Dear Rye Neck Families,

I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. This week, I would like to update you on the academic progress of our eighth graders, highlight a special event organized by the PTSA, and inform you about the Extended Day program.

In terms of academic progress, I am pleased to report that our students are making steady progress in their studies. Our eighth graders have just completed their midterms, and we are proud of their hard work and dedication. Students who would benefit from additional support will have an opportunity to attend Extended Day beginning on February 27th. Extended Day is a program that offers students extra time with teachers to work on specific subject areas after school. The goal of this program is to help these students improve their academic performance and achieve success. Students identified as someone who would benefit from this program, you will be receiving a letter with more information.

We would also like to remind you that the PTSA sponsored Middle School Activity Night last Friday. The event featured games, activities and a chance for students to connect with their peers. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the PTSA for organizing this event and providing our students with a fun and engaging after-school activity.

As always, thank you for your continued support and please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Best regards,

Dr. Dulce Barker

Marking Period 2 Ends - Friday, January 27th
Grade 6 virtual presentations on Mummification - Monday, January 30th

Marking Period 2 Grades Posted - Friday, February 3rd

BOE Meeting/1st Budget Pres.- Wednesday, February 15th, 7-8 p.m., Comm. Room

MS/HS Speech and Debate Showcase - Thursday, February 16th, 3-5:30 p.m., Comm. Room

Winter Recess - Monday, February 20th to Friday, February 24th

• 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 our 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 towards 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. Eighth grade 4 year planning 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 also 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.

http://www.beanengineer.org/

Herff Jones will be sending out emails through-out 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.

6th graders will be starting the historical fiction novel, Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis. In preparation for, and throughout the book, students will be provided with some background information on a variety of topics including: The Great Depression, Prohibition, FDR, The New Deal, and The Harlem Renaissance, to provide points of reference as we read the novel. Students are beginning an essay on their independent historical fiction reading book. When your child is finished, ask him/her to share it with you. For the February/March Independent Reading assignment, students are reading Timothy of The Cay, by Theodore Taylor. For the project, students are creating timelines for the main characters or writing journal entries for one of the main characters. The projects must be handed in by Thursday, April 13th.

At the end of January, 7th graders completed the unit "Road to Revolution". At the start of our next unit on the American Revolution, we’ve examined the many hardships endured by the Continental Army during the early years of the war. We will likely wrap up this module prior to the February recess. We’ve spent a lot of time working on multiple-choice question

Students finished working on their cover designs for the 8th grade Moving Up Ceremony. They learned about the pop art movement and Andy Warhol’s illustration style in order to take inspiration for their own work. They also learned about how Andy Warhol appropriated images and made them his own within his artwork. The theme for their designs is: “Panthers are Stepping into the Future”. All students had to include a panther and some sort of footwear within their designs and could creatively interpret the theme however they felt like! At least one design will be chosen as the cover for the brochure and at least one other might be chosen for the inside of the brochure!