Leading with Faith
February 4, 2025
by Chris Riso
2/28/25 HS Scholarships for Academic Excellence (SAE) Nominations Due Online (Post)
3/5/25 Quarterly Government Services Update at 3:15pm
3/8/25 CIDEL “Call to Leadership” - Free Professional Development
3/14/25 Last Day to Submit Erie 1 BOCES Textbook Requisitions
3/17/25 Save Mandated Services Claim online for C. Riso Review
3/31/25 NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Claims Due
3/31/25 NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due
4/1/25 Online 2023-24 Mandated Services Claim Due to NYSED
4/1/25 Updated Mandated Reporter Training Due for All Required Staff
by Julie Gajewski
Academic Excellence: Catholic Schools Excel in National Achievement Report; Data Review and Meetings Schedule
Great news! Catholic schools continue to outperform public schools, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card. If Catholic schools were a state, they would rank first in NAEP scale scores for grades 4 and 8 in both math and reading. This reinforces the commitment to academic excellence within our Catholic schools.
"In Catholic schools, faith and academics are seamlessly woven together, fostering not only intellectual growth but also moral and spiritual formation,” said Dr. Steven F. Cheeseman, NCEA President/CEO. “While academic excellence is a hallmark of our schools, our true goal is to form saints and to prepare students to lead with wisdom, compassion and integrity.”
2024 Mathematics and Reading Assessment
Data Review and Next Steps:
To build on this success, we need to review our fall and winter data to refine instruction and further increase proficiency, growth, and mastery in early literacy, reading, and math. With the recent completion of winter STAR testing, now is the ideal time for this review.
We will be focusing on the following data points from the STAR testing program:
Participation Rates: Targeting 100% participation for Early Literacy (Grade K), STAR Reading (Grades 1-8), and STAR Math (Grades K-8).
Proficiency Rates: Reviewing proficiency rates for Early Literacy (Grade K), STAR Reading (Grades 1-8), and STAR Math (Grades K-8).
Student Growth: Analyzing student growth data (using Student Growth Percentiles - SGP) for Early Literacy (Grade K), STAR Reading (Grades 1-8), and STAR Math (Grades K-8). Our goal is an SGP of 50.
Meetings and Resources:
An overview of the winter STAR benchmark results will be shared at this week's STAR Champion meeting.
Data spreadsheets for all schools, including NYS and STAR testing data, have been created and are available for review.
I will be offering 20-minute online data meetings to demonstrate how to access this information and track your school's academic goals. Please sign up for a virtual meeting using this link:
Weekly Virtual Principal Meetings:
Day and Time: Wednesdays, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Platform: Microsoft Teams (link sent by Laurie)
by Laurie Wojtaszczyk
Art Show - Notre Dame Academy, May 13-15, 2025
The 35th Annual Diocesan Art Exhibition will be held at Notre Dame Academy, 260 Okell St, Buffalo. All schools are welcome to attend. You can find more information and sign up through this link or scan the QR code on the attached information sheet. Your school must register by April 18th, however early registration is highly encouraged.
Chess
Thank you to all of our students who attended this year’s Chess Tournament! We had over 80 students from 13 of our schools.
We send heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners:
1st Place - Caiden S. - St. John the Baptist, Kenmore
2nd Place - Rory S. - St. Christopher, Tonawanda
Spelling Bee
This year’s Spelling Bee has been rescheduled to Mon. Feb. 10th. We will still begin at 6pm at Mt. St. Mary’s Academy. Thank you for understanding the need to postpone due to the winter storm advisory.
Science Fair
Parents please read this helpful rule guide first and then feel free to sign up your Scientist anytime before March 21st.
by Mary Jo Aiken
Delegating for Deadline Domination
In the whirlwind of an elementary school, juggling deadlines can feel like a constant battle. From standardized testing to technology integration and character development initiatives, the demands on administrators are immense. However, successful leadership lies not in trying to do it all yourself, but in the art of effective delegation.
Establishing key coordinator roles can empower your staff, streamline operations, and ensure consistent deadline achievement.
1. Empowering Your Team: The Power of Delegation
Reduced Administrative Burden: By delegating specific responsibilities to qualified individuals, you free up valuable time to focus on strategic planning, curriculum development, and building positive school culture.
Increased Efficiency and Expertise: Coordinators bring specialized knowledge and skills to their roles. An e-School Coordinator, for example, can troubleshoot technology issues more effectively than a teacher juggling multiple demands.
Fostering Professional Growth: These roles provide opportunities for staff members to develop leadership skills, enhance their expertise, and take ownership of their professional development.
Improved Communication and Collaboration: Coordinators act as key communication channels, facilitating smoother information flow and collaboration among staff members.
2. Key Coordinator Roles: A Framework for Success (To see the key responsibilities and benefits of these positions, please click here to read about all of them in my Blog, or click on the title you wish to learn more about.)
By having dedicated coordinators for these and other key areas, elementary schools can improve their overall effectiveness, enhance student learning, and better serve the needs of their students, families, and communities. Delegation is not just about assigning tasks; it's about empowering your team, fostering collaboration, and creating a more sustainable and successful learning environment. By establishing key coordinator roles and implementing effective delegation strategies, you can transform your school into a well-oiled machine that consistently meets deadlines and achieves its educational goals.
Action Items:
Identify 1 or 2 new Coordinator roles that you could implement right now in your school. Who are your most effective colleagues for these roles?
Create a Leadership Team of your Coordinators who will meet formally every 2 weeks to share their activities and issues with one another and with you.
Have your Leadership Team review Leading In Faith updates weekly.
Begin to delegate in confidence and in trust in their skills! This is the beginning of shared leadership at the building level.
Have a blessed and safe week!
by Nancy DiBerardino
Important Update:
The 8th Grade Retreat will take place on Friday, March 28th at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Elementary School and Parish. The times have been changed to 9:45 AM - 3:15 PM to help with transportation for those schools that will be chartering buses for this event.
Teachers Desk: During the month of February and March schools will have the opportunity to participate in a curbside shopping experience. I will be contacting our school individually to register their school for this opportunity.
Mark your calendars! The Annual Elementary Track Meet will take place this spring on Monday, May 12, 2025 and Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at St. Francis High School in Hamburg. More information will be forthcoming in February.
Virtue/Diocesan Character Trait
Month of January - Gratitude/Determination - Deadline February 14th.
Definition –Seeing everything as a gift and working hard and not giving up.
https://forms.gle/vC7dEccHKjvGrTYe8
Spring Bowling:The cut off date for submitting names for spring bowling is Wednesday, February 12th.Please make sure you use the google form Bowling Registration Form. If there are no submissions at that time the season will be cancelled
The West Seneca Town Band, a musical organization with a long-established tradition of playing in western New York, is seeking a conductor and music director. This is a paid position at a competitive rate, with weekly rehearsals and a number of regular concert commitments per year. For more information please contact Dan Schroeder at 716-816-5611 or danielfschroeder@hotmail.com.
School Supply Order Form https://forms.gle/QZjruyFiPJbuJVzd6 This year there is a new Report Card Envelope for schools that have switched to trimesters.
by Stephanie Genco
Calling all STREAM Coordinators & STREAM enthusiastic teachers – we need your help to make this year’s X-STREAM Games and Expo a success!
Here are some ways to show your STREAM support:
Sign up to volunteer! Teamwork sure does make the dream work… and we have BIG dreams for this year’s games! Volunteer times are broken into 2 hour slots, so whether you can come for a bit or stay for the day, we’d love to see you there!
Start getting your students prepared and EXCITED! A few tips:
Allowing students choice in the academies or other STREAM activities they’re working on increases their “buy-in,” improving engagement, interest, creativity, and quality.
Short on time? (Who isn’t, right?) Brainstorm some creative ways you can integrate STREAM academies/activities into your day. Can writing a public speaking talk be an ELA activity? Robotics be a Science unit? The Power of Art be an Art/Social Studies collaboration? Science Scrimmage practice be a Fun Friday competition? If you want to brainstorm together, send me an email and we can chat!
Hang this poster around your school, send it home with families, and share it on your social media - let’s get our families excited, too!
Register those teams! One school reached out and said, “We know we want to participate, but we don’t know which students we’re sending yet because we haven’t finished preparing.” No problem! Register your school/team and write “TBD” in the name spaces - we can go back and add the details closer to the event. By being registered, it will start to feel real and give your students a goal (plus, start to give us some planning info.) All event & registration forms are on our website.
Don’t forget - Optional Office Hours for STREAM Coordinators (and any of your teachers looking for support) are today, Tuesday the 4th, 2:45-3:45pm. Find the link in our STREAM Coordinator google folder, or email Stephanie at stream@wnycatholicschools.org.
Important Dates
Feb. 5 - Catholic Ed Dinner
Feb. 10 - Spelling Bee, Mt. St. Mary's Academy
Feb. 11 - BPO Concert, Kleinhan's Music Hall
March 28 - Diocesan Wide 8th Grade Retreat, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, O. Park
March 29 - X-STREAM Games & Science Fair & Expo, St. Joseph's Collegiate
May 13-15 - Diocesan Art Show, Notre Dame Academy, 260 Okell St., Buffalo