School Opens and Students Enter a Brave New World

(PHOTO: Rye schools have purchased 3,500 polycarbonate desk dividers at a cost of $40 each in preparation for school opening. Yes, that is $140,000 of plastic.)

Welcome back to school.

In a note to the community Friday, Rye school boss Eric Byrne said it will be “a school year that will undoubtedly be very different from what any of us have ever known.”

In the update, Bryne shared that classrooms across the five schools have been outfitted with webcams and that as of Friday, 1,500 of the 3,500 polycarbonate desk shields had been received with the rest expected over the weekend.

And on Sunday night, Director of Health Services Tracey Barnett sent the awaited web-based COVID screening and health assessment form. Parents are required to submit a daily health assessment for their students each day they are in a school building. Middle and high school families must complete the health assessment form by 7:00 a.m. every morning. Elementary students must have the health assessment form submitted by 7:30 a.m. for the AM group. For the elementary PM group, the form must be completed by 11:30 a.m.

Please note school districts are required to report the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and we will be reporting these COVID numbers daily on MyRye.com starting Wednesday once the State starts releasing data.

Anyone showing symptoms will not be allowed into school, and anyone not completing the assessment will be stopped before entering any school building.

Of course, all this costs money, and as of Monday, the Rye Fund for Education’s S.A.F.E. campaign has collected over $89,000 from more than 220 donors ($400 average gift size). The $89K is in addition to the initial donation of $50,000 from the Fund, for a total of $139,000 against the goal of $250,000, a bit over halfway.

You can donate online and every donor will receive a car magnet to acknowledge their gift.

MyRye.com wishes everyone good health and good luck!