This past May Western Wayne eighth graders Azalea Joglar and Hailey Wasman had their original poetry published on the website Teen Ink. The girls wrote autobiographical poems as an ELA assignment and afterwards submitted them to the publication and were selected to appear on the Teen Ink website.

Teen Ink is a website and national teen magazine devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos, and forums. For over 33 years, Teen Ink has offered teens the opportunity to publish their creative work and opinions on issues that affect their lives – everything from love and family to school, current events, and self-esteem. Hundreds of thousands of students, aged 13-19, have submitted their work to us, and Teen Ink has published more than 55,000 teens since 1989.

Teen Ink offers some of the most thoughtful and creative work generated by teens today. The organization has no staff writers or artists; they depend completely on submissions from teenagers around the world for our content. Teenink.com has over 480,000 registered users and continues to grow every day.

Azalea’s poem titled “Define Me” can be found at the following link http://teenink.com/poetry/all/article/1157847/Define-Me or read below. She won the status of Editor’s Choice from Teen Ink.

The team of editors at Teen Ink reads and reviews everything that’s submitted to the publication – and when they see something that really stands out, they mark it as Editor’s Choice.

Azalea explained that her poem is about how society puts labels on people, and how she doesn’t want to be labeled and how she doesn’t think others should be labeled either.

“My poetry helps me to express the ways I view things in life,” Azalea explained.

She continues to work on her poetry in her spare time, most recently writing a piece that personifies paper and how its existence plays so many different roles in people’s lives. Azalea looks forward to continuing to develop her writing in high school. She is an honor roll student who enjoys studying all subjects.

Fellow classmate Hailey Wasman’s poem titled “Embrace the Shot” also has been published on Teen Ink. It can be found at the following link https://www.teenink.com/poetry/free_verse/article/1158723/Embrace-The-Shot or read below.

Hailey explained the meaning of her poem.
“This piece of poetry is about a person’s mind through the years,” she explained. “The poem is meant to show feelings from anger and frustration to joy and happiness.”
Hailey mostly enjoys writing to express her thoughts and feelings. Her favorite subjects in school are math and history. She is an honor roll student and member of the Western Wayne softball team and does a lot with her local 4 H Club.
From left: Azalea Joglar and Hailey Wasman.
“Define Me”

By Azalea Joglar
From a young age society puts a label on us.
If we break their label they cause a fuss.
But I will not let society define me anymore,
Brave people must stand up and fight this war.
Then again when you stand up society points out your flaws,
They start to tear you down with their words using their claws.
So rise above and tell them a few scratches won’t hurt.
I stand up, because I am not dirt.
I am not defined by the color of my skin,
I am not defined by the music I listen to,
I am not defined by my grin,
I am not defined by the songs on queue,
I am not defined by the college I want to go to,
I am not defined by my number of friends,
I am not defined by the color blue,
I am not defined by my writing pens,
I am not defined by how much I weigh,
I am not defined by my height,
I am not defined by if I am gay,
I am not defined by my favorite soda sprite,
I am not defined by my grades,
I am not defined by my past.
I am not defined by how my talkativeness fades,
I am not defined by my fears,
I am not defined by my skill of writing,
I am not defined by my flood of tears,
I am not defined by my hate for the suns lighting,
I am not defined by track and cheer,
I am not defined by my drawings,
I am not defined by my seat in class,
I am not defined by my collected things,
I am not defined by who in the hallways I say hi to when we pass,
I am not defined by how much I study,
I am not defined by the books I read on the shelf,
I am not defined by who I find funny,
I am defined by how I treat others and myself,
Society tries to define us and rate us on our appearance.
They try to rate our lives and our looks on a scale from 1-10.
And the “ugly and unsuccessful” ones get treated like items on clearance.
None of us are perfect, never will be, never have been.
So society go ahead and rate me on your number scale,
Because I will hold my head up high and proudly fail.
“Embrace the Shot”
By Hailey Wasman
Lightning and thunder
Rain and clouds
Wind whips across the cold hard ground.
Screaming through the pain
But relishing in the gain.
Praying on my knees
Give me salvation, please.
Hours and hours
Shall reap rewards.
Time, ole’ time, the time you put in
Will come back to reward you in the very end.
When the broke is the dam
Barn doors slam
But inside, you wouldn’t’ know, is a lamb
They yell,
They scream
Advice that seems so obscene
Most say “live life base by base”
Other say “sometimes that is not the case”
“Miss the throw
But make the catch”.
Head in my hands
Heart in my chest
Believe me
I’m trying my best
Oh, give me something to take the edge off
Something to take my mind off
This so-called life.
The horrors
The pain
What is there for me to gain?
Family and friends
Lord and faith
For what are my dreams made?
Acres and acres
Blood, sweat, and tears
But, my pride, it is all for you my dear.
The skillful eye
Critiques from head to toe
But I will let you know
It is your friend not your foe.
Skin and bone
Flesh and blood
Will not help you survive the great flood.
Faith and strength
Will help survive what is to come.
Medals and trophies
Ribbons and banners
All lead to a playful banter.
The choir sings a glorious tune
While the preacher makes his evening commune.
Through the swamps
Through the hollows
An old hound dog
On the tail of a wily coon.
Whitetail doe,
Whitetail buck
It is all in your luck.
Breathe in
Breathe out
Embrace the shot
And let it ring out

