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RCSD Community Update: 9/16/22

Dear RCSD Community,

We have successfully completed our first full week of school for the 2022-2023 school year. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted!  Students have quickly settled into classroom routines and there is great energy across the District in every school building. School is up and running and feels like the good old days!

Back to School Nights

Back to school nights took place at Midland, Milton, and Osborn Schools this week and they went off without a hitch. I hope parents enjoyed the opportunity to meet their students’ teachers and greet their fellow parents in person and that they got a chance to check out some of the improvements at the schools along the way.  The RMS and RHS virtual back to school nights are Thursday September 22 and 29 respectively. These events are virtual based on parent feedback indicating a desire to avoid parking struggles and hallway logjams.  Parents will receive detailed login information for those nights directly from the school principals. 

Tuesday Incidents at RHS/RMS

We had a number of incidents take place at the Rye High School and Middle School campus this past Tuesday (the 13th, coincidence?).  We send email notifications to parents about each of these events because we understand that seeing a police car, ambulance, or fire truck at one of our school buildings can cause anxiety.  In such cases, we will always indicate “No Emergency” in the email headline. Clearly, if your student falls ill or needs assistance, you will be contacted separately by the school nurse or principal. Were there to be an actual emergency, all parents would receive a simultaneous call, text, and email detailing the nature of the emergency. Please understand that for privacy reasons, we cannot reveal if a person who falls ill is a teacher, staff, or student, nor can we release any information about that person’s health status. All 911 calls to a school building, be it an ambulance, fire, or another emergency, automatically trigger a police presence.

First BOE Meeting

Also on Tuesday, we held our first Board of Education meeting of the year.  I announced that at the July 7 Board meeting (also known as the Reorganization Meeting), the Board of Education voted that Jane Anderson will serve as President of the Board of Education, and Jennifer Boyle as Vice President, for the 2022-23 school year. Congratulations to them both, and we thank them in advance for their service to the schools and to the community of Rye.

At the same meeting, our Director of Facilities, Rob Gimigliano, presented an overview of the facilities work that went on in the schools over the summer, culminating in five secure vestibule entrances, new multipurpose rooms at Midland and Osborn Schools (formerly fixed-seat auditoriums) and re-vamped library/media centers at all three elementary schools. Rye High School has a spanking new third floor, home of the District’s alternative high school program, The Academy at Rye High School. To watch the presentation, click here and begin watching at 24:30. Follow along with the slide deck by clicking here.

RAISE

RAISE (Rye’s All Inclusive Special Education) is a special education parent group in Rye that assists parents of children and young adults in our community who learn and live differently. RAISE welcomes any parent with an interest in improving the educational, social, and recreational opportunities of all children, especially those with disabilities.  I work very closely with the RAISE leadership and encourage you to join. To learn more, visit their website at: https://raise.membershiptoolkit.com/.

Mark Your Calendars: The Game, Saturday, October 8, at 1:30 p.m.

The 95th edition of the Rye versus Harrison football game will take place this year on Saturday, October 8, at 1:30 p.m. at Rye. This is Columbus Day weekend, and I understand there is some unhappiness on the part of those who like to go away for that weekend. Unfortunately, Section One determines the dates for athletic contests, and the teams in question have no input. We are incredibly excited to welcome everyone to Nugent Stadium this year for the first playing of The Game on the new turf. Go Garnets!!

Have a terrific weekend.

Eric Byrne, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools