Good morning. 🚌 This is your Thursday, Sept. 10, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.

Today’s Weather Channel local forecast is partly cloudy with a high of 86 degrees. 🌤️ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.

At 7 a.m. Tuesday – the first day of the new school year in Rye – Osborn School was as quiet as it had been all summer.

By 8 a.m., dozens of families had streamed toward the school entrance, filling a building that would soon be home to nearly 500 students each day.

Fathers in suits juggled coffee-filled thermoses in one hand while pushing baby carriages with the other. For parents, this time of year can be just as challenging as it is for their children.

“The first week back, there’s a lot of excitement,” said Nancy Gauss, whose son just started third grade. “It’s really fun, and then the kids settle in. I think they should expect a great school, great community.”

Once every student made their way into the school, parents quickly returned to their cars, some moving faster than others as they rushed to bring their older children to school.

Judy Goodwin, a crossing guard, has been watching students and families navigate this annual transition for the last three years.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the busiest, but it is the craziest,” she said of the first day, “because nobody knows where they’re going.”

Click here for Amalia Wompa’s video report and story.

-Today’s newsletter is curated by Chris Marshall

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THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. After new starting QB Charlie Brady rushed for five touchdowns in Rye’s 39-21 season-opening win against Cornwall, the Garnets take the field again tonight in a rare Thursday game at Clarkstown South. — Steven Kearney

FALSE ALARM. A Bronx woman was indicted for the alleged false reporting of a bomb threat aboard the Metro-North Railroad, causing the train to halt and all passengers to evacuate at the Rye train station. Albertyna Mendoza, 27, is due back in court Sept. 17. — Chris Marshall

GETTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER. The steering committee for Rye’s comprehensive plan discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the city’s housing situation ahead of the first public workshop, which is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Rye Free Reading Room. Residents can register to attend at cityofryecomprehensiveplan.com. — Miranda Ferrante

THE RYE FINDER. Test your RyeQ with this Rye-centric word search puzzle. This week’s challenge is to find the names of seven types of birds and other animals that can be found in Rye. Answers run vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. Submit your completed puzzle by midnight Sept. 18 for a chance to win prizes.

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Rye girls soccer’s 27-game unbeaten streak has been put to the test early this season, but the Garnets may not have a tougher two-game stretch than the one they just survived.

Trailing by a goal in the final minute last night at Albertus Magnus, junior Hannah Jachman scored an equalizer to salvage a 2-2 tie against the defending Class AA state champions.

A foul by the Falcons just outside the box gave Rye one last shot at a draw. Just as they did all last season, the Garnets made the most of the opportunity.

With 33 seconds left on the clock, Jachman drove home the game-tying score.

Despite national reports of high schools assigning fewer full books and relying more on book excerpts, local educators say their students are still expected to read full novels and non-fiction works.

At Rye Neck High School, students in grades six to 12 read four to six books per school year, in addition to shorter nonfiction pieces, short stories, and poems, said Kara Slattery, the school’s English department chairwoman. But getting students to read has new challenges.

“Kids just don’t read as much. I see more of a struggle to focus and trouble completing a task from start to finish,” said Slattery, who added that despite cellphone bans, students are still tempted by their devices.

— Mia Padovano

As you drive or walk past any Rye school – or just about any school in the country, from middle school to college – you’ll likely find groups of students standing in circles of five or eight or more, kicking around a new hacky sack.

As hard as it is to believe, the sack came screaming back into the American mainstream in the spring. Over the summer, Rye’s newfound hacky sackers were free to circle up, kick, and juggle to their heart’s content.

Foot bag itself is simple. Typically played in a circle of any size, the goal is to keep a small, pellet-filled sack aloft for as long as possible by kicking.

“Parents who played in high school or college are playing again, but now with their kids. Greyson Herdman, president of World Footbag. “We don’t know how long this generational shift we’re living through right now will last, but it has likely changed the footbag industry forever.”

— Steven Kearney