Panther Post

Dear RNMS Families,

What an exciting and productive week it has been at Rye Neck Middle School! On Tuesday, 10/22, we kicked things off with a special author visit from Vicki Jamieson, co-author of When Stars Are Scattered. Students, who read the book as part of their summer reading, had the opportunity to hear directly from Ms. Jamieson about her journey as an author, the inspiration behind the book, and her writing process. She also hosted a workshop for students interested in developing their own writing skills and wrapped up the day with a book signing, making it a memorable experience for all.

On Wednesday, 10/23, we had an early release day that gave our staff the opportunity to dive deeper into our district’s Strategic Plan. Our work this week centered on Goal #2, specifically fostering empathy throughout the school community. These sessions are essential to building a school culture where students feel seen, valued, and connected to one another.

To cap off the week, we are thrilled to be celebrating our annual Spooktacular event tonight! This is always a highlight of the fall, bringing together students in a festive, fun way! Please see our Spooktacular section below for some important information if your child is attending tonight.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. I hope you all had a wonderful week, and I look forward to what’s ahead. Wishing you and your families a Happy Diwali if you are celebrating!

Best,
Jason Doerr
Principal

Next Week:

• October 30:
• BOE Planning Session, 6:30 PM

On the Horizon:

• November 4:
• David Hagerman's Extreme Science Assembly for Grades 6 & 7
  
• November 5:
• Superintendent's Conference Day - Staff Only
• November 8:
• Marking Period 1 Ends
• November 11:
• Veterans Day - School Closed

The Spooktacular is TONIGHT! Please review the following guidelines for tonight's Spooktacular if your child plans to attend:

• Drop-Off & Pick-Up Details
• The event begins at 6:30 PM, and all students must enter through the High School main entrance.
• Students will not be permitted to walk home alone. A parent or guardian must pick them up at the end of the event.
• The event concludes at 8:30 PM. Please plan to pick up your child at the rear patio of the dining hall promptly at 8:30 PM.

• Cell Phone Policy
• The same cell phone rules that apply during the school day will apply at Spooktacular.
• We recommend students leave their phones at home. However, if they bring one, it must remain in their pockets or out of sight during the event.
• A photo booth will be available, and Rye Neck staff will take pictures throughout the evening to capture the fun.
• Phones used during the event will be confiscated and returned at the end of the night.

• Costumes
• Please follow the guidelines for costumes in the next section.

Halloween - Thursday, 10/31: We are happy to announce that students will once again be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school on Thursday, October 31st. Participation is voluntary.

• If students choose to participate, the following guidelines should be reviewed together:
• All costumes must comply with the school dress code.
• Props are not allowed, including masks, weapons (real or fake), chains, spikes, or ropes.
• Sunglasses and hats are permitted if part of the costume, but they must not be disruptive or unsafe.
• Shoes must be safe and should not damage or scratch floors.
• Hair dye and makeup are allowed, but full-face paint is prohibited. All hair, makeup, and accessories must be done at home.
• Costumes must not violate DASA policies or depict drugs, alcohol, or inappropriate themes.
• Inflatables or costumes that create safety risks are not permitted.
• Costumes must not demean or belittle others' beliefs or identities.
• Costumes portraying sexual themes are prohibited.
• If a costume is deemed inappropriate by school administration, the student will be asked to change.

Talk to your child about Halloween Safety: Halloween is an exciting time for our students, filled with costumes, fun, and trick-or-treating! If your child plans to join in the festivities, please take a moment to review these important safety tips from Westchester County to help ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable night.

Bike and Walk to School Week: This week we celebrated Bike and Walk to School Week throughout the district. At the middle school level, the PTSA sponsored a daily raffle for students who biked and walked each day. Throughout the week, students won prizes from Carvel, Cherry Tree Frozen Yogurt, and Dragon Tea. Our students loved the prizes and were excited to participate each day. Thank you, PTSA!

Making Strides Walk 2024: On Sunday, October 20th the Rye Neck Teachers Association participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Manhattanville College. They raised $1,331.08 to help the American Cancer Society fund cancer research, patient support, and advocacy efforts to end breast cancer. Amazing!

Safety Drill Notification: This is to inform you that we will be conducting a fire drill the week of October 28th. The purpose of this drill is to ensure the safety and preparedness of our students and staff in case of an emergency. We conduct these drills regularly as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe learning environment. Please rest assured that this is only a drill and not an actual emergency. For any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.

Panther's Den: The Panther’s Den is officially open! Located in the library (just left of the Community Room), this space offers students a refreshing change of pace during their lunch period. At the Panther’s Den, students can relax, chat, play games, enjoy activities, color, draw, journal, and have lunch—while also meeting new friends and recharging for the afternoon! Since space is limited to 8-10 students per day, a Google Form will be sent out every Thursday for sign-ups for the following week. Students can select their preferred day, though adjustments may be made based on interest. Thank you so much to the Rye Neck School Foundation for helping make this idea a reality! We’re excited to provide this new opportunity and can’t wait to see students enjoy the space! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Barilli, Ms. Crivorot, Mrs. Lawlor, or Mrs. Sullivan.

On Tuesday, October 22, Rye Neck Middle School had the pleasure of welcoming Vicki Jamieson, co-author of When Stars Are Scattered. This inspiring book, which students read as part of their summer reading, set the stage for a meaningful day of learning and creativity.

Each grade attended a presentation where Ms. Jamieson shared insights into her life as an author, her writing process, and the journey behind crafting When Stars Are Scattered. Following the presentations, she led a writer’s workshop for interested students, sparking their passion for storytelling. The day concluded with a book signing, giving students a personal connection to both the author and her work.

