Congratulations to Coach Darren Thorpe and the entire Girls Volleyball Team on the perfect season! Starters for the Lady Cats are Rebecca Klemovitch, Sydney Krompasky, Trina Barcarola, Sabrina Swoyer, Kaeli Romanowski, and Katherine Shepherd. The girls beat Crestwood in Round 1 of the play-offs and moved to the Semi-Final round where they will play Nanticoke at Berwick High School on 10/28/19.
Learning rhythms, beats, steps, and choreography isn’t just work for the Rockettes and Broadway stars, Western Wayne High School foreign language students have a yearly tradition of learning Spanish dancing as a part of their curriculum each fall.
Local dance instructor and studio owner Vince Brust works with the Western Wayne students to teach a variety of traditional Spanish dances such as tango, merengue, mambo, and salsa among others.
The students have a few weeks of sessions with Mr. Brust in the fall leading up to a performance for the community in early November.
Some of the students in the classes with Brust have been working with him for four years. Seniors Nicholas Gombita, Kendra Oliver, Samantha Scaduto, and Alyssa Iovacchini feel very excited to be working again on their dancing skills this school year.
“The experience helps to immerse us in both the culture of Spanish and dance,” Nick explained. “I have been learning more this year about how to count different music when I dance. Some dances are counted in threes and others in fours. Each dance is different.”
Another experienced dancer Kendra, who helped to choreograph one of the dances performed for the community last year in the annual Spanish dance performance, said she loves going to the classes each year to learn more and more.
“The salsa and cha-cha are my favorites,” Kendra said. “The steps are faster and more challenging than some of the other dances.”
Students of all ability and experience levels take Spanish dancing as a part of their Western Wayne foreign language curriculum.
Two freshmen Jaden Gregory and Nate Irvine have been enjoying learning this type of dance for the first time.
“It was hard at first to get accustomed to dancing with each other,” Nate said. “But it got easier the more we learned.”
“My favorite part are the cross-body leads,” Jaden explained. “They are a very smooth part of the dances.”
Jaden’s classmates freshmen Julia Phillips, Cassia Sheehan, and Ashley Small-Bermudez also have been enjoying their first experience in Spanish dance with Mr. Brust.
All of the girls have a lot of fun learning new steps each day. Julia likes the spins and turning in dance. Cassia thinks the cross-body leads are the most fun steps, and Ashley likes the expression she gets to put into the hairbrush step.
“This connects really well with what we are learning in the classroom,” Cassia explained. “It gives us a taste of what real Spanish culture is like.”
Western Wayne High School students in grade 9 experienced the THINK! ENERGY Innovation Program on Tuesday, October 22. This program is an interactive, hands-on presentation with a take home energy efficiency kit for each participating student and teacher. The program teaches the importance of energy, natural resources and environmental resources, and gives each participating student’s family energy-efficient technologies to install at home. Students and staff in the high school received innovation kits on October 22. The kits included four LED light bulbs, a water conserving shower head as well an advanced smart energy power strip. Overall, 225 innovation kits were distributed. This comes to 4,632 new LED bulbs distributed to the Western Wayne School District since the program’s launch in 2015. This program will also result in a number of mini-grants for the teachers in the high school as well. The Think Energy Innovation Program has been brought to the schools by the National Energy Foundation, PPL Electric Utilities, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. For more information or questions, please contact National Energy Foundation at 1-855-494-2942 or email stephanie.dorman@nef1.org.
From left: Dr. Mark Nebzydoski, science teacher; Eugene Shultz and Robert Penkala, presenters; and Paul Gregorski, principal.
Western Wayne Middle School Administration has recognized Peyton Fox and Timmy Roberts as outstanding seventh grade students for the month of October.
Peyton loves her math class and is excited to be learning pre-algebra this year. She also enjoys her English language arts class because of the happiness she finds in reading.
“I love reading and learning new things about writing and figurative language,” Peyton explained.
When Peyton isn’t hitting the books, she can be found working on her gymnastics skills. Peyton participates in gymnastics at United Sports Academy in Dunmore. She began the sport when she was one and half years old.
“I like to practice gymnastics with my friends,” Peyton said. “My floor routine is my favorite, because I get to tumble and dance. I practice six days a week.”
Peyton’s classmate Timmy Roberts is also very dedicated to his academic studies and extra-curricular activities.
Timmy’s favorite class is English language arts.
“I like reading,” Timmy explained. “We are reading the novel Holes in class right now, and I find it very interesting.”
Timmy also enjoys working with his hands. He is looking forward to taking his industrial arts course later this school year. Last year, he really liked creating rockets in his sixth grade industrial arts class.
In addition, Timmy is a member of the Western Wayne Middle School soccer team where he plays the position of striker.
“It is nice to be around friends while playing a sport,” Timmy said. “The biggest challenge I have is shooting around defenders on the field.”
Western Wayne faculty, administration, and staff are proud of both Peyton and Timmy’s accomplishments and wish them the best with their continued efforts for success.
Western Wayne sophomores Bridget Oppelt and Rachel Tuman have been chosen to present Western Wayne at the 2020 Central Pennsylvania HOBY Leadership Seminar at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, from May 14 through May 17.
Both young ladies are very accomplished at Western Wayne. Bridget is an honor roll student who enjoys being a part of the Western Wayne Marching Band where she plays the alto saxophone. She also does baton with the Double R Twirlettes and likes to ride horses in her spare time.
Like her classmate, Rachel also is highly involved in academics and activities. Rachel is a member of the Mock Trial Team, PJAS, Science Olympiad, FBLA, Spanish Club, and is the vice president of the sophomore class.
