Leading with Faith

4/1/25 Online 2023-24 Mandated Services Claim Due to NYSED

4/1/25 Updated Mandated Reporter Training Due for All Required Staff

4/1/25 Parent Requests for 2025-26 Transportation Due to Public School Districts

TBA NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Claims Due

TBA NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due

NYSED Mandated Services Due 4/1: Today is the deadline for Mandated Services claim submissions. Hopefully everyone’s claims have been submitted already. Please forward me any “Hold” or “Post Review” emails you might get from the state that request follow-up on your end to resolve a claim; I am already copied on all claim approval and payment emails.

NYSED NonPublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) and AIS Reimbursement Deadlines Delayed: I still have not heard anything from NYSED about the release of the NPSE (Safety) and Elementary AIS forms, allocations, and application deadlines. You can find the most recent information about these grants on their Funding Opportunities website.

Catholic Identity and Student Enrichment: Student Leadership and the Portrait of a Graduate

This past Friday, over 200 students from 10 Catholic middle schools participated in the 3rd annual 8th-grade retreat at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard Park. A sincere thank you to Adam Jarosz, our dedicated retreat leader, and his exceptional retreat team for guiding a day centered on the Jubilee Year of Hope. We were also blessed to have enthusiastic high school student leaders from Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, Cardinal O’Hara High School, Chesterton Academy, and Mount St. Mary Academy contributing to the day's success.

The 8th-grade retreat is thoughtfully designed to provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their academic and faith journeys throughout their time in Catholic elementary and middle school, and to prepare them for their upcoming transition to high school. Bishop Mike celebrated a beautiful Mass, delivering a poignant homily that encouraged students to contemplate fundamental questions such as "What is your purpose?" and "Why are we here?", while also reflecting on the significance of the Lenten journey.

As we remain committed to nurturing students who live like saints and develop into critical thinkers who are faith-filled, service-focused, and self-aware, we will continue to prioritize enhancing and expanding student leadership opportunities. This month, as we progress with our Middle States Accreditation, our focus within the Foundations domain is specifically on defining the Portrait of an 8th-Grade Graduate.

This naturally leads us to consider: How can we further cultivate student leaders who are confident, articulate communicators, possess a strong sense of self, and nurture a deep relationship with God?

Principals, as you plan student programming for the upcoming year, I wanted to share some ideas for developing student leadership within your schools:

• National Junior Honor Society

• National Elementary Honor Society

• Leader In Me

• Leader in Me

• The Ron Clark House System

• The RCA House System

• Student Council

There are numerous excellent programs and opportunities available to help cultivate student leaders and provide students with a meaningful voice within your school communities.

Weekly Virtual Principal Meetings

Meeting Details:

• Day and Time: Wednesdays, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

• Platform: Microsoft Teams (link sent by Laurie)

Science Fair

Thank you to all of our students who came and showed off their Science Fair projects. I have created a Google photo album showing all of the projects.

Art Show

The 35th Annual Diocesan Art Exhibition will be held at Notre Dame Academy, 260 Okell St, Buffalo. All schools are welcome to attend. You can find more information and sign up through this link. Your school must register by April 18th, however early registration is highly encouraged. We currently have 11 elementary schools and 1 high school signed up - thank you!

Summer Programs

If your schools will be offering any Summer Camps or programs, please send your information to me and I will get them up on our website.

eSchool

You should have received an invoice entitled Participation Projections from Erie 1 Boces. There are a couple of new line-items listed this year. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding them.

STAR

All STAR invoices have been set to September 1, 2025 for this coming school year. We did 1 year quotes. I have placed the quotes into your elementary school folders under Academic Excellence and then STAR Invoices for the 2025-2026 school year.

The Erie 1 BOCES eSchool system heavily utilizes "eSchoolData" (eSD) as a core component. Therefore, to understand fully accessing the functions, it's crucial to understand what eSchoolData offers. Here's an overview:

Key Features of eSchoolData within the Erie 1 BOCES System:

• Comprehensive Student Data Management:

• eSD is designed to track a wide range of student information, including:

• Registration

• Attendance

• Discipline

• Grade reporting

• Health records

• Locker assignments

• Response to Intervention (RTI) data

• Data-Driven Capabilities:

• The system enables teachers, administrators, and counselors to utilize data for informed decision-making.

• "GuruBoards" provide tools for analyzing and visualizing student data, allowing for the identification of trends and patterns.

• Communication and Access:

• Parent and student portals provide access to information such as assignments, attendance, and grades.

• This facilitates communication and collaboration between schools, parents, and students.

• New York State Reporting:

• eSD is designed to meet the requirements of New York State data reporting, streamlining the process for schools.

• Technical Support:

• Erie 1 BOCES provides support for eSchoolData, including:

• On-site assistance

• Phone and email support

• Guidance on NYS reporting

• User groups, workshops, and meetings

For Elementary Teachers:

• Teachers should focus on:

• Accurate attendance recording.

• Utilizing the gradebook for tracking assignments and grades.

• Accessing student information relevant to their teaching.

• Logging disciplinary incidents

• Communicating with parents through the portal.

For Elementary Principals:

• Principals should focus on:

• Analyzing student data to inform school-wide decisions.

• Generating reports on student performance.

• Utilizing the system for administrative tasks.

• Overseeing data privacy and security.

Key Considerations:

• It's essential that schools provide adequate training for teachers and principals on how to use eSchoolData effectively.

• Ongoing technical support is crucial to ensure that users can access and utilize all of the system's functions.

• Data privacy and security must be prioritized.

To get the most up to date and in depth information, it is always best to contact Erie 1 BOCES directly.

Have a safe and blessed week!

Bowling: Today is the last day of bowling for our Spring Bowling Season. I will need to know by tomorrow - Wednesday, April 2nd. the names of the students who will be participating in the Championship Tournament. As a reminder each school may only send 1 student per each grade (5 & 6, 7 & 8). Please email me your school's information - ndiberardino@buffalodiocese.org.

The Championship Tournament will take place on Saturday, April 5th at Classic Lanes, 1840 Military Road, Buffalo, NY - starting promptly at 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Please arrive at least 10 minutes earlier to check in.

Virtue/Diocesan Character Trait - Awards will be handed out at the March Principals Mtg.

Month of March -Mercy/Sacrifice - Deadline to submit names is - April 11, 2025

Definition – Caring for those who suffer and giving up something you want to help others.. https://forms.gle/vC7dEccHKjvGrTYe8

Reflecting on an Incredible X-STREAM Games!

This past Saturday was the 2025 X-STREAM Games at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, and what an amazing celebration of learning it was! We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the students, families, teachers, principals, STREAM coordinators, and community members who participated in this exciting event. Your enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication made the day a tremendous success!

With about 200 students from 17 schools participating, we were blown away by the level of engagement, creativity, and skill on display. The projects and competitions showcased problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and innovation—core elements of STREAM education. It was inspiring to see students tackling challenges with confidence, collaborating with their peers, and demonstrating their knowledge in real-world applications. The energy in the building was electric, and it’s clear that the future of STREAM in our schools is bright!

A huge thank you to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute for hosting us and to everyone who played a role in preparing for this event. Special thanks to Mr. Patti from Our Lady of Victory for coordinating and facilitating our Robotics Competition. The effort and planning by all of our teachers that went into making this entire day special did not go unnoticed. From organizing materials and coordinating logistics to mentoring students and supporting them throughout the competition, your commitment to STREAM education is truly appreciated.

What’s Next?

While the 2025 X-STREAM Games have wrapped up, our work in STREAM education continues! Here’s what’s coming up:

• Wrap-Up & Debrief Meeting – Monday, April 7 at 2:45 PM via Google Meet. Join us as we reflect on this year’s event and discuss ideas for the future.

• STREAM Coordinator Meeting – We’re planning an in-person gathering later this spring. Stay tuned for details!

• School Visits – I would love to visit your schools, learn more about your STREAM programs, and offer support. Reach out via email to set up a visit.

• Science Curriculum Support – In the coming months, we’ll be assisting schools across the district in piloting, selecting, and implementing consistent, high-quality science curricula aligned with the NYS Next Generation Science Standards.

• Summer STREAM Professional Development – Mark your calendars! We’re planning a STREAM PD session for August 20. More details to come soon!

Thank you again for making the 2025 X-STREAM Games such a memorable and impactful event. We can’t wait to continue growing STREAM education together and look forward to all the exciting opportunities ahead!