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- On The Record: Back to School Edition
On The Record: Back to School Edition
Here's what you need to know
Good morning subscribers. ☕This is your Friday, August 29, Rye Record newsletter — a special Back to School Edition.
Today’s Weather Channel local forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 77 degrees ⛅ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.
Dawn of a new day. New York State lawmakers and educators are hoping that the return to school next month will also usher in a new era of distraction-free learning.
Lawmakers in Albany passed a cell phone ban in May, one of the signature pieces of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s state budget. The statewide ban, which takes effect in September, prohibits students in K-12 public and charter schools from using their smartphones during the whole school day — a restriction known as a “bell-to-bell” ban.
Hochul, however, left the onus on each school or school district to draft their own policies for implementing and enforcing the new law.
School districts, as a result, worked to create smartphone policies. Both local districts — the Rye City School District and the Rye Neck Union Free School District — finalized their plans over the summer.
To read Camille Botello’s full report, click here.
School districts across the state were mandated to implement smartphone ban policies in time for the September return to the classroom.
-Today’s newsletter is curated by Christian Falcone
➡️ Follow The Record, @ryerecordnews, on our social media channels and at ryerecord.com for the latest news. 💻📱
RYE RECORD STUDIOS 🎙
INSTAGRAM POST OF THE WEEK 📸
-Laying a new foundation at Midland School.
OTHER HEADLINES
Top earners. Eight Rye City school employees earned salaries of more than $200,000 in 2024, with one raking in over $320,000, school district records show. -Rosie Newmark
Not so fast. Over the last academic year, Salto smart handles have been installed on every door in the building, locking automatically and requiring school-issued IDs for access — meaning unless you have a key card, you’re not getting into Rye High School. -Timmy O’Donnell
New faces. The Rye City School District recently onboarded new administrators, teachers, and staff members in time for the 2025-2026 school year. Additionally, some district and school administrators were given new roles and titles. -Record staff
GET ORGANIZED FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR
-The dawn of every new school year offers a chance to get organized once and for all. And the best way to start, say local organizing experts, is with a clean slate. To read more, click here.
-by Sydney Depietto
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
-From kindergarteners stepping foot in a classroom for the first time to high schoolers completing their secondary education, from the carefree days of summer to the more structured life of a student. To read more, click here.
-by Juliet Rotondo
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FROM OUR PARTNERS
PEOPLE
Michael Burke took over as Rye Neck schools superintendent in July. Photo/Alison Rodilosso
How do you take over a school district from a guy who was there for 30 years?
Well, according to Michael Burke, the newly appointed Rye Neck schools superintendent, you do more listening than talking.
“I think a key mistake you can make when you come to a new district is to start making a lot of changes right away,” Burke, 51, told The Record from his office in Mamaroneck. “My job is to learn with them, and to grow with them.”
The former Bergen County, N.J., superintendent was selected to take over for Eric Lutinski back in April.
-by Camille Botello
Rye High School teachers Roni Sarig (left) and Anthony Frabizzio are among the educators struggling with the use of AI by their students.
SCHOOLS
Rye High School teacher Joel Edminster is changing the way he teaches AP English Literature, starting with the summer assignment students complete before the first day of classes in September.
In previous years, Edminster required students to read two novels and write essays responding to each. This fall, he is planning to replace the essays with in-class exams administered over the first few days of school.
The reason for the change?
To deter students from using artificial intelligence to write essays before they set foot in the classroom.
-by Juliet Rotondo
SCHOOLS
RHS now offers the IB Diploma Programme, which aims to prepare students for “university success by providing a broad and challenging curriculum.”
For the first time, Rye High School juniors and seniors can enroll in International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, adding options to the school’s already plentiful offerings of AP classes and an alternative path, The Academy.
“This fall, over 100 students will be enrolled in IB classes, reflecting the excitement about this new program,” said Assistant Principal Cody Blume, who is also the former IB Programme Coordinator.
A nonprofit educational foundation comparable to — and sometimes mistaken for — the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum, the IB offers various international education programs designed to enrich high school students’ learning. Similar to AP, students may receive college credits for their IB courses.
-by Davi Schulman
The Rye City schools have come up with a program called Peer to Peer, which looks to combat the stigma around mental health.
SCHOOLS
Middle and high school come at a difficult time of life — the teenage years.
Everyone can remember the struggle to fit in and the stress of school and extracurricular activities.
In recent years, with the introduction of social media, high school has become even more difficult. Many students have begun to struggle with their mental health, with one in five under 18 reporting that they have experienced anxiety or depression.
-by Madeline Ball