As a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition administrators throughout the Western Wayne School District served lunch to students on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Both teachers and administrators enjoyed this festive event before the holiday.
Pictured is EverGreen Principal Justin Pidgeon serving students.
Pictured is EverGreen Elementary Assistant Principal Kerrie Fitzsimmons serving students.
Western Wayne Varsity Athletes and Coaches spend this cold and rainy Saturday night (11/18/17) sitting in an auditorium at North Pocono High School. The reason you ask? Well they were there to listen to motivational speaker Lee Rubin, former Penn State Free Safety and Captain of the team.
We filled 2 buses with students from just about every team represented. Mr. Rubin’s message was inspiring and entertaining to say the least. The Athletes listened, learned, and asked a lot of questions about being leaders.
At the end of the night, Mr. Rubin posed for a picture with the athletes and signed one of his books for them, “Win, Simple Insights for Student Leaders.” On the inside cover he wrote “WW Athletes, don’t just play, WIN!” -Lee
The book is available in the Athletic Directors office if any student would like to borrow it.
On November 17, SPO Wayne Thomas presented to the EverGreen Elementary Kindergarten – 5th grade students about Internet Safety. Officer Thomas discussed 4 important rules to help students stay safe online. He also spoke with EverGreen students about netiquette and cyberbullying.
“We can’t hide that Wildcat Pride!” can be heard throughout the buildings of the Western Wayne School District this 2017-18 school year. Administrators, teachers, and students alike are enjoying showing their school spirit through a variety of avenues such as through academics, extra-curriculars, sports, and in other ways.
The new Western Wayne Administrative Team this year is excited that students and teachers are embracing their pride initiative for the school year. The administrative team has many members who are new to their positions and some who are new to the district.
Matthew Barrett, Ed.D., started his first official year as Superintendent. In addition, Ellen M. Faliskie started her first official year as Assistant Superintendent.
In the high school, Jennifer Bradley began her first official year as High School Assistant Principal. In addition, Jennifer DeNike began her first official year as Assistant Director of Special Education. Both Bradley and DeNike are new to the district and are excited to work with the proud students of Western Wayne on a daily basis.
In Western Wayne’s EverGreen Elementary School both Principal Justin Pidgeon and Assistant Principal Kerrie Fitzsimmons began their first official years in their respective positions. They feel honored to have the opportunity to help young Wildcats develop a strong sense of pride in their efforts both inside and outside of school which they hope will continue as they head to the Western Wayne middle and high schools.
To celebrate the beginning of the school year, the Western Wayne Administration invited the marching band to their first day of teacher in-service to build pride through playing a variety of selections with the school’s Alma Matter as the final and featured piece.
Band Director Elaine Ort led all present in the playing and singing of this song that best accompanies the feeling of Wildcat pride.
“It was wonderful to see administrators, teachers, and students join in singing the Alma Matter,” Ort said. “I think this will be a great year in which our Wildcats will do positive things both inside and outside of the classroom.”
In order to feature some of the ways both present students and alumni are continuing to show their Wildcat pride, Middle School Assistant Principal Elizabeth Watson complied a video in which she spoke to students at Western Wayne of all ages from elementary to high school.
The film also featured alumni discussing their accomplishments since graduating Western Wayne. Katie Shemanski, Psy. D. School Psychologist for both middle and high school was one of the proud graduates on the film.
Watson explained how she was grateful to have the opportunity to work with the administrative team to put together the pride video.
“I love to hear what Wildcat pride means to students of all ages,” Watson explained. “It was great to hear the accomplishments of the older students and to get the younger ones to practice their Wildcat roars.”
Watson proudly gives a Wildcat roar every morning on the middle school announcements to build morale and pride in her building and feels excited that school pride is a focus in every Western Wayne building and for every Western Wayne student.
Assistant Superintendent Ellen Faliskie explained how, with the recent release of the School Performance Profile, Western Wayne is taking pride in their academic successes.
She discussed how the Western Wayne Administrative Team goes into a different building in the district each week so they are visible to the faculty and students.
“We want to get to know staff and students across the district and celebrate their successes,” Faliskie explained.
The Administrative Team is also very grateful that teachers, students, and the community can now enjoy events that help our Wildcats show their pride in buildings across the district that are newly renovated both inside and outside.
The newly renovated Western Wayne Auditorium was just recently dedicated as the Western Wayne Veterans Memorial Auditorium. It has new seats, lights, sound system, curtains, and a new stage floor. The district is excited to host many school and community-wide events in this beautiful space.
In addition, the grounds at the buildings throughout the district have been newly landscaped along with signs across the district that now allow community members to more easily navigate Western Wayne’s campuses.
New electronic signs have also been installed at all of the district buildings to help the community to know about the many events and accomplishments of the students.
“The signs help the community become a part of the pride,” Faliskie explained. “We are reaching out to families not only in the school community but in the community at large.”
The Administrative Team is excited to continue working to build community relations and to promote all of the great things that Western Wayne students have to offer to the community.
Dr. Barrett is proud of all Western Wayne students and staff members and their many achievements and accomplishments both inside and outside of the classroom along with their successes in extra-curricular activities and sports.
“We are so thankful that the School Board supports all of our programming and contributes to the success and pride of the Western Wayne School District,” Dr. Barrett said. “We just can’t hide that Wildcat pride.”
Pictured are members of Western Wayne’s 2017-2018 Administrative Team.
From left, standing: Maria Liptak, Food Service Director; Rose E. Emmett, Business Manager/ Board Secretary; Elizabeth Watson, Middle School Assistant Principal; Kristin Johnson, School Psychologist (Elementary); Brian Seaman, Technology Director; Jennifer Bradley, High School Assistant Principal; Jennifer DeNike, Assistant Director of Special Education; Katie Shemanski, Psy. D., School Psychologist (Middle/ High); and Kerrie Fitzsimmons, Elementary Assistant Principal.
From left, sitting: Maria Miller, Robert D. Wilson Principal; Paul B. Gregorski, II, High School Principal; Matthew Barrett, Ed. D., Superintendent; Ellen M. Faliskie, Assistant Superintendent; Kristen Donohue, Middle School Principal; Cynthia A. LaRosa, Director of Special Education; and Justin Pidgeon, EverGreen Principal. Absent from photo: Elizabeth Gregory, Early Intervention Supervisor.
On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, students from Western Wayne, Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands and Forest City Regional High Schools, who make up the Junior Leadership Northern Poconos Class of 2018, were able to get an overview of Wayne County’s Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice systems.
Some of the topics and presenters were:
Introduction –How did we get here? From Crack, To Opioids and Beyond
Janine Edwards, Wayne County District Attorney
Law Enforcement – Leading the Community in Law Enforcement
Larry Whitehead, Special Agent FBI
Drug Identification Visual Presentation
Wayne County DA Chief Detective Peter Hower
Prosecution – Leadership in the Chief Law Enforcement Officer Position
Janine Edwards, Wayne County District Attorney
Wayne County Correctional Facility Tour
Wayne County Correctional Facility, Honesdale, PA
Promoting School-Community-university Partnership to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER), utilizes evidence based drug and alcohol prevention programs in the school to reduce adolescent substance abuse as well as other problematic behaviors. It also sponsors Strengthening Families a seven week program for youth ages 10-14 years and their parents or caregivers which improves parenting skills, builds life skills in youth and strengthens family bonds.
Each participating vendor has promised to gift at least 10% of their profit in support of Western Wayne’s PROSPER project. As a society, we all can do our part in strengthening our communities, local families and especially our youth.
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Western Wayne elementary and middle school students were treated to an educational and extremely entertaining presentation about and “given by” Benjamin Franklin himself on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Elementary students at R.D. Wilson were treated to the presentation in the morning while students in the middle school enjoyed it in the afternoon in the newly renovated and recently dedicated Western Wayne Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The Wayne County Community Foundation made this presentation possible through a grant.
The Foundation has many programs and seeks proposals from organizations to secure grants that are meant to support efforts to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Wayne County. A variety of programs received almost $ 40,000 from the foundation grants that were awarded in the last fiscal year.
In 1997 the Estate of Benjamin Franklin awarded $ 20,000 to the Wayne County Community Foundation. The amazing vision of Mr. Franklin in realizing community organizations would exist more than 200 years after his passing, exhibits the man’s extraordinary vision.
