Panther Post

Dear Rye Neck Families,

Week 3 is officially in the books, and what an exciting week it was! We are now fully into the rhythm of the school year, with students acclimated to their classes and teachers fully immersed in delivering the curriculum. It's been wonderful to see the learning that is taking place in every corner of the school.

This week, we had the opportunity to hold a bicycle safety presentation, which emphasized important safety practices for students who ride to and from school. Additionally, I was thrilled to host our three 'Coffee with the Principal' events for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade families. These sessions were a fantastic opportunity to meet with parents and engage in meaningful conversations about the school year ahead.

Looking forward to next week, please note that Wednesday, September 25 will be an early release day at 1:10PM for students due to staff professional learning, where we will continue our work related to the district's strategic plan. Then, we’ll wrap up the week with our pep rally and homecoming games on Friday (and more on Saturday)! It’s sure to be an action-packed, fun-filled end to the week.

We are also excited to celebrate Spirit Week! Here is the schedule of our themed spirit days:

• 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

We encourage everyone to participate and show their Panther pride!

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and engagement. I look forward to continuing to work together to make this a great year for our students.

Best,

Jason Doerr

Principal

Next Week

• September 25:
• 1:10 PM MS/HS Early Release (see Strategic Plan section below for more information)
• September 27 & 28:
• Homecoming Weekend
  

On the Horizon

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

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 will be mailed to homes sometime 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.

Principal Coffee Events: This week, I had the pleasure of hosting three fantastic grade-specific "Principal Coffees" for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. We received valuable feedback that will help guide future planning, and it was wonderful to see so many of you there. I truly hope you enjoyed the opportunity to meet with us and share your insights. Thank you for your engagement, and stay tuned for future parent opportunities for meetings and feedback!

Parent Resources For Speaking To Your Child: As children move throughout middle school, they are faced with important choices, issues, and topics. Some feedback I received at one of our Principal Coffee events was that it would be helpful for us to provide some resources to help parents speak to their children about these topics. This week's topic is vaping. While we do our best to educate students here at school, reinforcing these conversations at home is equally important. Here’s a helpful article from the American Lung Association with tips on how to discuss vaping with your child.

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: On Tuesday, September 17th officers from Village of Mamaroneck PD came to speak to our middle school students about bicycle safety. Please review the brochure below with your child:

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:

One student in each grade has been recognized for their hard work and effort in art class as well as their creativity and understanding of art concepts and skills. Congratulations to Hadley H. (6th grade), Alexander A. (7th grade), and Rosie L. (8th grade). All of their work can be seen on display in the Middle School Main Office.

Students finished their first project in art based on the work by Sarah Morris. They used different elements of art such as line, shape, color, pattern, and value to create abstract designs that resemble spider webs. Next, students are learning about the photographs created by Abbas Kiarostami as inspiration for the landscape paintings they will be creating.

Students finished their first project based on the work by Keith Haring. They learned how to create figures in his style as well as thought about how to use repetition, rhythm lines, and color throughout their compositions to share a visual message or story. Many students even came up with their very own stylized figures. Next, students will be designing posters for the Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest.

Students finished their first project based on the work by Beatriz Milhazes. They thought about how to balance their compositions either symmetrically, asymmetrically, or radially using a variety of art elements. Students filled their work with colors, patterns, repetition, and value. Students thought about how different colors relate to each other and chose which color combinations worked best for their art. Next, students will be learning about the Op Art movement.

Early Release Day: Our first early release day is next Wednesday. During this time, K-12 teachers will engage in further professional development on the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) and how to integrate it into their instruction. Students will be dismissed at 1:10 p.m. To accommodate the shortened schedule, classes will begin with Period 2 at 8:25 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m., and doors will open at 8:20 a.m.

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: 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: