Bruno M. Ponterio
Ridge Street School
Home of the Bluebirds
Weekly Highlights 1/27/25 - 1/31/25
Wishing all of our Bluebird Families who celebrate the Lunar New Year a Happy, Prosperous, and Healthy New Year!
Celebrating Lunar New Year
Bluebirds celebrated the Lunar New Year in our classrooms with special guests, books, making lanterns and other activities!
We also had a special assembly as the Chinatown Community Young Lions came to our school to showcase a Lion Dance!
BIG thanks to the Blind Brook PTA for funding this special assembly!
Bluebird Wishing Trees
The "Bluebird World Wishing Tree" project is almost complete. Though inclement weather (freezing temperatures) interrupted the hanging of more than 600 wishing ribbons, we can already see how these “wishes for the world” have brightened our winter courtyard with a rainbow of colors!
This past week during all art classes, the power of hope and the tradition of making a wish were discussed. The students learned how many countries and cultures around the world make wishes on wishing trees.
After, each class read My Wish for the World by Kristine Lombardi, every student made their own wish for the world and placed it on a colorful ribbon.
The Fifth Grade Student Council members helped in gently hanging the ribbons on the trees in the courtyard.
Placed on the courtyard window is this explanation of why our Bluebirds made their wishes:
BLUEBIRD WISHING TREES
OUR WISHES SPREAD KINDNESS
AND POSITIVE ENERGY
INTO THE WORLD.
THEY HELP US TO BELIEVE
IN THE POWER OF HOPE!
Mrs. Aquino and Mrs. Fagan would like to thank Mrs. Murphy, and Student Council Coordinators Mrs. Fernandez and Mrs. Pumarejo, and the Student Council students for all their help with this project.
Bluebirds Learn to Meditate
Mrs. Battiwalla came to teach Mrs. LaRoche's first grade students breathing techniques and meditation. The class enjoyed being mindful with their stuffed animals!
Kindergarteners Enjoy Hot Cocoa Day!
Mrs. Fisher's kindergarten class had a fun Hot Chocolate Day! Mrs. Magnotta, our Bluebird teacher aide, made the secret recipe at home using real chocolate and milk. It was super chocolatey! We had our own "hot chocolate bar”; mini marshmallows, whipped cream, candy canes and sprinkles. The rest of the day was filled with cool things to do -- a hot chocolate sequencing story, math activities and games. It was a sweet way to spend the day.
Special Guest Visits Fifth Grade Bluebirds
Mrs. Wolf, one of our Bluebird parents, visited our fifth graders today to talk about Google. Mrs. Wolf leads a global sales team at Google where she has worked for the last 12 years. She provided an overview of the origin of Google, its mission (organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible), its values (collaboration, bring your whole self to work, respect the user/each other) including DEI, and how technology enhances our everyday life. At the end, the students spent time designing and creating their own "Google Doodle."
"Warm Up With A Book" Reading Challenge
As the weather starts to get colder, what better way to get warm than to cozy up with a book!
Ms. Taylor and Mrs. Letizia have officially announced their "Warm up with a Book" Reading Challenge! Every student received their reading challenge grid on December 6th. Once a bluebird completes the whole grid and hands it into the Main Office, he/she will get a reading award and prize! This can be completed through the winter months!
Click here to check out our Bluebirds who completed their Reading Challenges!
Zoe B.
BMPRSS Student Council Snack Drive - Voluntary Activity
Message from Karen Vitti,
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
Mental Health Resources in the Bluebird Nest
Click HERE to go to our BMPRSS Mental Health Resources page.
Updating Emergency Contact Information
As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety, we are strongly encouraging all families to review and update their emergency contact information in eSchoolData. In the event of an emergency where we are unable to reach a parent or guardian, having accurate and comprehensive contact details is essential.
We kindly ask that you include anyone you trust who might serve as an emergency contact, such as a babysitter, family friend, or relative. Updating this information now ensures that we are prepared in case unforeseen circumstances require us to reach out to someone other than parents.
For your convenience, here is the information we have been sharing in the Weekly Highlights:
Log onto the eSchoolData Parent Portal and click on the name of your BMPRSS child.
Click the “Contact Verification” button below your child’s photo.
In the Guardian Information section:
Ensure that each guardian is assigned a contact priority number. Priority numbers must begin at 1 and cannot be used more than once.
Ensure that all listed phone numbers are accurate.
Ensure that guardian email addresses are correct.
In the Emergency Contact Information section:
Ensure the name and contact information for any adult (over the age of 18) who will be permitted to sign your child out in the case of an emergency.
Thank you for taking the time to keep this critical information up to date. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thanks,
BMPRSS Administration, Faculty, and Staff
Young Engineers Donation Items
We would appreciate if you would look in your house for the items listed below as we would greatly appreciate using them in our Young Engineers’ (STEAM) Program. Please make sure what is sent in is clean.
Please drop off all items at our school!
If you have any questions about donations, please email our Young Engineers teacher, Ms. Rosen - mrosen@blindbrook.org
Paper towel cardboard tubes
Toilet paper cardboard tubes
Clips from can tops - beverage cans, cat food and dog food cans, etc.
Game pieces from incomplete games
Decks of cards that aren’t complete
Old craft/bead kits
Bottle caps of any kind (plastic and/or metal) - please rinse out
Clean cups from laundry detergent
Empty tape spools - both plastic and cardboard
Empty thread spools
Egg cartons - paper or styrofoam
Corks from wine bottles
Pieces of styrofoam - large and small
It's Time for Lunch!
Lunch served at our schools this year will be provided by Aramark. Below is a link to the menus.
All payments for lunch is through My School Bucks. Cash is not accepted as payment.
Click here to set-up a My School Bucks account.
For questions in regards to lunch please reach out to our food service provider Aramark at aramark@blindbrook.org
Important Notes Concerning our School Lunch Program
The Blind Brook-Rye School District utilizes an independent 3rd party, My School Bucks, to process charges and payments to individual student accounts. The parent/guardian sets up this account and decides which options they want to utilize including automatic payment and low balance notices. We do not have access to this information due to privacy concerns and to safeguard personal financial information. If you believe there is an issue with your My School Bucks account, we suggest you contact the company directly. We are unable to intervene on your behalf.
Once this account is set up, you can view your child’s purchases and balances. If you have specific questions concerning individual items purchased, please contact our food service company here. If you wish to restrict your child’s purchases to only meals or only one additional item per day, you can contact our food service management company and they will note that in your child’s account.
If a student’s balance becomes negative and exceeds $50, the student will no longer be allowed to charge supplemental meal items such as snacks, second servings of meal components or additional drinks. However, the Blind Brook-Rye School District will still allow the purchase and charging of a lunch. Please log into your "My School Bucks" account and check if there is any balance remaining on the account.
If any family is experiencing financial difficulties, please contact our guidance department. They will be able to provide resources and contact information. All personal information provided is strictly confidential.
SEID Webinars
SEID (Supporting Every Individual Difference) Leadership partners with Westchester Independent Living and Putnam Independent Living to put together some wonderful webinars. They are at no cost and are very informative! These are the dates that have been scheduled, along with the subject of the webinar.
February 3 - School Avoidance & Anxiety (See below for more information)
March 12 - Understanding Difficult Behaviors in Young Children
Blind Brook PTA - BMPRSS Read-A-Thon!
Read & Get Prizes with BMPRSS Read-A-Thon Jan 27 - Feb 10!
Ready? Set? Read! Our Read-A-Thon is officially underway!!!
Make sure to activate your child's dedicated reader page, share with friends and family, log their reading, and earn prizes. We suggest doing it with your child so they feel a part of the action. Read on for more info!
*HOW TO ACTIVATE YOUR CHILD'S READER PAGE:
If you haven't already, be sure to activate your child’s personal reader page. It only takes a minute or two by clicking on this direct activation link: Read A Thon Activation
This account will serve as a hub for recording and monitoring your child's progress as a Reader in the event, and for you to share their Read-A-Thon message with friends and family.
*HOW TO SHARE YOUR CHILD'S READER PAGE:
Once you've registered, you can share your child's Read-A-Thon page with friends and family via email, text, social media and more, right from the following link with support tools and prizes: Read A Thon Sending Emails
The more you share, the more Read-A-Thon "rat-bucks" your child gets to pick prizes from the prize store.
*SHORT VIDEO
To learn more, check out this short video (Note: The video also shows you how to sign-up your reader using a flyer in their folders this week, but you can also just use the direct activation link above): You Tube Video
Together, we can make this Read-A-Thon an amazing experience for our young readers!
If you have any questions, please email bbptafundraising@gmail.com
Blind Brook PTA - Made With Love: Valentine's Craft Event
Get ready for a delightful, hands-on evening at our Valentine’s Craft Event, designed especially for Grade 2-3 students and one special adult— a parent, grandparent, guardian, or family member!
Spend quality time together, unleash your creativity, and make unforgettable memories with your little artist!
Here’s all you need to do:
Register your child on Community Pass.
Have your child invite a special person (age 18+) to join them. No need to register your child's special person.
Show up — we’ll handle the rest!
📢 Note: This is not a drop-off activity — an adult (age 18+) must participate with each child.
Don't miss out on this exciting, laughter-filled evening of creativity and connection!
We can’t wait to see everyone there and celebrate all the amazing creations made with love!
Blind Brook PTA - Valentines for Seniors: Sending Love Across Generations
Our Bluebirds are crafting heartfelt Valentine’s cards for the Rye Brook Senior Center now through Monday, February 10! Members of the PTA and Fun Night Committee will gather the cards and deliver them on February 13 — just in time to brighten their Valentine’s celebration.
Let’s make their day extra special!
Blind Brook PTA - Indoor Recess Wish List
Let's stock the classes for indoor recess!
The PTA is excited to share that we've set up an Indoor Recess Amazon Wishlist to help support our teachers and their classrooms. The lists include items the teachers have selected for their individual class. Every contribution big or small makes a difference in providing fun and engaging resources for the students.
You can browse the list each teacher has requested using these links:
When you are making your purchase, please write the teacher's name in the gift note (it will be shipped directly to RSS). If a teacher is not listed it means they did not request any items.
Please reach out to Ann Sedrish, RSS liaison at bbptarssliaison@gmail.com with any questions.
Thank you for supporting our schools!
Rye Brook Recreation After School Program Registration
Registration for Rye Brook Recreation's After School Program is going on now.
The Rye Brook Recreation Department coordinates an after school program that is held at the Bruno M. Ponterio Ridge Street School each day of the school year. If you are interested in having your child in their after school program, please register through Rye Brook Recreation. Registration is done online.
Please click HERE to register your child for the Rye Brook Recreation After School Program for the 2024-2025 school year.
If you have any questions, please contact the Rye Brook Recreation at https://ryebrookny.gov/activities-programs/ or call 914-939-3235.
Rye Brook Recreation Spring Baseball Program
The Rye Brook Recreation Department has been working hard during the off-season to enhance and strengthen our in-house baseball program. With the growing demand we’ve seen over the past year, it’s clear that the program needs to evolve to keep up with our expanding community.
To enhance the program, we’re partnering with professionally trained coaches to provide the best possible learning and playing experience for our kids. We’ve specifically chosen JustinTime for their expertise—not only are they experienced coaches who’ve played the game, but they are also highly trained in the nuances of youth baseball. With over 15 leagues currently running in the surrounding areas, JustinTime’s focus aligns perfectly with our goal: to expand the program across all age groups and deliver an exceptional experience for our children.
Parent volunteers will continue to play a vital role in the success of the program. We’ve had incredible support from our Rye Brook families in the past, and we look forward to welcoming many new volunteers this year.
Program Details:
League Structure and Age Divisions
Co-ed T-ball (Preschool starting at age 3): The introduction to baseball, focused on learning basic motor skills and understanding the game.
Co-ed Rookie League (K & 1st Grade): Continuation of skill development with coach-pitch and basic game structure.
Minor League Baseball & Softball (2nd & 3rd Grades): Transition from coach-pitch to machine-pitch, more structured games, and further skills development.
Major League Baseball & Softball (4th, 5th & 6th Grades): Transition from Machine-pitch to player pitch with a higher level of competition, strategy, and rule understanding.
Season Schedule:
Season duration: 7 weeks
Season Start: April 5th
Season End: June 7th
Holidays (No Practice or Games):
April 12th-21st: Passover & Spring Break
May 24th-26th: Memorial Day Weekend
Rookie, Minor & Major League Playoffs: June 7th-14th (specific dates TBD)
Spring baseball will kick off-on April 5th with a parade and celebration! More information regarding the season-opening festivities will be sent in the coming weeks.
Evaluation & Team Creation
Two evaluation sessions will be held in March and will be conducted by JustinTime Pro Trainers. The goal is to create balanced teams by age group and skill level.
Practices & Games:
T-ball: Practices will be held once a week on Saturday mornings. Each session will include both beginner-level skill development and a fun scrimmage.
Rookie, Minor & Major Leagues: Practices will take place once a week on either Thursday or Friday, with games scheduled for Saturdays.
Other Fun Highlights:
Coaches will hand out baseball cards during practices to highlight players with positive attitudes, great teamwork, and other achievements.
Coaches will give out game balls at the end of each game to spotlight players and their contributions to the team.
All players will receive trophies to celebrate the season.
There will be food trucks, music, and other fun family activities!
Registration will OPEN on February 5th on CommunityPass
We’re looking forward to a fantastic season and can’t wait to see you all on the field!
Community Event - Voluntary
Disruptive Devices and Items
While our bluebirds are in school they will be focusing on what is all around them, and should not be distracted by disruptive devices or items. Our BMPRSS Family Guidebooks have always contained a section dedicated to disruptive devices and items. Please be mindful of the following - which has been in place - and will continue to be in place:
DISRUPTIVE DEVICES/ITEMS
Any equipment/item that interferes with the educational environment is not permitted in the school building or on the school grounds at any time.
The following items are specifically not permitted:
Skateboards
Rollerblades
Rollers on shoes
Hand-held video games
Smartwatches (i.e.: Watch that receives messages, can communicate outside of school, etc.)
Clickers (This was just added to the list!)
Personal iPod/ iTouch/iPad etc.
Any item (toys, etc.) that resembles a weapon of any kind
Toys and collectibles (Baseball cards, Football cards, Silly Banz, trading cards, Pokeman cards, any popular/trendy item, etc.) - These items should be left at home and are especially not to be brought to school unless authorized by a member of the BMPRSS administration, faculty, or staff. Trading of these items is also not permitted.
NOTE: This list is not exclusive and any other item that is unsafe or disruptive to the educational process will be prohibited. Students bring personal possessions, inclusive of Nooks, Kindles, and personal iPads, to school at their own risk. NOTE about Nooks, Kindles, personal iPads: Students must have prior permission from an administrator or faculty member. Students bringing these items in do so at their own risk. As our students all have iPads in our school, there is no reason for a student to bring in his/her own personal iPad.
CAMERAS AND RECORDING DEVICES
Cameras and recording devices may be used in class only with prior approval of the teacher. We understand that there are a lot of phones and devices that have the capability to take photos or videos. Students are not permitted to take photos or videos of other students in school, are not permitted to record anything in the classroom, on school property, or on the school bus. If a student is witnessed doing this, the device may be confiscated.
Transportation Information
If your child is eligible for our bus service, you will receive information in August on the Parent Portal of your child's bus number and bus time pick-up and drop-off. If you have any questions about bus transportation, bus stops, or pick-up/drop-off times, please reach out to Mr. Juan Zhindon (Head of Transportation) via email: jzhindon@blindbrook.org
If you're found NOT to be eligible for the District's bus transportation you are considered a non-bus student (NBS) will receive an NBS tag to display on your vehicle's rearview mirror. Information has been sent to families.
Visitors - Photo ID Required
In our effort to maintain a safe and secure environment, all school visitors must enter through the school’s main entrance, provide a valid photo ID, sign in at the security desk, and wear a VISITOR sticker while they are in the building. If you have a meeting with a teacher, staff member, or administrator, please enter through the Main Entrance as the security monitor will have a list of scheduled meetings.
Visitors will not be allowed in the building unless there is a scheduled meeting.
Blind Brook District Technology Resources for Families and Students
Please check out this link below for any tech resources that you need!
Also, please do not hesitate to contact our Technology Department if you need any assistance at ANY time:
Mr. Charles Von Hollen - cvonhollen@blindbrook.org
Mrs. Jen Vazquez - jvazquez@blindbrook.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 5
District Professional Development Day - 1:30 pm Dismissal
All K-5 students are dismissed at 1:30 pm.
Lunch will be served on this day, but the children will have an abbreviated daily schedule.
February 7
BMPRSS 1st Semester Report Cards
Report Cards will be posted on the Parent Portal at 3:10 pm.
February 11
Blind Brook Board of Education Meeting
BBMS/BBHS Library
7:30 pm
February 12
Bluebird Parent Chat
BMPRSS Cafetorium
6:30 pm
February 13
Blind Brook PTA Meeting
BBMS/BBHS Cafeteria
7:00 pm
February 17 - 21
Winter Recess - No School
February 24
School Resumes