Students in Mrs. Jenkins’s Honors American Literature class planned, designed, created, and presented professional Food Truck Companies based on characters of Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. Students competed in the 2nd Annual Food Truck Wars for ‘Best Food Truck’ based on originality, creativity, novel connection, and professionalism. Juniors and fellow sophomores who studied the book previously served as judges.

Congratulations to ‘Beatty’s Bussin Bytes’ created by Nathan Conway and Gabe Treibley based on the character of Captain Beatty. Honorable mention goes to runners-up Lila Rusin and Kiersten McDonald for their company “Are You Happy” and Taylor Maiocco and Rhayni Carroll for their company “Sips of Serenity.”

Western Wayne High School artists were thrilled to host their annual art show in the High School Gym on Saturday, May 14, after two years.  The students were unable to have their show in 2020, and they held a modified version of it in 2021 in the high school library.

This year the students brought out all of their best work to showcase for their family, friends, and the community.  Students in grades 9 through 12 had their artwork featured along with a few pieces from select 8th grade artists.

In addition, nine seniors had their artwork showcased in special displays of their own creation.  

Senior Rebecca Boots’ exhibit theme was “Many Dreams, Little Nightmares.”

“This exhibit displays the mind of a teenage girl and her feelings that make no sense and have no correlation,” she explained.  “My theme reflects my personal thoughts and feelings growing up as a teenager which is reflected in my work.”

Becca plans to attend Lackawanna College for nursing.

Fellow senior Vince Cistulli’s exhibit theme was “Horror.”

“I have pieces that are inspired from the typical horror clichés and stereotypes painted with a colorful twist,” he said.  “Fear has been around since the dawn of time and it’ll never go away and the fact  I can convey that in a particular style represents me.”

Vince’s goals post graduation are to either go to college for psychology or to work in the film industry.

Senior Ella Dougher has loved art since she was very young.

“Ever since I was younger, I always loved to draw and paint,” she explained.  “Whenever I had free time, I would get my hands on something.  My passion for art came from my mother and brother who are both talented artists.”

The theme of her senior exhibit was dreamlike and surrealistic.

Fellow senior B. Flannery has enjoyed art from a young age as well.

“My earliest art-making memory is drawing a pastel portrait of my sister and I in my 8th-grade art class,” B. explained.  “I became interested in the arts because it helped me with my mental health.  I was at a really low part of my life and I turned to music and art as an outlet.”

B.’s senior exhibit was based on fears.

Post graduation, B. will attend Marywood University to study vocal music therapy.

Senior Carleigh Galliford is another one of our artists who was inspired by her family. 

“My mother is an artist and inspired me to become interested in the arts,” Carleigh explained.  “I am also inspired by the emotions I feel dealing with mental health, leaving behind childhood and friendships, and being in nature.