It was an enriching experience that encouraged students to explore the power of writing and storytelling! Thank you so much to the PTSA for sponsoring this event!

Please take a moment to review what our 6th graders have been studying in their classes, as well as the exciting topics they will be exploring in the upcoming weeks:

English: Students have been working on building essential writing skills by learning how to create strong claims or thesis statements using evidence from short texts. They also engaged in a thoughtful discussion inspired by the TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” using QFT (Question Formulation Technique) to guide their questions and conversations. Currently, students have begun reading their first novel, Seedfolks. As they move through the chapters, they will continue practicing claim writing through the short answer format while also exploring character traits and analyzing each character’s growth throughout the story.

Math: Both grade-level and advanced math classes kicked off the year by exploring prime and composite numbers. Students have been learning how to find the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM) of numbers, applying these concepts to real-world scenarios. Coming up, students will expand their geometry skills by learning how to find the area and perimeter of triangles and parallelograms. Additionally, they will build on their algebraic understanding by using the distributive property and combining like terms to simplify algebraic expressions.

Social Studies: Sixth-grade historians have been studying the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Era. Students explored the significant changes that occurred during these periods, such as advancements in tools, types of homes, art, and social structures. They demonstrated their understanding through writing and creative projects. In the coming weeks, students will begin studying ancient river valley civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus River Valley. They’ll examine how these early civilizations adapted to their environments to meet their basic needs and will explore the lasting achievements of these cultures that shaped human history.

Science: Science classes have been focused on learning about matter and how its phases change when exposed to different temperatures. Students created particle models and explored key phase changes, including evaporation and condensation. In the upcoming weeks, students will dive into the concept of density by conducting hands-on labs and experiments. This will conclude their first unit on matter, and they’ll transition into their second unit—space!

French & Spanish (Ms. Regan): Ms. Regan’s French and Spanish students recently wrapped up their unit on greetings. By the end of the unit, students could engage in short conversations to ask someone’s name and express how they were feeling. The next unit focuses on learning the alphabet in each language. Students are practicing pronunciation by singing the ABCs in Spanish or French and are working on creating alphabet books that highlight cognates (words that look or sound similar) between the target language and English.

Italian & Spanish (Mrs. Martinelli): Mrs. Martinelli’s students recently completed presentations on regions of Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. In their presentations, they discussed food, holidays, tourist attractions, cities, and famous figures from each region. Prior to this, students learned the alphabet and common vocabulary to help build conversational skills. Moving forward, the focus will shift to learning about definite articles in both Spanish and Italian. Students will also begin a new unit on family vocabulary. Instead of creating a traditional family tree, students will present on 8-10 family members of their choice, including pets!

Future Updates: The schedule below will spotlight different grades and programs in upcoming newsletters:

• November 1st – Arts/Physical Education
• November 8th – 8th Grade
• November 15th – 7th Grade
• November 22nd – 6th Grade

During Wednesday’s early release day, our staff engaged in meaningful professional development centered on Goal 2 of the district’s Strategic Plan to foster empathy throughout the school community. Wil Siegel, Director of Pupil Personnel Services, led an insightful session on the importance of empathy, compassion, and connections to the world, and how it relates to self-awareness, relationship skills, attunement, self-care, trauma, and pain-based behavior.

Mr. Siegel challenged staff to reflect on their practices and consider:

• How do I want to be experienced by my students?
• How prepared are we to co-regulate with our students during difficult moments?
• What meaning does all behavior hold?

Staff also created personal self-reflection goals to guide their growth in these areas and explored strategies to help students navigate challenges effectively. Mr. Siegel emphasized that the support we provide students directly impacts their ability to succeed—not just academically, but in life.

This ongoing work strengthens the foundation of our school culture, ensuring students feel seen, valued, and supported every day.

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:

Use of Library: Students 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.

Clubs: Middle school clubs have started. Take a moment to review this chart of MS Club Offerings with your child to see which clubs catch their interest. There’s no sign-up required—just show up after school on the designated day. Students have also reviewed these options with their teachers during homeroom.

Crossing Hornidge Road: For everyone's safety, students should only cross Hornidge Road at the designated crosswalk on Post Road. Please avoid cutting through private property or crossing the street outside of the crosswalk, as it can create unsafe situations.

Important Change in Crossing Guard Location: The crossing guard stationed at the front of F.E. Bellows is being moved from the crosswalk on Carroll Ave. directly in front of the FEB entrance to the crosswalk at the intersection of Carroll Ave. and Route 1/Boston Post Rd. The hours of coverage will remain the same and new pedestrian crossing signs will be posted at the FEB crosswalk on Carroll Ave. The change began on Tuesday, October 15th. Drivers are reminded that pedestrians have the right of way in all crosswalks and at intersections with marked or unmarked crosswalks as per New York State law.

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.

Student of the Month Criteria: The Student of the Month Program aims to recognize students who make meaningful contributions to our school community, both inside and outside the classroom. This program celebrates those who demonstrate a love for learning and a commitment to personal growth, regardless of academic standing. Here are some of the reasons students are nominated:

• Classroom Progress
• Grade Improvement
• Leadership Qualities
• Strong Engagement
• Kindness and Consideration
• Outstanding Attitude
• Community Involvement
• Personal Growth
• Exemplary Character
• Individual Achievement

Important Documents (please review with your child!):

Student Handbook

Technology Acceptable Use Policy

Village of Mamaroneck Bicycle Safety Brochure

Ongoing Feedback: 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.

Cheerleading Opportunities: