The following sections are included below in this issue of Inside Look:

Message from District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson

Good News

New Faces at BOCES

Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations James Picolla (Capital Project Update)

Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Kathryn Ferguson

Career and Technical Education

Special Programs

Instructional Support Services and Adult Education

As we now enter the holiday season and the calendar year draws to a close, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Herkimer BOCES region for the dedication, hard work and commitment provided to our students. Each and every one of you plays a vital role in creating a positive and enriching learning environment that empowers our children to reach their full potential.

This school year has already seen an exceptionally positive start, a testament to the strength of our diverse programs and services. The momentum built since September reflects the dedication across all departments, ensuring that students are engaged and receiving the high-quality instruction they deserve right from day one.

From our dedicated teachers, support staff, insightful administrators, parents and students, Herkimer BOCES continues to thrive on the collective effort of our entire region. Your dedication to education, your resilience in the face of challenges and your belief in the power of learning continue to provide valuable opportunities to our next generation of leaders.

During this special time, let us take a moment to appreciate the incredible work we do together. Let us remember the bonds we've formed with our students, colleagues and families. Let us remember the moments of growth that have filled the first portion of the school year.

Please take time to enjoy the holiday season.  Find peace and relaxation while spending time with family. Hoping the new year brings you happiness and success.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous and meaningful holiday season!

Sincerely,

D.J. Shepardson, District Superintendent

Congratulations to staff members who received tenure at Herkimer BOCES Board of Education meetings this fall!

Director of Career and Technical Education Zane Mahar was granted tenure in the area of director during the Nov. 6 Herkimer BOCES Board of Education meeting.

Zane is pictured to the right with District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson and Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Kathryn Ferguson.

Special education teacher Danielle Monahan was granted tenure in the area of General Special Education - Technical Education during the Oct. 9 Herkimer BOCES Board of Education meeting.

Danielle is pictured to the right with District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson at the meeting. She is located at the WEB Complex in the CTE program.

Recent tenure appointments will be featured in this spot in each issue of the newsletter!

Click on any of the names below to read recent Herkimer BOCES Spotlights on staff members!

Stories and photos from each Honors Program event are featured online.

Click on any of the photos below to read more about the events thus far this school year.

Click on any of the headlines below to read the full stories online from some other recent Herkimer BOCES news.

 You can also view coverage of this story from:

WUTR/WFXV CNY Homepage

WKTV News Channel 2

Daily Sentinel

 You can also view coverage of this story from:

WUTR/WFXV CNY Homepage

WKTV News Channel 2

Observer-Dispatch

Daily Sentinel

Times Telegram

Big Frog 104

CNY News

Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES WELCOMES the following New Staff for the 2025-26 school year…

Administrative Staff:

Nicholas Devins - Assistant Principal

Dawn Harvey - Assistant Director of Special Education

Amber Mead - Supervisor of PreK-4

Krista Kozma – Assistant Principal

Alternative Education (Pathways) Staff:

Brandee Collins - Math Teacher

Michelle Gil - Special Education Teacher

Kelly Kirk - Teaching Assistant

Sierra Laymon - Teaching Assistant

Phillip McDonald - Teaching Assistant

Sarah Mead - Teaching Assistant

Kysha Messina - School Nurse (LPN)

Kimberly Taylor - Teaching Assistant

Christopher Weeden - Science Teacher

Business Office/Instructional Support Staff

Joanne Archer - Office Assistant I

Cafeteria Staff:

Kyle Samways - Cook

Instructional Support Services Staff:

Matthew St. Peter - Literacy & Early Learning Professional Development Coordinator

Itinerant Services Staff:

Thomas Adsit - ESL/ELL Teacher

Mandi Sanchez - ESL/ENL Teacher

Linda Young - ESL/ENL Teacher

LPN Staff:

Bridget Gardner - Clinical Supervisor

Angela Lyon - Clinical Supervisor

Shelly Winslow-Spillane - LPN Teacher

Maintenance/Custodial Staff:

Thomas Lidano - Cleaner

Pre-K Staff:

Hannah Bowman - Teacher Aide (HCS)

Kaila Davis - Teaching Assistant (HCS)

Alexis Hayes - PreK Teacher (Special Education) (DCS)

Brittany Negron - Licensed Practical Nurse (CV-Fisher)

Related Service Provider Staff:

Deavon Eysaman - Speech Teacher

Bethany Gonzalez - Occupational Therapist

Katelyn Warner - Physical Therapist

Special Programs @ Barringer Staff:

