Welcome to the web page for Mount Pleasant Cottage School Union Free School District.

All of our students come to us with histories of social-emotional problems that have interfered with their ability to succeed in their previous school and community settings. Some of them are experiencing developmental delays or learning disabilities and most of them are significantly below achievement levels. They have often been the victims of troubled pasts and problems with schools, families, and communities. Therefore, we view our vital mission as helping the students in our care to become responsible and respectful young people who are able to manage their interpersonal relationships and develop academic and vocational skills that enable them to become engaged in learning and put them on the path towards becoming independent and happy adults.

In order to accomplish our mission, we employ a highly dedicated and very special staff that work individually and in small groups with our students while following the standards of New York State and preparing students to either graduate high school, enter the world of work, or return to their communities better able to succeed. We utilize vocational programs on and off campus and state of the art technology to engage our students in learning vital skills. Staff model and work to develop non-coercive helping relationships to enhance confidence and competence in our students. We celebrate our students’ success whenever possible; seek win-win solutions to all problems; and value honesty, caring, effort, individual and collective responsibility, and respect for one’s self and the people with whom we come into contact.

Whether you are a parent, student, or professional visiting this site we want you to know that we take our mission very seriously and are constantly seeking to improve what we do so that more of our students can be successful. We have former students in four and two year colleges as well as vocational programs and the armed services. We have former students who are having successful careers and there are those who have not yet become successful adults. We recognize that what happens here during whatever period of time a student spends with us may be the pivotal turning point in that young person achieving success as an adult. Therefore, we value every interaction we have with students and seek to work with the other adults in their world to build opportunities for them to make good choices about their lives. We eagerly look forward to helping our students achieve success and responsible independence and we welcome input and support from all members of our community. For those who are interested, there exists a Friends of Mount Pleasant Cottage School Foundation, Inc. that raises funds to provide our students with materials or activities that our limited budget cannot address. Call 914 769-0456 ext. 202 for more information.

I hope you find this site helpful in getting to know us better and we invite you to give us feedback as to how we can continue to improve.

Sincerely,

Norman Freimark, Ed.D.

Superintendent