Bellows Weekly Bulletin

Monday, 9/16 - D Day

• 3rd Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00

Tuesday, 9/17 - E Day

• 4th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00
• 4th Grade Principal's Conversation - 9:30 - FEB Annex
• Booster Club Spirit Wear Sale - 2:30-4:00 PM - FEB Front Entrance

Wednesday, 9/18 - F Day

• 5th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00
• Board of Ed Meeting - 7:00 PM - MS/HS Community Room

Thursday, 9/19 - A Day

• 3rd Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00
• ENL Title I Meeting - 5:30 PM - Library
• Open House - 6:00 PM

Friday, 9/20 - B Day

• 4th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00

On Friday, September 13, Ms. Wyganowska from the Westchester County Office of Public Works hosted three grade level assemblies to speak with our students about the importance of bike and pedestrian safety when traveling to and from school.

The topics she covered included:

• How to be safe when walking on the sidewalk
• Not being distracted by your devices when walking
• Being visible and the use of reflectors on clothing at night
• The correct way to cross a residential street, in the intersection and in a crosswalk
• How to use signs and traffic signals when walking
• The proper way to use hand signals when riding a bike
• The safest way to position your bike helmet on your head

Students also watched two videos on bike and pedestrian safety and engaged in a grade level discussion following each viewing.

On Wednesday, September 25, students will meet Mamaroneck Police to further the conversation regarding crosswalk and bike safety.

The schedule for qualifying for Math Olympiad this year has been finalized and we are excited to share it with our fourth and fifth grade families. For third graders, the program is called CML (Continental Math League) and that information will be shared closer to October as that team and its contests begin later in the year.

• Classroom Teachers will facilitate two (2) qualifying contests by October 11. We do not inform parents of when the contests will be, but students are given a heads up in class a day or so before each one is administered. Each contest is timed and students who have additional time accommodations will receive them if they are interested in participating.
• Ms. Speros will score all of the qualifying contests by Monday, October 21.
• Criteria for qualifying for the Math Olympiad Team with Ms. Speros will include other performance indicators. There will be a maximum of thirteen (13) points you can earn based on the following criteria:

1. Ten points total on the two (2) Math Olympiad contests (10 points)
2. Scoring in the top 24 students on the grade on the Fall Math i-Ready (1 point)
3. Prior experience on the CML or Math Olympiad "A" Team (1point)
4. Scoring a Level 4 on the 2022-23 NYS Math exam (we have scores, but the Parent Reports are not yet available from NYSED (1 point)
• The top twenty (20) students in both grades 4 and 5 will be notified on Monday, October 21 that they have qualified for the Math Olympiad Team with Ms. Speros
• Fourth (4th) Grade Math Olympiad will begin on Tuesday, October 29
• Fifth (5th) Grade Math Olympiad will begin on Wednesday, October 30

As we did last year, there will be a Math Olympiad "B" Team that meets during the school day with Ms. Rutto for those students who did not qualify for the program with Ms. Speros, but have an interest in additional Math Enrichment opportunities.

Fifth-Grade Families: If you are looking for some sample examples of Math Olympiad problems, the fifth-grade team will be sending home a practice exam on the last page of their math challenge packets beginning next week.

Fourth Grade Families: Below is a link to a sample qualifying contest if you want to try out some of the problems with your child in anticipation of the contests taking place in classrooms in the next week or so.

Sample Math Olympiad Contest for 4th Graders

For more information about Math Olympiad, you can visit their website at moems.org

On Tuesday, September 17th at 5:00PM, the District will test our emergency notification system. You will receive a phone call, an email and a text message of the alert. If you receive an incomplete series (for example, a phone call but no email), please log in to your Parent Portal account to update your contact information.

The District and the Board of Education provide opportunities for community members to take an active role in our schools. The District’s Board Committees and Advisory Committees currently have open positions for community volunteers. Please scan the QR code to complete the application for that committee. More information about each can be found on the Committees page under the Board of Education section of our website. Applications are due by 5:00 PM on Friday, September 20th.

Here are the links to the applications if you want to include those, too

Rye Neck Audit Committee Application

Rye Neck Policy Committee Application

Rye Neck Facilities Committee Application

Rye Neck Technology Committee Application

As Dr. Lutinski mentioned in his Monthly Update, we are a close-knit community. A close-knit community cares about the well-being of each of it's members. One of the actions we are strongly encouraging our community to do is to NOT make a LEFT turn on Boston Post Road entering Carroll Avenue during arrival and dismissal times. We are aware of the inconvenience "going around the block" may cause some drivers, but that few moments of your life is well worth keeping one another safe, most especially our students who might be crossing the street as they travel to and from Daniel Warren and the Middle School/High School.

Below are two images with the suggested safest way onto Carroll Avenue for arrival and dismissal if you are coming from the northeast side of the Post Road.

If you are heading to Bellows from the northeast side of Boston Post Road, we are kindly asking that you turn LEFT on North Barry and come around the other side.

Click the images above to get a closer view

Reminder to please submit forms that were sent on the first day of school (as applicable) and return to the main office. If you would like a printed copy, please email April Laychak with which form(s) you need and they will be sent home with your child.

