NOVEMBER - 2025
CONNECTED ROME NEWSLETTER
Thanks-GIVING Thanks-GIVING
This month, The Rome Connected Team wishes to highlight all of the generous partners and community members who have collaborated, assisted, or donated T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S directly to support ongoing projects and families in need. This month, roughly $15,000 in monetary and tangible donations were presented to The Rome Connected Team and immediately redistributed back into the Connected Rome Connected District Bulletin community. While all contributions and support are always highly valued, the Rome Connected Partners Connected team wishes to directly recognize the following significant contributions: $3000 from the Angelicola Family Foundation to support food distribution to Collaborations & Contributions local families. 75 Turkeys from Bonide Manufacturing, Additional turkeys and sides were Training Highlights provided through donations from Deborah Grogan from First Source FCU and from Market32 in Rome. Copper City Fitness collected over $3000 of non-perishables we distributed Initiative Wide Highlights at Open HUB. Steet Ponte Auto Group collected $5000 worth of winter coats, hats, gloves, Staff and accessories. Once again, this community proves that there is a wealth of resources and demonstrates that we all get further together.
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.
Connected schools brought families together across the district with several festive Turkey Bingo and holiday events this season. At Gansevoort, families, students, and teachers enjoyed a Family Game Night with prizes and two turkey dinner giveaways, supported by donated drinks and donuts from Stewart’s. Denti families participated in Turkey Bingo hosted by the PTO, with snacks, prizes, and two donated turkeys with full holiday meals raffled by Connected. At Bellamy, students and families joined the first annual Turkey Trot hosted by the PTO, where grade-level winners received first-place T-shirts and a turkey with sides, while Connected staff hosted Turkey Bingo for additional prizes and refreshments. Finally, John Joy families gathered for Turkey Bingo, with every family leaving with a turkey and some lucky winners taking home a delicious pie. These events highlighted the power of community, collaboration, and holiday spirit, and we look forward to celebrating again next year.
Connected Bellamy Site Coordinator Chasity Cruz worked with Mr. Mahardy’s Fourth grade students on the Connected and Kind Leaf activity. Students took the time to identify kind traits about the people around them, and noted them on leaves to be added to the Fall leaf display. Thank you to Mr. Mahardy’s class for the little extra effort to be Kind.
Connected Staff supported Ridge Mills in the spirit of giving at their Family Fun Night. Students and staff made cookies to donate to the Rome Rescue Mission. Students and their families and friends captured the moment with Connected staff with instant photos in front of a fun and festive winter background! Thank you to Ridge Mills for hosting Fun times for a great cause.
Jervis continues to come into the Strough HUB once a month to speak with students on different topics as well as give out free books and stickers. This month’s topic was what is classified as a book. Are comics books? Ebooks? Audiobooks? The answer is yes!
SNAP-Ed continued their nutrition session with students in the HUB huddles at Strough during lunch time. They have been exploring nutritious recipes and fun ways to use ingredients creatively.
AMEND together continues to be led by DuWayne from the YWCA. He meets every Thursday with the boys at Strough. They continue their discussion about emotions, respectful behavior, and communication with others. Every meeting is capped off with a fun group activity that allows the boys to practice the lessons they are learning.
The Rome Connected Team joined the City of Rome to celebrate the holidays with their annual Tree Lighting ceremony. The team hosted a Dunk Contest ... of cookies and milk that was shared with everyone in attendance as they enjoyed the holiday music, fireworks, and braved the seasonal weather.
Rome Connected collaborated with the Rome ECP parent liaisons to host the annual Rome ECP Touch a Truck. Vehicles from Rome DPW, Rome FD, Rome PD, and other local farm and construction companies were on site to let the kids sit in the seats and honk the horns. Inside, families were able to meet with multiple of our community partners including First Source FCU, Fidels, Jervis Library, The YMCA, and others to gather information on local resources and upcoming events. Open HUB was held at Connected Strough right before the long Thanksgiving break. Families were able to meet with a Site Coordinator about any struggles or worries they may be having. They also were able to meet with this month’s community partners, First Source and Oneida County Department of Mental Health. The Open HUB was our biggest turnout yet with 62 families attending meaning we were able to assist nearly 250 individuals with food for the long holiday weekend.
HUB HUDDLES HUB HUDDLES Joys’ Sixth Grade Honors group worked very hard this month. Students provided Veterans with cards for Veterans day. They also have been helping raise money for their end of the year field trip by selling popcorn, and Smencils on Fridays. Now they are helping out the school staff with Inclusivity week by assisting fellow students with a craft activity during lunch. The activity is a coloring sheet shaped as a puzzle piece where students can express who they are and what they enjoy through illustrations. Each class will piece together their pieces to create a puzzle that represents that we all belong.
The Kindness and Thankfulness Leaves activity that began in Mrs. Mahardy’s class continued into Bellamy’s HUB Huddles. The Bellamy HUB has served as a welcoming space to extend classroom efforts by practicing kindness schoolwide. During lunch, students from other classes were invited to write kind messages about their peers, which were proudly displayed on the bulletin board. Students also created holiday cards to spread cheer, and a fourth-grade student led a fun, hands-on activity by teaching everyone how to make paper snowflakes. In addition, students participated in meaningful discussions about ways others have shown them kindness and how they, in turn, can spread kindness to those around them.
