Rye Neck Middle School
May 31, 2024 - Issue 18
Dear Rye Neck Families,
As we move into the final weeks of the school year, we have several important updates and events to share with you. Firstly, we want to remind you that on June 4th, 8th-grade students taking Algebra will sit for their first Regents exam. Students should report to the high school entrance at 7:30 AM on this day.
Please take the time to read through the newsletter carefully for detailed information on the dates of finals, Regents exams, and early release days for the middle school. Staying informed will help ensure your child is prepared for these important assessments.
We also want to inform you that the last progress reports of the year were posted on the portal last Friday, May 24th. Please take a moment to review your child's progress and contact teachers if you have any questions or concerns.
We are excited to announce that the 8th-grade dance will take place this Friday. This event is always a highlight for our students, and we are looking forward to celebrating with them.
Additionally, our talented students have been hard at work on the middle school production of "Matilda Jr." We are eagerly anticipating their performances and invite you to join us in supporting their hard work and creativity.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community.
Warm regards,
Dulce
Dr. Dulce Barker
Upcoming Events
- Last Extended Day: June 4th
- Athletic Info Meeting for Incoming 7th & 8th Grade Students & Parents: June 4th, 6PM DH
- BOE Planning Session: June 5th, 6:30PM CSC
- 5th & 6th Grade Matilda Jr. Preview: June 6th, 1:30PM PAC
- Matilda Jr. - MS Theater Production: June 6th & 7th, 6PM PAC
- Varsity Sports Awards Ceremony: June 10th, 5PM DH
- 6th Grade DARE BBQ: June 11th
- Juneteenth - School Closed: June 19th
- BOE Meeting - June 20th, 7PM CR
- 8th Grade BBQ: June 21st, 11:45AM-1:45PM
- 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Rehearsal: June 24th, 10:15AM HS Gym
- Early Dismissal: June 24th & June 25th, 11AM
- 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony: June 25th, 1PM HS Gym
2023-24 Finals/Regents Schedule
2024 Middle School Summer Reading
Two lucky books will be read by you this summer, and they’re eager to leap off the shelves into your hands...
Please read the following titles for your required book:
When Stars Are Scattered, Jamieson, V. and Mohamed, O.
Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. *
*adapted from amazon.com
For your second book, you have a . . .
Free Choice: With students’ varied interests in mind, the second required book will be customized. Do you gravitate towards nonfiction, graphic novels, autobiographies, science fiction? Choose a novel that piques your interest!
Criteria:
1) The subject matter must be age-appropriate.
2) Choose a book at your reading level.
3) The title must be approved by a parent.
4) If you need help with ideas, check out this website: https://www.nypl.org/books-music-movies
High School Electives in the Arts
Here is a slideshow with Arts Electives for High School.
Message from Mr. Ceglia, Director of Athletics
To parents of students interested in participating in FALL Varsity, JV, or Modified (7th/8th grade) Sports:
Fall Sports Participation Information
Important Dates
May 20 & June 10 - Free physicals at HS/MS Nurse’s office. A parent must accompany student.
These will take place between 2 -3pm and a parent must accompany the child
July 28 – Online Athletic Registration Opens for Varsity and JV Sports
August 8 – Online Athletic Registration Opens for Modified Sports
August 20 – Deadline to register for Varsity/JV sports
August 26 – Varsity and JV tryouts/practices begin
August 24 – Deadline to register for Modified sports
September 4 - Modified Sports Info Meeting for 7th & 8th grade students in the Dining Hall- 3pm
September 5 – Modified tryouts/practices begin
September 27 and 28 - Homecoming Weekend
To be eligible to tryout/practice for a sport, each student must be registered online with FamilyID:
You must upload a valid copy of your child’s physical to their FamilyID registration each season.
Please note, the NYS Health Examination Forms have been updated, please make sure all required information is completed on the physical, including Family Cardiac History.
A valid physical is dated within 1 year of the start of practices/tryouts (see dates below).
PLEASE double check to make sure you’ve registered your child for the correct sport.
If your child’s doctor is in Connecticut, they must use the NYS Physical form.
Fall Sport Offerings
Football – Varsity & Modified
Boys Soccer – Varsity, JV & Modified
Girls Soccer - Varsity, JV & Modified
Field Hockey - Varsity, JV & Modified
Girls Volleyball – Varsity, JV & Modified
Girls Tennis - Varsity, JV & Modified
Cross Country (Boys and Girls) - Varsity and Modified
Cheerleading - Varsity
Girls Swimming and Diving - Varsity ONLY and MERGED with Rye HS and Blind Brook
Visit the athletics webpage or contact the Athletic Department at 914-777-4896 with questions.
Rye Neck Football Clinic Sign Up
The Rye Neck High School football team and coaches will be hosting a clinic for students in grades 2-7. The clinic will cover basic instruction in the areas of catching, throwing, blocking, pass coverage and heads up tackling. It will also include a flag football element. This is a non-contact clinic that will take place over 4 sessions gradually progressing athletes' skills each day. Please be sure to bring athletic attire and sneakers.
- Dates: Monday June 10th - Thursday June 13th
- Time: 3:30 - 4:45
- Location: Rye Neck High School Athletic Fields
- Donation: $60
Next Steps:
- A parent/guardian of the student must complete the sign up form.
- Mail or deliver a check payable to Rye Neck UFSD to:
Rye Neck Athletics
Attention: Darien Bica
300 Hornidge Road
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
***Please indicate students name in memo line of check*** - Help spread the word about this exciting event and share this form with anyone that may be interested!
- Show up ready to work, learn and have an awesome time!
