MAY 3, 2024

Homecoming will take place during the weekend of October 18, 2024, and we are excited to plan a slate of activities that bring the Pleasantville community together. As part of the planning process, in collaboration with the Pleasantville High School Student Government Association, we would like to invite members of the community to participate in our homecoming committee.

The homecoming committee will meet on 5/13/24 and 6/2/24 at 3:00 PM at Pleasantville High School to begin planning. Follow-up meetings in the fall of 2024 will take place as needed. Community members who are interested in participating in the homecoming committee need to be able to attend all the scheduled meetings. We will be looking for a cross-representative group of community members for the committee.

If you are interested and able to commit to this exciting work, please use this link to apply to be a member of the committee by Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

Individuals who have been selected to participate on the committee will be notified via email on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to planning our homecoming celebrations and appreciate the community partnership.

Respectfully,

Joseph A. Palumbo

Principal, Pleasantville High School

Kindergarteners at Bedford Road School got a sweet treat last week. Students

delved into the intricate lives of honey bees, gaining an understanding of the hierarchy within the colony and the different roles of worker bees and queen bees.

They also learned about the anatomy of a bee and the functions of the insect’s body parts. The children were fascinated to hear that a bee’s antennae serve as their feelers, guiding the insects through garden nectar and pollen. 

One of the highlights of the learning experience was the opportunity to do the Waggle Dance. Students twirled and pointed, mimicking the intricate movements bees make to convey information about the location of flowers. 

Kindergarten teacher Kim Vecchiariello summed it up: “The students were excited to learn about honey bees!”

As April came to a close, Pleasantville High School witnessed a flurry of excitement and anticipation among its senior class. The occasion? National College Decision Day, an annual rite of passage where graduating seniors commit to their chosen institutions of higher learning.

While school counselors are meeting with students individually to obtain all their college information, including details regarding scholarship awards, the library embraced the celebratory aspect of the event, creating a “Decision 2024” white board. In a display of school spirit and individual accomplishment, seniors congregated in the school library to sign the board. Each student added their chosen schools with personal flair, creatively displaying the name of their future alma mater. The atmosphere was celebratory, as friends recognized one another's achievements.

For some students, their final decision may have to wait. While May 1 has long been the customary deadline for students to finalize their college selections, delays in the distribution of federal financial aid packages meant that some students required additional time to evaluate their offers before making a final decision. Consequently, several educational institutions extended their commitment deadlines, allowing students the necessary time to assess their options.

We extend our best wishes to all seniors as they finalize their decisions. Congratulations!

Juliana Kaley, AP Research student presents her findings

April provided the opportunity for several Pleasantville High School students to demonstrate their capabilities in college-level academic research and presentation.

AP Research is part of a multi-course curriculum beginning with AP Seminar, progressing to AP Research, and potentially an AP Capstone Diploma. These interconnected courses empower students to conceive research hypotheses, test their assumptions, and articulate their findings, as well as identify potential limitations or gaps in their explorations.

The rigor intensifies with each course and provides a rich academic experience in which students engage in the complete process of college-level research. Commencing with the development of their inquiry proposal, students collaborate with expert advisors, present to an Institutional Review Board, conduct their studies, analyze data and synthesize their findings into meaningful conclusions.

Student topics focus on current interests, with the potential to influence future research in their fields. Notably, Miriam Gold and Tara Trivedi, two PHS students, have had their papers published in academic journals.

To better prepare for the increased level of difficulty in the course progression, students in English teacher James Finnan’s AP Research class present to those currently in AP Seminar. “There is a significant increase in rigor from Seminar to Research, and I felt the best way to make this point was through hosting a few Research presentations in Seminar [classes].”

Students also have the option to sign up for what Finnan calls an “AP Seminar Audience” presentation. 

Two students gave presentations based on research spotlighting gender bias in distinctly different industries. Juliana Kaley looked at the intricate realm of "Adjective Use and Gender Bias in Gossip Media," focusing specifically on the music industry, while Camilla Zabikhodjaeva interrogated the impact of grammatical gender on gender patterns within the French Foreign Service. Both presentations unveiled compelling findings and identified avenues for further inquiry that could lead to even greater insights.

Guided by the College Board’s mandate, students are required to identify a gap in existing studies on a topic that could lead to a greater understanding on a topic. “This is the authentic piece that makes it so fulfilling for me,” said Finnan. 

As a result of the AP Research courses, Pleasantville High School students not only bolster the pursuit of scholarly excellence but also engage in questioning and advocating for issues of current relevance and importance. Through this process, these students cultivate more robust research and presentation skills, with the potential to profoundly influence future academic discourse.

Camilla Zabikhodjaeva at an AP Seminar Audience class

Share the Pville Press with a friend. Forward this email to Pleasantville community members who might like to sign up and learn about all the great things happening in the PUFSD.