Pleasantvilleschools.org - Vol. 71 No. 2
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pleasantvilleschools.org
Winter 2023 Vol. 71 No. 2
Dear Pleasantville School District and Community Members,
My area of focus this year is safety. The goal is to position the district to prevent, whenever possible, and effectively
respond, when necessary, to a wide range of critical incidents, and recover as quickly as possible to our mission of
educating our students.
There has been a lot of progress made towards this goal during this school year. Here are a few highlights:
• Contracted with a school safety consultant company
• 22-23 Districtwide Safety Plan and District Code of Conduct updated, sent
to community for comment, and approved by the Board of Education on
August 9
• Building-level safety plans updated and approved by the Board on September 13
• On-site summer and fall visits with our school safety consultant, including
building team safety meetings
• Began required drills with ongoing reflection for continuous improvement
• Visitor / main entrance door release system planned and purchased
• Visitor Protocols Safety Task Force developed visitor protocols in anticipation
of new door release system
• Decreased risks and improved health and safety at home football games
• Districtwide Safety Team Meeting on November 16 – reviewed sections of
the 23-24 plan in small groups
• Trained staff that answer phones about safety protocols including answering
bomb and violent threat calls, and provided follow up documents
• Conducted radio inventory and developed radio use protocols
• Transitioned to use K12 Alerts as intended for emergency purposes only
The use of the safety task force model to develop visitor protocols was so
effective I used it to create a Reunification Safety Task Force. More communication
will come about the visitor protocols once our new intercoms are delivered and
installed.
When discussing safety, there is always a level of confidentiality that must be
kept. I hope the information provided demonstrates the commitment on the part
of the district to prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff. They are
our most precious resources.
This goal advances several strategies in the Strategic Plan: Pleasantville Schools
2026. These include infrastructure and resources, communication, partnerships, leadership and wellness. For more
information about the annual goals and the aligned strategies in the Strategic Plan, please see our website.
For the youth,
Dr. Tina DeSa
Superintendent of Schools
Published by the Board of Education, Pleasantville Union Free School District, Pleasantville NY
School News
Counseling from Kindergarten to Graduation
There was a time when students only saw a school
counselor to discuss class selection or college
applications, but school counselors play a much bigger
role for students these days.
The Pleasantville School Counseling Department
provides services to students from kindergarten
through graduation. It helps them navigate social and
emotional learning, connects students to district and
outside resources, and creates parental and community
connections.
“In this post-COVID world the School Counseling
Department is integral to all that we do,” School
Superintendent Dr. Tina DeSa said. “They have a
critical role in our schools and contribute to the
overall positive school climate that we see and hear
Mary Ann Flatley, K-12 SEL Counselor, and Middle School
from our students.” Counselors Pamela Roth and Susan Leyden.
Coordinator of School Counseling Joyce Connell
oversees the department. The counselors work with
students in three broad areas: college and career,
academic, and social and emotional learning. Mary Ann Flatley is the K-12 Social and Emotional
Learning (SEL) Counselor. On any given day, she can
“Our approach is deeper than the courses students be found leading a class or special program that helps
take and what college they want to go to,” Connell students of all ages learn to manage their emotions,
said. “Our counseling department takes a holistic develop empathy or acquire a host of other skills.
approach. We support students academically, socially
and emotionally and help them think about their future.” “We start in kindergarten teaching that every
feeling is legitimate, there are no good or bad feelings,”
Flatley said. “Then there’s the middle school piece,
where we talk about growing pains and reassure them
that whatever they are going through is okay. We help
students develop a common language and come up
with individualized coping strategies.”
The counseling department provides a variety
of unique opportunities across the grades. In middle
school it focuses on healthy relationships, academic
and career planning, time management and making
schedules. In high school, counseling starts with
freshman orientation and progresses to learning a
software system for college planning and career
development and looking toward college applications
and what happens after high school.
“When you look at all the things the counseling
High School Counselors and School Counseling Coordinator department does, it is a little overwhelming,” Dr. DeSa
Joyce Connell: standing (l to r) Cheryl Thomas, Joyce Connell said. “They work tirelessly to create the healthy, supportive
and Rebeca Castellano; sitting (l to r) Megan Bradley and school culture that makes Pleasantville so special.”