Questions: Please contact Darien Bica at dbica@ryeneck.org
2024-2025 School Supplies
The Rye Neck PTSA is providing the opportunity for you to purchase your child’s school supplies for next school year. Order online securely between now and Sunday, June 2nd.
Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)
Beginning in Summer 2024, New York State is implementing Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), a new federal program to help low-income households with children purchase food over the summer when school is out of session and children can no longer rely on access to free/reduced-price school meals. If you are already receiving free/reduced-price meals, you will be automatically enrolled in this program. More information, and to find out if your family qualifies if you do not currently receive free/reduced-price meals, can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/summer-ebt/
Principal's Advisory Committee
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are seeking two volunteers who want to contribute their valuable insights and perspectives to serve on the Principal's Advisory Committee (PAC).
The purpose of the Principal's Advisory Committee is threefold:
1. Sounding Board and Brainstorming
2. Parent Engagement and Communication
3. Information Dissemination
To express your interest in joining the Principal's Advisory Committee, please email me (dbarker@ryeneck.org). The deadline for emails is June 21, 2024.
Thank you for your continued support and for considering this opportunity to contribute to the success of our school.
Acceptable Use Policy
Code of Conduct
Rye Neck Schools Academic Integrity Agreement
PTSA Event Calendar
Rye Neck School Foundation
Rye Neck has a new kid on the block - the Rye Neck School Foundation (RNSF)! The RNSF will accelerate excellence at our schools by funding state-of-the-art projects and programs that amplify the educational, artistic and athletic experiences of Rye Neck students.
News From The Classroom
6th Grade ELA - Ms. Castaldo, Mr. Macli & Ms. Offner: We are currently working on our last novel of the year, Bud, Not Buddy.
June is here! The 6th grade ELA final exam is scheduled for June 17, 2024. Look for a study guide in early June. Please remind your child to use their study guide as they prepare for the exam.
Research Tech - Ms. Costelloe: Our year is coming to a close and students are finishing up their last assignments. If your child has outstanding work, please encourage them to complete it. Our very last assignment of the year has been posted and is due June 2nd.
At the start of the year I laid out our 3 Research Tech goals:
To become a better digital citizen by knowing how to act ethically and responsibly online, recognizing cyberbullying and strategizing how to be an upstander.
To become a better researcher by understanding when we need more authoritative information than Google might provide, developing confidence in using our Rye Neck databases, and knowing why and how to properly cite information used.
To become a better self-directed learner by expanding the roster of tools and platforms used to learn and create what we want, when we want..
To finish out the year, students are:
Letting me know what lessons held the most, and least, importance for them. They are also giving me suggestions on how to improve instruction in these areas for next year.
Creating a recording to let next year’s 6th graders know what to expect in Research Tech and offering them a piece of friendly advice.
Filling out their Satisfaction Forms to let me know if they feel I delivered what was promised with the above goals.
I love hearing student feedback! They tend to be incredibly insightful and honest, which I appreciate. The one thing that, so far, they ALL agree on is that the sense of calm that we get from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live jellyfish cam with its new age music and turning off the lights is a great environment to learn.
6th Grade Art - Ms. Appel: Currently, students are working on their watercolor paintings inspired by Pablo Picasso and his anti-war painting, “Guernica”. Their goal is to create a painting that inspires a positive message while incorporating the dove as their subject along with writing throughout their composition. Next, students will learn about Grant Haffner to create landscape paintings inspired by his style.
7th Grade ELA - Mr. Tinnirello: Students in seventh grade English classes have begun reading Warriors Don’t Cry, a memoir written by one of the 9 students who integrated an Arkansas high school in 1957. Because of the book’s subject matter, there are mature themes and sensitive topics included in the memoir.
7th Grade ELA B - Mr. Macli: As we continue reading Warriors Don't Cry, students will discuss and write about how Melba's experience integrating Central High shapes and changes her. We will also examine the influences of her family and religion on her decision to stay in school during the most difficult times.
7th Grade Art - Ms. Appel: Students finished working on their zentangle designs in which they used repetitive shapes, lines, and/or colors to create interesting designs. Currently, students are working on their illuminated letter designs inspired by Medieval Art. Students have chosen a letter to illuminate and are visually using pictures to express what their letter stands for. Students will use gold paint to help illuminate certain areas of their work and colored pencils to fill in areas with color and value. Students will finish off the year learning about the art movement, Futurism.
8th Grade Art - Ms. Appel: Students just finished working on their cover designs for the brochure of their Moving Up Day Ceremony. This year’s theme was, "Dare to Dream." Students used materials of their choice to visually express what the theme means to them. One will be chosen for the cover of the Moving Up Day Ceremony brochure! Students will finish off the year learning about Alberto Giacometti and how to create wire figure sculptures.
Arts Department:
Library - Ms. Costelloe: As the end of the year approaches, please make sure that ALL library books are returned.
As we move into June, the library closes during Regents and final exam testing. Much of the testing happens on the second floor directly above the library and, for small groups, in the testing rooms within the library and it’s important to maintain a quiet atmosphere.
For your planning purposes, please note the following days it is anticipated that the library will be closed after school. Testing schedules are always subject to change.
Even if we are closed, we are here to help students should they need any assistance.
Enrichment - Ms. Costelloe: What fun the STEM Club had using the new robotics kits to build, and ultimately program, their robotic creations. We ended our last meeting with a Bot Battle, which was so much fun!
The plan for next year is to hold our STEM Robotics Club twice per week, plus increase the number of robotics kits we have, to involve more students. We use the same kits in the High School Robotics classes so that our MS STEM students will really take off if they choose to follow this path in high school.