Dear Parents/ Guardians.
We would like to welcome you and your child to The Buffalo School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management’s 2026-2027 School Year. We are excited to welcome our students and staff back to school. This packet will provide an overview of important information, school policies, and school expectations.
The first day of school for students will be Thursday, September 3, 2026. Students who take the NFTA will be allowed to ride for free for the first week of school. Students will be issued a bus pass the first week of school. Please refer to https://metro.nfta.com/schedules/plan-your-trip for information to get to and from school. Students who ride the yellow bus will receive a mailing from the district’s transportation department. If you have specific questions about the yellow bus, please contact the Transportation Department at 716-816-4895.
A packet will be sent home and included in this packet you will find:
Bell Schedule
Frequently Asked Questions
Rules and Regulations for Student Travel on NFTA Metro Public Transit
District Calendar at a Glance
Buffalo Public Schools 2026-2027 Letter Days at a Glance
Buffalo Public Schools Visitor Policy
Grade Reporting Timeline for Progress Reports and Report Cards for the 2026-2027 School Year
Parent Letter for Safety Drills
Buffalo Culinary’s Distraction Free Procedures
Bullying Prevention and Intervention
Things that should be sent back to school or completed using the QR code below:
BPS Pupil Directory Important Emergency Information 2026-2027 School Year
Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology
One to One Program Student/Parent Contract
Buffalo Public Schools Media Release Form
We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential. We recognize that to be successful, our children need support from home and school. We know a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child’s education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children’s success and want you to know that we will do our very best to provide an equitable, inclusive, and high-quality education.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT LIAISON: KIM HERNANDEZ
We want to introduce our parent liaison, Kim Hernandez. Kim looks forward to working with you this school year. Please reach out to her if you are interested in becoming involved or need any support. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with families. Feel free to contact her at 716-846-4570 or keh627@gmail.com.
Please take time to review the 2026-2027 Standards for Conduct, Character, and Support (Code of Conduct) with your child using the QR code below.
NYS mandates certain vaccines that are required for school. Make an appointment with your child’s doctor to make sure you’re aware of all vaccinations needed. If vaccinations are not updated by September 16, 2026 students will not be allowed to attend school starting September 17, 2026, in accordance with NYS Public Health Law 2164. Your child’s doctor can answer questions about their vaccine status. Please send updated vaccination records to Medicalrecords@buffaloschools.org or send them in with your child to school.
Be aware that students will be required to store their internet-capable personal devices from the first bell to final dismissal. This includes smartphones, smartwatches, cell phones, with any internet capability, iPads, or similar devices including blue-tooth capable headphones. However, students will be authorized to access “school-issued” internet-enabled devices for their classroom instruction. This includes laptops or tablets provided by the school and used as part of instruction. Bluetooth headphones or earbuds are not allowed. The school has corded ear buds available for students. Please see Buffalo Culinary’s Distraction Free Procedures included in this packet.
The School Based Management Team (SBMT) is made up of parents, teachers, administration, support staff, community partners, and student representatives. The Buffalo School of Culinary Art’s and Hospitality Management’s SBMT is committed to pursuing issues and facilitating changes that enhance the quality of education for all our students. We can’t do this without you. We encourage you to join Buffalo Culinary’s SBMT each month to discuss ideas and offer suggestions in the interest of our school community. Parents are encouraged to communicate their ideas or concerns to the SBMT through the Main Office or via email at kschuta. WE NEED YOU! ALL parents/guardians are welcome to attend. The meetings will take place at the school. You can also access the link to attend the meetings virtually at https://www.buffaloschools.org/o/ps355/page/mgt-team or you can scan the QR code to take you directly to the meeting.
The dates and time of the meetings are as follows:
SBMT Meetings | |
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 ;1:00PM Wednesday, October 21, 2026; 1:00PM Thursday, November 19, 2026; 1:00PM Wednesday, December 23, 2026; 1:00PM Wednesday, January 27, 2027; 1:00PM | Wednesday February 24, 2027; 1:00PM Wednesday, March 24, 2027; 3:00PM* Wednesday, April 28, 2027; 1:00PM Wednesday, May 26, 2027; 1:00PM Wednesday, June 23, 2027; 1:00PM |
We are proud to be a Buffalo Public School’s Partnership School for the 2026-2027 school year. The goal of being a partnership school is to build bridges between families and communities, increasing parent engagement and community partnerships to enhance and uplift BPS students and families. We are excited to announce and invite you to our Community School Nights for the 2026-2027 School year. Each FREE event will be filled with activities, information, food, and fun! Save the Dates below:
Community Nights Evening Events – 75 West Huron from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | |||||
Wednesday September 23, 2026 Welcome Back Festival Title I Meeting | Wednesday October 28, 2026 Let’s Get Spooky | Wednesday November 18, 2026 Taste of Buffalo Culinary
| Wednesday February 3, 2027 Black History Month
| Wednesday March 24 2027 Bring on March | Wednesday April 21, 2027 Celebrating Kindness & Wellness |
Buffalo Culinary 1st Quarter Important Dates | ||
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER |
1: Supt. Conf. Day
2: Teacher Set-Up Day
3: First Day of School for Students
7: Labor Day; NO SCHOOL
17: Immunization Exclusions Start
18: School Wellness Day
23: Community Night: Welcome Back Festival
30: SBMT @1:00 in Restaurant | 9: Q1 Progress Report Grades Close/Teacher Grade Input Window Opens 12: Indigenous Peoples’ & Italian Heritage Day: NO SCHOOL 19: Q1 Progress Report Teacher Grade Input Window Closes 21: SBMT @1:00 in Restaurant/Progress Reports available in Infinite Campus 28: Community Night: Let’s Get Spooky | 5: Election Day; NO SCHOOL 13: Quarter 1 Ends/Grades Close/ Q1 Teacher Grade Input Window Opens 16: Quarter 2 Begins 18: Community Night: Taste of OTC & Buffalo Culinary Fall Festival & Parent/Teacher Conf. (Mandatory Night) 19: SBMT @1:00 in Restaurant/Picture Day (Seniors) 20: Honors/Attendance Assembly/ Q1 Teacher Grade Input Window Closes/ Picture Day (Seniors) 23, 24: Picture Day (Underclassmen) 25, 26, 27: Thanksgiving Recess: NO SCHOOL
|
If you have additional questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the school at 716-816-4778, Mr. Bass at DJBass@buffaloschools.org, Ms. Makowski at MMakowski@buffaloschools.org or Ms. Schuta at KSchuta@buffaloschools.org.
Sincerely,
Ms. Schuta, Principal Mr. Bass, Assistant Principal Ms. Makowski, Assistant Principal