Leading with Faith
by Joleen Dimitroff
Dear Families and Members of the Catholic Schools Community of the Diocese of Buffalo,
As we celebrate the joyful season of Christmas, I extend my heartfelt wishes to you and your loved ones. The birth of Christ reminds us that God is always present among us—bringing light into darkness, hope into uncertainty, and love into our world.
This holy season invites us to pause in gratitude for the many blessings within our Catholic schools: our dedicated educators, supportive families, generous parish partners, and, most importantly, the children entrusted to our care. Together, you form a faith-filled community rooted in Gospel values and committed to nurturing the hearts and minds of every student.
As we look ahead to the new year, we do so with renewed purpose and confidence. We are energized by new beginnings and encouraged by the bright future before us as we continue to galvanize our schools—strengthening academic excellence, deepening faith formation, and ensuring our schools remain places where every child is known, loved, and inspired to serve.
May the peace of Christ fill your homes this Christmas and remain with you throughout the coming year. Thank you for walking alongside us in faith, hope, and mission.
It is with joy that I also announce our Catholic Education Distinguished Educators for 2025-26. They will be recognized at our Annual Dinner on February 4th!
Distinguished Principal Award: Rachel Rizzo, Ss. Peter & Paul, Hamburg
Making a Difference Award: Julie Rivera, St. John the Baptist, Alden
All God’s Children Award: Maria McGrath, Cardinal O’Hara High School
The NYS Athletic Association Award: Nancy DiBerardino, Dept. of Catholic Schools
Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a joyful, hope-filled New Year.
by Stephanie Genco Gasiecki
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone.” — Isaiah 9:1
Teachers: Sign Up for Middle States Curriculum Committees
We are inviting teachers to participate in our Middle States Association 07 Curricular Areas Self-Study as part of the diocesan accreditation process. This is a one-time commitment consisting of a 30-minute Microsoft Teams meeting on January 18. We are seeking 1–2 teachers per school to collaborate, share insights, and help shape our system-wide self-study. This is a meaningful way to be part of the larger conversation and support our diocesan improvement efforts. Please include your name and school when signing up. Click here to sign up.
Register for the Diocesan Chess Tournament
We’re excited for this year’s Diocesan Chess Tournament on January 31—and we apologize for sharing an incorrect link last week! Here is the correct registration link.
NYS Catholic School Teacher AI Survey – Please Complete Before Break
All Catholic school teachers across New York State are asked to complete a brief survey on beliefs, concerns, and current usage of artificial intelligence in education. Your feedback will help inform future professional development, guidance, and support at both the diocesan and state levels. Please complete the survey before Christmas break. You can find it here.
Discerning Leaders Program – Final Call to Join
We are finalizing our diocesan cohort for the CSAANYS Discerning Leaders Program, designed for educators interested in exploring leadership through a faith-based lens. An updated flyer is attached and includes the weekly topics and schedule for the program. If you are interested in participating, please let me know by January 6. The $200 participation fee will be invoiced by the Diocese, and once invoices are issued, I will register our diocesan cohort all at once. This is a great opportunity for professional growth and discernment alongside colleagues from across our schools.
Christmas Week Mini-Lesson Idea: You Are a GIFT
As we prepare for Christmas, consider a simple lesson focused on gifts and God-given talents.
Invite students to reflect on the unique gifts they bring to their classroom and school community. If helpful, frame this around positive character traits (kindness, perseverance, creativity, leadership, empathy) or connect to ELA standards by using descriptive language.
Have students write their “gift” on a small square of cardboard.
Wrap each one using scrap wrapping paper and ribbon to symbolize the gifts inside each of us.
These can be kept as personal reminders or displayed on a classroom tree, bulletin board, or shared school display—an easy, meaningful way to celebrate the dignity and value of every student during Christmas week.
by Chris Riso
12/16/25 Fire Safety Inspection Report Due 12/16/2025
12/19/25 Complete Eight of the 12 Required Evacuation or Lockdown Drills
12/26/25 Deadline to Apply for Free SUNY Empire Graduate Courses Starting 1/13/26
1/8/26 Send E-Rate Worksheet to Denton Clark if working with Mondavi Design
1/15/26 Request Your Personalized Mandated Services Excel Form
1/15/26 Deadline to Apply for Free UB Graduate Courses Starting 1/21/26
1/16/26 NYSDOH Annual School Immunization Survey Due 1/16 (extension)
Reminders: Make sure you have submitted your Fire Safety Inspection via the NYSED Business Portal by the end of today (for schools outside of the City of Buffalo); notify your school community about the NYS Catholic Conference “Action Alert” regarding Special Education due process if you have not done so; request your personalized Mandated Services Excel form (updated version) by 1/15/26 to share with your Business Office.
E-Rate for 2026-27: Denton Clark (dclark@mondavi-design.com) sent an email to schools interested in working with him on 12/8/25. This email asked interested schools to complete his “Data Collection Worksheet” and send it to him before January 8, 2026 along with one recent month’s complete copy of your internet invoice(s). Email Denton if you have any questions or want to learn more about E-Rate preparations for the 2026-27 school year.
by Nancy DiBerardino
January Principals’ Meeting Registration
The first meeting of 2026 will take place on Thursday, January 8, 2026.The location has been changed to the Newman Center at U.B. North Campus, 495 Skinnerville Road (Off Sweet Home), Amherst, NY. Click the link here to register.
Elementary Diploma Order Form
The diploma form is being sent out a little earlier than in the past. Please complete the google form and submit your order as soon as possible. My goal this year is to hand them out at the March Principals' Meeting. The deadline to submit your order is Friday, January 16th. Please click on the link to complete the order form.
Deadline is Approaching: 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.
Safe Environment
At this time of year, we tend to forget to review our schools’ Safe Environment accounts. Please take a moment to review your school's information and look for employees who are not up to date with their monthly bulletins or those employees that are on the verge of being suspended. This is the time of year that these issues can be fixed before it gets out of hand. Please be aware that accounts will be suspended at midnight on December 31st.
Important Update: The Catholic Schools Office began moving to our new location at 801 Main Street, Buffalo, NY this Monday, December 15th
Update: Catholic Schools Day at the BPO will take place on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at Kleinhans Music Hall starting at 10:15 AM. The theme for this year will be Building Harmony. All students, grades 1-4 are invited to attend. Using a variety of musical selections, this youth concert tackles the topics of respect, personal responsibility, cooperation, and community, all through the orchestra. The BPO has a unique platform for this topic: 73 individual voices all working together to create a beautiful sound. This concert also will feature selections from Leonard Bernstein’s famous West Side Story, a musical known for its powerful story about the impacts of intolerance. Click here to register.
1/7, 2-3pm, STAR Champion Meeting
1/8, 8:30-3pm, Principal Meeting
1/31, Chess Tournament
2/10, 10:15am, BPO