Leading with Faith

ASAP PDF/Copy of each Signed “Written Affirmation” form sent to C. Riso

9/13/24 NCEA Enrollment Anchor Date – Count All Staff & Students

9/27/24 NCEA Form Due via Online Google Sheet

9/30/24 NYSED Art & Music Teacher Salary (AMTS) Grant Submission Deadline

10/2/24 BEDS Enrollment Anchor Date – Count All Staff & Students

10/17/24 NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due

NCEA Anchor Date 9/13/24: Remember that Friday, 9/13/2024 is the anchor date for the NCEA report; this means that you should print out all necessary student reports on that date to help you prepare your Google Sheet (enrollment counts, race, Catholicity, parish membership, etc.). Thank you in advance for completing your report online using the Google Sheet shared with you by the 9/27/2024 deadline. You can find my introductory letter here and the NCEA Form Instructions here. If you did not receive your NCEA Google Sheet from Laurie Wojtaszczyk by Wednesday end of day, please email her.

Training Resource for Mandated School Safety Plan Training for Staff: Project SAVE recommends that all staff receive annual training on the emergency response plan and that the school safety training include components on violence prevention and mental health. To assist with this, the Office of Student Support Services has developed a training resource to supplement existing district training on school violence prevention. This recorded slide deck provides an overview of student mental health, violence prevention, and prompts to guide your school through an overview of your District-Wide School Safety Plan and Building-Level Emergency Response Plan. The training includes several opportunities for administrators and/or safety team members to lead participants through discussions and review of district and school protocols and safety plans. Additional information and a link to the recorded training module are available on the Student Support Services SAVE web page, under News. Questions should be directed to 518-486-6090 or SafetyPlans@nysed.gov.

Flu Posting Requirement: Soon you will receive a memo from NYS about New York State Public Health Law Section 613 that requires schools to post flu educational material in plain view in their facilities. You should post the memo and the “Parents Fight Flu” poster in your school facility where it can be easily seen by parents/guardians. Information about this requirement, the recommended poster, and additional resources can be found at Flu (Influenza) Information for Child-Care Providers and Schools (ny.gov).

Annual Asbestos Notice (AHERA): The federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires all public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools to ensure that all school employees and building occupants, or their legal guardians, are informed at least once each school year about all asbestos inspections, response actions, and post-response action activities, including triennial reinspection and visual surveillance activities that are either planned or in progress. See this website for more information on this requirement.

Attention All Elementary and Middle Schools: Collaboration, Networking, and Strengthening Our Catholic Mission!: Catholic Identity

You are cordially invited to a pivotal Diocesan Professional Formation Day for Elementary and Middle School Principals, Teachers, and Staff led by Adam Jarosz: Founder, Righteous Co.

In these turbulent times for the Church, there is no one better to turn to than Jesus, our Prince of Peace, to guide us through the challenges we face as educators. We invite you to take a brief respite with us, recharge for the journey ahead, and retreat together for the sake of our young people. This professional formation day/retreat will offer engaging sessions designed to deepen your faith and enhance your leadership, with content tailored to navigating the challenges of our times—all while fulfilling your annual five-hour Catechetical training requirement.

We hope you’ll join us for this special opportunity as we continue our mission of nurturing young disciples and offering an exceptional educational experience for both the soul and the mind.

Why Attend?

• Collaboration and Networking: This event fosters a spirit of collaboration and provides opportunities to network with colleagues across our schools.

• Commitment to Catholic Education: Renew your commitment to the core mission of Catholic education, fulfilling the required 5 hours of catechetical training.

• Enriching Our Schools: Deepen your understanding and ability to teach the Catholic faith, centered on our mission to teach, serve, and evangelize.

Event Details:

• Date: Friday, October 11, 2024

• Time: 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM

• Location: St. Mary's High School, 142 Laverack Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14086

• Special Guest: Bishop Michael Fisher will celebrate Mass. Priests are invited to concelebrate.

Schedule

• Arrival and Hospitality: 8:00 AM

• Opening Prayer and Introduction: 8:30 AM

• Session 1 - A Profile of the Catholic School Student: 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

• Session 2 - Catechetical Training: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

• Mass with Bishop Michael Fisher: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

• Lunch Break: 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

• Session 3 - Prince of Peace & The Eucharistic Revival: 1:15 PM - 2:30 PM

• Conclusion: 2:30 PM

*Subject to change

Don't Miss Out!