Connected Strough HUB huddles worked together to make a giant Thankful Turkey! Displayed proudly outside the cafeteria, the turkey is covered in feathers written by every student—each one sharing something they’re thankful for. The HUB has also hosted Ms. Stephanie from Jervis Library, the ongoing SNAP Ed series, and the AMEND program.
🦃✨
On November 24th, at the RFA HUB students painted using canvases! We challenged ourselves to paint for five minutes then switched canvases with a friend and continued on until the painting was completed. It was a fun time hanging out with friends and painting Homework HUB is also becoming a big hit at Connected RFA. Students can come in during their study hall period to catch up on their class assignments and make sure they finish off the marking period with high grades!
ConnectedPARTNERS PARTNERS
Connected
Connected Site Coordinator Sarah sent in three new referrals to the embedded clinic at Strough. Connected Gansevoort embedded clinic continues to support over two dozen students with on-site counseling services.
Rome Connected was pleased to meet the new Connected RFA Embedded Clinician and begin working with them to support ongoing and new student needs at the secondary level. SEALs Coordinators continued to build relationships with RCSD staff and students while looking forward to a productive school year. This process has been shaped by the needs of each school, and occurred in strong collaboration with support from the counselors and social workers across the district.
At Ridge Mills Students were able to be introduced to Ms. Cauthen in the HUB to focus on the words of the month Gratitude and Gratefulness. Ms. Cauthon was able to lead students decorating “gratitude mugs” and shared what they are thankful for. Ms. Cauthen shared, “Popular themes included family members, pets, time spent with friends, and their favorite foods.” Over at Connected Denti, Ms. Jones has been meeting with teachers and visiting classrooms to help set goals for the next few months on how to support students and staff. Ms. Jones is also in the process of starting some small groups to meet in the Denti HUB during lunches. There are also plans to begin this at Stokes as well. At Connected Bellamy, Ms. Howard has been collaborating with Willow Network to set up Parenting Information sessions. This will be a monthly series where parents are invited to come learn about resources and additional strategies for supporting raising children. Parents are also encouraged to network and share strategies amongst themselves in a peer to peer environment. The Resiliency Project proposes that the key to success with children and their families is through a collaborative approach forming a caring and responsive Team that is dedicated to serving the Adirondack Central School District, Camden Central School District, Holland Patent Central School District and Rome City School District; creating and strengthening Connections in the Home, School and Community. There is a dedicated Resiliency Coordinator, Safe School Engagement Specialist and Oneida County Family and Community Service liaison, that collaborate on each case. Unless it is imminent risk, prior to calling CPS, place in a Resiliency referral so we can assist, "Support, Don't Report". This Team is intended to be an extension to your family, your child’s school and other supports that may already be in place to ensure that everyone can be successful, while bridging the gap between home, school and the community. The team can meet wherever you are most comfortable to provide support! Go to the Connected Community Schools Community LINK Referral form. This will connect you with your dedicated Community Schools Site Coordinator who can assist you with basic needs and to create a connection with the Resiliency Team! The Resiliency Team is available on site at the Connected IMPACT Center on Tuesdays & Fridays from 10am-2pm, or by scheduled appointments.
ConnectorsConnectors- Trusted Trusted Adults Adults for for Many! Many! Connector Paige was sought out by a student Tuesday briefly in the hallway, however their schedules didn't align and were unable to have a full conversation, so they found Connector Paige again later that day. The student expressed they really just needed an ear to listen to some of the problems that were troubling them, especially with college and exams coming up in January. On Friday the student once again sought out Paige, and told her that the college already contacted them about their wait-list position. The student is now in a spot for early graduation, with January exams. Connector Sierra was walking through the lobby when she saw a student standing by themselves that looked sad. Sierra approached the student and asked if something was wrong. The student began telling her that they were having a bad day and explained to her what was going on. While they were talking, a guidance counselor introduced themselves to the student and said if they needed anything they could go to him. The student didn’t want to talk to the guidance counselor at the time, so Sierra tried to redirect them to class. As Sierra was walking the student to class, the student told me they changed their mind and wanted to talk to the counselor even though it wasn’t their assigned counselor. Connector Sierra brought the student to the counselor's office and told them if they needed anything else she was there. Later that day the student came to Sierra and thanked her for bringing them to the office and said that they turned their day around. They finished the day strong with a smile. Connector Katrina encountered a student who was having a very difficult time expressing how she was feeling both at home and at school. Katrina offered the student some tips and tricks that work for her. The student has now started a journal at school and a walking journal between her and her mom. The student reported back and said that her and mom’s communication has gotten stronger. Connector Tim had a student pull him aside who was dealing with some personal struggles. They wanted to talk with him as they weren't sure what to do. Tim and the student talked and Tim convinced them to talk to their counselor and set up regular talks with their counselor, as it would give them someone who could help but another person who would listen. The student thanked Tim and still keeps him updated on how they are doing. When Connector Tiffany first met this student , they barely made eye contact and spoke so quietly she had to lean in to hear them. They had failed two classes, frequently skipped school, and believed they “just weren’t smart enough.” Tiffany and the student started small. She helped them create a simple weekly plan and showed them how to break large assignments into smaller steps. Tiffany also connected them with tutoring and encouraged them to join an afterschool club to meet students with similar interests. Progress was slow initially, but after a few weeks, the student began showing up regularly. Their grades are gradually improving, but more importantly, so is their confidence. Seeing the student walk into the HUB, now with a smile—instead of a frown because asking for help used to be so difficult—puts a smile on her face. When they came in to say thank you, it reminded Tiffany why she chose this profession. Sometimes, success isn't just about better grades; it's about helping a student believe in themselves again.