Allyson Winston.
2
School News
Writing for Fun
Celebrating 50 Years
In April 1973, the name of our school
district was changed from the “Union
Free School District Number 9 of the
Town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester
County” to the “Pleasantville Union Free
School District.”
To mark the 50th Anniversary of the
renaming, Pleasantville High School
Assistant Principal Gregg Fonde gave
a presentation at a January Board of
Education meeting that showcased Top row: Roxanne Smith, Steven Pettus, Gigi Agati, Ava Coleman. Bottom
five decades of life in the Pleasantville row: Oliver Giebelhaus, Allison Vamossy, Clara Nielson-Papish. Not pictured:
schools. Roan Anker.
He pulled together pictures from the The eight winners of the 11th grade Creative Writing Contest wrote
1970s, collected print newspaper articles in verse, prose and even in code.
and played the popular songs of the day
Roxanne Smith, who wrote her poem “The Mind of an Athlete”
to tell the story of PUFSD.
in code said, “I’m an athlete. I don’t think of myself as a writer, but
Some things were the same in 1973 this was fun.”
as they are in 2023: the beautiful main
That is exactly the kind of response that contest organizer Joe Wallace
hall of the high school, a focus on student
was hoping for. Wallace, a writer who lives in Pleasantville, has worked
health and wellness, and traffic jams in
with the Village Book Store to sponsor this contest for 12 years.
front of PHS.
“Every year, students welcome the chance to write creatively
Pleasantville has always been a
in a way that they choose,” Wallace said. “How often do you get
school district with deep community
to make your own rules, express yourself — your creativity, your
roots and a strong sense of tradition.
deepest feelings — in a poem, a story, an essay or a script? Their
Fashion and hairstyles may have
excitement showed in their works and in the fact that we had about
changed, but the district’s core values
70 entries, which is among the most ever.”
remain unchanged: providing a child-
centered education, unique opportunities The eight winners are Clara Nielson-Papish, Ava Coleman, Steven
and academic excellence. Pettus, Roxanne Smith, Allison Vamossy, Oliver Giebelhaus, Gigi
Agati and Roan Anker. The winners will go on to judge the annual
“Some of the constants are good
8th Grade Writing Contest.
kids, caring people, community schools,
excellent education and partnerships,” “It was fun that we got to choose whatever we wanted to write,”
Fonde said. said Allison Vamossy, who wrote a poem entitled “My Room,” in
which her bedroom took on different moods, as if it were a person.
“Most of the time we have to write something specific, we’re given
an assignment and that’s what we have to write. Here, I was able to
be creative and come up with a unique idea.”
English teacher Leigh Meyer, who oversees the contest, said
the contest strengthens students writing and communication skills.
“As always, I am so proud of the students not only for their im-
pressive writing ability but also for their courage to take risks and
share their personal experiences,” Meyer said.
3
Sports Awards, Fall 2022
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Tommy Cahill, Joe Reich, Owen Mooney. New York State
All State, All Section and All Westchester County 1st Class B Player of the Year: Daniel Picart. Section One Player
Team: Alex Searle. All Westchester County 3rd Team: of the Year: Daniel Picart. Section One Class B Player of
Theo Lynch. All League: Alex Searle, Theo Lynch. the Year: Daniel Picart. Section One Class B Back of the
Year: Daniel Picart. Section One Class B Lineman of the
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Year: Joe Alesawy. Section One Class B Linebacker of the
All State, All Section and All Westchester County 1st Year: Ryan Horigan.
Team: Clara Shingler. All Westchester County 2nd
Team: Catherine O’Brien. All League: Catherine O’Brien, BOYS SOCCER
Camilla Browand, Clara Shingler, Sara Agabob, Genevieve All Section: Shubhro Biswas. All Section Honorable
Agati. All League Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Dean, Mention: Will Peacock. All League: Will Peacock,
Alexis Busch Shubhro Biswas, Nikian Sauthoff, Luke LaMagna. All
FIELD HOCKEY League Honorable Mention: Adam Panek, Daniel Ward,
All Section: Natalie O’Malley. All Section Honorable Oliver Giebelhause, Jack Saldana, Erik Nanaj, Matthew
Mention: Elizabeth Hoadley. All League: Natalie O’Neill.
O’Malley, Elizabeth Hoadley, Aisling Mulcahy, Abbigail GIRLS SOCCER
Gordon, Chloe Egan, Mackenzie Ennis, Lily Anderman. All Section: Molly Baxter, Jess Beck. All League: Sadie
All League Honorable Mention: Hailey Praslick, Cynthia Kim, Gianna Doto, Cadence deLuca, Faith Brown, Molly
O’Brien, Lily Boes. Baxter, Jess Beck. All League Honorable Mention: Skylar
FOOTBALL Aghen, Natalie Viviano.
All Section: Daniel Picart, Ryan Horigan, Joe Alesawy,
Cooper Kittsley. All League: Daniel Picart, Ryan Horigan, Joe SWIMMING
Alesawy, Cooper Kittsley, Tommy Cahill, Joe Reich, Owen New York State Finalists: Nicole Gerosa, Mackinzie
Mooney, Chad Sarragonanda, Aidan Picart, Erik Coleman, Sabol, Sunell Zorgman.
Michaeil Hundzynski, Emmet McDermott, Brian McPhee, VOLLEYBALL
Louis Sdao. All League Honorable Mention: Noah Maceyak, All Section: Roxanne Smith. All League: Roxanne Smith,
Grady Doran, Shane Mueller, Nick Reich, Christian Perlleshi, Alicia Barron, Stephanie Taub, Julia Filancia-Weisbard. All
Fitzy Byrne, Ethan Taboh, Bryson Williams. All Conference: Conference: Alicia Barron, Stephanie Taub.
Field Hockey and Volleyball: League Champions
Top Row: Coach Kaitlyn Zapletal, Jessica Secrest, Lily Top Row: Coach Nancy Neumeister, Alyssa Ciano, Julia Filancia-
Anderman, Aisling Mulcahy, Chloe Egan, Emma Wein, Taylor Weisbard, Lucy Rosengarden, Katie Moore, Roxanne Smith.
Mulcahy, Hailey Praslick, Head Coach Kristen Coffey. Bottom Bottom Row: Stephanie Taub, Isabella Wish, Jillian Kraus, Alicia
Row: Lily Boes, Eva Bucci, Mackenzie Ennis, Elizabeth Hoadley, Barron, Tina Hajrizi, Ava Filancia-Weisbard, Bella Tomaselli.
Abbey Gordon, Natalie O’Malley, Cynthia O’Brien, Sierah Lavigne.
4
Football: League, Section, Regional Champions & NYS Finalist
Top Row: Oran Durcan, Justin Kang, Liam Coyle,
Justin Owens, Louis Sdao, Aidan Picart, Ethan
Taboh, Joseph Reich, Cooper Kittsley, Paul
Scopino, Row 4: Conor Verdon, Lucas Malgarinos,
Chad Saragganonda, Owen Bendus, Thomas
Cahill, Brennan Wiebke, Brian McPhee, Owen
Mooney, Joseph Alesawy, Ryan Horigan. Row 3:
Nick Reich, Michael Hundzynski, Coach George
Lamar, Coach Pete Christie, Head Coach Tony
Becerra, Coach Brian Maceyak, Coach Nick
Vaccaro, Jose Perez, Bryson Williams. Row 2:
Erik Coleman, Shane Horigan, Grady Doran,
John Preiser, Daniel Picart, Emmett McDermott,
Shane Mueller, Anderson Choi, Frank Maher,
Gavin Franov. Bottom Row: Phil Dundie, Brendan
McLane, Fitzy Byrne, Joseph Sokich, Sebastian
Arce, Noah Maceyak, Nick Vecchiariello, Christian
Perlleshi, Bruce McLane, Matteo Cardenas.