Noel Dawson - Teacher Aide

Elena Dibble - Special Education Teacher

Kelly Wheeler-Tero - Teaching Assistant

Special Programs @ CVA Staff:

Elizabeth G. Morgan - English Teacher

Megan Lucas - Teaching Assistant

Jennifer Palermo - Teaching Assistant

Andrew Zysk - Special Education Teacher

Special Programs @ Fisher Staff:

Hayiley Doxtader - Special Education Teacher

Mandy Knowles - Special Education Teacher

Special Programs @ Pathways Staff:

Samantha Oriole - Teacher Aide

Jenny Rodriguez - Teaching Assistant

Tina Sudakow - Office Assistant I

Special Programs @ WEB Staff:

Michael Amendolare - Teaching Assistant

Jana Bishal - Teacher Aide

Makara Briggs - Teacher Aide

Linsey Clemons - Teacher Aide

Melinda Culver - School Nurse

Jules DeMarte - Art Teacher

Jaden Edmunds - Teacher Aide

Carolyn Goodfellow - Music Teacher

Giada Hannigan - Teacher Aide

Lilly Hansen - Teaching Assistant

Ashley Jaquay - Teacher Aide

Robecca Krick - Teacher Aide

Veronica Loomis - Teaching Assistant

Catherine Mosher - Teacher Aide

Alexandria O’Donnell - Teacher Aide

Victoria Sherwood - Teacher Aide

Shaylynn Smith - Teacher Aide

Katherine Strieter - Special Education Teacher

Katrina Taffi - Teaching Assistant

Lonnie Wadsworth - Special Education Teacher

Tanya Williams - Office Assistant I

Technical Education Staff:

Josiah Abbadessa - Career and Technical Education Readiness Teacher

Matthew Acre - Math Teacher

Amaya Chabrier - Account Clerk

Shervin Evans - Computer Networking Teacher

Corey Wohler - Visual Communications Teacher

Alternative Education (Pathways) Staff:

Jamie Conley - Special Education Teacher

Jaime Teachout - Special Education Teacher

Cafeteria Services Staff:

Kathleen Keady-Dooley - School Food Service Director I

Maintenance/Custodial Staff:

Sarah Burkdorf - Custodian

Willie Howard - Custodian

PreK Staff:

Jennifer Schieble - Teaching Assistant (CV-Fisher)

Special Programs @ Barringer Staff:

Darlene Brewer - Special Education Teacher (LTS)

Megan Des Champs - Teaching Assistant

Michelle Dooley - Teaching Assistant

Special Programs @ CVA Staff:

Angie Carnright - Special Education Teacher

Ricky Congdon - Social Studies Teacher

Michael Ferris - Social Studies Teacher

Bryan Hastings - Teaching Assistant

Special Programs @ Fisher Staff:

Dawn Dennis - Teaching Assistant

Chelsea Kamp - Teaching Assistant

Special Programs @ Pathways Staff:

Krista Darling - Special Education Teacher

Candice Rodgers - Teaching Assistant

Special Programs @ WEB Staff:

Erin Abare - Teaching Assistant

Tami Doolittle - Teaching Assistant

Alexis Emmons - Teaching Assistant

Amanda Herringshaw - Teaching Assistant

Alexia Jaikin - Teaching Assistant

Sarah McMahon - Teaching Assistant

Hailey Stoltz - Teaching Assistant

Brittany Negron
Licensed Practical Nurse

Catherine Mosher
Teacher Aide

WEB Complex nears completion

The project at the William E. Busacker (WEB) Complex is approaching substantial completion. HVAC contractors are finalizing their work, while Day Automation completes final configurations of their systems. Our team has already received training on the new systems, and the electrical contractor is wrapping up work on fire alarms and camera cabling.

At this stage, most contractors have scaled back their on-site presence and are now concentrating on final, punch-list items.

Phase II design progress

Design work for Phase II is nearly complete and on track for submission to the New York State Education Department in early December. Recently, the project team met with the door hardware consultant to finalize details such as knobs, latches and electronic access systems for the Pathways Academy project. Upcoming meetings will focus on financial reviews and interior design elements, including color palettes and surface materials.

What’s ahead in Phase II?

Phase II brings exciting improvements to both the Pathways Academy and WEB facilities:

     --- Pathways Academy: New science, home and careers, and technology labs; a renovated food service kitchen; a secure entryway; and full air conditioning throughout the building.

