Leading with Faith
by Joleen Dimitroff
Student Leadership Lighting the Way
One of the great blessings of our Catholic schools is witnessing how faith, leadership, and service come together in the lives of our students. I am proud to highlight one such example in Matthew Armento, a senior at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, whose leadership is already making a meaningful impact across our diocesan elementary schools.
Matthew serves as President of Inside the L, a student-led philanthropy group grounded in Lasallian values and committed to service, solidarity, and compassion. Under Matthew’s leadership this year, Inside the L launched an innovative, grant-based initiative known as The Torch Fund. This initiative empowers local Catholic elementary schools to apply for grants to support their unique needs—putting students directly in service to the broader Catholic school Community.
Members of Inside the L raise funds through events such as chicken barbecues and other community fundraisers. Thanks to their dedication and generosity, The Torch Fund has already supported the purchase of a jungle gym, math manipulatives, and microscopes—resources that will benefit students for years to come.
Matthew’s journey in Catholic education began when he transferred from public school to St. Benedict School in sixth grade. It was there that he first began to internalize the values of compassion, empathy, and service through meaningful community engagement. Those values were further deepened during his time at St. Joe’s, where opportunities for student leadership allowed Matthew to grow as a servant leader rooted in faith.
I extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Chris Fulco, President of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, for fostering a school culture where Catholic values are intentionally cultivated through authentic student leadership experiences. This environment has clearly shaped Matthew into the young man he is today.
Matthew truly embodies the spirit of Christian service, and his leadership is having a tangible, positive impact on our Catholic elementary schools. I had the pleasure of meeting with Matthew in December, and I was equally delighted that he also had the opportunity to meet Bishop Michael Fisher, who was deeply impressed by Matthew’s dedication to his faith and commitment to serving others.
The Torch Fund’s next fundraising event will be a Meat Raffle on January 10 from 6:00–9:00p.m. at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. I encourage our community to support this outstanding initiative and the remarkable students behind it.
Matthew Armento is a shining example of how Catholic education forms young leaders who live their faith through action- and in doing so, light the way for others.
by Stephanie Genco Gasiecki
“For everything there is a season.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
As we return from the Christmas season and move into the heart of winter, January invites us into a season of reflection, focus, and renewed commitment to our shared work. Thank you for all you continue to do for your students and school communities.
STAR Testing Window Is Open
The STAR Winter Testing window is now open and runs through January 23. Some schools experienced technical issues with the Renaissance platform earlier today — please don’t worry. The window remains open, and I will share any necessary updates by email. In the meantime, please take a few moments to review the updated Best Practices guide, with special attention to Early Literacy guidance and Math headphone usage. As always, reach out if you need support.
Middle States Accreditation Update
January is the month we wrap up our Middle States self-studies! In February, we will shift our focus to Plans for Growth and Improvement, setting diocesan goals that will inspire schools to reflect on how they will take action locally.
January MSA Goals
Complete Standard 05 – Teaching and Learning
Complete Standard 04 – Special Purpose Indicators (Early Childhood and Faith-Based Schools)
Complete Standard 07 – Curriculum
This standard is completed at the diocesan level, but it truly requires the support of all of our schools to be an accurate reflection of our system. If you have not yet signed up one or two teachers for a brief Teams conversation, please consider doing so here. These short calls are critical to ensuring authentic teacher voice in this work.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and thoughtful participation as we near the finish line of the self-study phase.
Register for the Diocesan Chess Tournament
There is still time to register students for the Diocesan Chess Tournament, taking place on Saturday, January 31. We are excited to see strong participation again this year and look forward to a great day of competition, sportsmanship, and community. Sign up here!
Preparing for the 2026 X-STREAM Games
It’s time to begin preparing for the 2026 X-STREAM Games, which will be held on Saturday, March 28 at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. Theme: X-STREAM Sustainability: Caring for God’s Creation
This year’s events will invite students to explore innovation, stewardship, and creativity through a sustainability lens. We will be looking for adult and student volunteers, and event registrations and sign-ups will open in February.
