Students at Christ the King School are jumping into STREAM education to develop skills for the future.

As an activity to study the states of matter, fifth-grade teacher Mary Donahue and St. John the Baptist School STREAM coordinator Mary Makar worked together to create lab stations for the students to apply the concepts that they learned in science class and understand how these theories work in the real world.

The gym is more than a place for games. It is where young people learn to obey a set of rules, work as a team and be a good sport. That has always been the belief of Msgr. Leo McCarthy, former coach and mentor, and now namesake of the Baker Hall gym.

TONAWANDA — A silver anniversary is an occasion to celebrate. At Cardinal O'Hara High School, this year's Hawk-tion, held on Nov. 9, celebrated its 25th year of the school's most successful fundraiser.

HAMBURG — Dr. Michael S. Brophy, former president of Benedictine University (Chicago and Phoenix) and Marymount California University (Los Angeles), has been named the fourth president of Hilbert College. Brophy, who was born and raised in New York state, is the first male president in the College's 61-year history. He will take office Jan. 15, 2019.

Prayer is one of the most important things a Christian can do. It is a way of communicating with God. Prayer does not have to be complicated or difficult. It can be as easy as a conversation with a good friend.

The Felician Sisters of North America's recent installation of 774 solar panels on their property in Buffalo, is part of the Felician Sisters of North America's nationwide solar power project that includes a series of such solar installations at six Felician Sisters' sites across the country.

TONAWANDA — Students at Cardinal O'Hara High School are experiencing a new opportunity to join theater. The comedy, "Anne Arky" by Lindsay Price scheduled Nov. 29 and 30, will be the first fall play performed in the school's history and will join the annual spring musical, expanding the drama and performance opportunities for students.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY — Niagara University officially dedicated the Statler Foundation Hospitality House, a residential living and learning community for students studying event management at the university College of HosGifted Students Recognized at St. Francis High School.

Some people may think school buildings are lifeless and boring. That is not the case at South Buffalo Catholic Notre Dame Academy. A mural was recently created for the cafeteria in the Abbott Road building, whose premise is a box of crayons, which is a perfect theme for this pre-K - fourth-grade campus.

Trocaire College's board of trustees has elected six new members to three-year terms on the board.

St. Mary's High School took a field trip south of the border this summer as three students and their Spanish teacher traveled to Puebla, Mexico to teach English. They ended up learning more than they ever expected.

Pope Francis has spoken about providing a "moral and religious" education for all children. The diocesan Department of Catholic Education took that to heart when planning the annual education convocation. This year's theme "All Our Welcome; Learning Knows No Bounds," addressed the need to provide the strong teaching that Catholic schools are known for to all students regardless of race, economic class or special needs.

While at Mount Mercy Academy Melissa Graham Kuberka (Class of 2009) was recognized as a talented student-athlete. She won multiple honors in athletics, including Senior Athlete of the Year and academically was the salutatorian of her class. Her academic and athletic prowess continued at the State University of New York at Geneseo. Kuberka, a former resident of Orchard Park, credits her time at Mount Mercy with providing her a strong base for both academics and athletics.

ST. BONAVENTURE — When most freshmen are taking the year to get adjusted to new class schedules and college life, Rachel Hoag accomplished all that and still found time to establish a new club on campus with a very important focus — helping service dogs in training for veterans and individuals with disabilities.

LANCASTER — Three St. Mary's High School students spent their summer learning about surgical robotics. Junior Jeffrey Zoyhofski and seniors Nicholas Pronobis and Megan White were selected to participate in the Junior Robotic Surgery Challenge at Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo.

HAMBURG - The executive committee of the Hilbert College board of trustees named Father Michael Sajda, OFM Conv., interim president. He is currently president of St. Francis High School and chair of Hilbert's board of trustees.

As the STREAM curriculum continues to circulate through many of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Buffalo, students are refreshed and enthusiastic about their new learning opportunities. But when teachers are not fluent in some of the new subject areas offered, the schools create partnerships to fill in the gaps, like the one Department of Catholic Education has with Junior Achievement of Western New York.

Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Buffalo are guided by the Gospel message of Jesus. At South Buffalo Catholic School Notre Dame Academy, the goal is to build a faith community in which teachers, students, parents and administrators support each other and grow in God's love. And growing they are!

When students returned to school this moth, the Canisius High School campus looked at bit different than it did last fall.

This fall Katie Bishop will again walk the halls of St. Mary School, Swormville, as a fourth-grade teacher. Bishop is also an alumnus of St. Mary's, but so is her mother, grandparents and a great-grandfather. Her family, the Herbergers, put down roots at St. Mary's and the family tree has grown healthy in faith ever since.

