
Jean Falbo-Sosnovich Photo
Mead School Music Teacher Joe Hudson.
ANSONIA — What kid wouldn’t love to chuck a pie in the face of one of their teachers, especially when it’s for a good cause?
That’s exactly what happened at Mead School last month.
Students from Teacher Amanda Zambetti’s fifth grade class took turns throwing pink whipped cream pies at their teachers to culminate a month’s worth of pink-themed activities to mark National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Ansonia schools again teamed up with Griffin Hospital’s ‘Valley Goes Pink’ initiative, hosting events and raising money to benefit the Hewett Breast Wellness Center. Students in grades K‑12 participated in various activities throughout October, including making pink ribbons, selling pink bracelets and tattoos, hosting pink dress-up days and filling out remembrance cards to honor the memory of loved ones lost to breast cancer.
At Mead School, the class that raised the most money won the right to toss pies at their teachers.
The pie-throwing event looked a little different than last year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It was held outside, instead of the school gym, Students stood safely behind traffic cones, six feet across from a row of teachers who volunteered to take a pie in the face. All participants wore face masks, too. This year’s ‘pies’ were made of pink-tinted whipped cream piled onto paper plates, rather than in pie tins with crusts.
“Mead School students look forward to throwing pies at our staff every year,” said Principal Amy Cosciello. “Despite the pandemic, we wanted to make this event possible for our students, staff and community. We made this event COVID friendly.”
Once Cosciello yelled ‘go,’ no face was safe. Students took their best shot, hurling one pie after another at their teachers, who sported yellow rain ponchos to prevent dollops of whipped cream from messing up their clothes.

Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Mead School Assistant Principal Bob Durand
Minutes later, with no pies left to throw, the brave row of volunteers, emerged, covered from head to toe in pink.
Music Teacher Joe Hudson and Assistant Principal Bob Durand took the brunt of the pies, their faces and face masks, hair and ears, doused in whipped cream. But they didn’t mind one bit.
“It’s all for a good cause,” Hudson said, wiping fluffy pink cream from his eyebrows. “I’ve known quite a few people who had cancer and events like these help keep their memories alive.”
Durand concurred, and this year, unlike like last year, he willingly volunteered to take a pie in the face.
“I was ‘voluntold’ to participate last year, but this year I volunteered…the kids love it and it’s for such a great cause,” Durand said.
Student Brandon Ellison, 10, said he was really hoping to land a pie in Hudson’s face. Even though he missed, Brandon said he still had fun.
“It made me happy anyway just to throw pies at our teachers,” Brandon said.
Cosciello said supporting the cause is more important than ever this year.
“Even though we are in a pandemic, there are still people battling breast cancer,” she said. “I think everyone can say that they know someone affected by cancer. Ansonia is a unique place where everyone rallies to give back to others. Our district works in partnership with our community and that’s what makes Ansonia a great place.”
Pamela Mudry, the media specialist at Ansonia High School, attended Tuesday’s event and recently marked a significant milestone in her life.
“I’m a five-year cancer survivor,” Mudry proudly proclaimed. “My students always surprise me with how much they care about the cause and how much they show their support.
Throughout the month, thanks to all their efforts, students at Ansonia High School, Ansonia Middle School, Mead and Prendergast schools raised nearly $3,500 for breast cancer-with Mead students raising the most district-wide at $1,318.