Leading with Faith
by Joleen Dimitroff
Catholic Community,
Last week I had an amazing visit to St. Gregory the Great. New Principal, Molly White, is very proud of her students and the joyful culture they are building together. During the month of September, students focused on the character trait of Hope. Those who exemplified this virtue were recognized during Mass—what a beautiful way to live out our faith! St. Greg’s also has a wonderful and creative literacy initiative—a book vending machine! Students earn special coins that can be used to “purchase” a book of their choice, encouraging a lifelong love of reading.
Human Resources Director, Mike Baumann, and I also had the opportunity to visit Chesterton Academy. Named after the great English writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton, the Academy focuses on classical subjects such as philosophy, Latin, and literature, using the Socratic method to teach the humanities. Congratulations to Principal Jesse Salterelli and his family on the joyful arrival of their fourth child!
Over the weekend, my husband Steve and I enjoyed a round of golf at St. Bonaventure’s Course. It was a perfect fall day, with the trees in full color. We also took a drive through the university’s charming campus. I’m looking forward to visiting Southern Tier Catholic School in Olean soon.
Congratulations to Cardinal O’Hara High School — the first Catholic high school in New York State to participate in the Unified Sports Program! Yesterday, they hosted Sweet Home’s team in a spirited game of Bocce. This event was especially meaningful for me personally, as many of the Sweet Home athletes were once my students during my time as Principal of Glendale Elementary. Seeing how they have grown and the positive impact they continue to make filled me with immense pride. A heartfelt thank you to Coaches Maria McGrath and Melinda Pierce from Cardinal O’Hara, and Coaches Lisa Floreano and Kristie Neason from Sweet Home, for their leadership and dedication. It was truly a history-making day for Catholic education and for inclusion in athletics!
Finally, our Catholic Education Department Team is hard at work preparing for this week’s Convocation. We are thrilled that more than 600 staff members from across the Diocese of Buffalo have registered to attend. The day will include Mass celebrated by Bishop Mike and an inspiring keynote address from Duncan Kirkwood. This year’s theme—Unity—reflects our shared mission and the strength we find in coming together as one Catholic community.
With gratitude and blessings,
Joleen Dimitroff
September: HOPE
Book Vending Machine!
Golf at St. Bonaventure
by Stephanie Genco Gasiecki
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
We Need Your Nominations!
We are now accepting nominations for two awards that recognize outstanding leadership and service in our Catholic schools:
Sister Lucille Socciarelli & Father John Sturm “Making A Difference” Award
This award honors a Catholic Elementary School teacher who demonstrates:
A deep commitment to Catholic education
Active participation in parish life
A lasting impact on students and the school community
The recipient will be recognized at the Catholic Education Dinner on February 4, 2026.
Nominations are due by November 3, 2025.
Submit a Teacher Nomination
Distinguished Principal Award
This award celebrates a Principal who:
Leads with vision, enthusiasm, and faith
Is an accomplished instructional leader and spiritual mentor
Builds strong, thriving school communities rooted in Catholic values
The recipient will also be honored at the Catholic Education Dinner on February 4, 2026.
Nominations are due by October 27, 2025.
Submit a Principal Nomination
Exciting Opportunity to Share the Story of a New Young Saint!
Voyage Comics & Publishing is celebrating the canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis—the first millennial saint—by offering every Catholic school and religious education program a free digital copy of Digital Disciple: Carlo Acutis and the Eucharist for every student!
You can also order print copies of any Saint Carlo Acutis comics at a 60% discount for bulk orders of 100 or more, available through the end of November. Let’s inspire our students with the faith and example of this remarkable young saint! To request your free digital copy, email Guy May at guy.may@voyagecomics.com.
Convocation This Friday at St. Mary’s High School
We’re looking forward to a joyful day of inspiration, learning, and fellowship this Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. A few key reminders:
Check in with your Principal upon arrival
Casual attire is welcome—this is a “Dress Down Day”
Optional cash donations will be accepted for the Response to Love Center
Light breakfast, boxed lunch, and afternoon refreshments provided
Space Assignments:
Staff from St. Greg’s, St. Mary’s Swormsville, Nativity Clarence, CAWB, Notre Dame, OLV, St. Mark’s, and SJUS will be in the cafeteria. All other schools will be in the gym.
