Tenure Appointments
Congratulations to the Rye City School District's two administrators and 11 teachers who have earned their tenure appointments! Tenures were approved for the following individuals:
Patricia Taylor, RHS Principal
Ellen McDonnell, RHS Assistant Principal
Kristina Anderson, RMS Special Education Teacher
Simon Berk, RMS Social Studies Teacher
Harold Brosowsky, RMS Math & Science Teacher
Marisa Galvin, Osborn & Milton ELL Teacher
Margaret Heinze, RMS Art Teacher Lisa Irvine, RMS Science Teacher
Leanne Janos, RMS Special Education Teacher
Mark McWilliams, RHS & RMS Latin Teacher
Thomas Snowden, RHS & RMS Music Teacher
Matthew Teitsch, RHS Science Teacher
Kerry Tolan, RHS English Teacher
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Alvarez expressed appreciation to these dedicated administrators and faculty members as he announced each tenure recipient.
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PTO/PO Acknowledgments
Special acknowledgments were presented to the five Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and Parent Organization (PO) Chairs who have completed their terms as leaders of the volunteer groups. Board of Education Vice President Katy Keohane Glassberg shared words of gratitude and provided tokens of appreciation, on behalf of the Board, to Kim Abate, Raquelle Frenchman, Leigh Geller, Jamie Jensen, and Dawn Yardis.
As Ms. Glassberg explained, the members of the District's PTOs and POs dedicate a great deal of their time to various projects and initiatives, all of which benefit students and often leave a lasting impact on the school buildings. The PTOs at Midland, Milton, and Osborn elementary schools, the POs at the Middle School and High School, and RAISE (Rye All Inclusive Special Education, formerly SEPTA) have raised funds to support cultural enrichment, curriculum and teacher support, technology resources, playground and athletic equipment, scholarships and awards, and much more. These parent organizations also sponsor a number of memorable and educational events for students throughout the year.
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Superintendent's Report
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Alvarez provided a report to the Board of Education and community highlighting recent accomplishments. He shared excellent news from the Athletic Department that the Boys Baseball Team advanced to the State Championship Semi-Finals for the first time in many years. He also noted that Rye Crew members Allison Sullivan, Ryan Costa, Kiefer Mueller, Jim Palmer and Allison Sullivan would be competing in the US Rowing Youth National Championships in California from June 12-15. Additionally, Dr. Alvarez announced that Golf Team members Alexis Hios and Frida Henningsson would be competing in the New York State Championship at SUNY Delhi on June 14. Dr. Alvarez congratulated the athletes and wished them all well!
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Assistant Principals Appointed
The Board of Education approved the appointments of two new Assistant Principals, Suzanne Short and Joseph DiGiovanni. Mrs. Short will be taking on the role currently held by Ellen McDonnell at Rye High School, while Mr. DiGiovanni will take on Joe DeRuvo's position at Rye Middle School. Both will officially begin their new posts on July 1.
Mrs. Short is already a familiar and well-respected member of the Rye High School staff, having taught a variety of English courses for the past 13 years and serving as English Language Arts 6-12 Department Coordinator for the 2013-14 school year. Mrs. Short has additionally served as both the Senior Internship Coordinator and Be the Change Civility Committee Chairperson, while also contributing greatly to the District's technology initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fredonia State University and a Master of Arts Degree from Lehman College.
Mr. DiGiovanni joins Rye from the Hendrick Hudson School District, where he presently serves as Assistant Principal at Hendrick Hudson High School. He previously taught social studies at Fieldstone Middle School in the North Rockland Central School District for ten years. Mr. DiGiovanni also serves as the Humanities Coordinator at Hendrick Hudson High School and has additionally participated on the Beautification Committee, Calendar Committee, Technology Committee, and Safety Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from SUNY Oswego and a Masters Degree from the New York Inistitute of Technology.
"We considered a combined total of 520 applicants for these two positions, and are confident that Mrs. Short and Mr. DiGiovanni are each the best fit for the schools to which they were appointed," stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Alvarez. "We are thrilled to see Mrs. Short move up in her career as an educator. She has done a phenomenal job as English Department Chair this year and will continue to bring great energy and make excellent contributions to the High School as an Assistant Principal. We are equally enthused to welcome Mr. DiGiovanni to the District and to the Middle School, and believe that he will quickly become a valuable member of our administrative team."
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Gifts to the District
The Board of Education approved a $4,000 gift from the Niehaus Family for the Niehaus Scholarship. Mrs. Slack expressed gratitude to all of the individuals and organizations who continue to support the schools and students of Rye through gifts and contributions.
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Retirement
With sadness and well wishes, the Board approved the retirement
of Bonnie Manheimer, a Middle School and High School Computer Aide who has worked in the District for 26 years. Mrs. Manheimer was first hired as an aide at Midland School in 1988 and then became a permanent substitute before taking on her current role, which she has held for 15 years. Mrs. Manheimer has overseen computer needs and assisted with new developments for both schools, provided computer support and training for staff members, and helped to resolve computer issues. She has also served as web advisor at the building levels and the District level, managing a number of matters including those related to the District's website and school pages. Mrs. Manheimer additionally was an advisor for the Middle School Computer Club. On behalf of the Board, Mrs. Slack thanked Mrs. Manheimer for her service to the District and wished her a happy and healthy retirement.
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Mandarin V
Rye High School and Middle School Mandarin Teacher Sheau-Yuann Huang reported on the growing success of the Mandarin program. With students moving up through the courses, Mandarin V will be offered for the first time starting in September 2014. Mrs. Sheau-Yuann explained that she has completed her review of the curriculum and believes that it will be strong in enhancing students' understanding of the language. She noted that students do well in the program and are eager to dedicate the time and effort that learning Mandarin requires. The Mandarin program has flourished since its introduction and the District is now seeing larger enrollment numbers in the beginning courses.
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Veterans' Tax Exemption
Dr. Alvarez provided a presentation on the Veterans' Tax Exemption, an alternative exemption for veterans that became applicable to school districts in December. It allows school districts to grant exemptions to veterans based on various criteria.
This exemption does not reduce the amount of taxes collected by school districts. Instead, it redistributes the tax burden among the remaining population. Should the exemption be adopted in Rye, the estimated tax impact to the District is $229,378. The District currently believes that the estimated annual increase to homeowners based on average assessed value is $29.
In order to enact the exemption a public hearing must be held and a resolution must be passed by the Board. The Board plans to discuss this possibility further and engage the community in the fall.
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School Lunch Budget
Food Service Director John Rubbo presented the proposed 2014-15 school lunch budget that was provided to the Board for review. The Board will vote to adopt the lunch budget at its next meeting. Mr. Rubbo noted that the Food Services Department is constantly looking at ways to better utilize the menus in order to continue minimizing waste and saving in costs. He also discussed the ways in which certain concerns have been addressed this year, such as the lunch lines at Osborn School, which were expedited by providing the cashiers with additional equipment.
Mr. Rubbo and his staff will continue to explore other areas that can be improved, and will specifically work to address concerns regarding certain "favorite" lunches running out by the last lunch periods of the day.
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Capital Expenditure Report
Facilities Director Sam Carder reported on the planned capital expenditures for 2014-15. He explained that the District has allocated $775,000 for capital projects, which will primarily address security, safety, and code issues as well as certain necessary upgrades. The roofs will be repaired at each building, security film will be added at all schools, certain doors will be replaced, heating and ventilation issues will be addressed, a portion of the Midland parking lot will be replaced, a drainage pipe at Osborn will be replaced, a hot water pump issue at Osborn will be addressed, a plan will begin to be developed to address moisture in the Midland basement, and gymnasium windows will be replaced at Midland. The Facilities Committee is focusing on building a more forward-looking plan for addressing the District's needs in a tax cap environment.
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Bylaws
Members of the Board discussed changes to the Board of Education Bylaws, which will be on the agenda for approval at the Board of Education Reorganization Meeting. The Bylaws are reviewed annually by the District's Policy Committee.
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Board Member Interest in Being Considered for Officer Positions
Board of Education President Laura Slack and Board of Education Vice President Katy Keohane-Glassberg stated their interests in continuing to serve their respective officer positions pending nominations.
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Next Regular Meeting
June 24, 2014
8:00 pm
Rye Middle School Multipurpose Room
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Visit our District website for complete information on Board of Education meetings, minutes, policies and actions.
www.ryeschools.org
can be accessed on the District website. Videos should be available 2-3 days after each Board meeting. Past meeting videos are also accessible. |
Watch the video of Board of Education meetings on Cablevision channel 77 and
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Board Notes