Dear Rye Neck Families,

I hope you and your family had a restful and enjoyable midwinter break! As we get back into the swing of things, I want to inform you that 3rd marking period progress reports will be available on the portal on March 10th. Additionally, students received their ID cards on Monday and are required to wear them during the school day. If a student forgets their ID, we ask that they go to the main office for a temporary card. In exchange, we will store their cell phone in the office, which should be picked up at the end of the day. Since we have a limited number of temporary cards, we hope this will ensure students return them. Please work with your child to help them determine the best routine to remember to store and wear their ID.

We have some of the exciting events taking place this month. Middle school students had the opportunity to learn about mental health and wellness, as well as the power of friendships during a JCK Foundation presentation. 7th-grade classes will attend a performance of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the PAC on March 10th. This is an exciting opportunity for our students to experience the beauty and richness of Shakespeare's language and to deepen their understanding of this classic work of literature. On March 31st, the 8th grade will watch a virtual presentation on the Holocaust with Judith Altmann. We thank the PTSA for sponsoring these events.

5th-grade classes will visit the middle school later this month to get a glimpse of what the next phase of their educational journey will look like. This is a wonderful opportunity for our 5th-grade students to become familiar with the middle school campus, meet some of the teachers and staff, and ask any questions they may have about the transition. We believe this visit will help ease any anxiety or concerns students may have about moving up to the next level.

Thank you for your support of our school's efforts to provide enriching educational experiences for our students.

Best regards,

Dr. Dulce Barker

• "A Midsummer Night's Dream" performance for 7th grade - Friday, March 10th, 1:15PM
• Progress reports posted to portal - Friday, March 10th by 4:00PM
• Varsity & JV sports begin - Monday, March 13th
• FEB 5th grade visits - Monday, March 13th; Wednesday, March 15th; & Friday, March 17th
• BOE Meeting/2nd budget presentation - Wednesday, March 15th, 7:00PM, CR
• Modified sports info meeting for 7th & 8th grade - Tuesday, March 21st, 3:00PM, DH
• MS Science & Technology Fair - Thursday, March 23rd, 6:00-7:30PM, DH
• Superintendent's Conference Day - No school for students - Friday, March 24th
• Modified sports begin - Monday, March 27th
• Judith Altmann virtual presentation for 8th grade - Friday, March 31st, Pds. 8 & 9

As you are making summer plans, please keep in mind that middle schoolers will be taking finals in June.

June 13th - English final (grades 6-8)

June 14th - Living Environment Regents (8th grade); Science final (grades 6-7)

June 15th - Algebra Regents (8th grade); Math final (grades 6-8)

June 16th - Social Studies final (grades 6-8); 8th grade BBQ 11:45-1:45

June 20th - FLACS (8th grade); World Language final (grades 6-7); Moving Up rehearsal

June 21st - Moving Up Ceremony

Please note the location and time of the Moving Up Ceremony has changed. The ceremony will take place at 1:00pm in the high school gymnasium.

After the presentation, students shared their thoughts on mental health, kindness, empathy and friendship.

A reminder for parent, student, and staff drivers:

Our MS/HS parking lot, driveways, and Hornidge Rd. can become congested at times. Typical drivers may be in a hurry with other places to go, appointments to make, and get annoyed at others who either don’t pay attention or hinder progress. Please keep these tips in mind for everyone’s safety, particularly the children who may be less careful, less aware, or who exercise the degree of judgment that comes with their age level:

• Avoid cutting people off-- it leads to rapid and poor decision making, and it can generate road rage.

• Adhere to stop and speed limit signs, and give people using crosswalks the right of way.

• Take turns at merges, stop signs, and intersections to give everyone a chance to enter and exit.

• Drive slowly and defensively. The 10 mph campus speed limit is slow, but slow is better than unsafe.

• Assume walkers and bikers are not paying attention to you. Although walkers and bikers should follow road rules, assume that they will not do the safe thing.

• Be aware that there are other drivers in other cars: don’t block driving lanes or intersections, move for those exiting parking spots, and load/unload students quickly in designated areas.

• Traffic in the “temporary” gravel parking lot on Hornidge is one-way. Students should not be dropped off in the lot. Additionally, pedestrian traffic is not permitted in this lot. You cannot walk through as a shortcut.

It is flu season. Please continue to keep children home when they are sick. Symptoms of Covid, Influenza, Strep, common cold, etc. often overlap. Students who test negative for Covid but are still sick should not be sent to school.

• Students experiencing a fever must be fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of medicine before returning to school.

On January 23, 2023, sixth graders began participating in the DARE program with Village of Mamaroneck Police Officer Christine Belisito-Maikish. The program meets during Character Education classes. Officer Belisito-Maikish is working with each class once per six-day cycle. If a student does not take Character Education, they will join one of the classes to participate in this program.

The DARE program complements the Character Education curriculum already in place for grade six. Although at its outset in the 1980s, DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) focused on drug abuse, today the program helps sixth graders learn to make good decisions, particularly in the areas of responsibility and confidence, peer pressure, and bullying, as well as alcohol and tobacco. An added benefit of this program is that the presence of Officer Belisito-Maikish helps build relationships between the police department and our students and community.

As our modified athletic contests are starting for 7th and 8th graders, it's important to remember sportsmanship. It's wonderful to have excited fans and families in the bleachers! Please remember to cheer positively for our athletes, coaches and teams and refrain from saying anything negative toward officials, opponents or visiting teams. Individuals or groups who are not able to demonstrate appropriate behavior will be asked to leave the event. Let's share in the goal of creating an environment that is welcoming, energizing and educational. Go Rye Neck!!

