Reflecting on Community this Memorial Day Weekend

Dear Pleasantville Community,

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, I want to take a moment to thank our community for a strong turnout in this year’s school budget vote. Your participation reflected something important: a community that cares, stays engaged, and wants its voice to matter in the life of our schools. Thank you for your support of the annual budget and capital project, and for re-electing Board of Education trustees Lucas Cascardo and John Vamossy.

I find it appropriate that today also marks the conclusion of Upstanders Week in our schools. This is a week centered on the simple but powerful idea that we use our voices to stand up for one another, help people feel included, and make sure everyone knows someone has their back. That message feels especially fitting as we enter Memorial Day weekend, a time that invites us to pause not only in remembrance, but also in appreciation for community, service, sacrifice, and the bonds that connect us. In Pleasantville, those reminders are part of the fabric of our Village, from Bedford Road School to Memorial Plaza and the memorials that honor those who came before us. This is a meaningful time to remember that community matters and that one of the greatest strengths of Pleasantville has always been the way people show up for and support one another.

Whatever this long weekend holds for you - time with family and friends, a backyard barbecue, a good book, some well-earned rest, participation in the Village Memorial Day Parade (on Monday beginning at 10 a.m. at BRS!) - or some combination of all of it, I hope it includes a moment to reflect on the meaning of the day and to appreciate the people around you. When we return, it will be a fast-paced race to the finish of another school year, but for now, I wish you a safe and meaningful Memorial Day weekend, with gratitude for the many ways this community continues to care for one another.

Warm regards, 

Dr. Lutinski