Panther Post

Dear RNMS Families,

I hope this message finds you well and as excited as we are for the start of a fantastic school year. The energy during the first few days has been absolutely contagious, and we are off to a great start!

We kicked things off with an incredible welcome back event, where our Panther made a special appearance, much to the delight of students. Laughter filled the air as students reconnected with friends, posed for pictures, and enjoyed some music while eagerly waiting for the doors to open. It was a perfect start to the new school year!

The fun continued later in the day with an early dismissal for our ice cream social where students had a chance to unwind and enjoy some ice cream while meeting new classmates and spending time with their friends. It was a memorable way to end their first day back.

Our dedicated teachers and staff have worked tirelessly to ensure everything is in place for a smooth transition into the year. Classrooms are organized, syllabi have been reviewed, and lessons are already underway. We’re truly committed to making this school year a success for each and every one of our students.

There’s so much to look forward to this year, and we can’t wait to share every moment of this journey with all of you. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we strive to make this year the best yet!

Best,

Jason Doerr

Principal

Construction is currently taking place in the gravel lot at the entrance to our campus on Hornidge Road to not only provide permanent parking spaces, but also a new safe sidewalk students can use to enter the campus that keeps them off the roadway and away from cars. Construction should conclude by early October. In the meantime, it may lead to increased traffic and the presence of construction vehicles.

We kindly ask that you remain cautious when driving to and from the Middle School, and remind your children to stay alert when crossing streets, walking, or biking. If your child rides their bicycle to school, please review the following reminders with them:

• Helmet Safety: By law, all children 13 years old and under must wear a helmet while riding a bike.

• Pedestrian Consideration: In Mamaroneck, cyclists must prioritize pedestrian safety on sidewalks.

• Traffic Direction: Unlike joggers, cyclists should ride in the same direction as vehicle traffic when on the road.

• Campus Awareness: Students riding bicycles on our MS/HS campus must be vigilant of pedestrians and vehicles, especially during arrival and dismissal times.

• For further guidance, please review this New York State resource on Bike Safety.

New York State has enacted a new law that requires schools to give communities warning about when safety drills will be happening. This is being done in an effort to mitigate potential anxiety for learners, parents, and caregivers. Though schools may not release the exact time and/or nature of the drill, they can give a window of time for the drill. Such announcements will be made here. Our first safety drill will be conducted next week.

There will be two events on Thursday, September 12th:

• Middle School Open House (All Parents):
• 6:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.
• Students do not need to attend. Schedules will be sent home with your child on Wednesday. If you do not receive it, a copy will be available at the open house.

• ENL Parent Meeting (ENL Parents ONLY):

• 5:00 p.m. in the Library Community Room
• This meeting will cover ENL programs, state testing, and how Title 1 funding supports ENL students.

Please see the information/schedule for 6th grade intramural sports below:

6th grade intramural sessions will take place from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM on the dates below. Intramural sports:

• are run by Rye Neck Coaches.

• will consist of skill development and scrimmaging.
  

• require your child to be registered on FamilyID using this link: 6th Grade Intramurals

• only run on days when school is in session.
  

Please note that while attendance is not mandatory for participation, if you sign up we ask that you make every attempt to attend each day. A student may register for multiple sessions/sports.

Please see the schedule below:

We are excited to introduce the Panther's Den, a connections corner at Rye Neck Middle School, designed to help students build friendships and connect with staff in a supportive environment during lunch periods. This year we have found space in a room in our library where students can enjoy activities like board games, art projects, journaling, and mindfulness exercises to relax and de-stress. This space offers a great opportunity for students to strengthen relationships with peers and caring adults while also providing a break from the dining hall if needed. The program will run multiple times per week, led by our counselors, school psychologist and social worker. Sign ups will be required as we can only allow space for a certain number of students each day. Counselors will be sharing this information with students in the coming weeks.

Thank you so much to the Rye Neck School Foundation for their help in funding the Panther's Den through a grant. We greatly appreciate it!

We are currently in the process of getting it up and running. We are excited to get started and hope to see it grow in the coming years!

To begin addressing goal 1 of our strategic plan, our MS/HS staff engaged in training for the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) during Superintendent's Conference Day.

The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) is a process that helps people become better at asking questions to improve their understanding of a topic.

Using QFT helps individuals:

• Produce their own questions
• Improve their questions
• Strategize on how to use their questions
  
• Reflect on what they have learned and how they learned it

QFT helps people take charge of their learning by encouraging curiosity and critical thinking. Teachers have already begun planning lessons that utilize QFT in their classrooms!

For goal 2 of our strategic plan, please see the message below from the Office of Special Services:

As part of the District Strategic Plan Goal of Strengthening Connections through enhancing the social and emotional care of students, we want to share with you that the Rye Neck Middle School and High School will be conducting social-emotional screenings for students each fall and spring. These screenings are part of our commitment to supporting the overall well-being of all Rye Neck community members. In the coming weeks, you will receive further details about the schedule of the screenings, options for participation, confidentiality, and content. Please keep an eye out for more information via email, links in principal updates, and on the new Rye Neck website under the Special Services Department link.

Student Handbook

Technology Acceptable Use Policy

The middle schoolers have been working hard to take in all their options this school year has to offer and starting in October, they will have the opportunity to come to the Library before, during and after school.

Library hours are typically from 7:50 am until 4:00 pm and we try to give you advance notice if there is a change to the posted hours. Middle school students will have three windows when they can visit the Library to study, quietly socialize or use our board games during their day:

• Before school (7:50 - 8:30 am)

• During lunch/recess

• Homeroom teachers can issue passes to a limited number of students per day.

• We don’t permit eating in the Library during the lunch periods, so students should finish their lunch in the Dining Hall and then may show their Library pass to come to the Library.

• After school (2:45 - 4:00 pm)

We are a shared space with our high school students, who tend to have a heavier workload and use the time to study. We count on our middle schoolers to be mindful of that balance. That said, we love finally having them here in the Library!

If you have any library related questions or concerns (or just want to say hello) please feel free to contact Mrs. Costelloe at lcostelloe@ryeneck.org or 914-777-4851, or our Library Assistant, Mrs. Vangala, at svangala@ryeneck.org. The MSHS Library webpage gives you a lot of additional info and we’re happy to help you in any way we can!

Please see the letter day calendar below:

Here is the one page PDF calendar for the year

If you want to subscribe to any of our calendars on your mobile device, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Copy the calendar's URL below
Step 2: Follow your device's instructions to add a calendar by URL.
* iPhone directions
* Android directions (please note - this is best done on the webclient, not your phone).

District: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=1
Daniel Warren: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=2
F.E. Bellows: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=3
RNMS: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=4
RNHS: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=5
Letter Day: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=10
Board of Education Meetings: https://www.ryeneck.org/fs/calendar-manager/events.ics?calendar_ids=11

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 for every calendar you'd like to subscribe to.

September 9:

• 2:45 PM Steps For Success begins - A35

September 12:

• 5 PM ENL Title I Meeting - Community Room
• 6 PM Middle School Open House - PAC

September 18:

• 9:30 AM 6th Grade Coffee with the Principal for parents/guardians - Community Room

September 19:

• 9:30 AM 7th Grade Coffee with the Principal for parents/guardians - Community Room
  

September 20:

• 9:30 AM 8th Grade Coffee with the Principal for parents/guardians - Community Room

Student-Led Fundraiser: Please see the flyer below from Elle Barker, current RNHS student. Over the next month, she and her fellow students are collecting donations for the Don Bosco Community Center. Don Bosco provides many programs for children in the community, including mentorships and afterschool programs, as well as providing food, clothing and other supplies.

Please join them in donating new school supplies and new or gently used clothing at next Thursday's Open House! They will have bins set up to collect donations. You can also drop off donations at 765 Soundview Dr. in Mamaroneck.

They greatly appreciate your support!

Also, check out the Scouting America flyer below from Troop 2 in Mamaroneck:

To gather more feedback from parents, we invite you to use this Google Form below to share your questions, comments, concerns, or ideas. While submissions can be made anonymously, please include your name and contact information if you would like a direct response.