Connector Jimmy (Mr. B as the students call him) has really started to make connections with students and offer an ear to listen. While Jimmy was walking the halls one day at Strough, a student gave him a high-five and a note that read: "I am grateful for you because... you brighten up my day even on the worst days possible. You always have a nice bright mood, and I just wanted to say Thank you." Later that day, when the student asked if he had read it, Jimmy read the note out loud to the student. He smiled and said, "You're the best Connector."
ConnectorsConnectors- Trusted Trusted Adults Adults for for Many! Many! Connector Brittany - One of the best parts of being a Connector is the variety of each day, as no two are ever the same. Being included in all of the diverse programs going on at Strough helps us reach a variety of students. We were able to assist the 8th graders during their assembly to learn the “7 Habits of a Highly Effective Teen” and learned how to be active listeners. We were assigned to a group of students and facilitated the activity that allowed them to practice their new “active listening” skills. Many of the students thanked us for being present and guiding them through the program.
Collaborations Collaborations & &Contributions Contributions Copper City Fitness, CCF Fitness Club Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County YWCA First Source FCU Oneida County Department of Mental Health Jervis Library Bonide Manufacturing The Angelicola Family Foundation
Deborah Grogan Steet Ponte Auto Group Market32 Stewart’s Shoppe
Connect ed Rome w ould like to thank ev eryone t hat helps! W e cannot do it withou t you!
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. Undoubtedly, the largest self identified need and request for support in the district has been for our upcoming Holiday Assistance program. There are currently over 600 children scheduled to be shopped for by parents and caregivers at our Impact Center and another 300 plus that we have collaborated with additional community partners to ensure will receive support for holiday gifts and necessities. However, what we also know is that the need for additional support, especially around the holidays, is a symptom of larger underlying struggles. Economic hardships due to continued rising costs, the loss of existing supports like SNAP, and delays with HEAP continue to compound the struggles faced by families at risk and had led to increased outreach by and on behalf of Rome families. Food insecurity has also remained an area of need for families as a result of these struggles. Over 60 families were directly supported at this month’s Open HUB, and additional resources were provided to the families who attended to connect with longer term supports.
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 STEM-related 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 WIDE Highlights 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
H O WHow C A can N I IH E L Pyou YO U TO D Amake Y AND help today and MAKE YO U R tomorrow T O M O R Rbetter? OW BETTER? your
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.
YOUR STROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL SITE COORDINATOR sarahr@connectedcs.org
YOUR DENTI ELEMENTARY SITE COORDINATOR 315-795-6186
shannonf@connectedcs.org
YOUR GANSEVOORT ELEMENTARY SITE COORDINATOR 315-749-8896
katherinef@connectedcs.org
Kinetria Howard
Katie Fountain
Shannon Faniglula
315-404-6021
Maya Nelson
matthewh@connectedcs.org
315-360-5337
mayan@connectedcs.org
Chasity Cruz
315-240-6012
YOUR ROME FREE ACADEMY SITE COORDINATOR
YOUR BELLAMY ELEMENTARY SITE COORDINATOR
Brandon Fiorenza
YOUR CLOUGH COORDINATOR AND ROME PROJECT MANAGER
YOUR JOHN E. JOY ELEMENTARY & MO BOCES SITE COORDINATOR
Brittany Shue
Sarah Renzi
Matthew Hartwell
Connected Rome Team
YOUR RIDGE MILLS & STOKES ELEMENTARY SITE COORDINATOR
315-360-1212
chasityc@connectedcs.org
315-795-6186
brandonf@connectedcs.org
315-939-0170
brittanys@connectedcs.org
YOUR SEALS SITE COORDINATOR 315-939-3986
kinetriah@connectedcs.org
Connected Rome Resiliency Team
Destiny Branfalt
Nicole Nardozza
Kelley Bennett
Makenna Taylor
Madison Bero-Nestle
RESILIENCY COORDINATOR
RESILIENCY COORDINATOR
DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OF COUNTY PROGRAMS
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
Melissa Roys
Danielle Martin
CO-EXECUTIVE LEADER
CO-EXECUTIVE LEADER
Connectors Connectors
Paige Taylor
Tiffany James
Sierra Brown
Lisa LaVine
Brittany Emery
Dakota Russell
Veronica Baker DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Dave Rienzo
Morgan Brennan Timothy Coleman
Katrina Reed
James Brognano
Michelle Jewell