Bellows Weekly Bulletin
March 22, 2024
Monday, 4/1 - Spring Break - School Closed
Tuesday, 4/2 - E Day - Autism Awareness Day
- 4th & 5th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
Wednesday, 4/3 - F Day
- 3rd Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
- 4th & 5th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
Friday, 4/5 - B Day
Another Successful Bellows Science Expo!
F.E. Bellows Science Expo- 5th Grade
Rye Neck High School students volunteered their time to serve as judges at this year's Expo!
F.E. Bellows Science Expo- 5th Grade
F.E. Bellows Science Expo- 4th Grade
Mr. Scarantino Learning About Zoetropes from a 3rd Grade Engineer
On Tuesday, third graders shared their science projects with their peers
It's a Micro World!
3rd Grade Fluffy Soap Experiment
Congratulations to our Tri-County Qualifying Science Expo Projects
The F.E. Bellows Science Expo was an amazing event once again this year! There were almost 100 projects submitted from grades 3-5 and our student scientists impressed everyone with their content knowledge and love for science! We are proud of all of our students for their hard work this year. Below are the names of the students and projects that qualified for Tri-County this year.
The Class Placement Process for 2024-25 is Underway
Dear Current Third & Fourth Grade Families,
We are beginning the process of determining class placement for the 2024-25 school year. Classroom placement is a process that takes teachers and staff many hours of careful thought and consideration. When constructing a classroom, we look at many different factors including learning abilities, peer relationships, class size, strengths and challenges, diversity, as well as other factors, to create classrooms that foster social and academic development for all children. As in the past, all classes will be heterogeneous, meaning they will reflect various abilities.
When making classroom placements, we always consider the individual child while recognizing that each child is part of a complex picture. We are committed to creating balanced classrooms. Once the classes have been formed, moving one child from the group can alter the stability of that balance and impact the overall makeup of the classroom. For this reason, once class placement is finalized, we do not move students from class to class.
It is always helpful to share this process with parents/guardians who can provide information about their children’s strengths, interests, and needs. This information, combined with input from your child’s current team and our knowledge of the instructional styles of teachers, helps us best place students. We invite you to complete the 2024-25 Class Placement Parent Input Google Form to offer input in this process. As a reminder, this form only needs to be completed if your child will be entering 4th and/or 5th grade at FEB in the fall.
Please do not submit a request for a particular teacher as there are many factors to be considered when constructing a classroom. Typically, there will be more than one teacher or classroom whose style will work well with your child. Our teachers and staff spend many hours considering the best learning environment for each student and we ask that you trust our process.
Placement information is due no later than April 19, 2024. Due to building-level scheduling and placement deadlines, we will not be accepting submissions after April 24th. Class placement information will be released in late August with our opening day/placement letter.
Thank you for your continued support.
Meet Our New Security Officer... Mr. Burgos!
Today was Mr. DaCunha's last day as the F.E. Bellow's security officer. He is relocating and moving out of the state. We wish him well on his future endeavors and appreciate the work he has done to help keep us all safer at school.
Beginning on Tuesday, April 2, when we return from Spring Recess, Mr. Robert Burgos will be our new security officer from Briger. He holds his Security Guard certification and previously worked as a Peace Officer with the Department of Homeless Services for seven years. We are happy to have him joining us and extend a warm welcome to him here at FEB!
Important: Visitors and Dropoffs
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.
Change in Pickup Plans?
If you have a change in your child's pickup after 12:00 pm, please call the main office at 914-777-4602 or email the office at febattendance@ryeneck.org. This will ensure that the message is relayed to your child in time for dismissal.
Upcoming Events to Get Excited About at FEB
- 4/12- NED's Mindset Mission Assembly- Character Education/P.M.A.- 1:45 pm
- 4/15- 4/19- PTSA Sponsored Walk, Bike, Scoot to School Week
- 4/16- Pedestrian & Bike Safety Assemblies- All Grades- Presented by the Traffic Safety Office of Westchester County
- 4/18- 5th Grade Trip to the Bronx Zoo: Biodiversity- The Living Environment Unit
-4/18- 4th Grade Trip to the NY Hall of Science in Queens
- 4/18- PTSA Sponsored FEB Fitness Night- Kickball- 5:30- 6:30 pm- Bellows Field
- 4/30- Author Visit- Veera Hiranandani
Find out more about NED's Mission Mindset
Resources to Use NED's Mindset at Home
Illness Guidelines
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 914-777-4602. 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.
Reminder About Absence Procedures
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 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 8:40 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.
Early Morning Program Reminders
All students should ring the bell at the front entrance for morning programs; students should be dropped off no earlier than 5 minutes before the program begins to ensure there is supervision.
- Early Morning Library starts at 8:00 (see new schedule below):
3rd Grade - Monday, Wednesday 4th & 5th Grade - Tuesday, Thursday
- Band for Beginners starts at 7:45; Intermediate Band starts at 8:15.
- Strings starts at 8:10. Students should arrive at the front entrance.
- Math Olympiad and Continental Math programs start at 7:45.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
- April 8 - Booster Club Meeting - 7:30 PM - MS/HS Dining Hall
- April 9 - SEAC Meeting - 7:00 PM - MS/HS Community Room
- April 10-11 - NYS ELA Exam - Grades 3-8
- April 11 - Orientation for Parents of Incoming 6th Graders - 6:00 PM - MS/HS PAC
- April 12 - RNIC Meeting - 9:15 AM - FEB Annex
- April 13 - Panther Palooza Track Invitational - All Schools
- April 15-19 - PTSA Walk to School Week
- April 16 - BOCES Budget Vote - 8:50-10:00 AM - MS/HS Library
- April 17 - Board of Ed Meeting/Budget Adoption - 7:00 PM - MS/HS Community Room
- April 18 - PTSA/FEB Family Kickball Night - 5:30 PM - FEB Grounds
- April 22-23 - Holiday Recess - School Closed
- April 27 - PTSA Fun Run & Panther Party
- May 6 - Booster Club Meeting - 7:30 PM - MS/HS Library
- May 7-8 - NYS Math Exam - Grades 3-5
- May 9 - PTSA General Meeting - 7:00 PM - MS/HS Community Room
- May 10 - Booster Club Spring Spirit BBQ
- May 14-16 - Grades K-5 Art Show - FEB Auditorium
- May 16 - RNIC Meeting - 9:15 AM - FEB Annex
- May 18 - RNIC Family Picnic
PTSA and Booster Club Information & Community Events
A Few Openings for the PTSA Theatre Club
If your child is interested in theatre and Broadway musicals, the PTSA Theatre Club has a few openings for FEB students! Click the image below to find out all about this amazing program and to sign up your child if you haven't done so already.