Leading with Faith
by Joleen Dimitroff
This has been such an exciting week for me. I had the chance to visit the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo and spend time with the students there—it was pure joy. I also met with the wonderful school boards at St. John the Baptist in Alden and St. Mary’s Elementary in Lancaster. What stood out to me most was the passion and dedication of the principals and stakeholders, and the warm spirit that comes from families who are so invested in their children’s Catholic education.
These moments remind me why our mission is so important. Every conversation helps build trust and strengthen the bonds that unite us in our shared faith and our desire to provide the very best experiences for our children. As I continue my visits, I look forward to learning more about the unique traditions and values that define each of our schools, while also sharing updates on key initiatives, including our new Strategic Plan, enhanced school security measures, and the Middle States Accreditation process. Most of all, I’m thankful for the chance to meet so many of you, hear your stories, and see your love for our schools firsthand. I look forward to many more visits in the weeks ahead as we continue to grow together in faith and learning.
Right now, I’m in Albany with other Catholic school superintendents from across New York State. It’s been energizing to sit with colleagues and share ideas on some of the big topics we’re all navigating—like enrollment challenges, keeping our schools safe, how to thoughtfully use artificial intelligence in ways that reflect our Catholic values, and legislative issues such as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit and the proposed Jack Reid Law. These conversations are important and I’m grateful to be part of them on behalf of our Diocese. We also had the opportunity to engage in a dynamic discussion with NYS Regent, Dr. Seema Rivera, in which we were able to advocate for equitable funding for Catholic Education. I will be extending an invitation to our Regent, Keith Wiley, to meet with my Team and visit our schools.
Lastly, I want to let everyone know that our newly established Security Consultant, Nick Keil, has started meeting with our principals to review their safety plans and evaluate campus safety measures. Nick and I will be out visiting schools as well!
God Bless,
Joleen
by Stephanie Genco Gasiecki
As we continue to walk together in faith and learning, thank you for your patience and flexibility as we navigate the start of the school year and the changes that come with it. Your commitment to our students and mission is deeply appreciated!
STAR Testing Update
The STAR Testing window is open through Friday, September 26. We know there have been some adjustments this year, and we’re grateful for your understanding as we work through them together.
To support you in assigning products (STAR Comprehensive Suite and Freckle), please check out this helpful Loom video: Assigning Products in Renaissance
1st Grade Reading Update:
All 1st graders should begin with the STAR Reading Assessment.
If a student cannot pass the practice questions, then move them to Early Literacy.
Do not read any part of either test to students. For Early Literacy, students should use headphones/audio to complete the test independently.
While the original plan was to reserve Early Literacy for Kindergarten, we want to ensure we have benchmark data for all students. We’ll follow the same approach in Winter: start with STAR Reading and adjust as needed.
STREAM Coordinator Meeting – Thursday, 9/18 @ 1PM
You're invited to a brief “Welcome Back” virtual meeting this Thursday at 1:00 PM. I’d love to see you, even if just for a few minutes! At this meeting, we’ll:
Review future meeting dates and plans (hoping for in-person gatherings!)
Follow up on summer PD work
Discuss this year’s STREAM programming and X-STREAM Games
Answer any questions you may have
Coordinators: Check your email for the meeting link. If you need it resent, just reach out!
If you can’t attend, I’ll send a recording and notes afterward.
NCEA Update
Please take a moment to review Chris Riso’s Government Services section for the latest NCEA update. It contains important information for our schools.
✨ Save the Date: Diocesan Convocation – October 10
We’re excited for this inspirational day and the opportunity to be in community with one another! This day includes:
Mass with Bishop Fisher
Keynote speakers on resiliency, unity, and SEL
Comedy, music, and more!
All school staff are welcome to attend. Principals should use this link to RSVP for their schools.
Thank you for all you do to lead with faith, hope, and love. Let me know if you have any questions or need support with anything mentioned above! If you’d like to set up a brief meeting, you can view my office hours & set up a meeting here.
by Chris Riso
ASAP PDF/Copy of each Signed “Written Affirmation” form sent to C. Riso
9/29/25 NCEA Form Due via Online Google Sheet based on 9/12/25 Counts
10/1/25 BEDS Enrollment Anchor Date – Count All Staff & Students
10/25/25 Voter Registration Deadline
11/1/25 2024-25 School (and Parish) Annual Reports Due to the Audit Department
11/4/25 Election Day - Please Vote!
School Safety Plan Communication Contact Update: Last month we learned that our Communications Department was let go, including Joe Martone. Greg Tucker was named as our Diocesan Communications Counsel so you should update your “School Safety Plan” communications contact information to include Greg: 667-262-3040 (cell phone); gtucker@buffalodiocese.org.
NCEA Anchor Date 9/12/25: Remember that Friday, 9/12/2025, was the anchor date for the NCEA report; this means that you should have printed out all necessary student reports on that date to help you complete your Google Sheet (enrollment counts, race, Catholicity, parish membership, etc.) by the 9/29/25 deadline. For more information, see my introductory letter here and the NCEA Form Instructions here.
Second Update to (Once in a Lifetime) Mandated Report Training: Similar to last year’s update, Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2024 amended Social Services Law § 413 was again amended to require additional “Mandated Reporter” training to be completed by November 17, 2026 (next school year). This information will also be posted in the Child Abuse Prevention Training section of the Office of Religious and Independent School Support webpage. The revised training now includes guidance on identifying abuse or maltreatment in children with intellectual or developmental disabilities. All mandated reporters, including certified educators, regardless of prior completion of the 2025 version, must take the entire second updated workshop, which is two hours in length - Principals, Teachers, Nurses, Counselors, and Bus Drivers. Please see the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) Mandated Training Related to Child Abuse | Office of the Professions for full details and approved providers. For questions, visit the Office of the Professions Contact Us page.
There is a chance that we will be able to find a provider to offer only the new section of the training, but I will need to look into this further to see how this would work for our staff.
RISE Conference: Registration has begun for the 41st Annual Religious and Independent Schools Educators (RISE) conference taking place in-person at the Albany Marriott Hotel (189 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205) from 8:00am on November 12th to Noon on November 13th. There is a $270 cost to attend this conference but two free nights at the hotel for 11/11 & 11/12 are included for each participant if reservation is made before 10/29; the conference costs (registration, travel, meals) are Title IIa eligible. This is an excellent professional development opportunity for you and your teachers. Here are the links for more information: RISE Conference | nyscirs. To register, go to the RISE 2025 Conference Registration Form for either Credit Card or Check or P.O. For assistance with registration, email oriss@nysed.gov. To submit any questions you would like addressed during a Q&A session on November 12th from 9:10 to 10:00 a.m, use this Microsoft Form link by October 29, 2025.
Voter Registration Ends 10/25/2025; Encourage Staff & Families to Register, Vote: As Election Day (11/4/25) approaches, I just wanted to remind you to encourage the adults in your school community to register to vote by the 10/25/25 deadline and then vote in the coming election. Elected officials can tell if a person has voted in an election and by doing so you add additional weight to any emails you might send to them with your opinions on Catholic School concerns. Information on voter registration can be found here, https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html, and at your county Board of Elections (https://www.elections.ny.gov/CountyBoards.html).
NYSED Pesticide Notification: Please be sure to follow the NYS “School pesticide neighbor notification” law found here. A portion of the law is:
“(b) Notification procedures. Schools shall establish written pesticide notification procedures to provide information on pesticide applications at relevant facilities according to the following provisions.
(1) The school shall provide written notification to all staff and persons in parental relation at the beginning of each school year or summer school session. If a child enrolls after the beginning of the school year or summer school session, written notification shall be provided to the person in parental relation within one week of such enrollment. Such written notification shall include at a minimum the following information:
(i) a statement that pesticide products may be used periodically throughout the school year or summer school session;
(ii) a statement that schools are required to maintain a list of staff and persons in parental relation who wish to receive 48-hour prior written notification of pesticide applications at relevant facilities, and instructions on how to register with the school to be on such list for prior notification; and
(iii) the name and phone number of a school pesticide representative who may be contacted to obtain further information.”
by Nancy DiBerardino
12th Grade Mass Registration
The 12th Grade Mass will take place on Tuesday, October 28th at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY at 10:30 AM. Registration for this event is required by October 17th. The registration form will be used for creating our seating chart..
Certificates of Insurance
When requesting a certificate of insurance the following information is required in order for the insurance company to issue your school the certificate. Name and address of organization that is requesting you to provide them with a COI, dates of the event, times (beginning and ending). If the COI is for a sporting event they will need a list of all schools participating in the sport. For general insurance matters, including COI, please email: dobis@buffalodiocese.org or call 716-847-8394.
8th Grade Mass Registration Form
The 8th grade Mass will take place on Wednesday, October 29 at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY at 10:30 AM. Registration for this event is required by October 17th. The registration form will be used for creating our seating chart.
Elementary Bowling
Deadline to register is Thursday, September 18. All schools participating must register their students online.
It’s that wonderful time of year again to register your students for bowling. There are just a few changes from last year. For this Fall the league fee has increased a dollar fifty per student to $37.50 for the season. I am asking each school to collect the league fees from your student bowlers. I will then invoice the schools after the season has begun. The allies have requested that each school submit an official roster. I will provide the roster to each school participating once you start registering your students.
Mystery Science and PNW BOCES SS/ELA Curriculum
This is just a friendly reminder that the fees for both of these programs are due. Please kindly submit as soon as possible.
by Mike Baumann
As I have the opportunity to visit with different schools throughout the Diocese, there are a few things that are standing out in the HR and Personnel realms that should be addressed. When called to help out with personnel matters, one of the first things I will ask to see is the employee’s “employment agreement” or “offer of employment”; the document that spells out the terms and conditions of employment. Too often, except for our teachers, there isn’t one. Simply put, no one should receive a paycheck from the parish or school unless there is documentation somewhere that spells out what that payment is for. We seem to do this well with teachers; but we need to do it just as well for all employees.
The employment agreement can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be, with the level of complexity often increasing with the level of benefits and the responsibilities of the job. In its simplest form, this document can be a one page letter with bullet points outlining the conditions of employment:
Employee name
Address
Dear <<employee>>:
On behalf of <<school name>>, I am very pleased to offer you the position of __________ with an annual salary/hourly rate of __________. This offer of employment is conditional subject to completion of a criminal background check, reference check and driver’s license check. The duties and responsibilities of this position are outlined in the available job description. Other expectations and conditions of employment are outlined in the employee handbook.
Your start date will be XXXXXXX, 2025. You are expected to work Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 3:00PM, except for such holidays and vacations as stipulated below. (or whatever the specific schedule is; if they are not 12 month employees, that should be indicated here as well) Employees are paid bi-weekly every other Thursday (or whatever your pay schedule is).
In accordance with our conversation about the position, the benefits, subject to satisfaction of the eligibility criteria, are: (here is where you spell out what they get in addition to their pay):
- Health Insurance- basic type, employee contribution, immediate eligibility or after a time period, etc
- Any other Insurance- life, dental, long term disability, etc. -how or when they are eligible, how they access it.
- Holidays- spell out number of paid holidays
- Other paid time off- vacation, PTO (paid time off, sick or personal, etc)- how is it earned or allocated to them; do they start with any? Is it earned by pay period?
- 403(b) Plan
This summary is in no way intended to constitute an express or implied contract of employment for a definite term. In this regard, nothing contained in this summary is intended as a limitation of your right to terminate your employment relationship with the <<name of school>> at any time. Similarly, the <<name of school>> reserves the right to do the same.
Please confirm your acceptance of these terms by signing below.
Sincerely,
Principal Name
Title
I accept the offer of employment.
____________________________________ ________________
Name Date
You can find an example of a more complex employment agreement here.
Two important notes to consider:
In the first paragraph, there are references to both the “job description” and the ”employee handbook”. These are equally important documents, as they lay the expectations for the position and serve as the basis for employee evaluations moving forward. I will talk more about these documents in future blogs.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or if I can help you with your HR and personnel needs.
9/8-9/26 - STAR Fall Testing Window
9/29 - NCEA Data Due
10/10 - Diocesan Convocation
10/23 - Principal's Meeting