Dear Rye Neck Families,

I hope that everyone enjoyed some special family time and a brief respite from everyday demands over the holidays. The new calendar year is in full swing and we look forward to a productive and rewarding second semester. We welcome our new Drama Club, which met this week. We invite interested students to check for more information in the newsletter. Parents of eighth grade students, please be sure to review the schedule for upcoming midterms. I hope to see may of you at the Middle School Activity Night next Friday or around campus very soon!

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Dulce Barker

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School - Monday, January 16th

Board of Ed Meeting - Wednesday, January 18th, 7 PM

MS Activity Night - Friday, January 20th, 6 PM-8 PM, MS Gym

Marking Period 2 Ends - Friday, January 27th

Marking Period 2 Grades Posted - Friday, February 3rd

Beginning January 23, 2023, sixth graders will participate in the DARE program with Village of Mamaroneck Police Officer Christine Belisito-Maikish. The program will meet during Character Education classes. Officer Belisito-Maikish will be 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.

The Rye Neck Drama Club will promote the teaching of theatrical arts through various activities including scene studies, dance, singing & Improvisation skills building. This is an excellent way to prepare for the upcoming middle school musical production which will begin in March. The club will run from January 3rd to March 28th. Students will meet after school on Tuesdays each week from 3:15-4:15 in B4.

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.

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

Mark your calendars! The Fall sports start date for Varsity and JV fall sports is Monday, August 21st! All fall athletes in 9-12th 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

Registration Form

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

Students learned about Pablo Picasso and his anti-war painting called “Guernica”. They learned how to draw a dove and incorporate a positive message within their work through writing as well as through visual symbols. Students learned about different painting techniques in order to complete their projects as well as how to emphasize their dove and make it stand out! Next students will begin a unit learning about Ancient Greece as they finish up their quarter in art class.

Peace dove paintings:

Students in seventh grade English classes are studying the science fiction genre and utopias to help prepare for Lois Lowry’s The Giver, a novel about a dystopian society that reveals the importance of differences. Students will soon receive their personal copies of the novel to read at home each night and answer questions. In addition, students are reading their independent books.

This week, students began learning vocabulary related to school and being able to describe what objects they need for which classes. As we continue, students will learn how to describe their schedules, compare their favorite and least favorite classes and tell time in French. Today, students had the opportunity to 'play teacher' and give commands for their classmates to do such as 'write a sentence, speak in French, and open your computer'. They were talented teachers!

Students learned about Grant Haffner and painting techniques in order to create colorful landscapes. They learned how to make their work look more dimensional and were able to show that they understood the concept of space and depth. Many students incorporated utility poles into their work, which was one of Grant Haffner’s signature motifs in his paintings. Students thought about how to use lines and brushstrokes in order to make it look like you were actually driving down the road. Next, students will begin a unit about the art movement, Futurism, as they finish up their semester in art class.

Landscape paintings:

8th grade Science/Living Environment students will be taking a midterm exam on Thursday Jan 26th at 8am. It is important to be present and on time.

The exam will include information from September through January. Study materials are available on each teacher's Google Classroom page. Guided review will also be provided during class time. We also have extra help available on Tuesday and Thursday after school.

Storyboard projects on human body systems part 1:

Students learned how to create symmetrical insects inspired by the style of Albrecht Dürer who used a lot of line details and textures in his work. Students learned how to create value using different line techniques and how to paint using analogous colors in order to help emphasize their insects. To end the semester, students have been learning about Andy Warhol and his illustrations. Students are currently designing the cover for the brochure for the 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony! The theme is: “Panthers are Stepping into the Future”. All students must include a panther and some sort of footwear within their designs and so many are already creatively interpreting the theme. One design will be chosen as the cover for the brochure!

8th graders working on cover design: