South Windsor Student Takes A Last Look At Old Pleasant Valley School

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — The last of South Windsor's elementary schools to be rebuilt, Pleasant Valley, is nearing completion and will be ready for the 2023-24 academic year. On May 31, an open house was conducted at the old building, marking the last time anyone could go inside the building and say goodbye. South Windsor High School student Maanya Pande attended the open house, and reported on it for the school newspaper, the Bobcat Prowl.

The town began rebuilding the elementary schools in 2016-17, starting with Wapping Elementary. Now it has come full circle as Pleasant Valley, the last of the elementary schools, is finishing construction and will be open starting with the 2023-2024 school year. As a way to commemorate the years and memories that are such a big part of this school, there was an open house on May 31, where the school was made open for everyone to walk through classrooms, scroll through yearbooks and reflect on the school.

Individuals of all ages attended, from current students to high schoolers, and even a handful of adults came to look back and notice how the school has changed throughout the years.

"It looks so much smaller now that I'm not 10 years old any more," commented high school student Anushri Sandeep.

In the cafeteria, yearbooks were set up, with photos from every class of a specific year, dating all the way back to the 1990s. Many former students enjoyed leafing through these and finding photos of their younger selves.

"I seriously can't believe that's me, it feels like a whole other person," another alumnus said.

The photos, while potentially embarrassing or amusing, definitely brought out feelings of nostalgia in most.

Pleasant Valley has been around since 1966, and has very deep roots. Many teachers and students themselves went to Pleasant Valley or even had other family member connections to the school.

"My great-uncle actually worked as a gym teacher here, around 50 years ago," alumnus Alyssa Drenga remarked during her tour of the school.

Walking down memory lane was an emotional but happy journey, and the new school is going to get its own opportunity for new memories.