Parent Connection

Dress Down Day

Friday, April 4th

Wear your comfiest clothes to school for a donation of $1 or more

to benefit Oishei Childrens Hospital.

This dress down day comes at the request of 4th grader, Arianna Haseley. Her best friend and classmate, Colin received treatment at Oishei last year. Arianna has been working hard to raise money for OiShei to help them continue to help kids like her friend, Colin.

All proceeds from this dress down day will go to Oishei Childrens Hospital.

Each year, our 6th graders under the guidance of Mr. Schuster prepare the Living Stations of the Cross. They will be presenting the Stations on Wednesday, April 9th at 9:40am. All are welcome to attend.

Our biggest fundraiser of the year is our Annual 'Bid' for Quality Education Auction. This year's event will run from Friday, April 25th through Sunday, April 27th.

Donations - We are still happily taking donations for our auction. If you have something to donate, please send it into the Main Office or contact knuutilak@desalescatholicschool.org to arrange pick up.

Follow the Auction - We will be using our DeSales Auction Group on Facebook to communicate 'auction' happenings. Join that Facebook group here.

The Actual Auction will be held at https://DeSalesAuction.givesmart.com. You are invited to pre-register so when auction time comes you are ready to BID! We will have some sneak previews coming up soon, so sign up now.

We are excited to announce the prizes for The DeSales Annual “Bid” For Quality Education Spring Raffle!

Grand Prize: $500.00 Cash

2nd Prize: Coach Handbag Set

3rd Prize: BEATS Studio Pro

Each DeSales family is asked to sell 3 books of raffle tickets.

Every student whose family meets their 3-booklet sales goal will receive recognition on the announcements & a fun mini Mochi squishy! Also, The homeroom with the highest ticket sales will win a pizza party!

All ticket stubs & money must be returned to the DeSales Main Office by Tuesday, April 22nd and winners will be drawn via the online Auction Facebook Page on Friday, April 25th.

**Extra tickets are available in the Main Office or by calling/emailing.**

2025 Principal's Wish

Each year, as part of our the Bid for Quality Education Auction, Principal Rahill puts out a special request. Over the last few years you have helped us add 3M security film to windows, kick off playground fundraising, buy sound panels for the gym, install new blinds in each classroom, help purchase Smart panels and so much more! This group has made a big difference for the students and faculty of DeSales!

We are proud to share that this year's Principal's Wish is for new laptops for our technology lab and iPads.

So who would like to kick off this fundraising effort with the first donation? Donations of all amounts welcome! Donate by following this link.

The Me & My Guy Dance is for DeSales girls in grades PreK - Grade 8 & their plus-one 'Guy' guest. Guy guests can include Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, Stepdad etc. - we can't wait to see you and your 'plus one' at the dance!

Friday, April 4th

6:00-8:00pm

DeSales Gym

We have a 'Knight' of fun planned for our guests! There will be dancing, a photo booth, light refreshments and a basket raffle!!

No physical tickets will be sent home, there will be a check in list at the door. Last minute tickets will be sold at the door. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please follow this link to sign-up.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Farmer at farmerj@desalescatholicschool.org.

Our Annual ConnectLife Blood Drive will be held on Saturday, April 26th! Schedule your donation appointment here: https://www.connectlifegiveblood.org/.../drive.../20516

Yearbooks are on sale now for $18 each!

They can be ordered at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ and our school code is 1673225.

If you would like your student to have a yearbook, please pre-order. We only get a handful of extras at delivery and will not be able to guarantee you'd get one without pre-ordering.

The theme for this year’s program is Fantastic Fairy Tales! Below you will find links to a reading log for your child. At the end of the month please turn in your child’s reading log. Prizes will be given for each child that completes a reading log.If we have 90 percent participation, Mrs. Rahill will sit in a dunk tank during field days!

• PARP Information
• Reading Log (PreK - Grade 3)
• Reading Log (Grades 4-5)

Weekly Activities:

Mystery Reader Monday - Mystery readers will come into each classroom to read a story to the students.

Wacky Wednesday- Students will hear jokes and read silly stories.

Flashlight Friday- Students will read in the dark with flashlights in the classroom. Please send in a flashlight with your child.

PARP Events:

April 11- Once Upon a Time at DeSales: Wear your favorite DeSales gear

April 23 -Villain vs Hero Day: Dress like your favorite villain or hero Glenn Colton will be coming for a musical concert!

May 1- Pick Your Favorite Fairy Tale Day: Wear the color that responds to your favorite story!

Blue- Cinderella Yellow- Beauty & The Beast Red- Little Red Riding Hood

Pink- Sleeping Beauty Green- Shrek Brown- Goldilocks Purple - Aladdin

Family Stream Night- Thursday, May 1 : On Thursday, May 1, DeSales will be hosting a family stream night. Activities will include science/technology activities, robotics, an art show, a book swap, games, bookmark decorating, a local bookstore, and more!

DeSales Catholic School was well represented with 3 teams competing at the Diocese of Buffalo, X-STREAM Games VEX IQ Robotics Competition held this last weekend at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Buffalo. Out of 14 teams in total, DeSales made a remarkable impact by securing 1st, 2nd, and 5th place overall.

The 1st place team was comprised of Harrison Hathaway, Noah Scheffer, Graham Thomas, and Jude Genewick.

Taking 2nd place was the team of Kennedy King, Nina Dawes, Evelyn Schuster, Abby Laubacker, and Alaina Rupp.

The 5th place team was made up of Maggie Masters, Landon Cardinal, Arianna Biamonte, Zane Lakes, and Margaret Manning.

All three teams were coached by Dan Rupp, Carolyn Manning and Mike Manning and led by peer coaches Reiner Rupp and Joseph Finn. Before they can compete, the teams design, build, and program each of their robots. DeSales 6th grader, Harrison Hathaway said of this STEM experience; “We built our robots from just pieces, I really liked seeing it all come together.”

Congratulations to Levi Martin! Levi sold the most Easter Candy in this year's HSA sale! Levi received a Fowlers gift card as a prize! Thank you to everyone who sold Easter Candy this year. Together we earned $4,500 for the DeSales HSA!!

April HSA Meeting

Tuesday, April 8th

6:30pm

DeSales Cafeteria

March Breakfast Menu

March Lunch Menu

April Breakfast Menu

April Lunch Menu

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 accredit 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.

Calling all girls in grades 4–8!

Join us for a summer of FUN at MSM!

Summer camps run June 30 through August 17 in a variety of subjects. From Cooking to Crew to the Taylor Swift Experience, we’ve got something for everyone.

Registration opens soon!

Limited spots available for select camps.

*NEW Bundle Packages*

Register for three or more summer camps and SAVE!

https://www.msmacademy.org/annual-event/2025-summer-camps/

St. Joe's is happy to provide the following opportunities for prospective students and their families to visit campus and would ask that you share this information with your community. Details and registration information is below. For questions, concerns, or more information, contact our Admissions Center at 716.874.4953 or admissions@sjci.com.

SPRING 7TH GRADE PRACTICE EXAM for prospective students in grade 7

Saturday, May 10, 2025

If your goal is to become a member of the St. Joe's brotherhood, then now is your chance to find out how you’d perform on the Scholarship & Entrance Exam. We encourage you to take a practice St. Joe's Entrance Exam under normal testing conditions for FREE! Any young man currently in 7th grade is eligible.

Register for the 7th Grade Practice Exam

SUMMER CAMPS for all prospective students

Embark on a summer of fun, sports, learning, and Brotherhood at St. Joe's! Our summer camps are designed to ignite the curiosity and passions of middle school students, offering a diverse array of activities led by St. Joe's teachers and Marauder coaches. Whether your interests lie in sports, music, academics, or beyond, we have something special waiting for you.

Registration for our 2025 summer camps is now open! Don't miss out on the opportunity to secure your spot. Click below to discover the complete list of camp dates and details, and start your journey with St. Joe's today!
Register for St. Joe's Summer Camps

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