Girls Cross Country:
League and Section
Champions
Top Row: Head Coach Tim Dirgins, Elizabeth
Dean, Megan Chiong, Genevieve Agati, Kate
Moroney, Danna Garcia Blacio, Assistant Coach
Luis Lizarzaburu. Bottom Row: Kalliope Primis, Lexi
Busch, Clara Shingler,Caitlin Chiong, Mitzy Garcia
Blacio, Kaylee Sullivan, Catherine O’Brien. Missing:
Camilla Browand, Gabby Chuchuca.
Girls Swimming:
League and Section
Champions
Pictured are the Pleasantville High School
members of the combined Briarcliff-Pleasantville-
Valhalla-Westlake Tsunami Girls Varsity Swim
& Dive Team. Top Row: Abby Callahan, Kelsey
Dearstyne, Sunell Zorgman, Nicole Gerosa,
Leah Gregersen, Madeline Minelli. Bottom Row:
Ashley Pettenati, Caroline Morton, Grace Gerosa,
Katherine Tassier, Mackinzie Sabol, Tori Summo.
5
Athletes Sign Letters of Intent All-Eastern Musician
Congratulations to the seven Pleasantville High School Senior Alice Cabral, a soprano who represented Pleasant-
student athletes who signed letters of intent to play the ville High School in the New York State All-State Music
sport they love at the college of their choice. Well done! Festival in December, has been selected for the 2023
Pictured above are Natalie O’Malley (Field Hockey, National Association for Music Education All-Eastern
Hartwick College), Hailey Praslick (Field Hockey, Division Conference. She will have the opportunity to
Manhattanville College), Kate Moroney (XC/Track, rehearse and perform with the top student singers in
Connecticut College), Jaden Lieb (Baseball, Franklin the northeast. NAfME’s Eastern Division includes the
& Marshall), William Lent (Baseball, Castleton Univer- Northeastern states, Washington D.C. and Europe.
sity), Alex Searle (XC/Track, Bucknell University) and “It’s a real honor,” said Alice, who can be seen locally
William Peacock (Soccer, Hartwick College). in the PHS Spring Musical “Bye Bye Birdie” in March.
There will be another signing ceremony for ath- The All-Eastern performances will take place in April
letes in the spring. in Rochester, NY.
Math Mania
Peter, a second grader, sat with his classmates in the Bedford Road
School library and turned over his cards to reveal pictures of a quarter, two
dimes and a nickel. He quickly added the total and placed a marker on his
Bingo-like sheet of numbers.
“I got 50 on the first try,” he said.
It was second grade Math Mania, a round robin of events that had
children playing games, laughing and competing while practicing important math skills.
First, the students played a money game and had to add up coins to reach one dollar. Then they ran relay
races where they were given problems to solve and had to line up according to the solutions. Later the students
moved on to measuring out cups of water into pints, quarts and gallons.
Math Mania is one of the many events that the BRS PTA sponsors annually, though it was not held during
the pandemic. This year, there were several parent volunteers on hand to help.
“We are all so happy to be back in the school after almost three years. It’s wonderful to engage with the
students again,” said Faluni Desai, a PTA volunteer whose son is a second grader. “This has been great.”
Meanwhile in the library, Peter’s luck held up as he tried to turn over cards that would add up to one dollar.
“I won,” said Peter. “I got to 100. It’s not real money, but I do have real money at home.”
6
Middle School HVAC Project on
2023-2024
Track for Summer 2023 Start School Budget Calendar
In May 2022, Pleasantville voters approved a $2 million bond January 24: Budget Preview
to support the $6 million project total cost to replace major February 28: Superintendent’s Proposed
portions of the Middle School’s heating, ventilation and air Budget
conditioning (HVAC) system.
March 14: Budget Presentations – HS, MS,
Replacing the HVAC system, parts of which date back to BRS, Special Education and Technology
the 1950s, will significantly improve the learning and working
March 28: Budget Presentations – Athletics,
environment of the Middle School, while also improving air O&M, Non-Instructional Budget, Revenues, Tax
quality. The Facilities Department made the project its area Cap, Contingency Budget
of focus for the 22-23 school year and aimed to ensure that
April 18: Adoption of Budget
everything would be in place by June 2023 for the construction
phase of the project to take place in July and August 2023. May 2: Public Budget Hearing
At the January 24, 2023 Board of Education meeting, the May 16: Annual Budget Vote and School Board
board awarded contracts to replace the HVAC system and Election
construction is on track to start this summer.
