RCSD Community Update: 2/3/23

Dear RCSD Community,

Yesterday was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow in western Pennsylvania. Therefore, I am officially switching my prognosticator allegiance to some more local talent. The Muscoot Farm weather chicken, Cluxatawney Henrietta, laid an egg yesterday morning, meaning that the Hudson Valley area will have an early spring. I’m for that!

Report Cards

As you may know, the first marking period (at Midland, Milton, and Osborn Schools) and the second quarter (for RHS and RMS) of the school year ended last Friday the 27th. Report cards will be available on the Parent Portal on the afternoon of February 7th for RMS and RHS and on the afternoon of February 10th for the elementary schools. No possibility of losing the report card on the way home as was my sometime maneuver….

NARCAN Training for Administrators

This week, we conducted NARCAN (Naloxone) training for all RCSD school Principals, Assistant Superintendents, and District administrators, a total of 15 new trainees. NARCAN is a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication used in the case of an opioid overdose.  All RCSD school nurses are trained, and many other adults in our schools have undergone the training as well. If you are interested in being NARCAN-trained, sessions are offered by RyeACT and the Port Chester - Rye - Rye Brook EMS. 

2023-2024 RCSD Calendar

The RCSD 2023-2024 calendar is almost here! The calendar is on the agenda to be approved at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting. We will share it widely once it is finalized. I know the organized among you are itching to make plans.

National School Counseling Week

February 6-10 is National School Counseling Week. I'd like to extend our deepest gratitude to the school counselors here in the Rye City School District. Day in and day out, our counselors work tirelessly to support students and their families, helping them navigate the educational and social waters of our schools and supporting their mental health so that all of our students can achieve their greatest potential.

On a related note, I want to recommend a teen mental health primer by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a parent myself, I know it can be difficult to tell the difference between the seemingly constant ups and downs of the teenage years and the warning signs of a mental health condition. 

Have a wonderful winter weekend -- stay warm!

Sincerely,

Eric Byrne, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools