able to distribute approximately 300 eat in and take out meals to anyone who was able to attend regardless of school district or home address. This event was proof that local action can have a wide impact.
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 Dolgeville Team Connected Dolgeville Team
Sarah Williams-Herringshaw
Katie Rockwell
Dolgeville Project Manager
Divisional Director of Connected Community Schools
Dolgeville Elementary 8-10am Dolgeville Highschool 112:30pm
315-985-0288
(315) 717-9748 katier@connectedcs.org
sarahw@connectedcs.org
IMPACT CENTER TEAM
NORA BAJOHR
ALEXIS TOWNE
DELIVERY TEAM
JOSEPH LEONE
CENTRAL HUB TEAM
VERONICA BAKER
SASHA MILLER
MICHELLE JEWELL