Photo and Video Release Form

Photo and Video Release Form (Spanish)
Please ONLY check the box if you DO NOT WISH your child to be photographed/videotaped as specified on the form, and---
ONLY return the form if you have checked the box.

Parent Volunteer Form - A copy was sent home with your child on the first (or second) day of school.
Please do not wait for an event to file the form; it may not be processed in time.

Pesticide Notification Form (if you choose)

Pesticide Notification Form (Spanish)

2024-2025 Letter and Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals/Milk

2024-2025 Letter and Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals/Milk (Spanish)
If applicable, please return as quickly as possible. This form needs to be completed each year.

For your information:
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Spanish)

Each grade level is scheduled for two (2) days over the six (6) day cycle. This is open to all students and no sign up is required. Just drop your child/children off at the main entrance at 8:00 am and they will be escorted to the Library. Please make sure you are dropping them off on the correct days, and no earlier than five minutes before the program begins.

The evening will conclude promptly at 7:00 pm

We understand the need to communicate with your children as they travel to and from school with friends or on their own, but the distraction that personal devices create in classrooms during instruction or throughout the day have increased over the years.

We are not banning students from bringing them to school, but we are not permitting them into classrooms. If your child will be wearing a smartwatch of any kind or carrying a cellphone, we will be requiring them to place them in their lockers.

For fifth graders this year we are also requiring that they have a lock on their locker. This is a new addition to their experience but will also be an important "soft skill" they have in their toolbox for Middle School!

Here is a link to the lock I recommend fifth grade families purchase: Master Lock Black Dial Combination Padlock

Please DO NOT purchase a lock with a key as those will be clipped off if the key is lost and you will have to replace it. A combination lock is recommended. Teachers will make a list of all student combinations for the students in their class.

Third and Fourth grade students DO NOT have to purchase a lock, but if it make a family feel more secure to have one, please let the teacher know you are doing so.

Students will NOT be allowed to keep any personal electronic devices on their person during the school day.

Students are always welcome to call their families throughout the school day as needed from the Main Office.

Please note that there is a sign on the front door and on the sign-in kiosk ➡️

• All visitors must sign in with ID at the Raptor kiosk at the front entrance. If you have forgotten your ID, you can type your information in. Once you are signed in, please ring the doorbell to gain entry. Your visitor sticker will print inside the building.
• If you are dropping off a student, just ring the doorbell and we will let the student in.
• If you are only dropping off lunch, homework, etc, just ring the doorbell and we meet you at the door.

If you have a change in your child's pickup after 12:00 pm, please call the main office at 914-777-4600 or email the office at febattendance@ryeneck.org. This will ensure that the message is relayed to your child in time for dismissal.

If your child is going to be absent or late for any reason, please email the main office at FEBattendance@ryeneck.org or call 914-777-4600. All absences need to be reported by 9:00 AM.

Please remember to report upcoming absences for holiday travel.

If your child is reported absent by his/her classroom teacher, and you have not called the office, you will be notified at 10:30 AM via the automated system to verify the absence.

In case of severe, contagious disease, pediculosis (head lice), or prolonged illnesses, please notify the school nurse, Samantha Krench, MSN RN. It is our procedure that the nurse notifies parents of children in the class regarding exposure to a contagious disease.

If your child becomes ill in school and needs to be sent home, the nurse will notify you at the emergency phone number provided. For this reason, it is important for the school to have parents’ work numbers/cell numbers, as well as an additional one or two emergency numbers of neighbors or close relatives.

It is important that children arrive at school in time for the opening bell at 8:35 a.m. Arriving late (8:45 a.m.) after morning routines and instruction have started is disconcerting to a child and disruptive to the class. Plan to give your child a smooth beginning to his/her day by scheduling ample time for early morning procedures.

If you need to remove your child from school for any reason during the school day, please email or call the main office first.

With the rise in illnesses during this time of the school year, I felt it important to remind you of the illness guidelines at Bellows.

According to the New York Statewide School Health Services website, parents should follow these guidelines when determining when their children should not be in school:

• Persistent fever greater than 100° degrees orally, including a fever that requires administration of medication such as Tylenol or Motrin

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• Significant cough that makes a child feel uncomfortable or disrupts class

• Sore throat that is severe, accompanied by fever or feeling ill

• Red, teary, itchy eyes that distract child from learning

• Discolored nasal discharge, accompanied by facial pain or headache

• Ear pain or drainage from the ear

• Headache, especially with fever

• Any condition you think may be serious or contagious to others

Children should be fever-free (without the use of fever reducing medicine), symptom-free and feeling well for at least 24 hours before returning to school after illness.

To report an absence related to illness, please email febattendance@ryeneck.org or call the main office at 914-777-4600.The nurse will be briefed on all illness-related absences and parents will be contacted regarding current health guidelines. A doctor’s note will be requested for any student who has been absent for 5 consecutive days, upon return to school.

District Calendar

FEB Family Handbook (in progress)

September Letter Day Calendar

If you are looking for some Rye Neck spiritwear, the Booster Club has got you covered!

There are tons of fun items to show off your Panther Pride!

Click the image below to go to the Rye Neck Spirit Wear Fall Store

PTSA Website

Booster Club Website

Rye Neck School Foundation Website