Leading with Faith

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance." - Proverbs 1:5

Student Teachers from Canisius College

We’re partnering with Canisius to provide valuable field experiences for future educators:

• Early Field Experience (Feb–Apr 2026)

• 30-hour placements

• $50 compensation

• Seeking: Special Education (Grades 1–6), Physical Education (K–12), Social Studies (7–12), English (7–12), Math (7–12)

• Student Teaching (Mar–May 2026)

• $225 compensation

• Seeking: Health (7–12), Special Education (7–12)

To participate, teachers must have at least 3 years of full-time experience and hold NYS certification. If you know someone who would be a great mentor, please email Elizabeth Turner at turner6@canisius.edu.

SS/ELA PNW BOCES Curriculum Trainings

If your school is participating, PNW BOCES is offering free virtual Curriculum Implementation Trainings and Deeper Dives for grade bands K–2, 3–5, and 6–8. Attendees will gain a better understanding of SS/ELA's design, foundational principles, lesson plans, resources, and assessments, and how they can be utilized in diverse learning environments. Teachers will also have an opportunity to work with other teachers new to the program as they learn how to incorporate SS/ELA into their daily classroom instruction. The curriculum's designers will lead groups through best practices related to the SS/ELA curriculum and the New York State Social Studies Framework while providing ample time to explore. Please share this link with any teachers who may be interested: Professional Learning at PNW BOCES.

Middle States Accreditation Update

Our Self-Study process is more than a requirement—it’s an opportunity to reflect on what we do best, identify areas for growth, and celebrate the excellence happening in our classrooms every day. Thank you to everyone who has contributed time and insight so far. Your efforts ensure our schools remain strong, mission-driven communities of learning.

Curious about the Core Standards we’re reviewing?

November Goals:

• Complete 01 – Foundations Standard for Accreditation with Planning Team

• Complete 2 – Profile of the Component and Student Performance with Internal Coordinators

• Complete 02 – Governance & Organization Standard with Planning Team

• Consider attending Organizing for Self-Study Workshop and Developing the Plan Workshop

Save the Date: Diocesan Spelling Bee

March 21, 2026 | Mt. St. Mary Academy | 10:00 AM
Get ready for a day of friendly competition and linguistic fun! Classroom and school competition materials will be shared with principals next week.

Fun fact: The word “bee” in spelling bee doesn’t refer to the insect—it comes from an old English term meaning “a gathering for a communal activity.” Let’s make this gathering one to remember!

Best Practices Spotlight: Writing Strong Learning Targets

Clear learning targets are a Tier 1 best practice that can transform classroom instruction.

• They set a clear direction for learning, so students know what success looks like.

• They connect directly to standards, ensuring alignment and rigor.

• They use student-friendly language, making goals accessible and motivating.

• They help teachers and students assess progress and growth throughout a lesson.

This video provides an example and description of learning targets in action. When students understand the “why” and “what” behind their learning, engagement and achievement soar. Consider posting targets visibly and revisiting them during lessons—it’s a simple step with big impact!

12/1/25 Fire Safety Inspection Must be Completed; Report Due 12/16/2025

12/12/25 NYSDOH Annual School Immunization Survey Due 12/12

12/16/25 Fire Safety Inspection Report Due 12/16/2025

12/19/25 Complete Eight of the 12 Required Evacuation or Lockdown Drills

Fire Drills; Fire Safety Report: As December approaches, remember to finish your first eight required safety drills by the December 31st deadline. Hopefully you were able to complete the six recommended evacuation (fire) drills so you have December to complete two of your four required lockdown drills. Click here for a sample fire drill tracking form.

If your Fire Safety Inspection has not yet been completed, you must arrange to complete one prior to December 1st and, for most schools, the inspection report must be filed with the Commissioner via the Business Portal prior to December 16th. As I mentioned previously, the Fire Safety Reports for all schools that are located outside of the city of Buffalo with more than 25 students must be submitted via the NYSED Business Portal. Information on the process and the required Non-Public forms can be found on this webpage. Several schools had trouble locating the online report so here is the best way to get to your report (from Directions on Accessing the Nonpublic School Annual Fire Safety Report (nysed.gov):

1. Log into the NYSED Business Portal at https://portal.nysed.gov/

2. Under “My Applications”, choose “Facilities Planning-Fire Safety”.

3. Once you select “SEDREF Buildings” your school will appear.

4. Select “Enter Report” to input the data from your completed Fire Safety inspection.

Please direct questions to the ORISS office using either of these email addresses: ORISS@nysed.gov or NPfiresafety@nysed.gov

Mandated Services for 2024-25: NYSED still has not released the 2024-2025 Mandated Services forms, but the deadline will still be 4/1/26. To help you prepare for the Mandated Services claim process, I have created an updated personalized Excel spreadsheet for each school. This new version has two additional tabs, one where you can enter your staff salaries and benefits information with separate columns for each benefit paid by the school (FICA, 403b, Legacy Pension, Health Insurance, Dental and/or Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability, and Unemployment Insurance), and another where you can enter your Mandate 19 Expenses (Test Scanning and Test Scoring). If you are ready to begin working on your claim please send me an email to request your personalized “Form 1” Excel spreadsheet. Verifying the actual 2024-25 salary and benefits information on the Excel spreadsheet and collecting official payroll and benefits reports to support those amounts is the most time-consuming part of the Mandated Services process. Additional information will be sent to all schools when the forms and online claims are made available by NYSED on the Business Portal in the next few months.

Volunteers for 8th Grade and 12 Grade Masses

Thank you to the schools that have registered and offered student volunteers to participate in the Masses. I will be reaching out to you this week to finalize my volunteer list.

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. Registration for this event will be included in our newsletter the last week of November.

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.

12th Grade Mass Registration

The 12th Grade Mass will take place on Tuesday, December 2nd at St.Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY at 10:30 AM. Registration for this event is required by November 19th. The registration form will be used for creating our seating chart. Register your school here.

8th Grade Mass Registration Form

The 8th grade Mass will take place on Wednesday, December 3rd at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY at 10:30 AM. Registration for this event is required by November 19th. The registration form will be used for creating our seating chart. Register your school here.

Stephanie Genco Gasiecki, Assistant Superintendent for Academics & Data

sgenco-gasiecki@buffalodiocese.org | 716-847-5517

Christian Riso, Assistant Superintendent for Government Services

criso@buffalodiocese.org | 716-847-5511

Nancy DiBerardino, Administrative Assistant

ndiberardino@buffalodiocese.org | 716-847-5504

Michael Baumann, HR Manager

mbaumann@buffalodiocese.org | 716-847-5573

Fr. Steven Jekielek, Finance Manager

sjekielek@buffalodiocese.org

Earl Schunk, Athletic Director

eschunk@buffalodiocese.org | 716-903-5121