     --- WEB Complex: A new playground, upgraded food service kitchen and secure entry enhancements.

Timeline and Next Steps

The project team anticipates opening bids in early spring, with construction expected to begin this summer. The overall construction timeline is projected at two years.

A message from Instructional Services

The 2025-2026 school year is off to a strong start – and as always, it’s flying by! Walking through our classrooms, you can feel the energy: students engaged and teams collaborating with a shared sense of purpose. Each year brings new opportunities to reflect, grow and build upon what makes Herkimer BOCES exceptional – our people, our partnerships and our unwavering belief in every learner.

This year, our focus remains on purposeful growth – academically, behaviorally and emotionally. Together, we are cultivating a culture of excellence, collaboration and wellness that honors both the incredible work we do and the unique students we serve.

Leadership and accountability

As leaders, we are committed to aligning our daily work with the Board of Education’s priorities – ensuring that every initiative, from the boardroom to the classroom, moves in the same direction.

These priorities guide us to:

     --- Strengthen community and component-district awareness of BOCES services;

     --- Enhance and maintain facilities that support innovative teaching in safe, welcoming environments; and

     --- Streamline systems and operations to improve efficiency and service.

This year, each administrator is participating in a goal-setting process directly tied to these priorities. Our leadership evaluation emphasizes instructional quality, staff engagement, operational efficiency and data-driven improvement – holding ourselves accountable for the same growth and excellence we expect in our classrooms.

Evolving to meet student needs

After thoughtful reflection on how to best support staff and students, Special Programs has been restructured to emphasize instructional improvement, curriculum development and behavioral support across the region.

By consolidating one director position and creating an assistant director role, we have sharpened our focus on hands-on instructional coaching, professional learning and direct support for teachers.

Several initiatives are well underway this year, and we are excited to see all that we achieve by the end of the school year.

     --- Our early childhood team is implementing a unified literacy and social-emotional curriculum, ensuring consistency and quality across classrooms.

     --- Pathways and CTE staff are working collaboratively with one another, community agencies and industry partners to ensure that every student is prepared for success in the workforce.

     --- The newly launched Behavior Support Service COSER is providing individualized student interventions, district consultation and professional learning in behavior management and MTSS-B frameworks – reducing reliance on outside services and strengthening our regional capacity.

     --- Building a  culture of wellness and care. We continue to believe that staff well-being is the foundation for student success. Assistant Principal Kristin Kozma is leading Year 2 of our BOCES Wellness Initiative, including a revitalized “HFHO Wellness Newsletter” and the return of our yoga series for staff. This December, we’ll launch a “Month of Giving” featuring after-school workshops led by talented staff – creative, hands-on sessions where we can connect, unwind and give back. Kristin is also coordinating our “Administration Gives Back” series, extending our wellness culture into the community.

Looking ahead

Every day, across every program, evidence of compassion, expertise and commitment is seen – a reminder of why Herkimer BOCES stands out as a regional leader in education. The work we do is complex and deeply human, and it takes extraordinary people to do it well.

Thank you for your continued dedication, creativity and belief in the power of education to change lives. Here’s to another inspiring year of progress, innovation and impact across Herkimer BOCES.

Submitted by Director of Career and Technical Education Zane Mahar

Four dedicated students from Herkimer BOCES recently represented their career and technical programs at the annual SkillsUSA New York Fall Leadership Conference, held in Albany. The multi-day event brought together future trade professionals from across the state for intensive training focused on developing the essential skills needed for career success.

Students Julian Antonouk (Poland), Isabella Burton (Little Falls), Savannah Symonds (West Canada Valley) and Mikayla Synakowski (West Canada Valley) immersed themselves in workshops and activities designed to strengthen communication, teamwork and overall leadership capabilities. This training helps students integrate the core components of the SkillsUSA Framework – personal, workplace and technical skills – into their career preparation.

A highlight for the attendees was the opportunity to tour the historic New York State Capitol building in Albany, offering a valuable look at civic engagement and state government. Upon successful completion of the conference activities, the students were all recognized with the prestigious Statesman Pin, acknowledging their commitment, and understanding of the SkillsUSA organization. Their participation marks the beginning of a year focused on applying these new leadership skills within their local Herkimer BOCES chapter and beyond.