Included Events
Robotics – “Mix & Match”
Kitchen Chem – “Farm to Table”
Arcade Academy – games created using recycled materials
Power of Art – artwork inspired by creation, natural resources, and sustainability
Gardening – expo-style event
KidWind / Wind Turbines – competition details coming soon
Dream to Design – new! repurposed fashion event (details to follow)
Science Buddies Science Scrimmage – the 2026 Engineering Challenge will be announced next week
New: Hands-On Exploration Station for PreK–2 students
Social Studies Collaborative Call
Social Studies teachers, including elementary teachers who teach social studies, are invited to join a collaborative call on: Thursday, January 22, 1:30–2:30 PM. We’ll continue our discussion around curriculum priorities, resource needs, and shared challenges and successes. This will be a meaningful time to connect with colleagues who do the same work you do. No registration is required — simply join the call using this link.
Best Practices Spotlight: Re-Establishing Strong Routines After Break
Returning from break is an ideal time to reset classroom routines and procedures. Strong routines create a sense of safety, predictability, and focus for students.
A few practical reminders:
Use positive, clear language when restating expectations
Be explicit — don’t assume students remember
Tell, show, and practice routines again, even if they feel familiar
Be consistent and patient as students readjust
Reinforce routines through modeling and encouragement
Small, intentional resets now can make a big difference in learning and classroom culture for the rest of the year.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, ideas, or support needs. Thank you for your continued partnership as we move forward together.
by Chris Riso
1/8/26 Send E-Rate Worksheet to Denton Clark if working with Mondavi Design
1/14/26 Government Services Update for Board Chairs, Chaplains, Pastors, & Principals
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)
3/16/26 Last Day to Submit Buffalo Public Schools Textbook & Other Loan Requisitions
NPSE RFI: The NonPublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) program has been moving forward at NYSED. I have heard from about 10 schools since the beginning of December telling me that their Year 10 claims have been under review and that they had to provide additional information for certain items to be approved for reimbursement. Many of these schools were given a deadline for responding or else the items of concern would be rejected when their claim was approved. If your school is contacted by NPSE-ORISS with an “RFI” (Request for Information), please forward that to me so I can assist you with your response.
Government Services Quarterly Update via Microsoft Teams, 1/14/26: On January 14th at 3:15pm, I will host the second quarterly online Government Services Update for school board chairs, principals, business managers, chaplains, and pastors. This quarter’s meeting will cover: Catholic School Advocacy; the Mandated Services Aid submission process; NonPublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) funding; Special Education services; the Mathematics, Science, and Technology and Art & Music Teachers Grants; and Elementary Academic Intervention Services (AIS) Funding. Our meetings last about 40 minutes so I hope those invited can carve out some time to attend. Later this week I will send out invitations to the meeting along with the Microsoft Teams link. FYI - future meetings are planned for 2/26/26 and 5/20/26 at 3:15pm.
Textbook Orders - Buffalo Public Requisitions Due 3/16; Erie 1 BOCES Orders due 3/20: Erie 1 BOCES usually asks that all textbook loan funds be used by around 3/20/26; please check to see if any funds remain and then place loan orders by 3/20/26. Also, please remember that the Buffalo Public Schools will only make requisitions for textbook, computer hardware, computer software, and library loan requests received through 3/16/26; please make sure you use up all available BPS loan funds by that date.
by Nancy DiBerardino
New Item:
Tuition Assistance for Private Grammar Schools Now Available
The Bison Children Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to economically eligible children in grades K-8. New families can apply now for the scholarship for the 2026-27 school year. To start the process, families can complete a quick pre-application form online at www.bisonfund.org. If selected in our lottery drawing, the scholarship can be used at any private grammar school in WNY. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2026. The maximum award is $3,000. For more information, please contact Cindy McDonald at 716-854-0869 or email cmcdonald@bisonfund.org.
Please Register for the January Principals’ Meeting taking 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.
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.
Save the Date: Annual Art Show is being hosted this year by Chesterton Academy located at 5331 Genesee Street, Bowmansville, NY from Monday, May 18, 2026 (Set-Up) through Tuesday, May 26, 2026 due to the holiday weekend the school has added an extra day for participants to pick-up their art work. For additional information please contact Barbara Courtney at bcourtney@cabuffalo.org.
1/5-1/23, STAR Testing Window
1/7, 2-3pm, STAR Champion Meeting
1/8, 8:30-3pm, Principal Meeting
1/22, 1:30-2:30, Social Studies Committee
1/31, Chess Tournament
2/10, 10:15am, BPO
3/21, Spelling Bee
3/28, X-STREAM Games