Principal News and Notes

Rye Junior High School

501 Washington Rd.

Rye, NH 03870

(603) 964-5591

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30-3:30

October 15, 2026

Principal Updates

Fall Star reports

Fall Star testing reports in reading and math were sent home by mail this week. Included is a cover letter explaining how to read your child's scores, and how our school analyzes the data for a variety of reasons.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's teachers, Alison Dunn, school counselor, or Anne Gilbert.

Congratulations to our Rye Kid Governor candidate!

Grade 5 students recently sent their NH Kid Governor candidate’s name to Concord! After learning about the structure of NH state government, all students prepared a short written platform, outlining what change they would like to bring to NH if they were governor. This included completing research on the topic of their choice. Students did not have to actually run for the RJH Kid Governor position, but 15 students took on the challenge, and gave a short speech to the entire fifth grade. Their platforms included improving animal welfare, concerns about caring for the environment, and eliminating homework. After hearing from all the candidates, our fifth grade students voted for their RJH Kid Governor candidate. The RJH winner’s platform was shortening the school week to four days, with longer school days. Congratulations to all our candidates!

Portsmouth High School athletic events

Recently, the PHS athletic director reached out to middle school principals looking for support. Middle school students have been attending PHS football games without supervision, which has resulted in "a notable number of complaints from visiting spectators and community members regarding rude behavior and a general refusal by some middle school students to listen to event staff and administration".

We do not know if RJH students have been in attendance. If your child attends PHS athletic events, please ensure that an adult is present who can provide supervision. It is worth noting that other area high schools do not allow middle school students in extracurricular events without supervision.

While it is easy to assume that our students have not been involved, we do know that middle school is a time for testing boundaries and a deep need for peer approval and acceptance. During this time in their development, children may often behave in uncharacteristic or unexpected ways in large groups. Providing adult supervision is a valuable tool to model and monitor acceptable behavior at an athletic event.

RJH reminders

RJH clubs

Art club: Mondays

Come be creative and work on a self directed art project! All are welcome, and you do not need to be an Art student this quarter to attend.

MathCounts: Tuesdays

MathCounts is a competitive math team that practices solving fun, engaging math problems. The team competes at UNH in February against other teams in our area. Grades 6-8 can attend.

Writing club: Thursdays

Bring a notebook, your favorite writing utensil, and your imagination!

Robotics club: Thursdays

Come create underwater robots in this fun, hands on group!

*All clubs meet after school until 3:45

Team newsletters

Please click to view each newsletter

Did you know that students in 5th, 6th, and 7th grade teachers have live homework updates? These documents are updated each week, and adapted throughout the week as needed. Students have bookmarked the homework document, and we encourage families to do the same.

Wondering why 8th grade does not have a homework document? This is a purposeful decision we have made as a staff. We want our eighth graders to take on more responsibility while in a smaller environment, and potentially make mistakes while still in middle school. This way, students have gained experience and techniques in organization and time management that will help them in high school.

Explore

Grade 5

No Grade 6 newsletter: Please check the Merrowvista photo folder for updates!

Grade 7

Grade 8

Important dates

Wednesday, October 14-Friday, October 16: 6th grade to Merrowvista

Wednesday, October 21: Rye School Board meeting, 5:30 at RJH

Tuesday, October 27: 7th grade field trip

PTA Updates

ASE Session 2 Registration
Registration for After School Enrichment (ASE) Session 2 opens next Wednesday, October 21st at 6PM.

Session 2 runs from November 2nd to December 18th. A link with program information and where to sign up will be sent out early next week!

Trunk or Treat: Sunday, October 25th (3:30 PM – 5:00 PM)

Purchase Raffle Tickets Now!
Take advantage of our early bird discount and skip the line. You can purchase 20 tickets for $15 in advance, or buy individual tickets at the door for $1 each.
Purchase discounted tickets here: Trunk or Treat Raffle Tickets
*All pre-purchased tickets will be sent home in student backpacks on Friday, October 23rd.
We Need Your Help!
Thank you to all of those that have already signed up! But we still need a little more help to make Trunk or Treat a success.
- Trunk Volunteers: Decorate a trunk for trick-or-treaters (currently at 13 of our goal of 25).
- Raffle Baskets: Donate a themed basket (currently at 17 of our goal of 25).
- Candy Donations
- Event Helpers: Assist with setup, ticket sales, pizza, or cleanup (currently at 12 of our goal of 25).

Sign up to help here: Trunk or Treat Volunteer Sign up
This is one of our kids' favorite nights of the year. While sponsored by the PTA, this event is only possible with your support.

Membership Drive Update
We have had a strong start to our drive, with 28 Basic, 25 Family, and 3 Teacher memberships.

Please help us finish strong by joining today: PTA 2026/27 Membership Drive

Thank you for your continued support!

Community Events (not school sponsored)

Rye Public Library

Elementary:

Monday, October 19

Middle Grade Monday: Edible Engineering

3:00-4:00pm

Come by the Youth Department after school to build something delicious! We’ll provide the edible materials, and you bring the creativity and appetite. Please feel free to drop-in anytime between 3-4pm. Recommended for grades 3 and up, but all are welcome. Children 9-years-old or younger must be accompanied by someone 16-years-old or older.

Junior High:

Tuesday, October 20

Pumpkin Carving

3:00-4:00pm

Make your own jack-o-lantern to take home! We'll have some pumpkins and tools available first come, first serve. This after-school event is open to those in grades 5+, no registration required.