From left: student Mikayla Synakowski (West Canada Valley), student Isabella Burton (Little Falls), advisor Melinda Maycock, advisor Holly Fisher, student Savanah Symonds (West Canada Valley), student Juliana Antonuk (Poland) and advisor Sarah Jacquays.

From left: Poland student Juliana Antonuk, Little Falls student Isabella Burton and West Canada Valley students Savanah Symonds and Mikayla Synakowski.

Students in the Herkimer BOCES Network Administration program, taught by Shervin Evans, recently gained invaluable hands-on experience by collaborating with professor John Cook and a team of his networking students from Herkimer College. The project involved designing, implementing and configuring a fully operational network within the BOCES classroom, bridging the gap between high school career training and collegiate-level IT instruction.

The collaboration was initiated by Mr. Evans to give BOCES students direct exposure to complex network planning and professional-level installation standards. Over the course of the project, Herkimer College students acted as technical mentors, guiding the BOCES class through advanced tasks.

For the BOCES students, this partnership offered a unique chance to work alongside individuals who are slightly further along their career path, providing practical context for the theories learned in the classroom.  The benefits were reciprocal. Professor Cook’s Herkimer College students honed their leadership, communication and project management skills by having to articulate complex technical concepts clearly and troubleshoot problems in a live setting. Teaching foundational skills reinforced their own knowledge, a core principle often cited by IT professionals as essential for mastery.

This successful joint venture highlights a strong pathway for local students interested in high-demand IT careers, demonstrating how Herkimer BOCES and Herkimer College are proactively working together to prepare the next generation of network administrators and cybersecurity specialists.

Herkimer BOCES and Herkimer College students and instructors pose in the Herkimer BOCES Network Administration classroom. Front row, from left: Shervin Evans, John Cook, Trey Stack, Ross Richard III, Kaden Kleist and Shane Johnson. Back row, from left: Evan Barry, Jacob Moore, RaVonn Burkes, Isaac Sheldon, Rafael Hare, Jamir Willis and Caiden Trask.

Herkimer College instructor John Cook giving instructions to the students.

Two students in the Heavy Equipment Repair Operations program recently helped represent Herkimer BOCES at the BOCES Fall Expo 2025 at the State Education Building in Albany.

Heavy Equipment Repair Operations (HERO) instructor Jeff Weeks and senior HERO students Connor White and Emma Tripple joined state education officials and representatives from many other BOCES at the event to promote BOCES and their program.

“It was a great experience for them,” Weeks said. “It was really nice to see a bunch of programs from all over the state.”

The BOCES Fall Expo 2025 took place on Monday, Nov. 3, in the New York State Education Department rotunda at the State Education Building. New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa, members of the New York State Board of Regents and other state educational officials joined representatives from various BOCES.

In addition to the HERO program, Herkimer BOCES was represented at the event by District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson, Director of Career and Technical Education Zane Mahar and Principal of Career and Technical Education Sheri Perry.

The HERO students displayed items and information about their program. They were visited by Board of Regents members, BOCES district superintendents and NYSED officials, and they answered questions about their program.

Weeks said it was beneficial for his students to gain practice with presentation and communication skills during the event.

Presenting to state education officials was different from other times students present about the class because they’re normally talking to younger students who are considering joining the program.

“That opened up their eyeballs too,” he said.

White, from Dolgeville Central School District, said presenting at the event was “absolutely” helpful for his future – both for school presentations and for his career.

“It improves your social skills, and you get to listen to what questions people had to ask about a trade like HERO,” White said.

White also enjoyed getting to meet state education officials, and it was easy to understand what their role is in supporting education, he said.

“It was cool,” he said.

White, who plans to pursue a career in heavy equipment, was happy to promote the value of BOCES during the event because of what BOCES provides for students.

“It’s very helpful getting trained in a trade that you don’t have to pay for,” he said. “It’s amazing – as long as you have an interest in what you’re doing.”

Tripple, from Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District, also appreciated getting to build up her presentation skills at the event.

“We have upcoming projects, so it’s definitely helpful,” she said. “We presented our program to higher-up people than just presenting to our class.”

Meeting state education officials was another benefit of the experience, Tripple said.

“It was interesting meeting all the higher-ups that make decisions about education and stuff,” she said.

Tripple’s career plans include doing an internship in heavy equipment later this school year and working in heavy equipment while going to Mohawk Valley Community College to study radiology. She understands the value of BOCES and was happy to promote BOCES at the expo.

“They really help you learn about what you’re going to go into in the future,” she said. 

