Author: Western Wayne Webmaster
Varsity Wrestling Tri-Meet will be held on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.
Wrestling will be held in the Middle School Gym.
The Tri-Meet schedule will go as follows:
- 5:00 – Weigh Ins
- 6:00 – WW vs Lackawanna Trail
- 6:45 – Lackawanna Trail vs Blue Ridge
- 7:30 – Blue Rige vs WW
Western Wayne Students Named Artists of the Week of January 7
A young artist works diligently to create a beautiful series of portraits using a variety of mediums such as acrylic, watercolor, and colored pencils. Another artist expands his performance horizons by shifting gears from playing clarinet and saxophone during theatrical productions to working to perfect his vocal performance and comedic timing to play bootlegger Cookie McGee in Nice Work if You Can Get It.
These artists aren’t professionals in their crafts just yet. Instead visual artist Desiree Counterman and performance artist John Kear are seniors at Western Wayne High School who have been recognized as WVIA’s Artists of the Week for the Week of January 7th.
Each student will have a vignette produced about them that will be featured online at wvia.org and pbs.org beginning on Sunday, January 7 and will be available for one year. Both students are now in the running to win WVIA Artist of the Year which is announced in May.
The students also will be featured across all WVIA television, radio, and digital platforms for the entire week of January 7th. Later in the spring, the public can also vote for these students and other local students to win the Viewer’s Choice Artist of the Week award by viewing and sharing their vignettes on wvia.org.
Both Desiree and John said they felt surprised to be named to this honor but look forward to sharing their accomplishments in the arts with their friends, family, and the community.
“We are extremely proud that our talented and hardworking Western Wayne seniors are being recognized for their efforts in the arts,” Paul Gregorski, Western Wayne high school principal, said. “I hope the public takes a moment to learn more about our students’ accomplishments by visiting wvia.org.”
Western Wayne Senior Accepted to Vassar College
Ty Alpaugh has been recognized as an outstanding student by Western Wayne High School Administration. She is a senior who has just been accepted into the prestigious Vassar College located in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Ty, a two-year National Honor Society member, is a National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist who scored a 1500 out of 1600 on her SAT with her score evenly split between Reading and Math.
She greatly looks forward to studying liberal arts at Vassar next year with a focus on drama and film.
Ty has been interested in these areas of study throughout her high school career. She dedicated herself to four musical productions at Western Wayne playing roles such as Pinocchio in Shrek, Rose Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie, and she is currently in rehearsals to play Billie Bendix in Nice Work if You Can Get It. Ty loves developing her acting, singing, and dancing skills in musical theater.
She aspires to one day live and work in New York City. She dreams to earn a living on Broadway as an actress but also has an interest in cinematography. Currently she is taking a video production course at Western Wayne and looks forward to pursuing this study in college.
Ty also has much experience with music through her participation in band and chorus during her high school years. Ty plays the drums in Western Wayne’s marching band and plays mallet percussion for the concert season. She also has served as historian for the band for two years.
Along with all of her performing arts experiences at Western Wayne, Ty is proud of her accomplishments as an athlete. She has participated in Western Wayne’s Tennis team for four years serving as co-captain her senior year. The team made it to playoff rounds this year.
Ty feels excited to take all of her enthusiasm for excellence in all areas to Vassar this fall.
“I just can’t wait to meet all of the new people from different backgrounds,” she explained. “I feel like it will be such a tight knit community at Vassar where everyone has a passion for the arts.”
From left: Alpaugh and Western Wayne High School Principal Paul Gregorski.
Girls Basketball game vs Delaware Valley Postponed to Tuesday, Jan 9, 2017.
Make-Up Basketball games to be played on Saturday 1/6/18.
Here are the updates for basketball games:
- Boys Varsity will play at Honesdale in the Middle School Gym tomorrow, 1/6/18. JV starts at 12:30 PM and Varsity at 2:00 PM.
- Girls Varsity will play Honesdale at home tomorrow, 1/6/18. JV starts at 11:00 AM and Varsity will play at 12:15 PM. – High School Gym.
- Boys Freshman game with Honesdale will be played tomorrow, 1/6/18 at 11:00 AM in the Middle School gym.
- Girls JH game with Wallenpaupack will be played tomorrow, 1/6/18 in the High School gym after the varsity game. Will start at 2:00 PM & 3:00 PM.
- Boys JH game scheduled for tomorrow at North Pocono, 1/6/18 will now be played on 1/15/18.
Boys and Girls Regular Season Basketball Starts This Week!
Boys will host West Scranton on Wednesday, January 3, 2018. JV starts at 6:00 PM and Varsity 7:15 PM.
Girls will host Honesdale on Friday, January 5, 2018. JV starts at 6:00 PM and Varsity at 7:15 PM.
Come out and support the teams! 
Scholarships & Career Opportunities – January 2018
Western Wayne Receives Educational Alliance Grant
Each year Exxon Mobil gives millions of dollars in grants to schools nationwide. They have a long history of supporting educational programs, like Educational Alliance, that focuses on improvements in math and science from pre-school to higher education. Exxon believes it is fundamentally important to encourage the next generation to pursue studies and careers involved in these fields. This year Western Wayne High School was one of 16 schools in the state of Pennsylvania that Liberty Petroleum Distributors, based out of Scranton, working with Exxon Mobil was able to present with an Educational Alliance Grant for 1,000 dollars for use in its math and science programs. From left are Jennifer Bradley, Western Wayne High School Assistant Principal; Paul Krewson, District Manager for Liberty Petroleum Distributers; Maria Masankay, Co-Chair of the Western Wayne High School Science Department; and Ted MacDonough, Chair of the Western Wayne High School Math Department.
Basketball and Wrestling Holiday Tournament Information
Tis the season for Holiday Tournaments!
Boys Basketball
December 23th & 26th – Forest City Rotary Tournament: Tip off on Saturday is set for 3:30 PM JV vs Mt. View and Varsity 5:00 PM vs Mt. View. Tuesday, December 26 TBA pending results from Saturday. All games played at Forest City High School.
Girls Basketball
December 26th and December 28th – Honesdale Jaycees Holiday Tournament: Tip off for the girls is at 7:15 PM on December 26. On Dec 28 either 5:45 PM or 7:15 PM. Girls JV will play on Dec 28th at 4:15 PM. All games will be played at Honesdale High School.
Wrestling (Varsity)
Tunkhannock Kiwanis Tournament: December 27th -Wrestling begins at 9:00 AM at Tunkhannock High School. Day 2, December 28th also at Tunkhanock High School at 9:00 AM
Wrestling (JH)
December 23rd wrestling in the Hawkeye Memorial Individual Tournament at Hanover High School. Wrestling starts at 9:00 AM.
Freshman Basketball
December 29th Donald J Wolff Freshman Holiday Tournament: WW vs West Scranton at 12:00 PM in Scranton High School Gym
ALL NEWS
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. [...]