A Thirst for Learning
When students in the 6th grade Learning Lab at Pleas- Then there was a Zoom call with the author, who
antville Middle School are given a project, they take lives in Texas.
it in a lot of directions. “How did you come to name your book ‘Thirst?’
In the fall, Learning Lab teachers Melissa Isabella asked.
Brown and Bryan Gaiser read their classes the novel Her question sparked a conversation on the main
“Thirst” by Varsha Bajaj. character’s thirst not only
But reading the book, for water, but also for edu-
about water shortages cation and a better future.
in the poorest parts of
Then the students cre-
Mumbai, India, was just
ated a multimedia thank
the start.
you card for the author.
“We use technology
“Thank you, Varsha,
as one of the tools to
for opening my eyes to
enhance the instruction,”
the importance of wa-
said Brown, who is also
ter,” Robert wrote. “I
a curriculum coordinator
will never take water for
for the school. “We reach
granted again.”
the students where they
are and build from there. Now they are writing
That is the basis of child-centered teaching.” a journal from the main character’s point of view.
Next, they will design “Thirst” T-Shirts.
First came the arts and crafts. The students made
paper water droplets and decorated them with facts “We’ll keep going with this,” Brown said. “The
they researched, like “Only 3% of the Earth’s water topic is so important, and the kids are so inspired by
is fresh.” this book.”
7
Board of Education
The Board of Education NONPROFIT ORG
Pleasantville Union Free School District
President U.S. POSTAGE
60 Romer Avenue
Jill Grossman (917-755-1785) PAID
Pleasantville, New York 10570
Grossmanj@pleasantvilleschools.org WHITE PLAINS, NY
Vice President PERMIT NO. 7046
Michael Busch (929-277-7144)
BuschM@pleasantvilleschools.org
Members
Erin Ballard (347-426-7468)
BallardE@pleasantvilleschools.org
Emily Rubin Persons (914-747-0136)
PersonsE@pleasantvilleschools.org
Angela Vella (914-769-5729)
VellaA@pleasantvilleschools.org
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Tina DeSa
District Website
pleasantvilleschools.org
Board Meetings and
School Closings:
pleasantvilleschools.org
Kindergarten Registration
2023–2024 We look forward to welcoming kindergartners for the 2023-2024 school
School Calendar year. Children must turn 5 years old on or before December 1, 2023 to
be eligible. To begin the registration process, please visit the student
First Day of Classes registration page of the Bedford Road School website. Kindergarten
September 5, 2023 registration is due by April 1, 2023.
Last Day for Students We will be hosting a “Peek into Kindergarten,” our parent/guardian
June 26, 2024 orientation on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
School Holidays
Schools are closed on these days Transportation Requests
2023 Requests for transportation to private and parochial schools for the
2023-2024 school year must be submitted in writing to the District
September 25: Yom Kippur
Office by April 1, 2023. A family moving into the District after this
October 9: Columbus Day
date must submit a written request to the District Office within 30 days
November 7: Supt. Conf. Day of occupancy.
November 10: Veterans Day
A new request must be submitted each year, even if transportation
November 23-24: Thanksgiving is currently being provided. A form is available on the District website
December 25-31: Holiday Recess under Parents/Community>Transportation Request. For more informa-
tion, contact the Business Office at 741-1400, x10521.
2024
January 1-2: Holiday Recess
January 15: M.L. King Jr. Day Budget Vote and School Board Election
February 19-23: Winter Recess To be eligible to vote in the Annual Budget Vote and School Board Elec-
March 15: Supt. Conf. Day tion on May 16, 2023, you must be: a citizen of the United States; at
March 25-29: Spring Recess
least 18 years of age (by May 16, 2023); a Pleasantville UFSD resident
at least 30 days immediately prior to the day of the vote; and registered
April 22-23: Holiday Recess
with the Westchester County Board of Elections OR registered to vote
May 27: Memorial Day with the District by no later than May 11, 2023. Voter registration forms
June 19: Juneteenth & additional information is available on the District website (Parents/
Community>Voter Registration).
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