Members of the middle and high school counseling departments worked together to bring a special presentation to eighth graders on Feb. 3 to prepare them for their transition to high school in the fall. During their visits, counselors reviewed graduation requirements and discussed focus electives. 

“This is an important component for the students’ transition to high school because it puts them in the driver’s seat of their high school careers,” middle school counselor Samantha Chu said. “We believe that the more students are informed of their expectations as well as the opportunities available to them, they will be excited about their future and be an active part of their curricula planning.” 

Chu said that while school always comes with work and responsibilities, it is an exciting experience and journey. She and her colleagues are committed to continue to offer students firsthand information about their future and connect them with teachers and peers to learn more about classes. 

“I am very impressed with my students’ diligence to the transition timeline,” she said. “They have been great about high school-related deadlines and advocating for themselves in regard to future opportunities. Little things like stopping by to ask a quick question demonstrates to me how excited and prepared they are for next year.”

A group of talented Rye Neck students, in grades six through 12, will have more than 70 artworks on display at the Mamaroneck Public Library art exhibit from Jan. 27 through March 13. 

The exhibit showcases a variety of work, from drawings to paintings and collages, of students in teachers Trisha Appel’s, Jennifer Dallow’s and Karen Fontecchio’s art classes. It also focuses on a variety of artists, skills and techniques across the different grade levels.

Inspired by ancient Greece, sixth graders created vases using different symbols and patterns on scratch art paper that were placed on top of a Greek column. Seventh graders who learned about the pop art movement and Andy Warhol created their own “celebrity self-portraits.” Eighth graders who learned about Stuart Davis’ abstract art and positive and negative space, created colorful and abstract city collages in which they used colored construction paper, magazines and newspapers to complete their work. 

“The middle school work that will be on display shows a small variety of what they learn throughout their time in sixth through eighth grade, which will continue throughout their years as high school students,” Appel said. “Students take with them their understanding of how to create interesting compositions, working with a variety of materials and knowledge of different artists and art movements, as seen on display, to help them become well-rounded art students at the high school level.” 

High school students in Fontecchio’s art classes created printmaking on watercolor backgrounds, contour line drawings and one-point perspective illustrations of room interiors. Having studied value and pencil-blending techniques, high school students in Dallow’s classes created still-life drawings in pencil. Students also created printmaking collages, which were made as a culmination of their design unit. 

“Students love to show their talent and have work displayed in the school throughout the year, but it is particularly special to have it in shown the community,” Dallow said. “I love to see the pride our students feel when given these exhibition opportunities.”

Thanks to the generosity of the school community, members of the Rye Neck Middle School Student Senate donated nonperishable food items to the Community Action Program Center in Mamaroneck.  

Spearheaded by the Student Senate and co-advisers Matthew Magnani and Christopher Tinnirello, the students collected items, such as pasta, canned beans, sauces and soups, from December through part of January. Then, club members worked together to sort and categorize the donations. 

“More than nine boxes of nonperishable donations were collected,” said Magnani, who along with Tinnirello delivered the food donations on Jan. 14. 

Rye Neck Middle School eighth graders in Davide Bianco’s Italian language classes recently celebrated their accomplishments by hosting an Italian pizza tasting.

Having explored the Italian language and culture, the students researched recipes of typical Italian main courses and desserts. In addition, they were challenged to work in groups at home to create five-minute videos in which they hosted a cooking show. Each group was challenged to provide clear guidelines in how to cook an authentic dish while showcasing their recipes and skills in Italian.

“These videos were shared with the rest of the class along with delicious samples,” Bianco said.