NOVEMBER 2025
CONNECTED MT MARKHAM NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS Connected District Bulletin Connected Partners Collaborations & Contributions Training Highlights Initiative Wide Highlights Staff
Holiday
Holiday Ornament Making
Ornament Making Students & their families were invited to come join our Connected Team to paint their own holiday ornament to take home using wooden holiday shapes and a variety of paint color choices. This event was very well attended and was definitely enjoyed by all!
Students and families were invited to attend Game Night at Mount Markham Elementary School on November 25th in order to kick off the Holiday weekend.
Two seniors from Herkimer BOCES Conservation Program visited Mrs. Bunce’s Pre K class to talk to her students about trees: the different kinds, how they grow, how they are cared for, what they provide for our earth. The BOCES students incorporated music & movement activities, a coloring activity, and even helped the Pre K class to plant two trees in the Elementary garden area. Thank you to BOCES Conservation teacher William Carpenter and his students Casey & Jack.
Marina Bridgham from Cornell Cooperative Extension in Oneida County presented in the high school HUB today on Gratitude. Students were asked to talk about one thing they are grateful for. Then they received a “gift” from Marina. Students were asked to tell her something positive about the item they received. Afterwards, the students created gratitude cards for someone they are grateful to have in their life. Our Mount Markham students love their time spent with Marina!
Open HUB was very well attended; the largest turn out to date. Families were stocked up on food and needs to last. Turkeys and sacks of fresh potatoes were generously donated by the Compassion Coalition and distributed to families in need throughout the district. Samantha Skottke, our Mount Markham Connected intern from MVCC, assisted us in this well attended event! Thank you Sam!
HUB HUDDLES HUB HUDDLES The Elementary School HUB Huddles continue to thrive as second, third, and fourth grade students attend during their lunch period. This time is when friendships are blossoming with other students they might not be familiar with, meaningful conversations are had, and fun creative activities are provided to experience with Ms. Nevills. This month, we talked about what we are thankful for, we did some bracelet making, games of Tic Tac Toe and Connect 4. We also talked about how we would like to decorate the HUB for the holidays by making our own decorations!
In November, students have been playing Uno, coloring holiday pictures and chatting with Site Coordinators. The HUB continues to be a safe and welcoming space for all. The first Hub Club in December will kick off with a visit from Petzotics! They will bring in and teach students about some of their lovely ambassador animals. This will occur on December 3rd.
CONNECTED CONNECTEDPartners Partners The Neighborhood Center currently serves 5 elementary students, 6 middle school students, and 6 high school students. Additionally, there is one elementary student with a referral currently in progress.
Enrolled Students: 31
Supports and Services Provided:
Academic Support = 340 minutes Assessments & PLP = 35 minutes Structured Social Emotional Supports = minutes Other = 393 minutes.
COLLABORATIONS & COLLABORATIONS & Contributions Contributions Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County ected Conn kham t Mar n u o M hank e to t k i l d l elps! wou hat h t e n o do it every nnot a c e W u! ut yo witho
Compassion Collision Herkimer BOCES Mount Markham Elementary School Principal Karen Rowe
Trends
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. LINK Trends consist of food boxes, primarily due to the lack of Snap Benefits this Month. Also with holiday assistance sign ups for families that are in need of a little help this December. The Connected Team has held Open HUB and continues to support the district through food boxes. We have also supported families with holiday assistance sign ups where families can shop for their children on Dec 10, 2025 in preparation for the holidays.
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.
TRAINING TRAININGHighlights 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.
UPCOMING UPCOMING Events Events DECEMBER 11TH & 18TH SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING WITH MARINA BRIDGHAM 11:30AM - 12:30PM
DECEMBER 11TH MELO
VISIT
DECEMBER 12TH @ 5:30 PM FAMILIES OF THE STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND FOR THE CONCERT AND FOR A YUMMY DINNER AT THE VFW.
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 Mount Markham Team Nichiah Humphrey
Leslie Nevills
YOUR MOUNT MARKHAM SITE COORDINATOR
YOUR MOUNT MARKHAM PROJECT MANAGER
315-985-0859
315-832-3699
nichiahh@connectedcs.org
leslien@connectedcs.org
Katie Rockwell DIVISONAL DIRECTOR OF CONNECTED COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
315-717-9748 katier@connectedcs.org
CENTRAL HUB TEAM ALEXIS TOWNE
RAIN RIDGNER
KAELYNN BARBER
KALI FOUNTAIN
DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OF IMPACT
DELIVERY TEAM
NORA BAJOHR
SASHA MILLER