Bruno M. Ponterio

Ridge Street School

Home of the Bluebirds

Weekly Highlights 11/10/25-11/14/25

November is Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the history, cultures, and contributions of Native Americans, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. Also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, the observance was first designated in 1990 and is a national opportunity to educate the public about indigenous people, honor their traditions, and recognize their achievements.

Lauren Good Day is an Multi- award winning Arikara, Hidatsa, Blackfeet and Plains Cree artist & fashion designer. She is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation) of the Ft. Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, USA and also a registered Treaty Indian with the Sweet Grass Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. She is famous for intertwining old traditions with modern culture. Her art has been featured at some of the nation’s most prestigious shows, including Santa Fe Indian Market, Heard Guild Museum Market, and the Autry American Indian Arts Marketplace. She started her art career at age six with beadwork and Tribal regalia and then expanded into quillwork, ledger drawings, rawhide parfleche and clothing.

Here is a video where you can hear Lauren Good Day talk about her work: https://youtu.be/Nb_dLJuUoE0?si=1MHguHO0Nst6v4hi

Native American moccasins are traditional footwear made from various tanned animal hides, like deer or moose, and are distinctive to different tribes through patterns, decorations, and construction. They come in soft-soled and hard-soled styles, with soft soles used more in forested areas and hard soles, made of rawhide, in Plains and desert regions for durability. Decoration varied, using materials like beads, porcupine quills, and paint, and served as a form of artistic expression and tribal identity. There s a Rock Your Mocs Day which is observed on November 15th. In a happy, vibrant tribute to Rock Your Mocs Day, author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) and artist Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw) celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasins—and the Native pride that comes with them. A perfect book for Native American Heritage Month and all year round!

Here is a video of the Read Aloud Rock Your Mocs: https://youtu.be/U1Tmn4sLLuk?si=ltId1kyK7HJboTOF

Mystery Science Lesson: Why do Biceps Bulge?

In Mrs. Bal's fourth-grade classroom, students became young investigators as they explored the question, “Why do biceps bulge?” Through hands-on discovery, they learned how muscles and bones work together to make our bodies move. The class explored how muscles contract and relax, and how this movement pulls on bones to create motion—just like when you bend your arm and see your bicep bulge!

To deepen their understanding, students applied their new knowledge by designing and building their own model of a human finger. This creative project allowed them to think like scientists and engineers—asking questions, making predictions, testing ideas, and refining their designs. By constructing a working model, they experienced firsthand how tendons and muscles work together to move our fingers.

This investigation encouraged deep thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration while connecting abstract science concepts to something real and meaningful—their own bodies.

Native American Museum

Students in Mrs. Pedersen’s 4th grade class created their own artifacts for their Native American Museum and enjoyed sharing them with classmates and teachers. Each student selected one project, either a traditional Native American home, a mask, or a wampum belt, and brought it to life with creativity and care. What a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the unit!

Honoring Our Veterans

Mr. Arnold Haskell, a proud U.S. Army veteran, visited his grandson Jonah’s fourth-grade class to share his experiences in the military. He spoke about what inspired him to serve, how he joined the Army, and the many lessons he learned throughout his journey. The students were captivated by his stories, listening intently as he described the dedication, teamwork, and courage that come with military service.

His visit was especially meaningful as it took place around Veterans Day—a national holiday observed each year on November 11th to honor all who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day is a time to express gratitude to those who have defended our freedoms and to reflect on the sacrifices they and their families have made. Mr. Haskell’s words gave the students a deeper appreciation for the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform and continue to inspire future generations.

Mr. Haskell also visited by Mrs. Tagliaferri's first grade class to see his granddaughter, Sklyar, and her classmates.

Superintendent for a Day

Second grader Ben F. was the winner of this year’s Blind Brook Fall Fest Silent Auction for 'Superintendent for a Day.' Ben F. enjoyed a full day with our Blind Brook Superintendent, Dr. Alm, attending meetings, reading books to classes, and having lunch with Dr. Alm.

Kindergarten Field Trip

Kindergarten classes visited the Port Chester-Rye Brook Library this week. The local librarian read books and sang songs with the children. A flier was placed in everyone's folder encouraging children to get their library card so that they can revisit this beautiful space and borrow books!

Trip to Neuberger Museum - 3rd Grade

This week, our third graders went on an exciting trip to the Neuberger Museum! With help from the museum’s friendly docents and BMPRSS Art Teacher Mrs. Murphy, students explored lots of amazing artworks and learned how to tell the difference between abstract art and realistic art. They asked great questions, shared their ideas, and discovered that artists can express themselves in many different ways. It was a fun and inspiring visit full of creativity and new discoveries! Below are some photos and enjoy more of them in the slideshow below!

Enjoy our slide show of photos below!

BMPRSS Partners with the Friendly Fridge

BMPRSS Student Council has once again teamed up with The Friendly Fridge!!

The Friendly Fridge Network is working to distribute over 1,200 +complete Thanksgiving meals to families in Westchester, Brooklyn, NYC and CT, as well as those served by partner organizations.

Each meal for a family of 4 costs approximately $35-$40 dollars. Please consider donating to the Friendly Fridge wishlist for the sides! This is a VOLUNTARY activity!

To learn more about the Friendly Fridge Network click here - https://www.thefriendlyfridgenetwork.org/

Mark your calendar! The BMPRSS Book Fair is coming soon!

This year, the Fair will be open December 3rd - 6th.

Each class will visit during school hours and the Fair will be open on Saturday, Dec. 6th and during Parent/Teacher Conferences on Dec. 5th. More details (and a class schedule) coming soon!

If you have any questions contact Lynda Frischer at Laf5305@gmail.com

Blind Brook PTA - SEID Sponsored Parent Q&A Event

Just a friendly reminder: Mike McLeod, renowned ADHD/Executive Functioning specialist and Founder of GrowNOW ADHD, comes back to Blind Brook to lead a parenting session.

Topics include:

Social executive functions - making and keeping friends
Self regulation and negative attention seeking in the home - argument vortex
Self motivation towards non preferred task
Sibling interactions - fighting

Each session is $25 per family (parents only). Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

click on the link to register: Registration Link

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 18th at 6:30pm

Location: BBMS/HS Auditorium

For more information, please contact Sarah Bailey and Marni Ford at bbptapsliaison@gmail.com with any questions or topics you'd like Mike to cover.

Kindergarten Registration for 2026-2027 School Year

CLICK HERE TO LET US KNOW YOU ARE COMING TO KINDERGARTEN IN THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR!

Blind Brook PTA Fundraiser

Don't Forget to Place Your Orders by 3pm THIS Monday!

Happy Friday, Rye Brook Families!
Looking for a way to pass the time while you're counting down the minutes til the weekend? How about a little riddle?
RIDDLE: I hold fruit or custard... you'll want me for sure, I'm the signature treat Thanksgiving is famous for. Your guests will ask for more and more, I'm worth having to loosen some buttons before you walk out the door.
ANSWER: Pies (and more) from our PTA x White Post Farms fundraiser!
You're in luck because it's TGIP... Thank Goodness It's PIE-day!
Let White Post Farms and the BBPTA take a slice of stress out of your holiday, by providing the award-winning pies, breads, and cookies (including Gluten-Free options).
Be sure to get your orders IN so you don't miss OUT! The Final Deadline is this Monday, November 17th at 3:00 pm.

ORDER TODAY: Visit the PTA Website @ https://blindbrook.givebacks.com/

ORDER DEADLINE: This Monday, November 17th at 3pm

ORDER PICKUP: Tuesday, November 25th at Ridge Street School

If you have any questions or need assistance, email us at BBPTAFundraising@gmail.com
Thanks!
Your BBPTA Fundraising Team

Community Activities and Programs - Voluntary

Rye Brook Cub Scouts Pack 3 Food Drive - November 8-15

BMPRSS Main Office - Contact Info

If you need to reach anyone in the BMPRSS Main Office, please make sure you use our Main Office email address and Main Office phone extension:

- - - Email - ridgestreetmainoffice@blindbrook.org
    - Phone - 914-937-3600 x2199

Reporting Absences

If your child will be absent please remember to email all three:

BMPRSS Nurse's Office - rssnurse@blindbrook.org
BMPRSS Attendance Office - rssattendance@blindbrook.org
Your child's teacher

Health Office - Contact Info

Our school nurses are responsible for all matters relating to individual student health issues, including verifying medical excuses, monitoring individual student health matters, emergency intervention, and special programs related to student health.

The BMPRSS Nurse is the main point of contact for:

Parents to inform the school of children's absences
Assessing and caring for infirm children during the school day
Contacting parents to report children's illnesses and injuries
Maintaining and dispensing children's medications
Ensuring that food brought into the classroom (i.e., for parties) is nut-free

We are very happy to have three nurses at our school - Nurse Frannie, Nurse Tara, and Nurse Erica. Please use our Health Office email to contact them about any medical questions! If you need to contact the BMPRSS Health Office PLEASE email rssnurse@blindbrook.org so that ALL of our BMPRSS receive important information.

If your child has severe allergies, or a newly diagnosed medical condition, and you have NOT notified the school at this time, please email rssnurse@blindbrook.org ASAP!

BMPRSS Health Office Email Address: rssnurse@blindbrook.org

BMPRSS Health Office Phone Number: 914-937-3600 x2217

November Lunch Menu

Please click here for the November Lunch Menu!

NutriKids/MySchoolBucks - NutriKids is the system that our cafeteria uses to manage student food purchases. Parents may view what their children purchase in the cafeteria as well as add money to their student's lunch account through My School Bucks. A quick reference guide containing directions on setting up your account can be found at this link. Please note that there is a service charge for putting money on a student's account electronically.

Don't forget! All payment for lunch is through your My School Bucks account. Please click here to set up your My School Bucks account for your child/children! Please see the IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW about our school lunch program.

Important Notes About 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.

Transportation Information

If your child is eligible for our bus service, you will receive information 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. By now, all NBS families should have received information in the mail. If not, please contact the BMPRSS Main Office for your NBS bus info.

We are a "Nut Aware" School and Allergy Aware School!

Dear BMPRSS Families:

The Blind Brook School District has established a Health and Wellness Policy committed to providing a school environment that promotes and protects children's health, well-being, and the ability to learn by fostering healthy eating habits and physical activity.

As a school community, we are committed to the health and safety of our students. We are writing to alert you that some of our students have a type of food allergy that can be particularly serious and, in some cases, life threatening. If the child comes in contact with the offending food (whether airborne, ingested or physical contact) there may be an anaphylactic reaction resulting in the inability to breathe. For this reason, we have a “nut aware” environment at the Bruno M. Ponterio Ridge Street School. Our food service vendor does not sell peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or use peanut oil or any tree nut products in the preparation of the food sold in our cafeteria. Our faculty and staff are trained and take great measures to ensure the safety of our children.

In addition, there are things that you and your children can do to help keep these specific children safe. In particular, please do not send food to school that “contain peanuts or tree nuts”, “may contain nuts”, “are made in a factory that processes peanuts”, or “are made in a facility that makes or processes tree nuts”. If your child eats peanut butter or any product containing tree nuts for breakfast, please have your child wash his/her hands and mouth thoroughly and brush their teeth after eating. This will help avoid contact with any peanut or tree nut residue, which can cause a potentially fatal reaction for a child with a peanut/tree nut allergy. Children who happen to bring a food item to school for lunch, and this item contains or may contain peanuts/tree nuts, will sit at a specifically designated peanut/tree nut table during their lunch period, and they are allowed to ask one friend (who is not allergic to peanuts/tree nuts) to sit with them. Please pack a wipe packet and stress to your children that they must wash their hands after eating their food containing peanuts/tree nuts. (Please note that hand sanitizer is available to all children. We also have a handwashing station in our Cafetorium.)

We are asking you to scrutinize labels and if there is ANY sign of peanuts/tree nuts, please do not bring the food items to the classroom. Our classrooms remain peanut/tree nut free. Any food item that is brought in must contain a label. We recognize that some of our children may have allergies to foods other than peanuts/tree nuts. Our BMPRSS nurses will send out specific information to those classes and grade levels so that everyone is mindful of any allergens. As such, we do NOT condone the sharing of food during lunch time or in the classroom.

For your convenience, we have attached a list of healthy food guidelines and suggestions. If you are sending in a food item not listed in these guidelines, you MUST send in the label. We have taken these measures to protect all of our students. We understand that this may be an inconvenience for many of you, but exposure can be life threatening to some. If you have any questions, you may contact the BMPRSS Health Office at ANY time: 914-937-3600 x2217 or via email rssnurse@blindbrook.org

Thank you for helping keep our children safe!

Tracy Taylor, Principal
Dr. Teresa Letizia, Assistant Principal
BMPRSS Health Office - rssnurse@blindbrook.org

Visitor Information

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 an ORANGE VISITOR LANYARD 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 without a valid Photo ID and a scheduled meeting.

Disruptive Devices and Items

(This includes reference to the NYS Distraction-Free School Law)

At BMPRSS, we strive to create a learning environment where all of our bluebirds can engage fully with the world around them—learning, connecting, and growing together each day. To support a distraction-free environment, we are reminding families of our long-standing expectations around personal devices and disruptive items.

In alignment with New York State’s Distraction-Free Schools Law (NY Education Law § 2803), "Students cannot use devices like smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches (or any device accessing the internet) on school grounds from the start of the school day until the end, including all instructional and non-instructional time." This applies even if the internet or WiFi is turned off. These items must remain off and out of sight during school hours.

As outlined in our BMPRSS Family Guidebook, the following items have always been considered disruptive and should not be brought to school or on school grounds unless authorized by a member of the school staff or administration:

Smartwatches (including those that send/receive messages or connect to the internet)
Phones, tablets, iPods/iPads, hand-held video games
Toys or collectibles, such as Pokémon cards, trading cards, Silly Banz, etc.
Any item that resembles a weapon of any kind
Clickers or noise-making devices

Please note: This list is not exhaustive. Any item that disrupts the learning environment or poses a safety concern will not be allowed in school.

We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a focused and safe learning environment for all our bluebirds!

School Safety Drills

BMPRSS will begin to conduct all of our required fire drills and lockdown drills starting in September for the 2025-2026 school year. Families are required to receive notification of drills prior to the scheduled drills. If you have any questions about these drills, please contact Dr. Letizia - tletizia@blindbrook.org

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

Rye Brook Recreation After School Program

Registration for the 2025-26 RYE BROOK AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM is now open!

We offer many different options. Below are our monthly fees:

2 days per week: $295

3 days per week: $400

4 days per week: $495

5 days per week: $575

Have a fun & safe rest of the summer. We look forward to providing your child/children with After School care for the upcoming school year.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Rocky Furano at rfurano@ryebrookny.gov or 914-438-2087.

Rye Brook Recreation Staff

P.S. If you are thinking about sending your child in September, please see click here for the Health and Registration Form that will need to be submitted, along with your child's immunization report, before the start of the program. Email forms to Rocky Furano at rfurano@ryebrookny.gov.

Rye Brook Recreation Activities

FROM RYE BROOK RECREATION

The Village of Rye Brook is offering some new pickleball programs for the Fall. We are offering pickleball for kids and adults from 8 years old to 99, on Saturday mornings at Rye Hills Park. We also have lowered our prices for the programs so it's very affordable to learn or brush up on your pickleball skills. Some of our programs will be at our new 3-court pickleball courts at Garibaldi Park.

See you on the courts!

Rye Brook Recreation

Click here for the Rye Brook Parks and Recreation Department Brochure

Blind Brook District Technology Resources for Families and Students

Please check out this link below for any tech resources that you need!

https://sites.google.com/blindbrook.org/technologyresourcesforparents/home

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. Katie Gambino - kgambino@blindbrook.org

Mrs. Jen Vazquez - jvazquez@blindbrook.org

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 18

Blind Brook PTA SED Sponsored Parent Q&A

6:30 pm

BBMS/HS Auditorium

Mike McLeod, renowned ADHD/Executive Functioning specialist and Founder of GrowNOW ADHD, comes back to Blind Brook to lead a parenting session.
Topics include:

Social executive functions - making and keeping friends
Self regulation and negative attention seeking in the home - argument vortex
Self motivation towards non preferred task
Sibling interactions - fighting

Each session is $25 per family (parents only). Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity! Click on the link to register: Registration Link

November 20

Half Day of School - All BMPRSS students are dismissed at 11:30 am