Breaking Records and Building Legacies: Luke Amuso Leads Pawling Wrestling into a Bright Future

History was made on the wrestling mats of Pawling High School this season when Senior Captain Luke Amuso achieved 84 career pins, breaking a 19-year-old school record previously held by Ben Lodge. 

His success, however, isn’t just about numbers. It’s also a story of leadership, perseverance and inspiring a young team that is quickly becoming a powerhouse in Section 1 wrestling.

“It was incredible,” said Pawling Head Coach Joseph Amuso, who is also Luke’s father. “As the season progressed, we could feel the excitement building. His teammates were so supportive, and when the moment finally came, the whole team and even the opposing squad celebrated his record-breaking pin. 

“As both his father and coach, I couldn’t be prouder.”

For Luke, the moment was not just a personal triumph but also a shared victory with his team.

“I was captain last year too, but this year I really felt like a role model,” he said. “Looking out and seeing my team clapping and cheering for me and knowing that I was inspiring them at the same time felt really great.”

Though wrestling prowess runs in his family, Luke’s wrestling journey has not always been a straight path. Despite coming from a family of accomplished wrestlers – including his father, a former Section 1 Champion and Junior World Champion, and his grandfather, a Section 1 Champion over 50 years ago – Luke stepped away from the sport in middle school before returning with renewed passion in high school.

“When he returned to wrestling as a freshman I told him, ‘This is for you – not me or your grandfather, just for you,’” said Amuso. “He made a name for himself all on his own.”

“When I came back I did it both for myself and my family,” Luke said. “I felt fired up to just move ahead and wrestle my hardest, and now I’ve made this legacy for myself. Leaving my mark with this record is something I’ll always be proud of.”

Luke’s influence on his teammates is clear. Mostly freshmen and sophomores, this season’s Pawling wrestlers proved themselves as a rising force. Competing at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section 1 Division 2 Championships, sophomore Hudson Garbarino showcased his potential with 26 wins and placed second in the 215-pound weight class. Several other young wrestlers also excelled, with Tyler Vitro, John Furlong and Aaron Villalobos notably securing more than 20 victories each.

With nearly the entire roster returning next season, Pawling’s young team is poised for even greater achievements.

Coach Amuso emphasized the team’s growth and determination. 

“By January we realized we were a strong team, but the biggest challenge this season was getting them to believe in themselves,” he said. “This is one of the best groups I’ve ever coached – not just in talent, but in attitude and work ethic.”

Though Luke is graduating this spring, his impact on the program will endure. He plans to wrestle in college and remain involved with the Pawling team.

“I’ll be back for matches, tournaments and even to check out the new elementary school wrestling program,” he said. “It’s a pretty exciting time for Pawling wrestling and I can’t wait to see what these guys accomplish.”

How Community Voices Are Shaping Pawling’s Schools

Five years ago, Pawling parent Amy Emke participated in “What Matters PCSD” – a visioning process that aimed to aid Pawling Central School District in defining its aspirations and guide future decision-making.

While engaging in a public discussion during which community members shared feedback with the district, a number of attendees including Emke voiced their hopes for enhanced arts programs. A year later she noticed something remarkable.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, there are so many more music programs this year. This is what I’ve always wanted!’” she said. “Then it hit me: maybe it was happening because we asked for it.”

This is the power of a district visioning process, and now the Pawling Central School District is doing it again with "What Matters PCSD 2.0" – an initiative designed to shape the future of the Pawling schools with direct input from the community. This project builds on the foundation established in 2019 by assessing and updating priorities to meet the evolving needs of its students, staff and district residents.

While the first process was a groundbreaking effort to gather collective input that ultimately included over 20,000 pieces of data, the current iteration builds upon that foundation with a more strategic focus. 

“I am entering this process with a completely open mind,” said Kim Fontana, Pawling Central School District Superintendent. “It's time to move on to a more systemic strategic plan, but the vision needs to be updated prior to doing that work. Some parts of the 2019 vision may be changed or even jettisoned in favor of other priorities in this update, but this vision is likely to really focus on the school program.”

