Bellows Weekly Bulletin
March 8, 2024
The Fourth Grade Concert was Amazing!
Monday, 3/11 - A Day
- 3rd Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
- Booster Club Meeting - 7:30 PM - MS/HS Library
Tuesday, 3/12 - B Day
- 4th & 5th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
Wednesday, 3/13 - C Day
- 3rd Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
- RNIC Meeting - 9:15 AM - FEB Annex
- Board of Ed Mtg/2nd Budget Pres. - 7:00 PM - MS/HS Community Room
- 4th & 5th Grade Early Morning Library - 8:00 AM
Friday, 3/15 - E Day
Next Week is the FEB Science Expo
Next week is the F.E. Bellows Science Expo! For our new families and for those who have never attended our Expo, here is some important information you need to know about how it operates.
On Monday, March 18th, ALL students in grades 3-5 are to bring in their projects and related materials so that we can organize the Auditorium for the two (2) Science Expo days.
On Tuesday, March 19th, we host the Third (3rd) Grade Science Expo in which all of the third grade classes visit the Auditorium to view and share all of the third (3rd) grade projects. Classes are assigned a time to visit and share throughout the day. Parents are more than welcome to visit if their child is presenting a project that day. The schedule for third grade visits on March 19th is as follows:
* 10:30- 11:10- 3FK, 3SL & 3AC/EL will be visiting the Science Expo
* 2:10- 2:50- 3SM, 3KW & 3RF will be visiting the Science Expo
-This means students who are presenting a Science Project will be doing so once at 10:30 am and then again as 2:10 pm
Fourth and Fifth grade students may bring in their projects on both Monday, March 18th & Tuesday, March 19th.
On Wednesday, March 20, we will be hosting the Fourth (4th) & Fifth (5th) Grade Science Expo. Because students are judged for consideration to qualify for Tri-County, parents are not allowed to visit during the times this is taking place in the morning. Classes visit the Expo in the afternoon informally to see all of the work of their peers.
Wednesday evening from 5:30- 6:00 pm, we recognize and celebrate all of our third grade Scientists and allow all third grade families to the FEB Auditorium to view all of the projects on display. We ask you to leave promptly at 6 pm so that we can announce our fourth and fifth grade qualifying projects.
Then from 6:05- 6:25 pm, all students and their families who completed a science experiment/project are invited to the FEB Auditorium for a brief recognition, celebration and announcement of our qualifying projects for each Science category. Once the Tri-County projects are announced, we ask all families to please exit the building and the qualifying students and families meet briefly with our Partners in Science for feedback about the projects in the FEB Library.
There are a total of 22 third grade projects and 53 fourth and fifth grade projects! Way to go! We are looking forward to another successful FEB Science Expo next week.
Professional Learning Opportunities This Week
Teachers at Bellows engaged in professional learning this week both at the building and district levels this week.
On Wednesday, March 6, Dr. DiTillio, an ENL consultant who works with us in Rye Neck, met with small groups of teachers to learn more about high leverage instructional strategies that promote language acquisition and content knowledge for our ELL/MLL (English Language Learners/Multi-Language Learners). She then worked with the entire FEB faculty in the afternoon discussing The Language Learning Continuum.
On Friday, March 8 during the Superintendent Conference Day, teachers from across the district spent the morning in the RNHS/MS Dining Hall unpacking the developing Strategic Plan and the district's three goals included in that plan. They also spent time working collaboratively back at Bellows planning for instruction in all subject areas. It was a very productive day and helpful as we move into a busy spring at FEB.
Photos from the Week
Thanks to Ms. Speros for the Outstanding Music Video
Conductor Galgano
Fourth Graders Were Fantastic Thursday Night!
And a 1, and a 2, and a 3!
Fourth Graders Living. Laughing. Loving!
A Great Time at the 4th Grade Concert
Teachers Unpacking the Strategic Plan Goals on Superintendent Conference Day
Teachers Unpacking the Strategic Plan Goals on Superintendent Conference Day
Fourth Grade Teachers with Dr. DiTillio on Wednesday
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
- 3/11- March Town Hall Meetings for all grades
- 3/13- Sundog Theatre- Ellis Island: Gateway to a Dream- 4th Grade Social Studies Enrichment Assembly - 11:00 am
- 3/15, 3/18 & 3/19- 5th Grade Middle Visits
- 3/19 & 3/20 - The FEB Science Expo
- 4/12- NED's Mindset Mission Assembly- Character Education/P.M.A.- 1:45 pm
- 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
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.
Inclement Weather Remote Day Information
If you read Dr. Lutinski's Superintendent Update last week, he mentioned inclement weather delays and school closures, as well as Remote Learning Days in some cases. In the event that we do end up with a Remote Learning Day, here is some important information about Bellows:
1- School would be on a 2 hour delay (as Dr. Lutinski stated). This means students would need to be ready to learn remotely with their teacher promptly at 10:40.
2- The day would follow an abbreviated schedule. You would find this information in each classroom teacher's Google Classroom.
3- We still would be following a Letter Day schedule; however, students may have a different Special than they are used to. Teachers would inform them during Google Meets and it would be posted in Google Classroom with the schedule.
4- We ask that you and your children be mindful of our expectations for the day. We want to be sure these times are on-task and productive for all participants.
- Be sure you’re ready with materials.
- Be dressed for learning.
- Save eating for before or after live instruction. Have your water bottle nearby.
- Be in a quiet spot where you can independently participate.
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.
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.
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
- March 20 - MP2 Report Cards on Portal
- March 20 - FEB Science Expo - 6:00 PM - Auditorium
- March 25-29 - Spring Recess - School Closed
- April 1 - Spring Recess - School Closed (this will change if we have a second snow day)
- 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