Parent Connection

$1 Dress Down Day on Friday, March 27th

On Friday, March 27th, students may dress out of uniform for a donation of $1 or more. This dress down day comes at the request of DeSales 3rd grader, Teagan Neill. At just eight years old, Teagan was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Since then, she has been receiving care at Strong Memorial Hospital, where she’s found comfort and support among doctors, staff, and other children facing similar challenges.

Teagan worked with friends and families and hosted a lemonade stand to raise money to buy toys for the hospital’s pediatric playroom to help brighten other children’s stays. With the funds raised with this dress down day, Teagan hopes to provide additional toys and crafts for kids going through hard times.

Students are encouraged to wear blue and/or purple, the recognized colors for juvenile arthritis awareness, to show their support.

Let’s come together as a community and rally around Teagan! All proceeds will go to purchase toys for the playroom at Strong Memorial Hospital.

We welcome new items of all kinds — household items, toys, beauty products, gardening supplies, sports equipment, and more.

Do you own a business? Consider donating a product, service, or gift certificate to showcase your business to our community. We also have sponsorship opportunities! Follow this link for sponsorship levels.

Are you an artist or maker? We would love to feature one of your creations in our auction!

Ready to donate?

Donation drop-off: Main Office
Questions or arrangements: Contact Mrs. Knuutila at knuutilak@desalescatholicschool.org

Thank you for helping make our auction a success!

You can now visit the 2026 Annual Bid for Quality Education Auction website. You won't be able to see auction items just yet but next week we will offer a quick preview of some of the items. Make sure you are registered so you have access to the sneak peek. The auction goes live for bidding on Friday, April 17th. You can also text DeSales26 to 76278 and register to bid that way.

Check out the Auction Site & Sign Up to be Ready to Bid Here

We will still use the Auction Facebook Group to share pictures, give updates etc. You can join that group here.

Please invite your family & friends to join these sites! Anyone can bid!

Under the guidance of Mr. Schuster, our 6th grade students will present the Living Stations of the Cross on Wednesday, April 1 at 9:40 AM. Families and guests are invited to attend and will be asked to sign in at the Main Office upon arrival.

Financial Aid Opportunity!

Pre-applications for new scholarships is officially open! Applications will be accepted through March 31st. For more information or to apply, please visit our website at www.bisonfund.org

New Bison Applicants: This application should only be filled out by NEW applicants only. A lottery drawing will take place on April 1st. Families will be notified of the results via email. Those selected to receive funding will receive a link to complete the full application online, which must be submitted by April 30th.

Families Receiving Bison: As a reminder, current BISON families received an email on February 24th containing the link to initiate the renewal process. The deadline for families to renew their scholarships for the 2026-27 school year is April 15th. If you want to add younger siblings of current BISON Scholars, you will apply for them on your Re-Qualification paperwork.

DeSales Yearbooks are available for $18 each. To order your yearbook, please visit ybpay.lifetouch.com and use yearbook code 1673226. The order deadline is Aprtil 17th.

The Diocese of Buffalo's X-STREAM Games will be held at St. Joseph's Collegiate on March 28th. For more information on thsi year's events, please follow this link.

Prizes: 1st - $500, 2nd- YETI Hopper, 3rd – JBL PartyBox

• Students who return all distributed tickets (sold or unsold) will receive a Mini Animal Blind Bag and recognition during school announcements.

• The homeroom with the highest participation rate (tickets returned) will receive a pizza party.

Please return completed ticket stubs and payment in an envelope labeled “Auction Raffle,” including your child’s name, homeroom teacher, and grade to the Main Office. Each ticket stub must be fully completed to be eligible. Additional ticket books are available in the Main Office upon request.

All ticket stubs and payments must be received in the Main Office by Tuesday, April 14.

The raffle drawing will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at DeSales Catholic School, 6914 Chestnut Ridge Road, Lockport, NY. Winners need not be present to win.

Girls this Knight is for you! Join us on Friday, April 24th for the Me & My Guy Dance - A Knight in Paris! Return the registration form below to the Main Office to reserve your spot.

A Knight in Paris

Attention Boys in preschool through grade 8 - we've planned the perfect Knight out for you and your Fair Lady! Join us for Skate Date Knight on Saturday, May 2nd from 5:00pm - 7:00pm at Rainbow Skateland. Return the Skate-Date-Knight RSVP form to DeSales.

The DeSales Cafeteria is hosting a fun contest just for our students! Students can test their guessing skills by estimating how many candies are in the jar for a chance to win a special prize.

Good luck, Knights, may your guesses be sweet! The winners will be announced before Easter Recess!

March Breakfast Menu

March Lunch Menu

Lunch extras are available daily. To review the prices of these extras, please review this page.

In July 2023, DeSales Catholic School was granted the status of Candidate for Accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA).

The MSA accreditation process helps schools, and essentially students, continuously grow and improve.

What is MSA?

The Middle States Association is a worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement. For over 125 years, the Middle States accreditation process has been helping school leaders establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development and advance student achievement.

The Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association accredited early-childhood through post-secondary, non-degree granting public, private, faith-based educational institutions including special purpose schools, and learning services providers.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a self-evaluation process that schools and school systems voluntarily use to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of research-based performance standards. The standards examine schools in a holistic way, supplementing student-testing data to provide a more complete measure of a school’s performance and chart a strategic and realistic course for continuous school improvement.

The MSA Standards for Accreditation

When it comes to evaluating schools and school systems, the Middle States Association looks at the whole school- not just test scores. We realize that improving outcomes requires a comprehensive approach. When we assess whether a school should be accredited we look at how the school performs in MSA’s accreditation process and evaluate your institution holistically, focusing on five core areas that ensure excellence and continuous growth. These are:

● Foundations: Align your mission, core values, and goals with the needs of your school community to create a clear vision for success.

● Governance and Organization: Establish effective leadership, governance structures, and policies to guide decision-making and promote ethical practices.

● Student Well-Being: Create a safe, inclusive environment that prioritizes the physical, emotional, and social development of all students.

● Resources: Optimize financial, human, and physical resources to ensure sustainability and support for educational goals.

● Teaching and Learning: Deliver a rigorous, mission-aligned curriculum that promotes student achievement and prepares learners for future success.

To learn more about The Middle States Association, visit: https://www.msa-cess.org

Vision Statement

• DeSales students will be well-equipped to successfully meet the challenges of modern day society with faith, dignity and integrity.

Mission Statement

• Is a center of excellence that inspires individual students to reach their greatest potential inside and outside the classroom.

• Is a nurturing community dedicated to advancing the highest academic standards and an exceptional faith-based education rooted in the values of love, compassion, mercy, sacrifice and justice as taught by St. Francis DeSales.

• Provides students with the fundamental building blocks to be innovative, critical-thinkers, and responsible future leaders.

The Start of Something Great!

Email: Knuutilak@desalescatholicschool.org
Website: http://www.desalescatholicschool.org/
Location: 6914 Chestnut Ridge Road, Lockport, NY, USA
Phone: (716)433-6422
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeSalesCatholicSchool