Leading with Faith

9/3/24 Teachers are approved to be alone with students via VIRTUS/Safe Environment

9/6/24 2023 Concussion Management Training & Protocols have been Implemented

9/6/24 PDF/Copy of each Signed “Written Affirmation” form sent to C. Riso

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

10/17/24 NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due

Happy New (School) Year! I hope you have a great first week of school! As you welcome your students back into the classroom, I have an update on Substantial Equivalency, Elementary AIS, and two reminders about fire safety mandates.

Substantial Equivalency Update/Correction: On August 20th, based on advice I received from ORISS I indicated there was a chance that the 2023-24 Substantial Equivalency determination would be valid for 7 years (until 2030-2031). It turns out this information was incorrect and that the “determination dates are annual for Pathways #1 through #6, but Pathway #7 is valid for seven years.”

Elementary AIS Program Year 7 Forms Available for 10/17/24 Application Deadline: On 8/30/24, NYSED notified you that the Elementary AIS grant Year 7 forms are now available and may be submitted via the NYSED Business Portal or email by the 10/17/24 deadline. Guidance, allocations, and resource documents can be found here. Eligible purchases and payments must have been completed by June 30, 2024 to be submitted in this year’s application. I will look over the forms and allocations and provide you with more guidance on this process in next week’s “Leading with Faith” newsletter.

Fire Drill Requirements: While the warm weather is still with us, I wanted to remind you of the NYS fire drill requirements. NYS Educational Law requires emergency evacuation drills to include the following:

1. The statute requires twelve drills be conducted each school year, four of which must be lock-down drills, the remaining eight are required to be evacuation drills.

2. Eight of the required twelve drills must be completed before December 31st.

Based on this law, it is recommended that all Diocese of Buffalo Catholic schools conduct six Evacuation (Fire) Drills and two Lock-Down Drills prior to December 31 of each school year. Once the first eight drills are completed as recommended, two Fire Drills and two Lock-down Drills will remain to be conducted from January 1 through June 14th. See the attached letter for more information and a sample tracking form.

The updated 11/12/2020 “Nonpublic Fire Safety Report” and related info can be found at: https://www.nysed.gov/nonpublic-schools/religious-and-independent-school-fire-reports. Click here for my thoughts on the new public school requirements on trauma-informed drills and parent notification.

Fire Prevention Instruction for Students: This is a reminder that arson and fire prevention instruction is to be provided to students in accordance with Section 808 of the Education Law. This law requires every school in New York State to provide a minimum of 45 minutes of instruction in arson and fire prevention for each month that school is in session.

• Identification of a variety of conditions in the home, school, and community that may lead to fires.

• Procedures to follow in the event of fire in the home, school and the community.

• Preventative measures that may reduce the risk of fire and arson

Instruction may be provided as a special subject, or integrated within content areas of the curriculum. Go to https://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/HealthSafety/child_safety.html for resources.

As of 2005, injury prevention and life safety education must also be provided for students.

Student Enrichment: Welcoming and Faith

We are delighted to welcome both new and returning families to our WNY Catholic schools. Thank you for choosing to be part of our mission to teach, serve, and evangelize as we proclaim the glory of God.

As we continue our strategic planning for Catholic education, we are guided by key questions: What is the true purpose and value of a Catholic education? What qualities should a Catholic school graduate embody?

Starting this school year, I’m reminded of a story that reflects our core focus. Three kindergarten mothers were discussing their hopes for their children. One mother emphasized academic success, another hoped for athletic achievement, and the third shared her desire for her child to reach sainthood and live a life filled with God’s love. In our Catholic schools, we strive to prepare students not only for college and careers but, most importantly, to help them grow in faith and virtue.

For September, our focus is on the character trait of being welcoming and the virtue of faith. How can we create a welcoming environment for our students, parents, teachers, and staff? How can we nurture a faith-filled school community centered on developing disciples of Christ?

We are committed to nurturing students who will lead with faith, knowledge, and a heart for service.

A Great Place to Work: New Teacher Orientation

We are excited to welcome new teachers to the Diocese of Buffalo! As you join our vibrant community, we are committed to supporting your journey as educators within our Catholic schools.

To ensure a smooth transition, we are offering a New Teacher Orientation. This orientation will introduce you to the vital role of the Catholic school teacher, grounding you in our mission to create a community rooted in the Catholic faith. Our focus is on fostering a loving and supportive environment where students can discover their unique gifts and talents, allowing them to grow into the best versions of themselves.

Through this orientation, you will not only gain essential knowledge and resources but also connect with fellow educators who share your dedication to faith-based education. Together, we will embark on a rewarding journey of teaching, serving, and nurturing the next generation of leaders. We look forward to welcoming you and helping you thrive in this important role.

Teachers please choose 1 session to attend:

1. September 24 (North) St. Joseph University, 3275 Main St.

2. September 25 (South) Our Lady of Victory Charities, 780 Ridge Rd.

Please RSVP by September 13. If you have any questions about registering, lunch, location, or parking, feel free to contact Nancy DiBerardino at ndiberardino@buffalodiocese.org. Don’t forget to bring your laptop!

New Teacher Orientation Registration

eSchool is now ready for the 2024-2025 school year. The following are the majority of errors that I find in level 0, so please make sure that:

1. All PK students are excluded from state reporting and state enrollment.

2. Any transfers that happen use code 170.

3. All students have their home district added with a date at least one day before registration in your school.

STAR is also ready for the 2024-2025 school year. It is syncing with your information in eSchool, so please make sure your rosters and teachers are updated in eSchool to be correct in STAR. Once your classes are set in eSchool they will transfer to STAR. Please have your STAR Champion check the classes and rosters and make sure the products for this year have been assigned to each class. They will want to also ensure that team teachers have been adjusted if necessary so everyone can see the data for students they pertain to.

If you are not seeing students in STAR it means your eSchool is not fully set up with teachers and rosters. There were about 12 schools last week that still needed to set up their rosters.

Happy first week of school!

Due to a conflict in the Bishop’s schedule, the 8th grade and 12th grade Mass dates are being changed. We will notify you of the new dates as soon as they are confirmed. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Bowling Registration - Due by Sep. 13th It’s that wonderful time of year again to register your students for bowling. There are just a few changes from last year. For this Fall the league fee has increased a dollar per student to $36.00 for the season. I am asking each school to collect the league fees from your student bowlers. I will then invoice the schools after the season has begun. The alleys have requested that each school submit an official roster. This form will be coming at the beginning of September.