• RSVP by Friday, September 20th: Please complete this form to secure your spot. All participants are required to register to plan for food, sign in and serve as a record of Catechetical Training for principals records.

• Diocesan Professional Formation Day Registration

• Questions? Contact Nancy DiBerardino at ndiberardino@buffalodiocese.org.

We look forward to welcoming you to this enriching formation day and retreat as we proclaim the glory of God together!

Making a Difference Award Nomination

Nominate a Catholic Elementary School Teacher for the Sister Lucille Sociarelli/Father John Sturn Making a Difference Award

This award honors educators who have made a significant impact on the lives of their students and the Catholic community. Inspired by the legacy of Sister Lucille Socciarelli and Father John Sturn, the award recognizes teachers who:

• Demonstrate exceptional dedication and commitment to their students

• Foster a love of learning and a strong Catholic faith

• Inspire and empower students to reach their full potential

• Contribute to the overall well-being and success of their school community

By nominating a teacher for this award, you are acknowledging their invaluable contributions and helping to celebrate their achievements.

We are excited to share that the recipient will be honored at the Catholic Education dinner on February 5th.

Please submit your nominations by Friday, September 27th using the form linked below:

Making a Difference Award Nomination Form

Invitation to Nominate a Distinguished Principal

Dear Principals, Teachers, Staff, School Chaplains, Pastors, Parents, and School Board Members,

We invite you to nominate a principal who exemplifies exceptional leadership, commitment to Catholic values, and a dedication to fostering a thriving school community.

The Distinguished Principal award recognizes principals who support our mission of Catholic Schools to teach, serve, and evangelize as we proclaim the glory of God.

The Distinguished Principal award recognizes principals who:

• Lead their schools with enthusiasm and vision

• Participate actively in the community of Catholic school principals

• Are accomplished instructional leaders, community builders, and spiritual mentors

To nominate a principal, please complete the attached nomination form. The form will ask you to provide specific examples of how the nominee demonstrates their commitment to our mission and their exceptional leadership qualities.

We are excited to share that the recipient will be honored at the Catholic Education dinner on February 5th.

Please submit your completed nomination form by September 27th using the form linked below:

Distinguished Principal Nomination Form

Enrollment spreadsheets are being emailed this week. Remember we ask for enrollment at the beginning of each month, with the exception of October and November. Please use the same link each month. September’s enrollment date is for this Friday, September 13th. This is also the NCEA anchor date.

NCEA spreadsheets are being emailed this week. If you do not have it by end of day Wednesday, please let me know. You can find the instructions in Chris’ blog above, but we are always happy to answer any questions you have. I’m happy to make visits to schools to help new secretaries and administrative assistants with the process as well.

Our STAR window is open now through Sep. 27th. Continue to reach out if you are having issues with rosters or teachers. Good luck with testing.

All of the summer job postings have come down from our website. I certainly hope you are fully staffed, but, if you are still in need of a position, please contact me to repost it.or send me a new job description. Need the form? Here you go! Please make a copy or download that file and send it to me. If you can add your school logo that helps the process along. You may want to check our website to ensure your postings are accurate.

eSchool has created a video library and how-to documents for teachers to better utilize Teacher Connect here: Teacher Connect Online Resources.

They also have created two videos for setting up gradebooks: Gradebook Defaults; Gradebook

Many folks use the terms “mentoring” and “coaching” interchangeably. But there is a difference! A mentor is an insider or an expert in a field who supports a novice through career transitions, or with day-to-day guidance, or by sharing tricks-of-the-trade, or by closing gaps in their knowledge. Undoubtedly, A coach can be a mentor, but the coach works more formally to help clients develop professionally while meeting goals for self, for others, and for the organization. Coaching is grounded in the establishment of relationships, confidentiality, and formal agreements regarding meetings and interactions.

Now that the school year is in full swing (after only 1 week!), we are reaching out to facilitate opportunities for principals – with a focus on new principals and principals new to a school – to meet periodically and collaboratively, and to follow with one-on-one meetings to review and support professional goals and to provide principals with guidance in helping to collaborate with teachers, staff, their Board, and their Chaplain for the purpose of meeting the needs of every child, in every school, every day.

This week, we’ve begun our coaching outreach to our newest school leaders, and I look forward to working with each of them individually, to support them as they achieve their professional goals!

Wishing a blessed week to all our readers!