November 16, 2024

Canvas of Compassion: PHS Student Artwork Shines Light on Adolescent Mental Health  

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." – Aristotle  

At the beginning of the school year, Pleasantville High School Art Teacher Greg Nemec asked his students, "What's going on inside your head?" As you might imagine, this prompt resulted in incredibly varied artistic interpretations showcased on modest 10" x 10" pieces of paper.

Each piece of art was then submitted to Northern Westchester Hospital's Teen Art Contest and Exhibition, "Unveiling Inner Hues." Four winning entries and six honorable mentions were earned by PHS students Audrey Egan, Olivia Johnson, Kate Morton, Myla Silver (Winning Entries) and Veronica Coleman, Liam Garland, Eve Glass, Devin Levy, Nicholas Peters, and Kayla Robinson (Honorable Mentions).

Our students' winning art and honorable mentions were showcased at an exhibit at the hospital's Gala on November 2nd, which the students and their families were invited to attend and see their work displayed.   

A professionally trained illustrator, Nemec worked on the invitation for the gala and helped establish the student contest in partnership with the hospital's gala committee, of which his wife, Catherine, is a part of. When Catherine Nemec saw the student artwork, she was so impressed that she urged the gala committee to increase the size of the gallery installation, printing each piece at 5' x 5'! At the event, guests were led down a pathway filled with the students' artwork before entering the main room.

During the gala, students were treated "like celebrities," posing for multiple photos with their artwork. Senior Nicholas Peters said he "felt really accomplished" seeing his work on display. And every student acknowledged how proud their families were of them. Their equally proud teacher, Mr. Nemec, shared that many viewers of the gallery were impressed by the wide range of interpretations. "No two of them were even a little bit alike," he said.  

Nicholas' piece showcased a stringed marionette on stage, with bright lights shining upon it. He shared that in teen culture, "you have to put on a façade for people," and his piece spotlights how that can "take a toll on your mental health and make you act like you're something you're not... You feel like you're not really controlling your own life," he said.  

Senior Kayla Robinson had the idea to use newsprint to create a collage that conveyed her thoughts. Serendipitously, the newsprint in her art classroom featured articles about college, "which is all I'm thinking about right now," she said.  

This year's gala raised a record $2.5M for the hospital's new pediatric behavioral health program dedicated to meeting the needs of children and adolescents. We're so proud of our student artists for their recognition and participation in efforts to benefit mental health and wellness.

Seniors Engage in Civil Discourse Event with Pennsylvania Students

Left to Right: Colin Rubsamen, Kathryn Wildey, Lila Berkowitz, Skylar Aghen, Camilla Zabikhodjaeva

Not Pictured: Henry Mancini, Zachary Neilson-Papish

Seven Pleasantville High School students had a unique opportunity earlier this semester to engage in a Civil Discourse event with dozens of students from different backgrounds and points of view. The “Can We Talk?” event involved students from over 20 Pennsylvania schools who joined our students for a virtual field trip where they shared differing viewpoints in a healthy and productive manner.

“Everyone was really respectful of eachother,” said Lila Berkowitz, “We were able to disagree with each other in a productive way and we naturally flowed from the first topic into other topics. I wanted to have more time to talk!”

Last year, Rikki Saperstein, Melanie Siokalo, and George LaMar of Pleasantville High School’s Social Studies Department began developing plans to train students and staff members with the goal of improving and engaging in civic dialogue. The process included meeting with instructional staff from Brown University and student programming development staff from the University of Pennsylvania. This partnership resulted in a unique invitation for PHS seniors to participate in the “Can We Talk?” event this semester.

“I had a chance to talk to students from Pennsylvania” said Skylar Aghen. “They came from all over and had different experiences to us. It was cool to be the only school from our state because we got to represent New York at the event.”

The ability to listen to others and respond in an articulate and considerate manner is an essential communication skill and will only become more necessary as our students grow and venture into higher education and professions.

“PHS was thrilled to participate in a civil discourse experience with students from outside the area,” said Social Studies Department Chair Rikki Saperstein. “It was an excellent opportunity to meet with other students and engage in respectful discussion that is important to the next generation.”

Pleasantville Middle School Performs Finding Nemo Jr.

After weeks of practicing, costuming, script memorizing, and set building, Pleasantville Middle School’s production of Finding Nemo Jr. is finally hitting the stage in the PMS Multi-Purpose room this weekend. We look forward to seeing the product of our young cast and crew’s hard work alongside community members.

Break a leg!

Pleasantville Athletes Represent School at States

Earlier this week, Pleasantville High School students turned out to support four of their classmates who will go on to represent Pleasantville at states later this season. These student athletes come from PHS’s cross-country and girls swim teams and represent some of the best that Pleasantville Schools have to offer. Congratulations to Grace Gerosa, Camilla Browand, Clara Shingler, and Julian Geibelhaus, you deserve this chance to show the whole state what Pleasantville student athletes can do!

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