EVERGREEN ELEMENTARY
HIGH SCHOOL
MIDDLE SCHOOL
RDW ELEMENTARY
News from Around our Schools
FBLA Students Excel at Regional Leadership ConferenceJanuary 16, 2025Western Wayne FBLA recently attended the Regional Leadership Conference at The University of Scranton. Students participated in competitive events and attended workshops with local business leaders. Twenty-two Western Wayne Students qualified to compete in the State Leadership Conference in April. Students who qualified are as follows:
Clare Coccodrilli, Isabella Kolp, Avery Ullner – 1st Place, Intro to Social Media Strategy
Khloe Mistishin, Grace Moser, Maggie Kotchessa – 1st Place, Business Ethics
Chris Pane – 1st Place, Intro to Financial Math
Madelyn McClure – 1st Place, Intro to Parliamentary Procedure
Lance Maiocco – 1st Place, Networking Infrastructures
Lily Kieva & Julia Wehrmann – 1st Place, Sales Presentation
Makenzie Chearney – 2nd Place, Intro to FBLA
Phoebe Schmitt & Audrey Agnello – 2nd Place, Social Media Strategies
Colette Schmitt – 2nd Place, Public Speaking
Nathaniel Amberg – 2nd Place, Impromptu Speaking
Kyle Matthews – 3rd Place, Intro to Event Planning
Abigail Bell – 3rd Place, Intro to FBLA
Ciarra Kidder – 3rd Place, Accounting 1
Olivia Gries – 4th Place, Business Communication
Paityn Duprey – 4th Place, Intro to Business Communication
Eli Bilski – 4th Place, Intro to Business Procedures
Lastly, Madelyn McClure was voted to serve as the 2025-26 Region 22 Secretary.
The District is proud of our FBLA members’ hard work and commitment to the program.
Photo One:
From left, row one: Grace Langendoerfer, David Elias, Ethan Lamberton, Timmy Roberts, Madelyn McClure, Audrey Agnello, Phoebe Schmitt, Ciarra Kidder, Olivia Gries, Isabella Kolp, Clare Coccodrilli, Avery Ullner, Cameron Press, and Myles Lee.
From left, row two: Carmine Leggio, Connor Bryant, Jared Goldman, Emaan Tanveer, Lily Kieva, Grace Moser, Maggie Kotchessa, Graysen Valinski, Paul Borowski, and Lance Maiocc.o
From left, row three: Jason Vass, Julia Wehrmann, Khloe Mistishin, Colette Schmitt, Vinny Baldini, and Mitchell Ferraro.
From left, row four: Mia Arcadipane, Madison Trapanese, Donovan Gregorski, and Gage Roberts.
Back row: Nathaniel Amberg, Mackenzie Adams, Hannah DeStefano, Raeleigh Kromko, and Madelyn Vinton.
Photo Two:
Madelyn McClure, who was voted to serve as the 2025-26 Region 22 Secretary. [...]
High School Watershed Group Receives Grant for Fourth-Grade Trip to Varden Conservation AreaJanuary 16, 2025Western Wayne High School’s Watershed Group is proud to announce the acceptance of a grant to sponsor a fourth-grade field trip to the Varden Conservation Area this spring. This initiative, led by students, exemplifies their commitment to fostering environmental stewardship and creating meaningful educational opportunities for younger learners.
Sophomore Aliyah Gregory wrote the grant and is thrilled to have been given it to use to help the younger students at Western Wayne have this unique educational experience.
“I really enjoy helping environmental causes,” Aliyah said. “I also aspire to be a teacher one day and think that working with the fourth graders later this year will be a good experience in leading others.”
The program, Community Connections to Our Watershed, has a legacy spanning over two decades. Each year, education staff from Lackawanna and Nescopeck State Parks collaborate with local schools to engage students and educators in an environmental forum. Participants explore local parks and public lands while learning from conservation professionals who work tirelessly to ensure equitable access to clean water—a resource vital for both human and ecological health. An overview of the 2023-2024 program, including information, pictures, and highlights from field trips, is available at https://tinyurl.com/CCTW2024
This year’s participating schools include:
Lackawanna County Teams: Carbondale, Forest City, Lackawanna Trail, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, Riverside, Western Wayne, and Wayne Highlands.
Luzerne County Teams: Crestwood, Hanover, HAAS, HACC, Hazleton, Northwest, Tunkhannock, and Wyoming Area.
Western Wayne High School students have already participated in enriching field trips to Lackawanna State Park, Keystone College, the Old Forge borehole, and the Alliance Landfill. These experiences provided hands-on lessons in understanding healthy watersheds, monitoring their condition, and implementing solutions to maintain water quality. These activities were made possible through support from Pennsylvania American Water Company, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and DCNR’s Watershed Education Program.
Sophomore Dakota Douglas greatly enjoyed the trip to Keystone. Part of the experience that day was the students doing a simulated bird watching activity where they used binoculars to look at pictures of birds on trails and then identify them.
“The bird watching activity was really fun,” she said. “I love science and hope to study psychology one day in college.”
