Leading with Faith
April 30th, 2024
The Catholic Schools Department weekly newsletter
We appreciate how busy April, May and June are for our schools. Here are some highlights in this week's newsletter:
Julie: Check out sample data school board reports
Chris: Did you get the textbook email from Boces?
Laurie: Enjoy the Spring Dances at St. Greg's and Queen of Heaven on Friday 5/3
Nancy: RSVP For the Principal's Meeting and Mystery Science if you haven't done so yet.
Rachel: Let's go Scientists! See you at the X-STREAM Games on Saturday 5/4 at St. Joe's
Department News
by Julie Gajewski
ASSESSMENT
In my initial teaching role, I assumed the position of Head Coach for a high school Track and Field team. Despite lacking prior experience in this role, I accepted the responsibility to ensure the continuity of the team and to support the student athletes. While my expertise lay primarily in coaching distance runners, I recognized the need for assistant coaches proficient in other events such as shot put, hurdles, sprints, and pole vault.
Embracing a model of shared leadership, we orchestrated a successful track season where several student athletes advanced to the Maryland State Track and Field competition. Central to our achievements was the establishment of collective objectives, fostering a sense of ownership among coaches and athletes for their respective events. This experience underscored the importance of trust among colleagues and instilled a culture of teamwork and accountability.
Recently, we convened a team of dedicated professionals committed to cultivating a data-informed culture to propel school improvement efforts. In collaboration with our principals, we assembled a diocese-wide STAR Champion team with a unified aim of aligning best practices for implementing the STAR formative assessment program.
Our session was structured around three core objectives:
discussing best practices for test administration,
providing technical support at the building level,
effectively communicating STAR results to parents.
The meeting proved fruitful as STAR Champions shared insights on successful practices, identified areas necessitating clarification, and posed pertinent questions to enhance our processes.
Moving forward, our aim is to craft a comprehensive best practices document for presentation to principals, seeking their feedback and recommendations. This document will serve as a blueprint for STAR implementation in the upcoming academic year, marking the third year of diocesan-wide adoption. Special thanks goes to Laurie Wojtaszczyk for her leadership in facilitating the training for all participants in test administration and tech support, who graciously dedicated their time to engage either in-person at the Catholic Center or virtually. Notably, our gathering comprised representatives from 20 out of 29 schools participating in STAR across the Diocese of Buffalo.
STAR and Data Implementation:
April
Develop data school board reports.
Sample Board Report - Make a copy and edit document to fit your needs
Guidelines for sharing academic data with a school board
by Chris Riso
4/30/24 NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Year 10 Purchasing Deadline
5/17/24 Erie 1 BOCES Title IIa Consortium Leadership Meeting from 1-2:30pm
5/20/24 Last Day to Register for Free UB Summer Graduate Classes
6/1/24 Last day for Parents to Request Special Education Services from Districts
6/27/24 NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Claims Due
TBD NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due
NYSED NPSE Forms Released: You should have received an email from NYSED on Thursday that described the release of the Year 10 NPSE forms, allocations, and guidance. I sent you a school-specific email on Friday with my take on the funds you have available to spend through 4/30/24 (today!) if you plan to submit those expenses using the Year 10 forms. Click here for the updated information.
Erie 1 BOCES Textbook Update: Domenic Liberta from Erie 1 BOCES sent an email to the listed textbook coordinators on Thursday, April 25th. This email has all of the information school’s need in order to use their textbook ordering website so there will not be an in-person Annual Textbook Loan Meeting. Please email me if your school did not receive this information. You can email Domenic at dliberta@e1b.org if you have a new textbook coordinator.
NYS Assembly District 140 Survey: Assembly Member William Conrad, representing Kenmore, Tonawanda, North Tonawanda, and part of North Buffalo, is looking for resident feedback. If you live in that Assembly district, please consider completing the online survey at https://nyassembly.gov/mem/William-Conrad/story/109952. Although education is not directly asked about, consider entering something about the importance of continued support for Religious and Independent schools (or private or nonpublic schools) in question #13.
by Laurie Wojtaszczyk
Principals were sent a listing of students who registered for the St. Gregory dance location Friday night. We have a great turnout from 12 different schools! Just a quick reminder that students are to be dropped off no earlier than 6:45pm and dismissal is at 10pm.