Hello 8th Grade Parents and Guardians!

As was discussed at the Freshman Orientation Meeting, I am scheduling 4-year planning meetings with eighth grade students and their parents/guardians. These meetings outline high school graduation requirements and the classes students may take in order to meet them. We will also discuss post-secondary goals. Four-year plans are reviewed each year with the students' high school counselors.

Meetings will take place during 3rd or 8th period when students have specials, PE or Health. Meetings will be approximately 30 minutes. They will be held in person. When signing up, please include your child's name in the comment section if their last name is different from yours.

To sign up for a 4-year planning meeting, click here. I will then send you a calendar invite.

Please click here for the presentation. Be sure to review the resources provided at the very end.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (914)777-4732 or at csullivan@ryeneck.org.

Thank you!

Coleen Sullivan

MS Counselor

The Tri-State Engineering Expo aims to inspire middle school and high school students interested in STEM careers with hands-on activities, interactive displays, educational panels, robotics competitions and more. Representatives from engineering and technology firms as well as colleges and universities will be on hand to talk to students. Admission is free to students and families. The location is White Plains High School on March 26, 2023.

http://www.beanengineer.org/

Herff Jones will be sending out emails throughout the year about ordering a yearbook!

You can also purchase a yearbook by clicking on the link below and entering Rye Neck Middle School’s code: 40568.

www.yearbookordercenter.com

After-school clubs started the week of October 3rd. Homeroom teachers shared a club offerings presentation with students. The presentation was emailed to them and you can also find it on our school website. Clubs are open to students in grades 6-8. Students can try different clubs; or if they are in 6th grade, they can also participate in intramural sports. The club presentation as well as the schedule for intramural sports is below.

MS After School Clubs

Monday - Friday

3:00PM - 4:00PM

• Intramurals sessions are run by Rye Neck coaches.

• Intramural design will consist of skill development and scrimmaging.

• Please use this FamilyID link to register your child for Intramurals:

• 6th Grade Intramurals

• 6th Graders are to report directly to the location indicated below.

• Intramurals only run on days school is in session.

• Attendance is not mandatory for participation but if you sign up we ask that you make every attempt to attend each day. A student may register for multiple sessions/sports.

2023 FALL PRESEASON START DATE FOR VARSITY and JV SPORTS!!!

Mark your calendars! The fall sports start date for Varsity and JV sports is Monday, August 21st! All fall athletes in 9th-12th grades for the 2023-24 school year are expected to be back and cleared to participate on that date. Please make sure that any vacation plans are completed prior to the start date. Thank you!

Registration Form

Registration Form

Please make sure your child has a pair of headphones and brings them to school every day.

Code of Conduct

We are excited to announce that this year's middle school musical will be... The Lion King Jr, the classic Disney musical! Performance dates are Thursday, June 1st & Friday, June 2nd at 6:00PM in the Rye Neck Performing Arts Center (PAC).

An interest meeting was held on Friday, March 3rd, where students filled out an audition form and met the director and assistant director! We encourage all interested students who did not attend the meeting to see/email director Mrs. Clarke and assistant director Ms. Addorisio for more information.

Auditions will be on Tuesday, March 7th (acting); Wednesday, March 8th (dancing); and Thursday, March 9th (singing) from 3:00-5:00PM in the PAC. Please make sure students dress for movement-based activities for the dance auditions on Wednesday, March 8th (no jeans and wear appropriate shoes such as sneakers).

We are excited to start this journey with your child! A rehearsal schedule will be shared after auditions. Please also keep an eye out for our Lion King Jr. Google Classroom page for up-to-date information and announcements about the musical.

In Research Tech, we are continuing to work with and cite information within some of the more specialized databases that are offered through the Library. The databases will play a role in academic research until the time your child leaves Rye Neck. It's wonderful to see their confidence build as they learn to search and navigate the many resources that they have for their information needs.

Students just finished learning about contemporary artist Jeff Koons. They learned about his balloon animal sculptures, especially his balloon dog sculpture series that he first created in 1993. Students learned about value and how to make forms look three-dimensional. They also used repetition in the background of their compositions in order to help emphasize their balloon animals.

Students in seventh grade English classes have begun William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy about love and mistaken identity. The play will be read entirely in class; therefore, students will not receive a copy of the book to take home and read. In fact, we are acting out as much of the play as possible in class to gain a full appreciation of the comedy! Students must also find new independent books by Friday, March 3rd and start reading at home after.

We have just begun our reading of The Giver in class. Before starting the book, students led a conversation about what was more important to them: safety or freedom. We discussed different activities that they love and how those activities might change if they had to be completely safe. We'll be examining themes such as freedom vs. safety, control vs. choice, and the power of memory during our reading.

Students did a great job finishing their colorful Keith Haring figures! Now they are currently working on a collage inspired by abstract painter Sonia Delaunay. Students learned about contrast, overlapping layers, line direction, and shapes to create their abstract collages. Students thought about their composition and how to fill the space in order to create an interesting design.

7th grade Keith Haring drawings:

7th grade students working on Sonia Delaunay collage:

Students did a wonderful job creating hands inspired by the Op Art movement, as well as how to use value to add dimension to their work. Now they are learning about the Graffiti Art movement and one of its leaders, Lady Pink. They have gained an understanding of the difference between graffiti as an art form and graffiti as vandalism. Students are focusing on using their names, a word to describe themselves, or something that they like as the focal point for their designs. They are learning about different letter styles, analogous colors, color blending, and printing techniques in order to create their colorful designs.

8th grade Op Art hand drawings:

8th grade students working on their graffiti names: