FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Dear Pleasantville Families,

Due to recent changes in the Regulations of the Commissioner, districts are required to plan for a remote instruction day. A remote instruction day may be used for various reasons, including but not limited to a weather event, an emergency such as a gas, heating or electrical malfunction or if a violent threat is made and needs to be investigated. This does not mean that we will no longer have traditional snow days. It means we have another option to choose from if schools cannot be open to in-person learning. 

In the event that we are going to use a remote instruction day, you will be notified via K12 Alerts. I will try to provide as much advanced notice as possible. 

In short, we would operate on a two-hour delay schedule with remote instruction. Details about the day may be found on our website. 

Having a plan in place for a remote instruction day allows us to have an option to preserve instructional hours required each year by the State. I am thankful for the collaboration with our professional development committee and the union leaders which allowed us to bring this option to our district prior to it being required in the 2023-24 school year. 

For the youth, 

Dr. Tina DeSa

Superintendent of Schools

Talent on Display at the

Middle School Art Show 

To learn a variety of techniques and styles, Pleasantville Middle School art students created projects in all sorts of media, including clay shaped into never-before-seen fish and self-portraits made from wire. 

Their work was on display at the school’s annual show at Mount Pleasant Public Library, which opened on February 9 and remained on view through February 15. 

One fifth grade project, called a “Name Mandala,” taught the young artists about Tibetan sand mandalas, radial symmetry and color theory, Art Teacher Emily Weiss said. 

“We used marker and watercolor,” said Rebecca, a fifth grader who stopped by the library for a peek before the show officially opened. “I like how you can’t see the names until you really look at it.” 

The show featured the work fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders made in the first half of this school year.  

Big Win for Science Olympiad Club 

Pleasantville High School’s Science Olympiad club is going to States!  

On Saturday, February 4, the PHS Science Olympiad Teams took sixth and eighth place out of 43 teams at the Lower Hudson Regional Competition in Byram Hills. In total, the club won 20 medals across 21 events. 

It will be the first time Pleasantville has competed in Science Olympiad at the state level. The tournament will be held in March in Syracuse.  

PHS Science teachers Christine Pallotta and Filiz Scales are co-advisors of the club, which has three teams.  

“This is the biggest group we’ve ever had,” Pallotta said. “Usually we have one team but, after Covid, students are excited about in-person competition again. Plus, the middle school program has become really strong and that feeds our program.”  

Students competed in events ranging from flight to forensics, remote sensing to rocks and minerals.  

“We are so proud of all of our members’ accomplishments,” Scales said. “We can’t wait to see how they do at States.” 

Fariha Rahman, a senior and team co-captain, said Science Olympiad is not only fun, but also a great learning experience.  

“This is one of the first clubs I joined in high school,” Fariha said. “It really boosted my confidence and that helped me go on to join other science competitions.” 



Running the Distance 

Did you know that Bedford Road School students have run more than halfway across the country since the start of last year? 

Just check the big “Run the U.S.A.” map by the school’s entrance. The red line that winds its way from Pleasantville to Bozeman, Montana represents the total number of miles Bedford Road students have run in Physical Education warm-ups since November 2021 – more or less, anyway.  

“The students start every PE class with a running warm-up,” Phys Ed teacher Tom Micucci said. “In cold weather, they run in the gym. In the warm weather, they run in the school yard.”  

The children run approximately 625 feet each. With about 20 children per class and three Physical Education teachers -- Tony Becerra, Keith Gardener and Micucci – teaching a total of ten classes per day schoolwide, the numbers add up fast. For those keeping count, that means Bedford Road School students collectively run somewhere near 24 miles per day.  

“It’s not an exact count,” Micucci said. “It is a way for the kids to think about distance and about math and about the world. We announce some fun fitness or sport related facts each time we get to a new city.” 

As the crow flies, there are about 2,200 miles between Pleasantville, New York and Bozeman, Montana. The path on the map, however, takes a far more roundabout route. It starts in Pleasantville and travels north, through states in the northeast that many local families visit on vacation. Then it zigzags across the northern states and passes through highlights like Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park. 

“We’re going to reach Idaho soon,” Gardener told a recent class.  

If the kids are tired when they come home from school, remember, this cross-country trek is just their warm-up.  

“It’s not just running,” said Scarlett, a second grader. “It is skipping, hopping, galloping, running and everything. It doesn’t tire me out, though.” 

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