Bruno M. Ponterio

Ridge Street School

Home of the Bluebirds

Weekly Highlights 3/2/26-3/6/26

We Know How to PARP!

Many thanks to the Blind Brook PTA PARP (Pick A Reading Partner) Committee and our BMPRSS Librarian, Ms. Zatarga, for a great week! We had guest readers in our classrooms, a guest author come to our school, and we are looking forward to a fantastic Book Swap next week! We certainly know how to PARP!

During PARP Week, our Bluebirds had the wonderful opportunity to welcome author Mackenzie Cadenhead for a special visit celebrating the joy of reading and storytelling.

Students learned about the creative process behind writing a graphic novel — from an initial “pitch” idea to drafting, sketching, penciling, inking, and finally coloring. It was fascinating to see how Ms. Cadenhead’s stories evolve from simple concepts into fully published books. She also shared how her work with Marvel Comics deepened her appreciation for the unique elements of graphic novels, including panels, speech bubbles, and visual storytelling techniques.

In addition, our 5th Grade Student Council had the opportunity to engage more closely with Ms. Cadenhead, learning about the writing process and even drawing Spider-Man alongside her. This hands-on experience brought the craft of storytelling to life in an exciting and memorable way.

We are so grateful to have spent the day learning from such a talented author. A special thank you to the Blind Brook PTA for arranging this outstanding event in celebration of PARP Week and for continuing to support meaningful literacy experiences for our students.

Here are some of our amazing guest readers this week!

Congressman George Lattimer

Westchester County Legislator Nancy E. Barr

Senator Shelley B. Mayer

Blind Brook Board of Education President

Jeff Mensch

Blind Brook Board of Education President

Jeff Mensch

Blind Brook Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Brian Alm

Blind Brook Middle School Principal

Seth Horowitz

Blind Brook Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Dr. Michael Curtin

Blind Brook Director of Health, Physical Education and Interscholastic Athletics Greg Warren

Former Blind Brook Superintendent of Schools Dr. Colin Byrne

News 12 Reporter Tara Rosenblum

CEO of Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMA Kenny Barton

Rye Brook Mayor Jason Klein

Chairman of the Rye Town Sustainability Committee Pamela Jaffee

Village of Rye Brook Superintendent of Public Works Michael Nowak

Special Effects Emmy Winner Dr. Hugo Ayala

2026 National Young Arts Award Winner in Writing/Fiction and Student Ex-Officio of the Blind Brook Board of Education

Iris Chen

Rye Brook Police Officer Caridi

Captain of Blind Brook Girls' Soccer Team Kayleigh Curran

BB 504 Chairperson

Danielle Brudner

Port Chester-Rye Brook Library Director

Tee Cotter

March is Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the many women who have helped shape our world through their ideas, bravery, creativity, and determination. Throughout the month, our students will learn about inspiring women from the past and present who have made important contributions in areas such as science, the arts, sports, and leadership. Their stories remind us that with hard work, curiosity, and perseverance, anyone can make a difference.

Maria Mitchell

Maria Mitchell grew up loving the stars — and she didn’t just look at them… she discovered one! In 1847, using a telescope, she discovered a brand-new comet. It became so famous that people called it “Miss Mitchell’s Comet.” Maria Mitchell became the first professional female astronomer in the United States and the first woman elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That was a very big deal at a time when women were often not allowed in scientific groups. But she didn’t just study the stars. She also stood up for what was right. She supported ending slavery and worked to advance women’s rights. Today, her telescope is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame for her incredible contributions. So today, look up at the sky… and remember that your curiosity, imagination, and courage can take you anywhere — maybe even to the stars!

Mary Anderson

In 1903, while visiting New York City, Mary noticed that drivers had to stop and wipe snow and rain off their windshields by hand just to see the road. She believed there had to be a better way. So she designed a device with a rubber blade that could be controlled from inside the car to clear the windshield. That invention became the first working windshield wiper. At the time, many people laughed at her idea and thought it would distract drivers. But just a few years later, windshield wipers became standard on cars—and today, we can’t imagine driving without them. Mary Anderson’s creativity and perseverance remind us that one thoughtful idea can make life better for people everywhere.

Maria Telkes

Maria Telkes was a scientist who studied how to use the power of the sun to create energy. Maria moved to the United States and spent her career inventing helpful tools that used solar power. During World War II, she created a device that used sunlight to turn seawater into drinking water, which helped save the lives of sailors lost at sea. She also helped design the first house heated by solar energy. Because of her important work with solar power, Maria Telkes became known as the “Sun Queen.”

Composting in the Bluebird Nest!

The first ever Bluebird Composting Club is underway and includes the entire first grade class! This club introduces our young students to the idea that food scraps and other natural materials don't have to be thrown away. Students will learn how to turn the scraps into healthy soil that helps plants grow bigger and healthier. Thanks to a generous donation from our local Rye Brook Sustainability Committee, the club now has six compost bins to help our classrooms get off to an exciting start. Through this hands-on experience, our first graders will discover how small actions such as collecting unused food scraps left over from their snack time, can make a difference to our environment. Learning about the importance of sustainability helps our young students develop habits that support a healthier planet for their future.

4th Grade Visits the Maritime Aquarium

On the fourth grade field trip to the Maritime Aquarium, our students learned about animals that live in the intertidal zone of Long Island Sound (an area that is sometimes underwater and sometimes dry because of the tides). During our lab, we observed and gently touched animals like crabs, mollusks, and gastropods and talked about the special adaptations that help them survive in this changing environment. After the lab, we explored the aquarium in small groups and visited exhibits featuring animals from Long Island Sound and other parts of the ocean.

Food Trucks at the BB BOE Meeting

Fifth grade students recently completed a creative and engaging interdisciplinary Food Truck Project that combined art, math, and technology. Students designed and built their own 3D food trucks in art class and created detailed menus featuring food and drink items with prices that included decimals. In computer class, students turned their menus into presentations and used them to complete sample “guest checks,” applying their math skills in a real-world context.

At Wednesday's Board of Education meeting, Zara B, Abby B., Ben K., Victor L, Sofia P., and Mila D. proudly presented their food truck concepts and shared the learning behind their projects with the Board and community members. Ms. Petrino, one of our fifth grade math and science teachers, was also present to support the students and celebrate their work.

Bluebird Writers

Fifth graders in Ms. Martins and Ms. Petrino's class were sharing their research essays with one another during peer editing. Students partnered up and took turns reading their essays out loud while their partners followed along, listened carefully, and offered helpful feedback. They used their editing checklists to look for things like clear topic sentences, strong evidence, correct grammar, and ways to improve their writing. Reading their work aloud also helped them catch mistakes and think about how to make their ideas even clearer.

Bluebirds Flying High at a Chess Tournament!

The Rye Brook Chess Club has some good news to share! On Sunday, March 1st several BMPRSS students participated in the 2026 Connecticut State Grade Championships held at the Greenwich Country Day School. The students competed against about 138 students from the tri-state area. The RSS students who competed were: Jonathan B., Rohan P., Mufan C., and Wyatt M. Together, they brought home one team trophy (Unrated Grades 2-3 2nd place Team: Jonathan B. and Rohan P.) and one individual trophy (Unrated Grades 2-3, 2nd place: Rohan P.) All four BMPRSS students also had at least two wins during the competition! Congratulations to our bluebirds!

Young Engineers - Donations Needed

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. Eckert - aeckert@blindbrook.org

Paper towel cardboard tubes
Toilet paper cardboard tubes
Clips from can tops - beverage cans, cat food and dog food cans, etc.
Bottle caps of any kind (plastic and/or metal) - please rinse out
Empty tape spools - both plastic and cardboard
Empty thread spools

Blind Brook PTA Events

Kindergarten and First Grade Glow Dance Party

Nearly 140 of our K & 1 students lit up the dance floor at our Glow Dance Party on Feb 12! Our youngest bluebirds showed up with BIG confidence and even bigger moves. Pure joy, shared laughter, and memories they’ll talk about all year long. Check out all the incredible photos captured by our parent photographers:

Kindergarten Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/17j2VYbKEd8HNnkr8

First Grade Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HpxtA7EKhVKfRmUXA

Show Night- SPOTLIGHT EXPERIENCE With Circus Splendiferous - March 16th

Blind Brook PTA is excited to invite students in Grades 2–5 to a special evening of high-energy, professionally produced performance featuring dynamic artistry. Registration is open now. To register, visit https://blindbrook.givebacks.com/shop and Select "Show Night"

PTA S.E.I.D. Event

Please join BBPTA S.E.I.D. for a Zoom Q&A with Dr. Casabona and Mrs. Castelli from PPS on Monday, March 23rd. RSVP here.

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.

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

Mental Health Resources in the Bluebird Nest

Click HERE to go to our BMPRSS Mental Health Resources page.

March Lunch Menu

Please click here for the March 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

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

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

SATURDAY, March 7, 2026

Destination Imagination Eastern Regional Tournament

Two elementary teams and one middle school team from the Blind Brook School District will be completing in this year's Destination Imagination Eastern Regional Tournament which will be held in Somers, NY! Wishing them all the best as they present their solutions to the challenges they solved this year!

Week of March 9th

Book Swap

During the week of March 9th, students will visit the Book Swap and “swap” their books for different ones they would like to read. Any books remaining after the Book Swap will be donated to an organization that helps put books into the hands of children.

March 10, 2026

Flamenco Performance for 3rd Grade Families

7:00 pm

BMPRSS Cafetorium

All guests must wear a wristband for entry to the event. Wristbands will be distributed in advance of the performance. This event is for 3rd grade families only. A livestream option will also be available for those who are unable to attend in person.

SATURDAY, March 21, 2026

Blind Brook Board of Education Meeting - Budget Review

8:30 am - 1:00 pm

BBMS/HS IMC

March 26, 2026

BMPRSS Incoming Kindergarten Parent Orientation

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

BMPRSS Cafetorium

March 30 - April 3, 2026

Spring Break

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

BMPRSS Cafetorium

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