Rye City School District teachers spent three days in training before the 2026-27 school year began.

A social psychologist's keynote on building classroom relationships anchored the Sept. 1 kickoff at Rye High School.

The district's Superintendent's Conference Days ran Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Thursday, Sept. 3.

Superintendent Dr. Tricia Murray opened the program by welcoming faculty from all five schools: Milton, Osborn and Midland elementary schools, Rye Middle School and Rye High School.

The opening day's featured speaker was Dr. Natalie Kerr, a social psychologist and professor of psychology at James Madison University. Kerr, author of "Teaching in a Lonely World" and co-author of "Our New Social Life: Science-Backed Strategies for Creating Meaningful Connection," spoke about the role educators play in helping students form relationships that support learning.

She outlined strategies for weaving connection into daily classroom routines, such as helping students find common ground with peers and building brief moments of interaction into lessons.

Over the first two days, staff attended building-level meetings, technology and security briefings and social-emotional learning sessions. Teachers also completed specialized training and had time for classroom setup.

On Thursday, Sept. 3, the focus shifted to The Rye Commitment, the Board of Education's adopted framework pledging support for students, staff and the community.

The framework commits the district to helping students become citizens who think critically, communicate effectively and solve problems collaboratively. Murray and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Lauren Santabarbara led the morning session before teachers broke into grade-level and departmental groups.

The Rye Commitment has guided district work throughout the past year. It was referenced in board presentations on topics including the National School Lunch Program and instructional technology in May and June.

Students returned to classrooms on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Murray joined principals outside school buildings that morning to greet students, the district said. The district said students will continue engaging with The Rye Commitment throughout the 2026-27 school year through learning experiences focused on critical thinking, collaboration and communication.