At the BOCES Expo, from left: New York State Regent Patrick Mannion, Herkimer BOCES HERO teacher Jeff Weeks, HERO student Connor White (Dolgeville), Herkimer BOCES Principal of Career and Technical Education Sheri Perry, HERO student Emma Tripple (Frankfort-Schuyler), New York State Regent Brian Krist, Herkimer BOCES District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson and New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa.

From left, Herkimer BOCES HERO student Emma Tripple (Frankfort-Schuyler), HERO teacher Jeff Weeks and HERO student Connor White (Dolgeville) pose by the HERO display at the BOCES Fall Expo 2025 in Albany.

A new educational initiative is giving ninth-grade P-TECH students a significant head start on their college careers. This year, the incoming P-TECH cohort is attending a specialized college seminar course directly on the campus of Herkimer College, providing an early and critical introduction to the demands of higher education.

This previously unavailable opportunity – allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to experience the college environment years ahead of schedule – is the result of a visionary partnership between two key leaders: Herkimer College Dean Katie Scanlon and Herkimer BOCES Principal of Career and Technical Education Sheri Perry.

The rationale for early immersion

The standard P-TECH model integrates high school and college coursework to allow students to earn an associate degree while completing their high school diploma. However, the college seminar course, typically reserved for older students, is designed to teach essential skills for academic success, including time management, note-taking strategies, campus resources navigation and financial literacy.

By placing this course at the very beginning of the P-TECH journey, Dean Scanlon and Principal Perry aimed to remove the anxiety associated with college transition and equip students with foundational knowledge early.

A shared vision for student success

The success of the initiative is a testament to the strong collaboration between the college and technical education leadership. Principal Perry emphasized the importance of this early exposure to build student confidence.

The students attend the course in Herkimer College classrooms, navigating the campus, using the library and interacting with college faculty, treating the experience as a true college engagement. This process encourages independence and ownership over their education, core tenets of the P-TECH model.

This joint initiative by Dean Scanlon and Principal Perry establishes a new benchmark for P-TECH partnerships at Herkimer BOCES, ensuring that students are not only academically prepared for college credit courses but are also socially and emotionally ready for the college environment. The program is expected to significantly boost retention and success rates as these students progress through their P-TECH studies.

Submitted by Director of Special Programs at Pathways Academy and Central Valley 5-12 Tracy Facchini and Director of Early Childhood, Autism and Itinerant Services Melanie Welch

This year brings exciting changes and growth within Special Programs at Herkimer BOCES. We are thrilled to welcome several new leaders who bring deep experience, strong instructional expertise, and a shared commitment to student success.

Dawn Harvey, assistant director of Special Programs, joins us from Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District, where she served as director of student support services. With over 21 years of experience as a school psychologist and CSE chairperson, Dawn’s focus will be on instructional improvement across programs. She has already made notable progress organizing literacy and math instructional materials and launching our new Behavior Support Services COSER. Additionally, she will serve as the 3-12 testing coordinator for BOCES, streamlining processes, ensuring test integrity and supporting appropriate accommodations for students.

Amber Mead, supervisor of Special Education P-4, began on Nov. 10, 2025. Amber brings over 15 years of experience in both general and special education, with expertise across the special education continuum, including co-teaching and consultant teaching models. Dually certified in early childhood and special education, Amber will strengthen the early learning programs through her passion for inclusive practices.

Nick Devins, assistant principal at Pathways Academy, also joined BOCES on Nov. 10, 2025. Coming from the Rome City School District, where he was a middle school counselor, Nick has a strong background in social-emotional learning and relationship-based leadership. His work with students, families and staff has consistently led to positive climate improvements and reduced behavioral challenges.

This school year marks significant growth across both Alternative Education and Special Programs. The newly renovated William E. Busacker (WEB) Complex opened its doors this fall as part of Phase I of the BOCES capital project. With modernized classrooms, upgraded security systems, new offices and improved air conditioning, the WEB now provides a safer, more comfortable and more functional environment for learning.

“By restructuring the WEB to serve our students with autism and the Pathways building to serve students with behavioral and mental health needs, we’ve added more than 80 students to our Special Programs footprint between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026,” Director Melanie Welch said. “We look forward to continued growth and new opportunities for the region.”

The Alternative Education program added a new classroom, welcoming back seventh grade students for the first time in several years. In Special Education, new classroom openings reflect the region’s growing needs:

     --- A new 8:1:1 classroom for grades 2–3 to provide intensive support for younger learners.

