Plainville Community School District

Plainville Community Schools’ volunteer mentors and student mentees enjoyed an evening filled with games, activities, and friendly competition at the district’s annual “Mentor Fun Night” held March 4th at Plainville High School. Celebrating the mentor program’s 35th year, this year’s “Minute to Win It” themed event was hosted by Volunteer Coordinator, Sue Bradley, and offered mentors and mentees the opportunity to connect and have fun together outside of the regular school day. Mentor Fun Night was funded in part through the generous support of both the Elizabeth Norton Trust Fund and VFW Madley Roberts Post No. 574, whose contributions helped make this special evening possible.

The Plainville High School Jazz Band recently traveled to Storrs, Connecticut to participate in the prestigious UCONN Jazz Festival, joining over two dozen high schools from across Connecticut for a day of musical excellence. Performing at the renowned von der Mehden Recital Hall, students showcased their talents for university faculty and peers alike. Following their performance, the band received an invaluable coaching session from a member of UConn’s esteemed jazz faculty, providing them with professional critiques and new artistic perspectives. Beyond the music, the day served as a wonderful bonding experience as students explored the campus and connected with current university musicians. The trip also featured an inspiring performance by the UConn Jazz Ensemble, leaving the Plainville High School musicians energized and motivated for their upcoming spring season. "This experience served as a perfect real-world application of our Portrait of the Graduate skills. Our musicians were deeply collaborative, working in sync to deliver a complex performance, and remained mindful and resilient as they adapted to a professional stage and applied real-time feedback during a coaching session with renowned UConn faculty. By engaging with current university students and exploring the campus, they practiced communicative excellence, while the high-level artistry of the UConn Jazz Ensemble inspired our students to think innovatively about their own musical journeys. It was a day of immense pride for PHS, proving that our band is as focused on character and skill as they are on the music," noted Plainville Community Schools' Instructional Leader for Performing Arts, Mike Boncimino.

Plainville High School won the Vocabulary.com national "Vocabulary Bowl" for Fall, 2025 for the state of Connecticut! PHS ranked #1 among Connecticut high schools, #49 among high schools nationwide, and #91 among all schools in the United States!

Several school district programs and initiatives received additional support this year, thanks to grants received from the Elizabeth H. Norton Trust Fund.

Plainville students in grades 4 and 5 from Linden Street School, Louis Toffolon Elementary School, and Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School attended the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) Elementary Leadership Conference on Wednesday, January 7th. The students attended three sessions where they participated in a variety of hands-on activities that promote leadership skills. Students also gained leadership skills in creative problem solving, communication, decision making, and productive thinking.

On December 19th, PHS CTE teachers Mark Chase and Dave Gaignard welcomed Goodwin University’s Manufacturing in Motion Trailer, providing students with an interactive, hands-on experience in advanced manufacturing. Students explored modern equipment and technology, learned how products are designed and produced, and gained insight into the skills used in today’s manufacturing careers. The visit also introduced students to opportunities such as Goodwin University’s Early College Advanced Manufacturing Pathway (ECAMP), which allows PHS seniors to explore advanced manufacturing while earning college credit. Experiences like this help students connect classroom learning to real-world careers and make informed decisions about their future.

Plainville High School senior, Ayo Ayodele, has been named a QuestBridge National College Match Scholar, matching with Boston College for a full, four-year scholarship including tuition, room, board and fees, according to Principal, Jennifer DeLorenzo. Ayodele is the first Plainville High School student to become a QuestBridge Scholar.

The Plainville school district's Reading Partners program received a generous donation from the UBI Federal Credit Union, to purchase books for this year's holiday event for program participants. Now in its 27th year, the Reading Partners program continues to foster a love of reading among Plainville elementary school students. Pictured is Plainville Community Schools' Volunteer Coordinator, Sue Bradley and UBI Federal Credit Union Vice President of Marketing, Fred Brown.

Middle School of Plainville art students together with faculty members Laura Meehan and Lori Vigue recently visited the New Britain Museum of American Art. The students participated in an educational tour and art discussions focused on works by influential American women artists, learning about their contributions to the art world. The day concluded with a creative printmaking workshop, where the students got hands-on experience, drawing inspiration from the pieces they had seen throughout the museum to design and create their own original works of art.

The November Plainville Community Schools “All-Star” award winners were recognized at the November 10th Board of Education meeting. They include: Middle School of Plainville faculty members Jemima Armistead and Kim Coyle. The “All-Star” award recognizes students, faculty, staff and community members who go above and beyond in modeling the school district’s Portrait of the Graduate characteristics and demonstrating excellence in alignment with the school district's goals.

The Plainville school district has been recognized with several awards from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), according to Superintendent of Schools, Brian Reas.

The Middle School of Plainville's seventh graders enjoyed an "Octoberfest" on October 30th. Throughout the day, students participated in a variety of activities aligned to various subject areas including Pumpkin Globe painting (Social Studies) , writing letters to members of the Plainville Senior Center (English Language Arts), Scale-a-Skeleton (Math) and making Slime (Science). The Octoberfest activities were made possible thanks to donations and support from Lessard Lanes, Stew Leonards, and PHS Class of 1963 alumnus, Mr. James Pestillo .

Eleven Plainville students received the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents’ (CAPSS) Superintendent / Student Recognition Award and Certificate of Excellence at the annual Superintendent’s Award Presentation held on October 30th, during a luncheon at J. Timothy’s restaurant.

The Plainville Community Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Department has earned national recognition with the “USDA Healthy Meals Incentive Award for Innovation in Nutrition Education,” according to Food and Nutrition Services Director, Ashley Carl.

Plainville Adult and Continuing Education (PACE) celebrated student achievements during their annual Graduation and Awards Ceremony at Plainville High School on June 10, 2025. Among those recognized were five Adult High School Credit Diploma Program Graduates, two General Educational Development (GED) Preparation Program Graduates, and recipients of Academic Excellence certificates, from the following programs: English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Education, Citizenship Preparation, and the Adult High School Credit Diploma Program. Superintendent Brian Reas, Assistant Superintendent David Levenduski, and Board of Education members Foster White and Jered Bruzas participated in the celebration, while Nicholas Herdzik, 2023 PACE Alumnus, delivered an inspirational Keynote Address. Photograph, courtesy of Sophie Whitlock.