The theme of Carleigh’s exhibit was “Self-Expression.”

After graduation, she will attend Marywood University to study music therapy.

Fellow senior Adelaide Treibley, like some of her classmates, was inspired to enjoy art in her younger years.

“My love for art began in elementary school,” Adelaide said.  “Art was my favorite class, and I enjoyed the creative challenge of each new assignment.”

Her senior art exhibit theme was “Life and Nature.”

She will attend Moravian University majoring in chemistry in the fall.

Soon-to-be graduate Audrey Lawlor also had her creativity sparked for art as a child.

“My grandmother and my father have inspired me to pursue art as a subject of study in high school because they are both very talented and artistic,” she explained.  “Growing up, my father was always sketching and drawing.”

Audrey’s post-graduation plans are to attend Duquesne University and study business.

Another one of our seniors also planning to attend Marywood University in the fall, is Delaney Valinski.  She plans to study psychology. 

One way she keeps down her stress level is through art.

“I enjoy creating and the stress relief it provides,” she explained.  I also enjoy how creating helps bring me joy but what I create provides joy for others.”

Her senior collection was inspired by nature.

Finally, senior Lowen Weber’s display had the theme “Habits and Dependency.”

“My inspiration comes from allegorical stories, true crime, and personal life experiences,” Lowen explained.  

Lowen’s goals after graduation are to take a gap year and save up to go to York College to study acting and illustration.

The Western Wayne School District congratulates all of the artists involved in this year’s art exhibit and wishes the seniors the best with their future plans.

Western Wayne High School musicians came together on Saturday, May 14th, in an exhibition of the arts in the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium for their annual spring concert for both band and chorus students.

The concerts showcased the groups’ musical abilities honed after months of hard work. Both the band and choir have faced challenges, again, this school year, but put on a great show for the community. Pictured are Western Wayne High School chorus students under the direction of Mr. Taber Starnes and band students under the direction of Mrs. Elaine Ort.

On May 20, 2022 students at the Western Wayne High School and Middle School complex were visited by the LifeNet of New York Helicopter crew. Students had the opportunity to watch the helicopter land on campus and then were greeted by the crew members. Two life flight nurses and the helicopter pilot spent time with the kids describing the educational pathway that led them to a career in life flight. Students then had the opportunity to tour the helicopter, learn about the care that can be administered in flight, the mechanics of the helicopter and the logistics of life flight. This invaluable experience allowed students to see potential careers in medicine and aviation. Students used their scientific background knowledge to ask great questions and learn more about this life saving career. Students then enjoyed lunch sponsored by the WW Science Club and watched the helicopter take off. The experience was organized and presented by the Western Wayne Education Foundation which is supported financially by local business EITC donations. For more information about the Western Wayne Education Foundation please email wweducationfoundation@gmail.com. For more information about LifeNet of New York please visit https://lifenetny.com/index.html
Thank you to all of the faculty and staff who made this visit possible.

This past April, seniors Hudson Malinowski and Jenny Guadagno represented Western Wayne at the PMEA All-State festival for exemplary high school musicians. Following a series of virtual auditions and progression through the District and Region festivals, the two clarinet players qualified to attend the first in-person All-State festival since 2019! Hudson was selected as one of only four clarinets to perform in the orchestra, while Jenny was selected as a member of the concert band. 

Both students have been heavily involved in music over the years. Hudson has previously been accepted to the NAfME All-Eastern Concert Band, an ensemble consisting of select students across eleven states, and has qualified for District and Region Band for three years and Orchestra for two years. She currently serves as one of the drum majors for the Western Wayne Marching Band and plans to attend Mount Holyoke College to study music education. Jenny has qualified for District and Region Band for one year on flute and for one year on clarinet. She is a section leader and an officer of the Western Wayne Marching Band and plans to attend Case Western Reserve University with a minor in music.  The two are proud to have performed in the All-State ensembles and are grateful for all of the support they have received throughout their musical careers to achieve this.