Leading with Faith
by Joleen Dimitroff
Catholic Community,
Joleen has been in Phoenix this week attending the NCEA Catholic Leadership Summit (CLS) and New Superintendents Academy (NSA) — the premier gathering for Catholic school system leaders across the country. The theme this year, Be Still, invites reflection and renewal amid the important work of leading our schools.
The summit brings together superintendents, associate leaders, and national partners to share best practices, strengthen mission-driven leadership, and collaborate around the big questions shaping Catholic education today. It’s an energizing and faith-filled opportunity to connect with peers and bring fresh insight and inspiration back to our diocese.
She also wanted to share this exciting news from across our community:
Unified Sports NY (@UnifiedSportsNY) recently featured one of our schools:
Massive shoutout to Cardinal O'Hara High School for making history! On September 23, they became the first Catholic school in New York to launch a Unified program. Congratulations! 🎖️ See the post here.
by Stephanie Genco Gasiecki
“Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14
As we move deeper into the school year, collaboration around a shared mission continues to guide our work, from accreditation planning to data-driven instruction. Each of these efforts supports growth across our schools as we strive to serve the students and families entrusted to our care.
Middle States Accreditation
Our diocesan Middle States planning team met this week with the visiting co-chairs, who will join us in April for school visits. The meeting was both encouraging and productive, and a clear and realistic plan is now in place to guide schools through the self-study process and to use school-level feedback to inform diocesan-wide reflection and goal setting. This collaborative effort will benefit schools directly, strengthen systems for continuous improvement, and celebrate the quality of Catholic education in our diocese. Principals will continue this important work at the October Principal Meeting.
STAR Champion/Coordinator Meetings
Our STAR Champions/Coordinators will gather virtually on the following dates to share strategies, build consistency, and strengthen our use of data:
November 20, January 7, March 12, and May 1, 2:00–3:00 PM (virtual)
Calendar invites with links will be sent to all Champions in advance of each meeting.
Social Studies Curriculum Development
The Social Studies Curriculum Committee continues its important work toward a summer adoption. Upcoming meetings include:
December 11, 1:00–3:00 PM (Virtual Committee Meeting)
February 27, 8:30 AM–2:00 PM (BOCES Professional Development Day)
May (TBD) (Committee Meeting)
This process is working toward alignment with standards, integration of Catholic identity, engaging lesson design, and continuity of instruction across our schools.
STREAM Update
Our next STREAM in-person meeting will be Wednesday, November 19, 8:30–11:30 AM. We are planning to host this at a community partner location. While our initial venue fell through, we are working on securing an alternate space. STREAM Coordinators, please keep the date reserved. If you have a connection or idea for a possible host site, please reach out!
Best Practices Spotlight: 3 Ways to Use Data to Drive Instruction
Collaborate around data. The most powerful insights often come from conversation. Use STAR results as a springboard for grade-level or content-area discussions. Sharing trends, challenges, and successful strategies helps teams align interventions and identify what’s working across classrooms.
Identify trends early. Begin by reviewing your fall STAR benchmark results to pinpoint strengths and gaps at the grade or class level. Look closely at domain-level scores to see where students are excelling or struggling, and use this information to plan whole-group focus areas and targeted small-group instruction.
Set actionable goals. Translate data into clear, measurable learning goals for students and classrooms. For example, identify a focus skill or domain for growth over the next six weeks and track progress using classroom assessments or STAR growth reports. Returning to these goals regularly keeps instruction responsive and intentional.
When we use data thoughtfully and faithfully, we don’t just teach, but rather serve each learner with intention, individuality, and love.
by Chris Riso
10/22/25 NCEA Updates/Corrections Due to our Office via Google Sheet
10/25/25 Voter Registration Deadline
10/31/25 Deadline to Register for Albany RISE Conference to get Free Hotel Room
11/1/25 2024-25 School (and Parish) Annual Reports Due to the Audit Department
11/3/25 Title I Letters Sent to Each Public School District with F/R Lunch Students
11/4/25 Election Day - Please Vote!
