RCSD Community Update: 1/20/23

Dear RCSD Community,

I hope you and your basements and yards held up well during yesterday’s day- and night-long deluge! Thunderstorms in January are a new one for me. Hopefully, some drier weather is on tap for the weekend because there may well be some snow in our future next week.

Elementary Maker Space Launches

If your parenting experience is anything like mine, your children don’t often relay information - minor or otherwise - about what’s going on in their school! I am hopeful that you will hear something, beginning next week, about the new Maker Spaces in the Media Centers at Midland, Milton, and Osborn Schools. The spaces officially open for business on Monday, and teachers will be finding time for their students to enjoy all that they have to offer. 

What is a Maker Space? Maker Spaces provide a place for students to explore questions, bounce ideas off one another, build something together, fail and try again, all in a safe, creative environment. The spaces are filled with art and building supplies, thinking and coding games, and robotics equipment for students to experiment, invent, and engage in critical and creative thinking. We can’t wait to see what they come up with! A big “thank you” to the Rye Fund for Education for providing the coding and robotics resources in the Maker Spaces.

RMS Ryebotics Survey

Ryebotics is RMS’s First Lego League Robotics Team, a popular new after-school club. The team is exploring innovative ways to apply renewable energy solutions within our community. The team has chosen Playland Amusement Park as the focus of its project and has researched different ways to generate electricity to reduce operating costs to create a more sustainable future for Playland. 

Ryebotics is interested in exploring a concept called regenerative braking and the use of a power generator called “Dynamo” to collect lost energy from Playland’s legendary Dragon Coaster and use that energy to power the coaster and the lights on the ride.

The team is hoping to gather community input on their idea. If you have a few minutes to spare, they would be so grateful if you would take a quick survey. The survey link is here. Kudos to them for thinking of renewable energy sources for one of Rye’s most famous landmarks!

Inclusive Winter Sports

The Rye YMCA in partnership with Backyard Sports Cares is offering a grades K-8 multi-sport program for young athletes with special needs. The program is led by adult coaches, and participants are paired with a middle or high school student volunteer (note: this is a wonderful community service opportunity for RMS and RHS students). Players will learn sport-specific skills (basketball, soccer, etc.) in a safe environment that allows them to succeed at their own individual pace. Registration is now open at www.ryeymca.org. To learn more about volunteering, contact Suzy McKay at s.ugliarolo@gmail.com.

Xīnnián hǎo (meaning “New Year Goodness” or “Good New Year”) 

This Sunday, January 22, marks the Lunar New Year, an important holiday in East and Southeast Asian Cultures. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. In Chinese astrology, the rabbit represents peaceful and patient energy. I really feel as if we could have used some of that over the past few years, but I will take it! 

Sincerely,

Eric Byrne, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools