Mt Markham- Quarter 1 - Newsletter

QUARTER 1 2025

CONNECTED MT MARKHAM NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS Connected District Bulletin

Connected

CARNIVAL

Herkimer County Connected Districts partnered together to host a carnival event at the Herkimer ARC Park. This event was originally the vision of Site Coordinator, Nichiah Humphrey. She worked tirelessly planning and organizing every last Collaborations & Contributions detail right up until the event date. The team wanted to provide a free fun family event for the families of all 4 Herkimer County Connected Districts that included all the Herkimer County Connected Staff to work together as a team for this Training Highlights county wide event. Carnival games and food were a huge draw in addition to over 26 local agencies providing their resource information to the attending Initiative Wide Highlights families. The Connected Clown also made his first event appearance!

Connected Partners

Staff

Thank you to the ARC Park for providing this amazing space for us to host this event! The Herkimer County Connected Team plans to make this an annual event.

July & August Recap Connected Site Coordinator, Leslie Nevills, greeted students daily who attended the elementary summer school program. Ms. Nevills also helped cafeteria staff to hand out “to go” breakfasts as students arrived to school.

This summer, students and families had the opportunity to participate in Weekly Wellness and gardening activities. The Tuesday Morning Walking Group met from 9–10 a.m. on the trail behind the high school, though attendance has been limited due to transportation and scheduling conflicts. The Garden Group welcomed two families, with participants helping to weed, water, and harvest from the garden. Despite challenges, both groups will continue throughout the summer, offering ongoing opportunities for families to connect, get active, and enjoy the outdoors.

This event was a huge success!!! Several district families attended; games were played; families interacted with each other and with the Connected staff. Connected Staff served ice cream with toppings; water and lemonade all donated by Stewarts Stores.

Thank you to Waterville Site Coordinator Jesse Sibley for helping out at this amazing event!!

Our Mount Markham Connected Team hosted their second annual Back To School Haircut Event to provide students with haircuts at no cost to the families. Stylists from Style on Main By NikiMarie donated their time and services which we are beyond grateful for. This event was intended to take some of the financial stress off of our families as they prepare for the return of the new school year.

July & August Recap

On July 16, 2025, the Connected Impact Center in Rome, NY, came alive for the Connected F3 Block Party, a special Community Remembrance Event marking one year since the F3 tornado struck the area on July 16, 2024. The day was a powerful celebration of the resilience, strength, and unity displayed by the community following the devastating storm.

Families and neighbors gathered from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM to enjoy live music, engaging activities hosted by local partners, and moments of reflection honoring the incredible recovery efforts. The event highlighted how compassion, perseverance, and teamwork helped the community rebuild and thrive in the year since the tornado.

Organizers also expressed appreciation for the generosity of attendees and supporters, whose contributions help make events like this meaningful and memorable.

It was a day of connection, celebration, and hope—reminding everyone of the power of community in the face of challenges.

September Recap Project Manager Leslie Nevills was asked by Principal Rowe to organize tabling resources to this year's first Open House the day before school starts. Leslie also tabled providing information on what it means to be a Connected School to families.

Ron Kamp and his therapy dog Melo returned to the Elementary School for the ‘25-’26 school year.

They visited the first, third, and Special Education classrooms sharing information on working therapy dogs, answering questions students had, and reading to the children from Ron’s Book of Poetry.

Marina Brigham, from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County, has begun her classroom programming at our district with all three schools with various age groups. Social / Emotional & Coping Skills are practiced with the younger students while Perspective Taking is introduced to the older students.

The organizers of this annual fall festival reached out to Project Manager Leslie Nevills to see if her team again would like to be a part of this amazing community event.

The team was also asked to organize a Touch A Truck during the Fall Fest which Leslie was able to do. Leslie also provided a table with information on Connected Community Schools with materials to color their own fall scene.

Connected Mount Markham hosted Open HUB Hours, welcoming families to drop in and access the tangible items and resources they need. From school supplies to personal essentials, families were able to connect with staff, gather support, and learn about additional community resources available to them. These Open HUB Hours provided a valuable opportunity for families to receive direct assistance while building relationships with the Connected Mount Markham team.

HUB HUDDLES HUB HUDDLES HUB Huddles have begun at the Elementary School on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Our HUB Huddles are helping to encourage attendance, completion of tasks, and positive behavior. We have already had some HUB programming on Social / Emotional Coping Skills with Marina Brigham. The students were able to make their own calming bottles.

Marina Bridgham Cornell Cooperative Extension has put HUB Huddle off to a good start with Perspective Taking. Students learn to make due with the bigger picture and different perspectives.

CONNECTED CONNECTEDPartners Partners

Carley Stockham has accepted a position at the Mount Markham School District as a School Counselor at the Elementary School. Victor Chambers will replace Carley as the provider through the Neighborhood Center at Mount Markham. He will be working with all three schools and will be in the district two days per week.

The Connected Mount Markham Team has submitted one new student referral during the month of September for mental health counseling. This referral is currently in process.

CONNECTED CONNECTEDPartners Partners Throughout July, LPP welcomed eight Mount Markham CSD students to SUNY Polytechnic Institute for education and career-based summer camps in arts, sciences, engineering, 3D printing, and nursing. Students represented Mount Markham with kindness, supported their peers, connected with college professors, and showed great effort and passion in all activities.

In September, LPP met individually with students to discuss academic and personal goals for the 2025–2026 school year. A new student has also joined LPP through a Connected referral. The LPP Homework Club for middle and high school students will resume on Monday, October 6, after school in Room B140 at the high school.

COLLABORATIONS COLLABORATIONS & &Contributions Contributions d ecte Conn rkham a nk nt M Mou ke to tha ! s i l ld help wou that e n t i o y t do ever anno We c ut you! o with

July & August ICARE program- Katelyn Land Great Swamp Conservancy Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County- Marina Brigham West Winfield VFW- Trisha Smith Agriculture Teacher Mr Bugbee Ron Kamp - Melo First Source -Deb Grogen Herkimer ARC

September

Cornell Cooperative Extension Ron Kamp Tori Roberts MMSD teacher / Sandra Smith (Mayor) Herkimer CSD Senior completing Senior hours with the Connected Initiative.

LINK LINKTrends Trends

Transportation continues to be a barrier for many Mount Markham families. Site Coordinators have been meeting families where they are—literally—by visiting homes to provide needed resources or collect required signatures. Families are encouraged to ride-share when possible and utilize Med Cab services for medical or dental appointments if eligible through Medicaid.

As the cost of food and basic necessities continues to rise, families have increasingly reached out for assistance with food insecurity, school supplies, and clothing for the new school year. The Connected Mount Markham team has been actively connecting families to tangible supports such as food, clothing, and school supplies, as well as community resources including Open HUB Hours, transportation assistance, the Federated Church, and other local supports to help meet these ongoing needs.

The Herkimer County System of Care hosted Chalk the Walk in August, giving children and families the chance to connect with local resources and support services. The event featured fun, engaging activities to get kids excited for the new school year. Thanks to Katie Baker, Joanne from Stella Salon was on hand to provide free haircuts to children, adding an extra special touch to the day!

The Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide awareness and prevention was recently hosted by Catholic Charities, providing a meaningful opportunity for Youth Ambassador Coordinators to engage with young people affected by suicide, either directly or indirectly.

Attendees were able to access important mental health resources and referrals from Herkimer County System of Care, as well as information about the Mother Daughter Circle and the Youth Advisory Council.

Exciting news! Katie is now trained to facilitate Mother-Daughter Circle and Girls Circle Groups. These programs give girls and their mothers—or female-identifying caregivers —opportunities to connect, build strong relationships, and support positive growth.

The Mother-Daughter Circle (ages 11–18) strengthens bonds during the transition to young womanhood, while the Girls Circle (ages 9–18) fosters self-expression, resiliency, and healthy relationships in a trauma-informed setting. Opportunities to join will be launching soon—stay tuned for details!

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.

UPCOMING UPCOMINGEvents Events MOMMS Group Trunk or Treat October 30th 5 - 7 PM Classroom Programming with Marina from Cornell Cooperative Extension

Melo the Therapy Dog October 23rd Silent Dance Party HUB Huddle October 27th

TRAINING TRAININGHighlights Highlights Monthly Connected Partner Highlights are held virtually throughout the school year for staff to discover and build connections with various community partners.

September kicked off the presentations for the '25-'26 school year. Melinda Robinson, a research coordinator at Bassett's Research Institute, presented to our staff on her role in cancer awareness, prevention, and education, noting her work with youth tobacco prevention using pigs' lungs as an educational tool. This tobacco prevention education is available for any of our Connected Districts, so our Site Coordinators can work with her to schedule her interactive presentation to schools, at no cost! The presentation, featuring healthy and damaged pigs' lungs, aims to deeply resonate with students about the consequences of tobacco use. For more information or if you are interested in bringing Melinda into your school, please connect with your Site Coordinator!

Learn how to support the mental health of young people in your community! This 6-hour interactive training is designed for anyone who wants to better understand youth mental health, recognize signs of concern, and connect youth with the right resources and supports. Gain practical skills, increase your confidence, and make a positive difference in the lives of young people.

INITIATIVE INITIATIVE WIDE WIDEHighlights Highlights IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

In August, we held our initiative-wide Back to School Bash in partnership with National Grid. 1,300 students from our Connected Districts were able to receive the school supplies needed according to their teachers’ lists. About 3,000 individuals were in attendance to learn about the Community Partner resources, have a meal, and enjoy a variety of activities alongside the school supply giveaway! Thanks to our partnership with National Grid, students were able to start the school year prepared and ready to go!

Our first annual Connected Visionary Awards: Not a School Night Celebration was a huge success! The award recipients included Colleen Fahy-Box, Jessica Lattimore, Jason Mitchell, Julia Thet, Karen Belcher on behalf of the Food Bank of CNY, Anne Lansing on behalf of Safe Schools Mohawk Valley, and Richelle Singer on behalf of Cornell Cooperative Extension. The Beeches was a fabulous location with amazing food. There was a silent auction, locker giveaway, painting, and more! We greatly appreciate our Connected Partners and are glad to give them the acknowledgement they deserve for supporting our Intiative.

Food Bank of CNY Hunger Hero Awards

Food Bank of CNY Hunger Hero Awards

Our Co-Leader, Melissa Roys, was the recipient of the Hunger Hero Awards hosted by the Food Bank of Central New York due to the work done in the The Connected Initiative through back-to-back natural disasters in Central New York.

The Connected Initiative is honored to celebrate Melissa Roys, 2025 Hunger Hero, while also recognizing the steadfast leadership of Danielle Martin and the entire Connected Team for their tireless commitment to fighting hunger, strengthening families, and building resilient communities.

Site Coordinator Appreciation Week

Site Coordinator Appreciation Week Coordinator Appreciation Week was held nationally September 14th-20th. Our team celebrated the only way that made sense – by celebrating each of our staff and highlighting the strengths they bring to the Connected Initiative!

Each staff member received a personalized award for the unique contributions they offer.

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

IMPACT CENTER TEAM

DELIVERY TEAM

315-717-9748

katier@connectedcs.org

KNOW SOMEONE F HELP? WHO IS IN NEED O

Have them reach out to a Site Coordinator today!

NORA BAJOHR

ALEXIS TOWNE

JOSEPH LEONE

CENTRAL HUB TEAM

VERONICA BAKER

SASHA MILLER

MICHELLE JEWELL