Panther Post

Dear Rye Neck Families,

This past week has been filled with energy and excitement as we celebrated Spirit Week leading up to Homecoming Weekend! Our students had a blast dressing up as their favorite teachers, staying cozy in their pajamas, and showing off their Panther pride in their Rye Neck gear. Be sure to check out the pictures below capturing some of these fun moments!

We invite you to continue the celebration by joining us on the MSHS campus tonight and tomorrow for a full slate of Homecoming games:

Friday, September 27th:

• Varsity Girls Tennis (vs Byram Hills & Scarsdale) @ 4:30 PM
• Varsity Girls Soccer (vs Ardsley) @ 4:45 PM
• [NOT AT RNMS/HS] Varsity Swimming & Diving @ Hommocks @ 5:00 PM
• Varsity Girls Volleyball (vs Westlake) @ 6:00 PM

Saturday, September 28th:

• Varsity Field Hockey (vs Valhalla) @ 11:00 AM
• Varsity Boys Soccer (vs Pleasantville) @ 12:30 PM
• Varsity Football (vs Edgemont) @ 3:00 PM
• [NOT AT RNMS/HS] Varsity Boys & Girls Cross Country @ Bowdoin Classic (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

Come out and cheer on our Panthers and enjoy some great games with fellow members of the Rye Neck community!

In the midst of all this Homecoming excitement, I’d like to highlight the meaningful work we’ve accomplished this week as part of our strategic plan. Wednesday’s early release day allowed our staff to participate in valuable professional development sessions focused on meeting the goals of the plan. Please take a moment to explore the details of this important work in the Strategic Plan section below.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you at the events!

Sincerely,

Jason Doerr

Principal, Rye Neck Middle School

Tonight and Tomorrow:

• September 27 & 28:
• Homecoming Weekend (see schedule above)
  

Next Week:

• October 1:
• MS PTSA Class Photos
  
• October 3 & 4:
• Rosh Hashanah - School Closed
  

On the Horizon

• October 7:
• 6th Grade Steps for Success, 2:45 PM, A35
  
• October 8:
• JCK 6th Grade Assembly (for students), period 5, PAC
• October 10:
• MS Principal's Advisory Committee Meeting, 1:15 PM
  
• October 11:
• Marking Period 1 Progress Reports Posted

• Monday, September 23: Pajama Day

• Tuesday, September 24: Wear Your Favorite Color Day

• Wednesday, September 25: Dress Like a Teacher Day

• Thursday, September 26: Jersey/Favorite Band T-shirt Day

• Friday, September 27: Rye Neck Spirit Wear Day/Pep Rally

Safety Procedures: Per New York State Education Department law 155.17(g), all school districts are required to provide written information to staff and students about emergency procedures by October 1st of each school year. Please find that information in this letter.

Drill Notification: Speaking of safety... In compliance with a new law enacted by New York State, schools are now required to give advance notice to the community about upcoming safety drills. This initiative aims to alleviate any potential anxiety for students, parents, and caregivers. Please be advised that we will be conducting a fire drill next week.

Clubs: Middle school clubs will begin the week of October 7th. Next week, homeroom teachers will introduce students to the available clubs, and a slideshow featuring the club offerings will be included in next week's newsletter so parents can review the options as well.

2023-2024 NYS Exam Results: The 2023-2024 NYS ELA and Math Parent Reports have been made available by the state. A copy of your child’s ELA and/or Math results have been mailed home this week. For a guide on how to read your child’s report, visit the New York State Education Department (nysed.gov) site. Sample score reports are available at 2024 Grades 3-8 Sample Report. If your child did not take the exams, you will not receive reports for them. If they took the exams in a different school/district, you will have to reach out to them for the reports. If you have any additional questions, please contact me or your child’s teacher.

Cell Phones: Students have been doing great so far following our cell phone policy. Please continue to discuss with them that (as per our Student Handbook) cell phones and other electronic devices are not to be used in the school building during school hours unless authorized by a teacher for special classroom purposes. If electronic devices are used on the way to and from school, they are to be kept locked in students' lockers. Failure to follow this rule can result in confiscation of these items and they will be returned only to parents. Please make sure to send a lock in with your child so they may secure their cell phones and other devices in their lockers.

Bike Safety: If your child bikes to school, please review the brochure below with them:

Safe Routes To School: The Rye Neck Safe Routes to School is a community group comprised of parents in the Rye Neck school district, who coordinate with school administrators, PTA representatives, elected officials, municipal employees, police officers, Mamaroneck SRTS, and other community members to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic safety. Initiatives can include coordinating Education programs, advocating for Engineering initiatives by the municipalities, and/or requesting the assistance of local law Enforcement. Please see their new website for more information.

https://www.ryeneck.org/community-partners/safe-routes-to-school

Cutting Through Motel Parking Lot: We have received calls from Vincent's Motel stating that students were cutting through their parking lot. Please ask your children not to do so, as it is private property.

Use of Library: Starting in October, students 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.

Intramurals: 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:

Starting the week of October 7th, each edition of our weekly newsletter will feature a specific focus. For instance, the newsletter on October 11th will highlight our 8th grade. From there, we'll rotate through the following schedule to spotlight different grades and programs:

• October 18th – 7th Grade
• October 25th – 6th Grade
• November 1st – Arts/Physical Education
• November 8th – 8th Grade

This rotation will continue, giving families both a recap and a preview of what’s happening in each grade. As always, we will also include important updates, celebrations, and highlights from across the school whenever relevant.

More QFT!: Our first early release day on September 25 was a tremendous success! Educators from across the district continued their work with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). After debriefing on how they've been using QFT in their classrooms, teachers collaborated in teams to integrate it into their upcoming lessons.

For example, Kathie Offner (6th grade English) had her students use QFT the very next day. They generated questions based on the prompt: 'Choices are a part of life and can change us.' Students worked in groups to develop insightful questions around this theme. Next week, they’ll read Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, using those questions to guide a class discussion. Stay tuned to hear how Mrs. Offner's lesson unfolds!"

Student Handbook

Technology Acceptable Use Policy

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.

Student-Led Fundraiser: ENDING SOON! Act now!

Please see the flyer below from Elle Barker, current RNHS student. She and her fellow students are collecting donations for the Don Bosco Community Center until the end of September. 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. You can drop off donations at 765 Soundview Dr. in Mamaroneck. They greatly appreciate your support!

Cheerleading Opportunities: