True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress

― James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Atomic Habits has proven to be a book I return to every few months. James Clear outlines a process for improvement that seems to upend traditional goal-setting behavior. He argues that setting up systems of continuous improvement is more important than any one goal. As we embark on our process of accreditation this school year, it’s important to keep this in mind.

This is, after all, the public launch of our self-study process. This week all of our 5th-8th grade students will be asked to take a Middle States survey at school which will measure school climate and perceptions. All adult stakeholders will also be asked to complete the same type of survey. This will give us great data on perceptions of school climate and areas to improve. Most importantly, the surveys will communicate a very clear message to all of our stakeholders–that we are committed to getting better. We are not resting on our laurels, we are dedicated to school improvement.

We’ll use this data to help determine the best goals to drive school improvement. But (see below) it’s also important to remember that the actual goals aren’t as important as establishing a system of continuous improvement.

If a survey lands in your inbox, I hope you take the time to fill it out and build excitement around the survey with your peers and colleagues. What better way to celebrate Catholic Schools Week?!?😜

Previous blogs can be found here. Want to keep up with the conversations surrounding Catholic education? Set up your own Google Alert, subscribe to this newsletter by clicking "follow," or subscribe to the Catholic School Matters podcast.

Dr. Tim Uhl

• • The Diocesan Speech Tournament has been rescheduled to Feb 10th at St. Andrew Country Day School. Here is the flyer with details and here is the signup link. Contact Rachel Zeller for more information

  • Religious Liberty Essay Contest sponsored by the USCCB

  • Chess Tournament at Cardinal O’Hara on Feb. 3rd, 10am start. Sign up HERE Please sign up before January 31. Contact Laurie Wojtaszczyk for more information or see the flyer HERE. Directions for students and parents can be found HERE.

  • STAR Testing window is Jan. 8-29. PLEASE make sure you are doing all of your testing during this timeframe. Let me know if you have any issues that need to be worked out ASAP.

  • Ash Wednesday and Lent are right around the corner! (Feb 14th). How are you preparing?

Here's the link to the Office Blog

• 2/5/24 Last Day to Submit Buffalo Public Schools Textbook Requisitions
• 2/27/24 HS Scholarships for Academic Excellence (SAE) Nominations Due
• 3/9/24 CIDEL “Call to Leadership” Event: Free - Register by 3/1
• 3/15/24 Last Day to Submit Erie 1 BOCES Textbook Requisitions
• 3/18/24 Save Mandated Services Claim online for C. Riso Review
• 3/31/24 NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Claims Due
• 3/31/24 NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due
• 4/1/24 Online 2021-22 Mandated Services Claim Due to NYSED

State-Level Scoring of Computer-Based Gr. 5 & 8 Science Tests: NYSED has identified funding to support state-level scoring of all Grade 5 and Grade 8 science tests taken by CBT this spring. Because the Department will cover the cost of state-level CBT science scoring (click here), you will not have to arrange for or pay BOCES or a vendor for the scanning or scoring of these tests. Students’ CBT-constructed responses will be sent directly to the Department’s contractor, NWEA, for scoring once students complete their tests. Paper-based science tests (i.e., accommodated editions) will still need to be scored at the local level. Questions about state-wide scoring of the computer-based science tests may be sent to CBTSupport@nysed.gov.

New Law on Menstrual Products Availability: NYSED released a memo on 12/12/23 that explains the recent change in public health law that will require nonpublic schools serving students in grades 6 to 12 to provide menstrual (feminine hygiene) products at no cost to students in school restrooms beginning on 7/1/24. More information and a Q and A can be found here. There is no funding or reimbursement to support this new mandate - schools are responsible for the cost of products, which must be provided at no cost to the students.

CIDEL “Call to Leadership” Event on 3/9 for Administrators & Aspiring Administrators: I would like to invite you and your teachers to the CIDEL (Committee for Identifying and Developing Educational Leadership) “Call to Leadership” taking place on Saturday, March 9th from 8:30 am to Noon at Erie 1 BOCES (355 Harlem Road, West Seneca). The “Call” is a great event for teachers looking for more information on becoming a school leader while also supporting current school leaders. There is no charge for the event this year and CTLE credit is available for those who need it. Click here for information on the conference. This year's theme is “The Joy in Leadership: Supporting the Whole Administrator.” The Keynote Speaker this year is Dr. Kevin McGowan Superintendent of Brighton Central Schools . Following the keynote, there will be sessions on Distributive Leadership, the Whole Administrator, Mission and Vision, A Day in the Life of an Administrator, Engaging Leadership, and Résumé/Interview Strategies. I am a member of CIDEL and will likely be at the event if you need more information. To register yourself or your team, please contact: Pat Hochadel from the WNYESC at 716-923-6514 or wnyesc222@gmail.com.

Previous posts from Mr. Riso

This season's Catholic School Matters podcast season is on hiatus until February. Previous episodes:

• "Top 10 Lessons Learned as a Catholic High School President."
  
• Lauren May and Ron Matus from Step Up For Students
  
• Kelby Woodard
• In the fifth and final installment of the Leadership Series
  
• The fourth podcast
  
• The third podcast
  
• The second in the series includes a conversation with Greg Richmond
  
• The first podcast includes a conversation with Dr. Daniel McMahon
• John Kennedy of St. Joseph High School
  
• Fr. Jack Podsiadlo, SJ
  
• David Palmieri

Here is a link to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.

A weekly newsletter of resources to spur enrollment and excellence in our Catholic schools.

Email: catholicschoolmatters@gmail.com
Website: www.wnycatholicschools.org
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
Phone: 716-847-5520
Twitter: @WNYCatholicEd

1. Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America (2023) by Heather Cox Richardson
   

2. The Great Mental Models, Volume 2: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (2023) by Farnam Street, Shane Parrish, and Rhiannon Beaubien.

3. People Get Ready: Ritual, Solidarity, and Lived Ecclesiology in Catholic Roxbury (2023) by Susan Bigelow Reynolds
   

4. No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (2023) by Frank Fromherz & Suzanne Sattler, IHM.

5. Richard Rohr on Transformation: Collected Talks (1998) by Richard Rohr
   

Click this link for a full list of my professional reading

January 23, 2024 "St. Benedict & Intentional Community"

January 16, 2024 "Leadership & Anxiety"

January 9, 2024 "Diocesan Scorecard"

January 2, 2024 "Principal Meeting"

December 5, 2023 "Accreditation Progress"

For previous newsletters, click this link

A few years ago I set out to write a book which would explore the challenges of Catholic school leadership. My premise that there are no easy answers and that we have to learn from our (and other's) mistakes in order to form a mindset appropriate for orchestrating conflict proved prescient as we all faced completely new and unexpected challenges in 2020. The book,Orchestrating Conflict: Case Studies in Catholic Leadership is now available on Amazon or on the Barnes & Noble site in print or e-book formats. The book explores issues in Catholic school leadership and the tensions between building community and following Church policies and introduces deliberate practice as a method for leadership formation. Most recently, I have completed a new book proposal so book #2 is underway!