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PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. ? Pleasantville students met some new faces Wednesday when they filed into their classrooms for the first day of school.
For one of those new faces, Pleasantville High School's new ninth- and tenth-grade global history and geography teacher Marc Sirico, the transition was easy.
"I have a lot of history in the district because I went through all three [Pleasantville] schools," he said. "A lot of my colleagues are my past teachers, so I have a unique relationship with them."
Sirico, a 2010 Pace University grad with a master's in educational technology, was hired in June. He said the transition was smooth because he had worked as a replacement last year at the high school for a teacher who went on maternity leave.
"The transition's been seamless because everyone in the department has been supportive and helpful," he said.
Pleasantville schools hired seven new staff members, and Superintendent Mary Fox-Alter is confident they will each carry on the district's high teaching standards.
"All new teachers go through a rigorous interview process, and it is our expectation when a teacher is offered a position that they have measured up to our excellence," Fox-Alter said.
Other new teachers at the high school include Deborah Hurdis, Daria Anuszkiewicz and Jane Citron.
Fresh faces appeared at the middle school as well. Andrew Becker, the new math and technology teacher for grades 7 and 8, joined Traci Sandler and Cara Padovani as new members of the Pleasantville Middle School faculty.
Becker, a Yorktown native, said the district's academic excellence prompted him to apply for the position ? the high school was recognized as one of the state's highest achieving schools on Aug. 30.
"It has a phenomenal reputation," Becker said. "I started subbing with the district last year, and I found out I really enjoyed working with the staff."
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