The program will culminate on May 6, 2025, with a student presentation banquet at Montage Mountain. Western Wayne students will present their project, which involves designing and implementing a field trip for fourth-grade elementary students to the Varden Conservation Area. Drawing from their own learning experiences, the high school students crafted ecology-based activities to inspire and educate their younger peers.
To fund this initiative, the students successfully applied for a grant through the Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF). The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) reviewed and approved their mini-grant application, which secured funding for transportation and programming costs.
The Wayne County Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a charitable reserve for the current and future needs of Wayne County. Through its grant programs, the Foundation empowers community organizations to grow, thrive, and achieve sustainability. For more information about the Foundation, visit their office at 214 Ninth Street, Honesdale, PA 18431, call 570-251-9993, email info@waynefoundation.org, or visit https://www.waynefoundation.org.
Western Wayne High School is deeply grateful for the support that made this student-led program possible. This grant underscores the power of youth initiative and collaboration in promoting environmental awareness and education within our community.
From left, kneeling: Aliyah Gregory and Kyleigh Turner. From left, standing: Dakota Douglas, Jerrah-Ann DeBree, Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D. advisor; and Giuliana Velazquez. [...]
Band Director Earns PMEA District 9 Citation of ExcellenceJanuary 16, 2025The Western Wayne School District would like to congratulate high school band director Mrs. Elaine Ort on being the recipient of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 9 Citation of Excellence. Mrs. Ort is the only band director in District 9 to be chosen for the award this year. This award is given to music educators who demonstrate high musical standards both inside and outside the classroom. She will attend an awards banquet at the PMEA State Conference in April to receive the official recognition.In addition, Mrs. Ort has had the honor of being a member of America’s Bands Directors with her most recent appearance with this group at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.The district is proud of Mrs. Ort’s past and most recent accomplishments.Pictured is Mrs. Ort at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Please also enjoy this link to an appearance Mrs. Ort made on PA Live last year to discuss her accomplishments in music.
https://www.pahomepage.com/pa-live/western-wayne-band-director-performs-at-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/ [...]
Curriculum Night – January 29, 2025 – 6:00-8:00 PMJanuary 10, 2025Curriculum Night will be held Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00. Administration, Guidance and the Department Heads will go over the curriculum, graduation requirements and the scheduling process. [...]
Western Wayne School District Job OpportunitiesJanuary 2, 2025We are currently looking for a food service team member.Part-time (5 hours per day) 9 am-2 pm. Rate $14.00 per hour
Great jobs when you have students in the district…you work when they are in school.
Please reach out for more info to: Maria Liptak, RD Food Service Directormliptak@westernwayne.orgor call 1-800-321-9973 option 1
Applicants must be in compliance with Acts 34/151/114 GuidelinesWestern Wayne School District is an EOE school district [...]
Scholarships & Career Opportunities – January EditionJanuary 2, 2025The January edition of Scholarships & Career Opportunities is now available. All grades should read this document to get information on college, careers, important dates, SAT/ACT exams and of course…scholarships!
Click here: https://ww3.westernwayne.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Scholarships-and-Career-Opportunities-January-2025.pdf [...]
Western Wayne Participates in FBLA Regional ConferenceJanuary 2, 2025Wester Wayne FBLA members attended the Regional Leadership Workshop held at Woodloch Resorts this past December and had a great experience learning at and participating in this event. Back row, from left: Khloe Mistishin, Cameron Press, Jared Goldman, and Madelyn Vinton. Front row, from left: Phoebe Schmitt, Olivia Gries, Ms. Brooke Hochreither, Western Wayne FBLA adviser; Colette Schmitt, and Madelyn McClure. [...]
Alumni Participate in Winter ConcertJanuary 2, 2025This December 13th the Western Wayne High School Band and Chorus held their annual holiday concert. The night opened with the High School Chorus under the direction of Mr. Taber Starnes singing a variety of holiday songs. Then the High School Band performed under the direction of Mrs. Elaine Ort and entertained the audience with many holiday classics. As an added treat, the closing numbers of the show included band and chorus alumni who were invited to the stage and welcomed to join the current students in making music. This tradition started a few years ago to honor the Western Wayne School District’s 50th Anniversary, and it was so popular that alumni look forward to it each year. The current students and alumni loved making music together and can’t wait to do it again next year. The High School Chorus, Band, and Western Wayne music programs alumni wish the community the happiest of holidays this season!
Row Four, back, alumni in attendance, from left: Hope Jezorwski, class of 1997; Connor Michaud,; class of 2024; Caden Wilson, class of 2024; Joey Regalbuto, class of 2024; Logan Jerzorski, class of 2024; Seth Lamberton, class of 2018; and Damon Martzen, class of 2020. Row Three: Phil Erb, class of 2001; Mason Coccodrilli, class of 2018; and Thomas Roberts, class of 2017. Row Two: Candice Zeiler, WW alumni; Alecks Fullone, class of 2022; Amanda David, class of 2023; Jennifer Hall, class of 2023; Kristin Shandor, class of 2015; Noah Shandor, class of 2015; and Kat Moore, class of 2019. Row One: Kathy Schaffer, class of 1974; Erica Arre, class of 2003; Becky Rinella, WW band parent; Mrs. Elaine Ort, band director; Tyler Velez, class of 2018; and Alana Lamberton, class of 2022. [...]
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