This means revisiting previous priorities, considering new insights and refining goals based on current educational and community needs. With the help of Judith Wilson, a renowned facilitator and educator with 40 years of experience, the district is currently working to gather input about what matters most to members of the entire school community including students, staff, families and community members. Data will ultimately include information collected from surveys and individual interviews as well as from notes taken during five community conversations that were held in February.

Once data is collected and analyzed, Wilson will submit a draft which the Superintendent will share with the Board for its review with the goal of finalizing an updated vision before the end of the school year – a vision that will reflect what the community values most.

As evidenced by Emke’s anecdote, a major takeaway from the 2019 process was the direct impact of community feedback on school initiatives. In addition to expanding music and performing arts programs, the district also implemented improvements through a capital project that enhanced facilities across all school buildings – including a brand new state-of-the-art athletic field on the middle and high school campus. This demonstrates the power of community input, something Emke believes more parents should recognize. 

“People may not realize that it’s possible to have things they would like in their public schools if they make their voices heard,” she said. “We love to wish for change but don’t really have a right to complain if we’ve never shared our opinions. This is an opportunity to do that.”

Ultimately, the success of “What Matters PCSD 2.0” depends on meaningful community involvement – and Fontana hopes that the public understands the importance of their input.

“We are so fortunate to have such a committed and caring community of students, staff, parents and residents who are always willing to pitch in and support our students,” she said. “It’s been a hopeful, joyful and forward-thinking process, full of opportunity for all of us to join together for the benefit of the students we share.”

Pawling Elementary Brings Books to Life

on World Read Aloud Day

Pawling Elementary School celebrated World Read Aloud Day last month with a lively interactive event, thanks to the efforts of reading teachers Jacqueline Turselli and Jenni Selvaggi. Eagerly anticipated by both students and staff, the day included a variety of fun activities designed to foster a love of reading.

Students and staff alike were invited to bring in their favorite books and cozy up in pajamas or disguise themselves as literary characters for the occasion. This year Turselli embraced the celebration by donning multiple costumes – including Alice in Wonderland and Pinkalicious – and also visited classrooms to spread the reading magic dressed as “The Book Fairy.” 

“The kids definitely get the most excited about dressing up,” said Turselli. “It’s a really fun and different way to encourage them to talk about their favorite books.”

Many teachers also created their own classroom activities such as enjoying stories in the dark with flashlights or playing word scavenger hunt games in their books, allowing students to explore reading in creative ways. A standout feature of the day was the Scholastic livestream, where many classrooms tuned in to watch children’s authors such as David Shannon read their books live.

Next up on the literacy front at Pawling Elementary School is Read Across America Week, which started this past Monday with themed spirit days. Themes include “Hats off to Reading” day, when students can wear a hat or silly hairstyle to school, and even a “Snuggle Up and Read” day encouraging students to read in their pajamas at home during the Superintendent’s Conference Day this Friday.

Turselli and Selvaggi emphasized events like these as ways to promote lifelong reading habits in their students.

"It’s all a lot of fun for everyone with the goal of bringing more excitement to reading, " said Selvaggi. “Ultimately we want to help kids build that reading life.”

Digital Backpack

The digital backpack is updated regularly with information from the schools and local community. You can find a link for it under the Parent tab of the homepage. It is also listed on the homepage with the date of the most recent update.

We Are Hiring!

The Pawling Central School District is a great place to work. We have positions open for full-time permanent building substitute teachers, typists and custodial workers. We also have substitute positions open in many other job categories: certified teacher, uncertified teacher, teaching assistant, teacher aide, monitor, bus driver and food service worker. We also have part-time positions open, such as school monitor. Full-time positions earn excellent benefits. As a team of educators, we never doubt that we are making a difference for our community. PCSD offers walk-throughs and orientations for those thinking about working in schools. Our very best employees are often people who live in our community. Diverse and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. See the link below to reach our friendly and helpful Human Resources Team.

https://www.pawlingschools.org/human_resources