Madison - March 2026 - Newsletter

MARCH 2026

CONNECTED MADISON NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS Connected District Bulletin Connected Partners Collaborations & Contributions Training Highlights Initiative Wide Highlights Staff

PANCAKES & PJS Connected Madison's annual PJ's & Pancakes Family Literacy Night was a sweet mixture of family fun, reading, community partners, and yummy pancakes!

Families were able to talk to the Waterville library, Hamilton library, CAP Healthy Families Program, Madison EMS, and CCE SNAP-Ed about program offerings and participate in fun activities with each community partner. Students were able to listen to stories being read aloud, grab bags and take home free books, play games, and enjoy a delicious pancake dinner made by the Madison FFA students. Special thanks to our guest readers and Collins Family Farm for the fresh maple syrup donation!

2ND GRADE GREEN EGGS & HAM Connected Madison Second Grade Students and teachers celebrated Dr. Seuss with the annual Green Eggs and Ham breakfast! Ms. Chelsea, Madison Cafeteria Manager, and Ms. Bowen were able to create an egg, ham, and muffin breakfast for students and then Ms. Bowen read the iconic book, Green Eggs & Ham. Students and teachers enjoyed the food and story!

AG IN THE CLASSROOM Madison County Cornell Cooperative Extension shared their annual Ag in the Classroom book and activity with Madison Elementary to celebrate Ag week! Shelby Stith came to read the book, “Season on a Farm” to all classrooms and Mr. Jennett completed the season on a farm activity with all classes.

Many thanks to CCE for donating two books to the school library and providing all of the materials for the activity and also to Mrs. Stith and Mr. Jennett for collaborating with us and spending your time on the educational opportunity!

MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM Families were recently welcomed to the 5th grade classrooms to see the students' performance of the play, Mid Summer Nights Dream. At the completion of the play, families, students, and teachers gathered for a small reception to celebrate their achievement and enjoy each other's company. A job well done to all!

WATER WEDNESDAY Ms. Carol with Madison County Cornell Cooperative Extension SNAP-Ed was in to share a fabulous Blue Razz water! She shared the health benefits of blueberries and raspberries with students and reminded them of the delicious drink options that contain less sugar and more health benefits!

CHIVITO SANDWICHES Mr. Giannone’s 10th grade Spanish class recently completed their study of Spanish-speaking countries. To celebrate their outstanding performance on their projects, students participated in a hands-on culinary experience, creating a traditional dish.

With guidance from Ms. Bowen, students prepared and enjoyed chivito sandwiches, a specialty originating from Uruguay. Throughout the activity, students had the opportunity to chop, fry, and toast ingredients while collaborating with their peers. The experience provided a meaningful and engaging way to celebrate their learning and enjoy time together over a delicious meal.

COOKIES WITH THE EASTER BUNNY The Madison Student Council's annual Cookies with the Easter Bunny was successful entertainment yet again this year! Student Council provided an engaging Easter Bunny for free family photo opportunities, cookies, coloring sheets, and the ever popular egg hunt!

Madison EMS joined in the fun offering health related information and free first aid kits to families while the Class of 2027 and 2028 both had fund raising booths including opportunities to whack-a-bunny, enjoy hot coffee, hair tinsel, or bunny ear ring toss. The Class of 2026 sold chicken BBQ dinners to families as their spring fund raiser. Ms Bowen was happy to collaborate with each group and be on hand to assist as needed.

PARP CELEBRATION

Madison Elementary celebrated the annual NYS PTA Pick a Reading Partner (PARP) month with a calendar full of activities and an ending celebration to recognize achievements. Students were challenged to read at home and turn in weekly slips attesting to minutes read and in return were awarded with weekly prizes from Ms. Bowen including theme pencils, erasers, notebooks, pencil pouches, and more!

The elementary student council acted out a book read by Mrs. Bodner, Madison librarian, in anticipation of a future visit from children's author Amy Guglielmo. Classrooms participated in the Battle of the Books and the winner was announced as well as the winners of the MO BOCES calendar contest with our own Lauren Lolman earning 3rd place from all MO BOCES component districts! Students were able to earn Water Safari tickets for turning in reading logs, participate in dress up days through the month, and then grand prizes were awarded at random from reading slip drawings. Encouraging more reading, fun, and prizes made for a fabulous month long celebration!

PERSPECTIVE WITH CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Ms. Marina from Oneida County Cornell Cooperative Extension Child Care Council came to Madison Elementary to talk about perspective with students and teachers. Her engaging program reviewed how if you don't have the full picture, you don't always know the whole story and your perspective changes as you learn and grow and have different experiences. Students were very interested and captivated by her presentation and she received many compliments from teachers on her activity.

Thank you Ms. Marina for sharing your day with us and expanding on the character trait of perspective!

POSITIVITY PROJECT ASSEMBLY The monthly Positivity Project Assembly celebrated the character traits of humility, perspective, love of learning, and identifying and appreciating the good in others. Students were recognized as they demonstrated the traits in their school days. Mrs. Luray Moshier with the Verona Food Pantry spoke about what food pantries do in our community and kicked off the Cereal Stock Up drive! Students were reminded that these traits are not just something we learn about in school, but something that we do every day!

THREE & ME The monthly Three & Me Group celebrated dinosaurs with a great story read by Ms. Matteson and a fun craft making dinosaurs!

Future students enjoyed free time playing with each other building friendships and a tasty treat to round out the evening. Participants are looking forward to getting in the classroom for next month’s group!

HUB HUDDLES CONNECTED MADISON

The HUB continues to be a space welcoming students from study halls for a quiet place to be with friends, have snacks, and engage with Ms. Bowen. Conversing about school, sports, friendships, families, and doing school work while enjoying a snack happens daily.