     --- Five new 6:1:2 autism classrooms serving students K–12.

Enrollment growth remains strong. As of September 2024, 82 students across the region were awaiting placement. That number has now decreased to less than 10 —thanks to strategic placement reviews and the addition of new classrooms. These efforts reflect both the increasing demand for specialized programs and the confidence districts have in Herkimer BOCES to deliver high-quality, individualized support.

Herkimer BOCES 6:1:2 autism teacher Ian Wiernicki and speech therapist Erin Reed recently presented at the Northeast AAC Summit in Albany on Oct. 3. Their session, “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Increasing Student Engagement and Communication with AAC,” showcased their collaboration and expertise in supporting student communication.

Colleagues joined to show support and share in the learning, including speech therapists Danielle Sponable, Deavon Eysaman and Ali Nelson, as well as teachers Emily Hayes and Ian Wiernicki.The team later presented their work to the Herkimer BOCES Board of Education on Nov. 6, earning well-deserved recognition for their outstanding contributions.

High school ARCHES wreath project:

Students in Heather Miller’s and Jaime Teachout’s classes collaborated with Adam Spatto and Cheri Evangelista to harvest natural materials and design creative Halloween wreaths. The project combined teamwork, artistry and environmental stewardship – resulting in festive classroom displays and proud student smiles.

Pathways Veterans Day observance:

Led by reading specialist Kristina Maley, Pathways students created a moving reading of “America’s White Table” to honor veterans, alongside a Q&A with guest speakers and a “Cards for Veterans” outreach effort. Their work serves as a reminder of the importance of service, sacrifice and gratitude.

Pathways/CVA/Jarvis staff development:

On Oct. 22, teaching assistants from across programs participated in a collaborative professional learning session led by Alisa Hubbell and Karissa Barnes of Pathways Academy. The workshop featured scenario-based discussions focused on best practices for paraprofessionals and was praised for its relevance and engagement.

Celebrating staff excellence

Congratulations to Leanne Byard, who will be recognized as an Outstanding Educator at the Genesis Group’s Celebration of Education event on Nov. 20. Leanne is often described as the “rock” of the autism program – mentoring new teachers, modeling best practices in structured teaching and championing inclusive education. Her compassion, professionalism and leadership embody educational excellence, and we are proud to celebrate her achievements.

A special shout-out also goes to Angie Carnright and Megan Lucas at CVA for their efforts to enhance the classroom environment – creating a more positive and engaging space for students to learn and grow.

Submitted by Director of Instructional Support Services and Adult Education Ruth Leavitt

New Teacher Seminar kicked off with 38 teachers from Central Valley, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young, Poland, West Canada Valley and Herkimer BOCES. Pictured here, instructional coaches and veteran teachers are helping new teachers with lesson planning. 

This series pairs our greenest new teachers with veteran instructional coaches throughout the year to problem-solve and set goals for their first year.

Instructional coaches hosted several professional development sessions during the October Superintendent’s Conference Day.

--- Regional science teachers from Central Valley, Herkimer, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young,  Richfield Springs, West Canada Valley, and BOCES gathered to plan the new biology and earth science investigations with instructional coach Laura Mikus.

     --- Pathways special education and content teachers collaborated and explored online tools designed to make co-teaching co-planning more effective. Teachers rated and shared ideas about various collaboration platforms to find what works best for busy educators. Participants left with a shared plan that fits their team’s needs. Led by instructional coach Corrie Clements.  

     --- Special Programs special education teachers attended an IEP Development training with instructional coach Kelly Romeyn focusing on IEP Annual Goals.

     --- Central Valley teaching assistants and aides were brought up to speed with Portrait of a Graduate with the School to Careers team MaryBeth Napolitano and Sarah Crowe. 

School To Careers is happy to announce that all 10 component districts are participating in the Advanced Career Immersion Experience (ACIE) internship program. Over 60 students are interning all over the Mohawk Valley this school year.

The Rescue Heroes Summer Day Camp program was a hit! This program hosts girls in grades 9–12 who were able to see the opportunities for females in rescue services such as the Syracuse Fire Training Center, Herkimer County 911 Call Center and MOVAC.

All 10 component districts participate in the Honors Programs, where students in grades 3-12 engage in extra-classroom activities to deepen their knowledge and experiences. Pictured here are ninth to 12th graders exploring the award-winning sustainability efforts at Colgate University.