St. Mary's Church, Swormville, is excited to host Karlo Broussard, nationally acclaimed Catholic speaker and staff apologist at Catholic Answers, for twelve unique talks over four days, May 19 -22. All talks are free and open to the public. A complete list of topics and times are listed at: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/dd552a00/25fCGXcfXUG-uxPaDQfygg?u=https://www.stmaryswormville.org/page/st-marys-parish-mission.
It’s time to notify our office of your summer camp programs. Please email Laurie with any details so our website can be updated for you.
eSchool Reminders:
- When students are transferring to/from your school, please ALWAYS use the code 170. We are a system of schools and not a District. The students are always going to be "outside of your district" when they are moving in or out.
- When you are adding new students, please remember to add their home district to their registration information.
by Nancy DiBerardino
Mystery Science for the 2024-2025 school year submissions must be to Nancy NO LATER THAN MAY 2. You were emailed a form to fill out and return to her - this is an urgent request if you have not submitted your form back to her.
The Character Virtue for April is Problem Solving. Please submit your names here by May 3rd.
**LOCATION CHANGE** The May 22nd Principal Meeting will be held at the UB Newman Center. Here is the RSVP link for you.
Our annual Character Award and Gold Apple Award Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 28th at St. Amelia Church. Please RSVP before May 15th for this evening so we can plan accordingly. We will begin with Mass at 6pm followed by light refreshments. Each school should RSVP with the total number of people attending from their school - how many students and their families along with any school representatives.
If you have not ordered your school supplies for the end of the year, please use this link to notify Nancy of your needs.
by Rachel Zeller
The STREAM event of the season is finally here! The 10th Annual X-STREAM Games will take place on Saturday, May 4 at St. Joe's Collegiate Institute from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Students in grades K-8th who attend Catholic schools in Western New York have been preparing to participate in events including:
- Cardboard Arcade
- Fashionably Yours
- Kitchen Chemistry
- VEX IQ Full Volume Robotics Challenge
- Science Scrimmage Rubber Band Cars
- Young Scientists' Challenge Science Fair
We encourage the community to come and support this event and see what our young students have been able to accomplish!
Participating schools include:
- Christ the King Snyder
- DeSales Catholic School Niagara Falls
- Our Lady of Victory Lackawanna
- St. Andrew's Country Day School Kenmore
- St. Christopher's Tonawanda
- Sts. Peter & Paul Hamburg
- Sts. Peter & Paul Williamsville
- St. Amelia's Tonawanda
- St. Gregory the Great Williamsville
- St. John the Baptist Alden
- St. Mary Lancaster
- St. Mary of Swormville
- St. Peter's Roman Catholic School Lewiston
- St. Stephen's Grand Island
Admission will be your donation of a non-perishable food item for St. Joe's food pantry mission.
Snacks including pizza, pop, water and candy will be available for purchase to help support St. Joe's Science Olympiad program.
Important Dates
5/3 - Spring Dances, St. Gregory & Queen of Heaven
5/4 - X-STREAM Games, St. Joe's, 11am
5/6-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
5/13-15 - Diocesan Art Show, St. Mary Swormville, 6-8pm
5/20-21 - Diocesan Track Meet, St. Francis
5/22 - Principal's Meeting, UB Newman Center
5/28 - Character Awards Celebration, St. Amelia's, 6pm Mass
Damar Hamlin makes a surprise visit to Immaculate Conception School in East Aurora
Eighth graders prepare for change as they look to high school
Spring Bowling Championships
Our bowlers having fun and being showing great sportsmanship.
Spring Bowling Championships
Our bowlers having fun and being showing great sportsmanship.
Spring Bowling Championships
Congratulations to Alex G. from St. John Vianney and Cameron D. from St. Andrew's County Day
Spring Bowling Championships
Congratulations to Lovella D. from Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls and Julia P. from St. John Kenmore
Upcoming Events
Diocesan Art Exhibition
https://www.stmaryschoolswormville.org/o/school/page/artshow
May 13, 14, 15th from 6-8pm