HUB huddles such as the high school lunch bunch, Colgate mentors and mentees, class meetings, or students meeting with community partners fill the space with new ideas and meaningful relationships.

Connected PARTNERS Ms. Tubbs and Ms. Bowen continue to collaborate with families and students to best serve their mental health needs.

Trends

The Madison LINK Team continues to actively collaborate and brainstorm ways to engage students and families who may benefit from additional mental health support. Through ongoing outreach and meaningful conversations, the team has increased LINK referrals to in-school services, particularly connecting students with Madison County Mental Health resources available within the building. By strengthening relationships with students, families, and on-site mental health providers, the team continues to enhance its ability to identify needs and connect students with the appropriate supports for their well-being.

COLLABORATIONS COLLABORATIONS & & Contributions Madison New Teachers meeting reviewing Data Madison Elementary Book Study, The Energy Bus for Schools Madison County SPOA monthly meeting Career and College Fair planning meeting Summer Enrichment Planning meeting The NED Show at Madison Elementary, assisted organizing and scheduling the presentation Madison SADD meeting Madison Reality Check meetings Hamilton Public LIbrary First Annual Art Show, attended and engaged with students entered and winners!

Madison Drama production of Willy Wonka, assisted coordinating dinner

Compassion Coalition Donation of 55 boxes of school supplies for teachers and students.

Ms. Cheryl donated St. Patrick's Day Cookie Donation and Easter Peep Smore Kit Donation.

Dollar Tree Donation to Madison Conencted and Connected as a whole.

UPCOMINGEvents APRIL 14

T H

APRIL 16TH

CCE MADISON COUNTY FARMING IN A GLOVE

REALITY CHECK WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL

8:30 AM

10:55 AM

APRIL 16TH THREE & ME

5:30-6:15 PM

APRIL 21ST REALITY CHECK CLEAN UP @ MADISON LAKE 3-4 PM

APRIL 23RD

APRIL 28TH

BRIDGES YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

POSITIVITY PROJECT ASSEMBLY

8:00 AM

8:15 AM

MAY 12TH REALITY CHECK WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL 10:55 AM

MAY 16TH

PROM!

UPCOMINGEvents MAY 21ST

MAY 19TH COLLEGE & CAREER FAIR

THREE & ME

1 - 4 PM

MAY 26TH POSITIVITY PROJECT ASSEMBLY 8:15 AM

MAY 27TH WATER WEDNESDAY WITH SNAP-ED 10:45 AM

5:30-6:15 PM

TRAININGHighlights

Guiding the Way We recently explored an exciting new programming opportunity available to all Connected districts—and our team got a firsthand look. At a recent all-staff event, we welcomed Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. to the Impact Center for an engaging training experience.

Through their unique “Hometown Training™” model, they provide guide dogs at no cost to individuals in the Eastern U.S. who are legally blind and may also have additional physical challenges. This approach allows clients to receive support and companionship from a guide dog while continuing their daily routines at home and, in many cases, in the workplace.

This opportunity not only offers meaningful educational programming for students—highlighting the importance and impact of guide dogs—but also serves as a valuable resource for community members who may benefit from these life-changing services.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training – Free & Open to All! Did you know that Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Training is available at no cost?

This valuable program is designed to help faculty, staff, and community members recognize the signs of mental health challenges in young people, provide support, and connect them with appropriate resources.

By participating, you’ll gain practical skills to respond confidently to students in crisis, foster a supportive environment, and make a real difference in the lives of youth in our community.

Who can attend: All faculty, staff, and community members Cost: FREE Registration: Registration link Empower yourself with the knowledge to support youth mental health—because every student deserves to be seen, heard, and supported.

INITIATIVE INITIATIVE WIDE WIDEHighlights Celebrating Excellence & Leadership WOMEN OF DISTINCTION We are proud to share that our Co-Leader, Melissa Roys, was recognized by Assemblywoman Maryann Buttenschon as a Woman of Distinction this March. Melissa’s tireless dedication to connecting our community and ensuring every individual feels seen continues to make a lasting impact.

Congratulations, Melissa!

WOMEN IN STEAM Co-Leader Danielle Martin was thrilled to lead the Education, Mentorship & Community Impact Hub alongside of Dr. Patricia Washing, Director from On Point and Sarah Gomex, Principal at MO BOCES. They all shared their career journeys, highlighing the importance of learning from the obstacles in life, importance of networking, advocating and never giving up! More than 200 students, educators, and regional leaders were in attendance.

INITIATIVE INITIATIVE WIDE WIDEHighlights Strengthening Child Safety Through Partnership Connected is excited to announce a collaboration with the Ride for Missing Children and our new Ride for Missing Children Educator, Amanda Galindo. Connected plays a vital role in advancing the mission of The Ride for Missing Children-Mohawk Valley to promote child safety and support the prevention of child abduction and exploitation.

We deliver engaging, age-appropriate safety education programs foster awareness of the Ride for Missing Children initiative create meaningful connections between students, educators, and the broader community.

AMANDA GALINDO

RFMC COMMUNITY EDUCATOR amandag@connectedcs.org

HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY AND

How can I help you today and make MAKE YOUR TOMORROW BETTER? 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 Madison Team Michele Bowen YOUR MADISON PROJECT MANAGER

Colleen Matthews DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OF CONNECTED COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

315-271-8848 micheleb@connectedcs.org

DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OF IMPACT

NORA BAJOHR

CENTRAL HUB TEAM

ALEXIS TOWNE

KALI FOUNTAIN

DELIVERY TEAM

DUSTIN TROTZ

KAELYNN BARBER