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Student Voice

Presenting at the NYSSBA State Convention

On October 27, 2023, four of our students from the Students ACT (Alliance for Cultural Transformation) Team attended and presented at the New York School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Annual Convention alongside Assistant Superintendent for Talent & Equity JoAnn Balazs and Dr. Michael Ginestre, Superintendent of Schools. Their topic was DEI: Student Voice IS the Initiative. Lily Fisher (11th), Summer Mack (10th), Thomas Hayter (7th), & Muhamed Diedhiou (5th), spoke in front of a room full of superintendents, board members, and other professionals about the work the Students ACT team has done, and their goals moving forward.

On May 18, 2023, over 200 students in the Sweet Home Central School District, from Grades 4-12, convened for a first ever, district-wide student leadership summit. The inaugural event, Challenge 2 Change 2023, was an important step of the District’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiative, and was designed to launch and empower the “student voice.”

To learn more about this event, click here.

group of students at a table for challenge 2 change event
DEI Committee Chair JoAnn Balazs leads an activity
Superintendent Dr. Ginestre speaks to participants
Community partners speak at C2C
Community partners speak at C2C
Community partners speak at C2C
wall of intolerance activity

Students ACT - Alliance for Cultural Transformation

Jay’tion Holt, GL
Mya Lipscomb, GL
Atal Jawid, HH
Endiyah Fairclough, HH
Briannah Faith, MM
Krishanu Dhar, MM
Muhamed Diedhiou, WR
Jayden Saini, WR
Thomas Hayter, MS
Elise McDuffie, MS
Mikaela Klumpp, MS
Patience Richards, MS
Samdeep Singh, MS
Jayden Ventura, MS
Elizabeth Cusack, HS
Lily Fisher, HS
Summer Mack, HS
Camryn Smith, HS
Afifa Roja, HS
Damarion Stone, HS
Hunter Tryloff, HS

fitting in quote

Program Facilitators

Dr. Ginestre, Superintendent
Mrs. Balazs, Asst Super
Mr. Feldmann, Asst Super
Dr. Wilson, Asst Super
Ms. Shaibi, Dir Human Res
Mrs. Barillari, Dir Spec Prog
Mr. Wolf, Principal Sec Prog
Mr. Schiumo, Athletic Dir
Mr. Ryan, Principal
Mr. Polino, Principal
Ms. DeLaPlante, Principal
Mr. Perry, Principal
Mrs. Popovic, Asst Princ
Mr. Bailey, Asst Princ
Mr. Pilato, Asst Princ
Mr. Shepherd, TOSA
Dr. Luchey, Counselor
Mrs. Bruce, Teacher
Mr. Woods, Counselor
Mrs. Bennett, Teacher
Mr. Glorioso, Counselor
Mrs. Glenn, Teacher
Mrs. Buttino, Teacher
Mrs. Saini, Teacher Aide
Mrs. Januchowski, Counselor
Mrs. Mielcarek, Teacher
Mrs. Adams, Teacher
Ms. Gionis, School Psychologist
Ms. Ciezki, Social Worker
Mr. Burns, NWACC
SRO Awald, Amherst PD
Mr. Imbs, Technology Services