The members of the Wayne County Community Foundation were glad students in Western Wayne’s R. D. Wilson Elementary School and the Western Wayne Middle School could experience a presentation about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin performed by professional actor Brian Patrick Mulligan.
Mulligan has been performing as Benjamin Franklin for over 25 years and his vast experience has proven to be an inspiration to all who have had the opportunity to witness his presentations. He has an extensive repertoire of events and many characters that he portrays.
Mulligan entertained and educated the students dressed in a period appropriate costume. The program was very interactive with Mulligan discussing many historical facts from Franklin’s life. A number of students had the opportunity to act out scenes to help the group learn about this rich history. There was a scene about the functioning of the printing press and another about kite flying among others.
The Western Wayne School District is very grateful to The Wayne County Community Foundation for providing their students with this educational opportunity. The Foundation also provided this same program to students from the Wayne Highlands School District, Forest City Regional School District, Wallenpaupack School District, and Canaan Christian Academy.
From left: Mr. Josh Rowe, middle school teacher; Benjamin Franklin played by Mulligan; and Josh Mahnke, 8th grade, who got to play a role in one of the skits from the presentation
Any student planning on playing basketball, boys and girls, or wrestling for the winter sports season, please make sure you have your physical in by November 17, 2017 if you don’t already have one on file. 
Lee Rubin was a hometown star, a three-sport student-athlete who, through hard work, determination, and faith, became a three-year starter and defensive captain for Penn State’s Nittany Lions Football team.
He has extracted the timeless truths of success from his athletic, professional and personal experiences, and shares them with matchless clarity. Thanks to the newly formed C.O.A.L. Foundation (Creating Outstanding Athletic Leaders), he will speak to athletes from all of the LIAA Schools on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at North Pocono High School Auditorium at 6:00 PM, free of charge. Western Wayne will have 2 buses to take the students over to North Pocono, leaving from the high school at 5:00 PM. Students should sign up outside the Athletic Director’s office.
For more information on Lee Rubin, visit his site at www.leerubinspeaks.com. For information on the C.O.A.L Foundation visit www.coalfoundation.org.
Lead by example. Be helpful to someone. Nice is free. Pay it forward. This is a no bullying zone.
Students at the Western Wayne Middle School went on a hunt to find lids with these powerful words on them hidden throughout their school for just one of many activities in honor of Red Ribbon Week, which is observed from October 23 through October 31 each year.
Red Ribbon Week is a United States initiative for the education and prevention of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol abuse. Both students in Western Wayne’s Middle and High Schools participated in a variety of events to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.
They included wearing red ribbons to symbolize being drug and alcohol free, wearing black and gold to show school pride for making positive choices, wearing mismatched socks to spread the message of “socking it to drugs”, and wearing boots to show the idea of “giving the boot to drugs.”
These different dress days were done throughout the week in both middle and high schools. Prizes were given for homerooms who had the most participants among other activities to earn rewards.
The two schools also set aside October 24 to commemorate the life of Rachel Scott and celebrate Rachel’s Challenge. Rachel’s Challenge is a national program that promotes acts of kindness in memory of Rachel Joy Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine High School shooting. Participating Western Wayne students wore orange on this day to pledge that they will always try to treat others with kindness just like Rachel did.
The CATS (Community Attitude Toward Success) Club lead this kindness and positive choices initiative in the middle school. The group’s advisor is Western Wayne Middle School Guidance Counselor Lisa Jacques.
One project that CATS Club members did this year was to work to cut out positive sayings to put on plastic lids that teachers hid throughout the middle school for students to find and turn in for prizes.
As students found the lids they put them up for display on a board in the cafeteria with the words reduce, reuse, and recycle on it. The board was an effort to promote the idea of spreading a positive, drug-free atmosphere in the middle school along with encouraging students to treat their environment with kindness.
Western Wayne Middle School CATS Club members pose in front of the lid display in honor of Red Ribbon Week. From left: Mary Jane Gilligan, Halle Smith, William Dwyer, Josh Mahnke, Zoey Goldman, Sami Sharp, and Emma Gilligan.
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. [...]