Parking:
Please use St. Mary’s High School lots (Sheldon or Lavarack entrances). Do not park at Our Lady of Pompeii or St. Mary’s Elementary due to scheduled funerals. Carpooling is encouraged.
Agenda Highlights:
Keynote: Chris Mominy on Unity
Mass with Bishop Mike
Lunchtime SEL sessions with me: The Power of Words
Keynote: Dunkin Kirkwood on Building Resilience
Music and fellowship with Kevin McCarthy
I’m especially excited to share during our lunchtime sessions about the power of words—the ones we speak to ourselves and the ones we speak to our students. Words shape identity, build trust, and create safe spaces for learning.
Best Practice Spotlight: Collaborative Professionalism
One of the most powerful ways we can grow as educators is by growing together. Collaborative professionalism goes beyond simply working alongside one another—it’s about building a culture of shared purpose, mutual trust, and deep learning.
According to educational researcher Andy Hargreaves, collaborative professionalism is marked by:
Authentic dialogue about teaching and learning
Collective responsibility for student success
Joint work that is intentional, sustained, and focused on improvement
In our Catholic schools, this kind of collaboration is deeply aligned with our mission. When we come together in faith and purpose, we not only strengthen our practice—we strengthen our community.
Here are a few ways to foster more meaningful and manageable collaboration:
Micro-collaborations: Pair up with a colleague for a short-term goal—like co-planning a lesson, observing each other’s classrooms, or trying out a new strategy together.
Shared protocols: Use simple structures like “Success & Struggle” check-ins or “Looking at Student Work” protocols to guide team conversations.
Vertical conversations: Connect across grade levels to align expectations, share insights, and support transitions for students.
Digital collaboration: Use shared documents, voice memos, or short video reflections to collaborate asynchronously when time is tight.
Collaboration doesn’t have to be one more thing on the to-do list—it can be the way we do the work, together. What kinds of collaboration are working well in your school? What would make it easier or more meaningful? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas as we continue to grow in faith and professionalism.
by Chris Riso
10/16/25 Government Services Update via Teams
10/20/25 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 w/Poverty 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
BEDS Forms Now Available – Complete Google Sheet before you submit to NYSED Online: NYSED finally released the BEDS forms on 10/5/25 so we now can distribute your Google Sheets to you. Stephanie Genco Gasiecki sent each school principal information and a link to your school-specific BEDS Google Sheet to help you prepare for the NYS BEDS report based on student and staff attendance from Wednesday, 10/1/2025. The actual online BEDS report is not due to NYSED until November 14th using the Business Portal (via “IRS Data Exchange” under “My Applications”, not “BEDS/IMF”). I would encourage you to use the Google Sheet we created and the associated instructions to help you organize your information prior to the online submission to NYSED using their Business Portal. My instructions include some tricks I have learned over the years to avoid data entry issues. I would be glad to assist you with any questions you might have while you are working on your BEDS report.
Government Services Quarterly Update via Microsoft Teams 10/16: The first quarterly Government Services Update for school board chairs, principals, business managers, chaplains, and pastors is on 10/16 at 3:15pm. We will discuss the following topics: Advocacy, Elementary Parish School Operating Principles and Regional Board Bylaws, NonPublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Reimbursement, Board Finance Committee reporting, Strategic Planning, and E-Rate Planning. Email invitations will be sent next week. Contact Chris Riso at criso@buffalodiocese.org if you wish to attend.
by Nancy DiBerardino
Urgent Message Regarding the 12th Grade & 8th Grade Masses. I was just notified that the Bishop will be out of town for both dates. His office is working hard to find new dates for both of the masses to take place on. As of today, the registration form has been shut-off. Once the new dates have been announced it will be reactivated. Thank you for your understanding.
Registration for Upcoming Principals Meeting
Our next principals meeting will be held on Thursday, October 23rd at the Catholic Center. Please click here to register.
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.
Elementary Bowling
Invoices will be going out this week. Please watch your inbox.
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.
10/10 - Diocesan Convocation
10/23 - Principals Meeting
11/14 - BEDS Report Due
11/19 - STREAM Coordinator Meeting