Parent Connection

Our Annual Open House for new or prospective families will be held on Sunday, January 25th from Noon until 2:00pm here at DeSales. If you know someone who may be interested in DeSales, please invite them to attend this Open House. Our best marketing is YOU! Please help us spread the word.

Families who refer a new student entering Kindergarten through 8th grade are eligible for a $500 referral bonus! This bonus is given as a tuition credit 6 months after the new family begins paying tuition.

We need a number of volunteers to help make our Annual Open House a success. Parents, Grandparents, Alumni, Students (grades 4 & up) are invited to help us give tours to prospective families. If you can help, please consider signing up using the link below. Thank you in advance!

Sign Up to Help

Speak at Mass for DeSales

If you or your student would like to speak about your DeSales experience at Mass on Saturday, January 17th or Sunday, January 18th (script provided), please reach out to Mrs. Knuutila at Knuutilak@desalescatholicschool.org.

Tickets to this year's DeSales Musical, Disney’s Newsies, Jr. are now on sale! Don’t miss your chance to grab seats for this exciting production!

Get your tickets at: https://historicpalaceinc.thundertix.com

We are in need of a lot of newspapers for our musical cast members to use during the production of Newsies. If you have old newspapers, please save them! Newspapers can be dropped in the box near the Main Office.

If you would like to purchase an Ad in the Newsies, Jr. Program please follow the link below. Ads are due by Friday.

Newsies Jr. Musical Ad Form

Re-registration for current DeSales families will open January 16th. For the convenience of our families, we will be using a one-step Registration Confirmation again this year. On January 16th you will receive an email inviting you to confirm your child's registration for Fall 2026. This re-registration is how you will secure your students spot for the 2026-2027 school-year.

The curious critters of DeSales Elementary are back with another hilarious story!

Congratulations to Principal Rahill and Mrs. McCabe on the release of their new book, Curious Critters Explore the Museum! 🎉
To help the DeSales community celebrate this exciting new reading adventure, Rosen Publishing is offering a special fundraiser to benefit DeSales: hardcover copies of the book are available for just $10, with 50% of the proceeds donated back to DeSales! Pre-orders are due by January 14th and will be sent home with your student or available for pick up on January 30th.

Preorder your copy of Curious Critters Explore the Art Museum here.

We will hold our Middle School Generation Celebration Mass on Wednesday, February 11th at 9:40am. Students will be preparing and mailing invitations to grandparents and special senior friends on Monday.

Please submit who you would like your child to invite on this form.

We want to ensure our current families (you!) secure the spots they want for the upcoming school-year in preschool & kindergarten. Please take a moment and indicate your classroom preference for the Fall 2026 by completing the link below. We will reserve spots in these classrooms based on your responses.

** You will be asked to formally register to secure your child's spot via email mid-January.

Reserve your Spot Now (click here)

Questions? Please contact Director of Admissions, Mrs. Kim Knuutila at knuutilak@desalescatholicschool.org or at (716)433-6422 ext 407.

Our Annual Meat Raffle will be held on Saturday, February 7th! Tickets are on sale now!

We need a number of volunteers to make this event a success. If you can help, sign up for a shift and you will earn a FREE Dress Down Pass for your student(s)!! Volunteers can sign up using the link below:

Volunteer & Earn a Dress Down Pass! (click here)

There is no school on Monday, January 19th in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

January HSA Meeting

Tuesday, January 13th

6:30pm

DeSales Cafeteria

YMCA swim lessons available for students ages 5–12.

Families can view the January–February Youth swimming lesson offerings by scanning the QR code on the flyer. Registration is now open for these lessons.

A promo code for DeSales Students, CDC-DCS-2 will waive the fee!

January breakfast menu

January 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 Sacred Heart Academy Basketball Team is hosting a free basketball clinic on Saturday January 10.

7th and 8th graders are welcome from 9 am till 10:30 am; while 6th and 5th graders are welcome from 11 am till 12:30 pm.

Below is the link to register for the clinic. Please feel free to share the link with anyone you feel may be interested.

Clinic will take place at Sacred Heart Academy located at 3860 Main Street, Buffalo 14226 in the Athletic Center behind the school.

SHA Elementary Basketball Clinic

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