About 900 Catholic school educators in the Diocese of Buffalo will gather on Friday, Sept. 28, for an educators' convocation at Cardinal O'Hara High School, 39 O'Hara Road, Tonawanda. The biennial meeting will include teachers and administrators from all diocesan elementary and middle schools, which will be closed that day.

The Back-to-School ads have been running since the 4th of July, and now September is here and back-to-school is real. Families all across Western New York are settling into a regular routine of waking early, packing lunches, catching the bus and doing homework. Families also start to get busy with many extra-curricular activities. Sports practices, scouts, or other clubs makes September feel even more hectic. Throw into the mix the suggestion that this can also be "back-to-church" time, and it could be enough to send a parent over the edge with the thought of too many commitments.

St. Joseph School in Batavia, which just celebrated its 150th anniversary, is about to make a big change. The only Catholic elementary school is Batavia will become a regional school sometime this fall. This will allow the school to reach out beyond its parish boundaries to serve students from the surrounding area. It seemed like a logical step for the school.

The Foundation for Inclusive Catholic Education (FICE) will continue the conversation about inclusive education in the Diocese of Buffalo, by presenting the keynote speaker for the annual Diocesan School Convocation to be held on Sept. 28. Dr. Michael Boyle from Loyola University in Chicago will address national trends of inclusive education within Catholic Schools.

There is a saying that you can never go back again, but for St. John the Baptist alumna, Lauren Kocher, going back to the Alden elementary school was always her intent.

If all goes well, by the time you read this, Danielle Arthur will be adding Esq. to her business cards. The Williamsville native earned top honors in school from kindergarten all the way up to her recent graduation from Columbia Law School. She credits her success to a foundation in Catholic education.

Another school year is upon us and our Catholic Schools will once again open its doors to children of all faiths. Though open to all faiths, our Catholic identity and Christian values are present, and clearly evident as the primary focus of each school along with an exemplary academic program. Families who choose Catholic education for their children understand that a spiritual learning environment helps to strengthen the Christian values they teach within their own homes. Having children who daily interact with other children practicing those Christian values and seeing them modeled by the adults around them helps strengthen our future families and communities.

On the first day of classes at SS Peter and Paul School in Williamsville, kindergartners and first graders in the first row squealed and smiled as they were hit with holy water. They were gathered in the new 'Mind Cave' which was blessed by Bishop Richard J. Malone Wednesday afternoon.

Bishop Timon - St. Jude High School invites all sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys and their parents to its annual Open House on Tuesday, Sept. 25, and Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m

When friends gathered together to reminisce about the old days, who knew that it would blossom into a full blown class reunion for the Christ the King School class of 1968. Through social media and friends reaching out to other friends, most of the class was able to reconnect. They came from California, Texas, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont and from all parts of New York state.

This past year has seen much change for St. John the Baptist Alden; a new principal, teachers and a pastoral administrator. All of these changes have positively affected their school, but the most fun transformation was the addition of STREAM Academies.

Students in the Kenmore area should get used to the name Principal Spillman. St. Joseph Collegiate Institute has hired James Spillman as its new principal. At the same time, Mount St. Mary Academy welcomed his wife, Katherine, as its new head of school. The Spillmans are natives of Western New York. Katherine hails from Rochester and James from Tonawanda.

Springville's St. Aloysius Regional School is moving full STREAM ahead, as the Southtowns school incorporates the diocesan educational curriculum into its instruction.

D'Youville College has been awarded a $5 million grant through the New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program (HECap). D'Youville will use the $5 million towards the construction of a 50,000-square foot Health Professions Hub to train the healthcare workforce of the future.

SNYDER — At the end of the year Christ the King School held a fireside chat, inducted new members into its National Junior Honor Society, and showcased the talents of its students at an art show and band concert. Each event displayed the gifts and talents of the student body.

As a result of continued enrollment reductions, growing financial challenges and a significant reduction in Diocesan support, Niagara Catholic High School on 66th Street, will close its doors, effective immediately.

Two local Catholic schools have announced a new scholarship opportunity intended to allow better access to private education. Through an unnamed donor, Saints Peter and Paul School, in Williamsville, and Southtowns Catholic School, in Lake View, will offer a partial scholarship to each of the first ten kindergarteners who qualify financially.

You don't see this every day. On Thursday, Mount St. Mary Academy named Katherine M. Spillman as its new principal. What's unique about the appointment is that Spillman's husband, James Spillman, was recently named the new principal of St. Joseph Colligate Institute.

There's a buzz in Swormville. The staff of St. Mary's School has been busy as bees to get a special dedicated space for their technology program.