Exec. Summary: School Safety/Security, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Mental Health Cafes

The East Syracuse Minoa Central School District conducted three Community Cafes on School Safety and Security and Welcoming Environment;  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Mental Health.  Approximately 200 parents attended and participated in the sessions which were held at the following sites:

• Central High School - October 11, 2022 
• Pine Grove Middle School - October 18, 2022
• Fremont Elementary School - October 25, 2022 (For Park Hill Pre-k & All Elementary Schools)

Dr. Donna J. DeSiato, Superintendent, provided introductory remarks at each of the Community Cafes emphasizing the importance of the District’s work in each area.

At each Cafe, the topics were introduced by District Administrators, providing general context for the parent participants to engage in a dialogue regarding focus areas and priorities of the District Strategic Plan for 2018-2023.  A facilitator and a recorder were included for each small group dialogue.

As part of the Cafe process, each participant moved to different small groups for discussion on each topic.  This allowed the parents to share their ideas and suggestions for addressing these topics with several other parents.

The ideas and suggestions generated at the cafes will be utilized to enhance the District-Wide and Building Safety and Security Plans, and also provide critical direction for the District’s next five (5) year Strategic Plan for 2023-2028.

The Executive Summary (link to PDF file) includes:

• Description of the structure for the Cafes which was utilized to actively engage participants in dialogue concerning these critically important areas.
• Ideas and suggestions generated through the active engagement of the participants.