The girls were chosen for HOBY through essays they submitted about what leadership means to them.
“I wrote about how leadership is a role that you can use to guide and help others,” Bridget said.
Rachel agreed that helping others is a large part of leadership.
“I wrote about how there are two types of leaders: positive and negative ones,” Rachel explained. “Positive leaders help to develop tomorrow’s leaders.”
Both girls are very excited to attend the HOBY Leadership Seminar.
“I look forward to hearing what is said about leadership and meeting other students and hearing their experiences,” Rachel said.
Students were given a topic of Fire Prevention and Safety to write an essay. The two students chosen were Joseph Altenhofen and Haley Dougal. They pictured with Chief Price and Rescue Captain/Vice-President Henry Hinz from Hamlin Fire & Rescue.
Chief Price and his firefighters from Hamlin Fire & Rescue were at EverGreen Elementary on October 11, 2019 to discuss fire prevention and safety with all students. Students were able to see fire fighters in their turn-out gear, different tools used to fight fires, different piece of equipment that was on scene, and have lunch with some of the firefighters. Students learned valuable lessons that they will be able use to in their lives.
Representatives for twenty-four colleges and universities in Pennsylvania were available to Western Wayne High School students in grades nine through twelve on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the high school gym.
High School guidance counselor Mrs. Rachael Palko coordinated this second annual event that so many high school students benefited from.
“The event has grown from last year,” Palko explained. “We have schools from further out like Villanova University and Slippery Rock University. We tried to expand our reach.”
Palko believes that students in different grades took away information they needed from the event that is appropriate for their grade level.
“I want the ninth and 10th graders to have exposure to different schools and understand the variety of options they have for after high school such as going to a four-year college, a trade school, or even entering the military,” Palko explained. “The upperclassmen have an opportunity to talk to representatives about specific majors they have an interest in and can also make inquiries about the size of campuses and class sizes.”
Some upperclassmen who are members of the National Honor Society not only had the opportunity to attend the event but also volunteered to help Palko facilitate the event.
Celeste Orchard and Courtney Petrilak were two of the NHS volunteers at the event. Celeste, a junior who aspires to study actuarial science, explained how the NHS members were helping to hand out and collect scavenger hunt papers to the students in attendance at the fair. These papers were meant to help students gather information about the colleges in attendance. Both Celeste and Courtney discussed how they felt happy to help out at the event, and they also used their time to find out information about a variety of colleges.
“It was good to find out about different opportunities,” Courtney, a junior who wishes to become a physician’s assistant, said.
School Police Department participates in specialized, hands-on training.August 21, 2026This summer members of the Western Wayne School Police Department participated in specialized, hands-on training at the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute (PennSSI) to strengthen emergency readiness and threat response protocols.
Interactive Crisis Simulations: Officers engaged with PennSSI’s state-of-the-art multi-room simulator and 360-degree augmented reality technology, experiencing realistic emergency scenarios to test real-time decision-making and spatial awareness.
De-escalation & Tactical Response: The sessions emphasized practical de-escalation tactics, threat management, and building muscle memory for high-stress situations occurring on school grounds.
Crisis Communication & Incident Command: Training covered coordinated communication strategies within the Incident Command Structure, aligning police tactics with district administration and emergency management partners.
Behavioral Threat Assessment: Personnel expanded their knowledge on identifying concerning student behaviors, threat assessment frameworks, and applying trauma-informed protocols to keep schools secure without sacrificing a supportive environment.
This immersive training underscores Western Wayne’s ongoing commitment to proactive school safety, ensuring officers are equipped with the latest techniques to protect students, staff, and the surrounding school community. [...]
Senior Competes at FBLA National Leadership ConferenceJuly 6, 2026Western Wayne senior Grady Farley represented the school and the WW FBLA chapter at the FBLA National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas, the week of June 29th.
Grady earned the opportunity to compete at the national level in the Agribusiness event, where he demonstrated his knowledge, preparation, and professionalism among FBLA students from across the country. Competing at nationals is an outstanding accomplishment, and the district is proud of Grady’s hard work and dedication.
Pictured is Grady Farley at the FBLA National Leadership Conference. [...]
High School Student Secures Spot on the Great Wall of HonesdaleJuly 6, 2026Western Wayne High School junior Archer Long has secured a coveted spot on the Great Wall of Honesdale with his painting entitled 250 Years Under One Flag.This year’s competition theme, 2026: American Perspective, inspired artists to explore the nation’s history, identity, and future through original works of art. Archer’s selected painting is an American depiction of our nation’s history, illustrating the symbolism of westward expansion and industrial progress. It reflects the idea that our country’s freedom was forged through sacrifice and hard work, honoring the generations whose perseverance helped shape the United States.Each selected piece is digitally reproduced on an impressive 11-by-17-foot billboard vinyl panel and exhibited for one year at the intersection of 4th and Main Streets in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.More than a decade after its inception, the Great Wall of Honesdale has evolved from showcasing primarily local artists into a juried international exhibition featuring entries from around the world. The installation is enjoyed by the occupants of more than 5 million vehicles that pass the site each year and has become a popular tourist destination. Both the exhibition theme and artwork change annually, while each year’s collection remains permanently accessible online through the Wayne County Arts Alliance, where visitors can also learn more about each exhibiting artist. Please visit the website for more information: https://waynecountyartsalliance.org/windows-on-the-wall/Congratulations to Archer Long on this outstanding artistic achievement and the opportunity to share his work with thousands of visitors throughout the coming year.Pictured is Archer Long, Western Wayne High School junior, who secured a coveted spot on the Great Wall of Honesdale and is shown standing below his painting 250 Years Under One Flag. [...]