11/14/25 BEDS Report Due to NYSED via Business Portal IRS-Data Exchange
12/1/25 Fire Safety Inspection Must be Completed; Report Due 12/16/2025
School Administration Job Application Process/Interviewing Networking Event: On November 6th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm, the Committee for Identifying and Developing Educational Leadership (CIDEL) will be hosting a free School Administration Job Application Process/Interviewing Networking Event at Buffalo State College Alumni & Visitor Center (click here for the event details). Current School Administrators (Superintendents, District Administrators, Building Principals) will be available to discuss the job application process and discuss interviewing strategies. Current teachers considering Educational Leadership and school administration, as well as current Educational Leaders (both building level and district level) are welcome to attend. Please RSVP by October 31, 2025 (click here).
by Nancy DiBerardino
Elementary Bowling
There is one week left of the season. Please be prepared to provide me with the names of the 4 students participating from your school. The Championship Tournament will take place on Saturday, November 1st at Classic Lanes, 1847 Military Road, Kenmore, NY starting at 9:00 AM. (Your top bowlers 5 & 6 grade and 7 & 8 grade.) One bowler per grade level.
Urgent Message: New Dates for the 12th Grade & 8th Grade Masses.
If you have already registered your school there is no need for you to re-register. Please contact me if this change has caused a conflict and your school will no longer be able to attend.
12th Grade Mass Registration (NEW DATE)
The 12th Grade Mass will take place on Tuesday, December 2nd at St.Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY at 10:30 AM. Registration for this event is required by November 17th. The registration form will be used for creating our seating chart. Register your school here.
8th Grade Mass Registration Form (NEW DATE)
The 8th grade Mass will take place on Wednesday, December 3rd at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY at 10:30 AM. Registration for this event is required by November 17th. The registration form will be used for creating our seating chart. Register your school here.
Safe Environment Training for Youth in Catholic Schools
This is a mandatory training that takes place yearly in our Catholic schools.
The deadline for this training to be completed and recorded on-line is January 15, 2026. Attached please find a document that explains why this training is done, how to access the resources and how to record on-line that the training has been completed.
by Mike Baumann
As school and building leaders, one of the most critical things we do is provide feedback to our employees in the form of evaluations. But before we can effectively evaluate and provide useful feedback that allows our teachers and other employees to grow and improve in their craft, those same employees have to know and clearly understand what the expectations are for the position they are filling. This is why Job Descriptions are important for each and every position in the school.
A job description is a formal document that details a specific job's responsibilities, duties, required skills, qualifications, and working conditions. Job Descriptions are a crucial component of the recruitment and hiring process- they allow us to attract suitable candidates for open positions. But the importance of the job description doesn’t end when someone is hired- the job description also provides the framework for evaluating whether or not an employee is able to successfully meet the expectations of the position once they are actually in the position.
A basic job description typically includes five sections:
Job title
Position Overview- a general description of the job, it’s purpose in the organization and where it fits in the organization’s hierarchy/structure
Duties and Responsibilities- typically a comprehensive list of the tasks and/or activities to be performed in the position
Working Conditions- information about the work environment and expectations for physicality in the role
Minimum Qualifications- the education, experience, knowledge, skills and/or competencies required for the position
But it is important to keep in mind that job descriptions are NOT written in stone! As we all have experienced, over time and in response to changes and demands in our organizations, the duties and responsibilities of many positions shift in response to the needs of the schools and our students and families. It is a good practice to review job descriptions annually as part of the employee evaluation process. It is critical that you review and update job descriptions whenever you are looking to fill a position to ensure you know exactly what you are hiring for, and that the new employee knows exactly what the expectations are for the position.
There are a limited number of job description templates currently available on the Diocese website (job descriptions). We are hoping to add more soon.
10/23 - Principals Meeting
11/1 - Bowling Championship Tournament
11/14 - BEDS Report Due
11/19 - STREAM Coordinator Meeting
11/20 - STAR Champion Meeting
12/2 - 12th Grade Mass
12/3 - 8th Grade Mass
12/1 - Fire Safety Inspections Completed
12/11 - SS Curriculum Committee Meeting