“I Like Jersey Best,” which almost became the state song of New Jersey, was co-written by one of Pascack Valley’s own teachers.

Mr. Phil Bernardi wrote and played this song and many others for nearly the past 40 years as a singer/songwriter and a guitar player.

Bernardi brought his love for music and performing to PV by directing 1 or 2 of the plays and musicals here and teaching theater arts classes. He has also taught English and video production in his 38 years teaching in the district.

His time here is drawing to a close, however, as Bernardi will be retiring at the end of this school year.

He has worked in the district since 1978 at Pascack Hills and then worked at both Hills and Valley from the early 2000s until 2011. At that point,and thereafter, PV had a full time seat for Bernardi.

Of course, he has faced some challenges while teaching, but has been able to work through them.

Working at PV showed him how passionate he has been about his jobs and students.

“I hope they have enjoyed the experience,” Bernardi said. “My class is full of new discoveries.”

Several of his former students have said that they’ve immensely enjoyed his class and that his classes changed them for the better.

“Mr. Bernardi had to be one of my favorite teachers at Valley,” Cassi Finno, a 2013 graduate of PV, said.” I was always excited to be in his class every day. Even if I was having a bad day, he always knew how to lift my spirits. His overall attitude made people want to learn.”

Bernardi said that he has always been more of a mentor than a lecturer to his students, teaching as a “guide on the side” rather than a “sage on the stage”.

“You can truly see his passion for video production, and he also treats his students like they are his friends,” Finno said.

Bernardi’s love for video production has been apparent and his students were able to learn a lot from him.

“I would describe Mr. Bernardi as funny, kind, positive, and extremely helpful,” 2012 PV graduate Stephanie Ressler, who was known as Stevie during her time at PV, said.

Bernardi recognized Ressler for her talent using Final Cut, an Apple video editing software which allows a video to be exported to a wide variety of formats.

“After class Bernardi pulled me aside and told me I had a gift and should consider this as a career path,” she said. “I became extremely proficient in Final Cut, which is something I use every day in college.”

Ressler took her teacher’s advice and decided to pursue a career in video production and broadcast journalism. All of the hard work Ressler put into Bernardi’s class paid off, earning her a scholarship to Roger Williams University. She is currently a senior there and is majoring in journalism and minoring in film.

“No one else in my major came into college with the knowledge of video production, the way I did,” Ressler said. “I knew Pascack Valley was a great high school, but it wasn’t until I got to college that I realized just how advanced PV really is.”

She said Bernardi was extremely knowledgeable about video production and journalism, and always willing to talk to and help his students.

This knowledge comes from Bernardi’s pre-PV life. He was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Hasbrouck Heights. He moved to Mahwah, where he lives currently, about 20 years ago. After double-majoring in English and theater at Montclair State University, Bernardi worked at a radio station.

Bernardi may consider doing something related to teaching after he retires but doesn’t have a set plan where his future will lead him. He does want to continue playing guitar and singing at local restaurants, though.