R.D. Wilson’s Student Council recently created a fun and informational video for students to enjoy. Their goal is to remind students about the important PRIDE expectations on the bus/van so that they can have a safe and pleasant ride to and from school. They asked teachers to play the video for their students and use the discussion questions to further drive home the message.
The Student Council hopes everyone enjoys the video. Have a great rest of the year!
Western Wayne 7h Grade General Music/Performing Arts students with their teacher Mrs. Joyce Covaleski visited the radio and television studios and the e-sports arena at Marywood University on May 11 to learn more about careers in media and gaming. In both photos are Mrs. Covaleski’s students enjoying their experience.
Western Wayne sophomores and juniors took a trip to the Lehigh Valley to tour colleges on April 13. Students were able to see Lafayette College, DeSales University, and Moravian University. Topics included admissions, financial aid, housing, athletics, activities and tours of the facilities.
The 2023 Times-Tribune Scholastic Superstars Awards Ceremony took place on May 9. Western Wayne had three students selected to the 25-member team from over 20 NEPA schools. The students were selected based only on their merits/accolades by a team of individuals working in admissions at area colleges and universities. The students earned medals for their selection to the team and are pictured below from left to right: Kylie Merring, Marshall Davis, Evan Peirce, and Mr. Paul Gregorski, high school principal.
The NEIU Scholar of the Year Ceremony took place at Lackawanna CTC on May 10. The recipient of the award for Western Wayne High School was Kylie Merring. Pictured below from left to right is Mr. Paul Gregorski, high school principal; Kylie Merring, Western Wayne NEIU Scholar of the Year, and Mr. Bill Gershey, who serves on the Western Wayne Board of Education and the NEIU Board of Directors.
Western Wayne Fashion students are thrilled to invite the community to their annual Catwalk Fashion Show on Tuesday, May 23, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. This year the show titled “Fashion Flix” is a dedication to Western Wayne’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. The admission fee for adults is $2 dollars. All proceeds will be donated to a local food pantry. Students get in for free. The students will also host the show for an audience of their peers during the school day on Tuesday, May 23.
Pieces made by students in grades 9 through 12 will be featured. The students also worked in teams led by senior fashion students Analise DeLeon-Bello, Angelina Salvatore, and Ava Daniels. The feature fashions of the Catwalk came from an inspiration of movies from the 1970s to the present which honors the decades of Western Wayne’s 50 years. The show will also feature some video clips of Western Wayne alumni who are working in the fashion industry.
The students worked on a set timeline to design a series of pieces for the competition portion of the show. The winner of the competition will be announced at the show on the evening of Tuesday, May 23.
All students involved did an amazing job with this year’s theme Fashion Flix. The student designers used popular decade flicks as inspiration for their garments. The garments were designed to be street wear, not costumes, with the flicks providing the theme and music only for the competition.
The decade themed flicks included Rocky to represent 1970-80; Dirty Dancing to represent 1980-90; Harry Potter to represent 1990- 2000; Avatar to represent 2000-2010; and Stranger Things to represent 2010-2020.
Colleen Carmody, show director and fashion teacher, feels proud of all of her students—especially her three seniors who have their collections featured in the show.
Senior Analise DeLeon-Bello’s collection has the theme EcoLeon which represents how sustainability in fashion is important.
“You can use materials and repurpose them for a variety of things,” Analise explained.
Her favorite garment from the collection is a transformation piece.
“It is symbolic to me,” Analise said. “It is a gray dress that represents industrialized pollution and then when it is released it turns into another green dress that represents how nature overcomes.”
Analise also headed up the competition team called Carmody’s Angels for the show. She feels very proud of her team and especially enjoyed the dress inspired by Dirty Dancing that they made. She described the dress as yellow with flower appliqués on it.
“It was the most fun dress out of every piece that we made,” she explained. “We were able to have a lot of creativity in making it.”
Analise looks forward to continuing to grow her creative skills in college next year. She will attend Albright College and major in fashion design. She is interested in both the business and design aspects of a career in fashion.
Fellow senior Angelina Salvatore will also attend Albright College next year with a major in costume design. She always enjoyed fashion from a young age when she would color designs in coloring books. She remembers getting fabric for holiday gifts growing up and falling in love with her first sewing machine.
“I enjoy making pieces that are unique,” Angelina said.
Her senior collection has many such pieces. It is called Ang-Vant-Guard, a play on the words of the French term avant-garde. As the title suggests, her collection features a lot of unconventional fashion.
“Since I want to major in costume design, I used this opportunity to experiment with different things,” she explained.
One piece in her collection that stands out to her is her prom dress which she made from scratch. It is a floor-length gown with an olive green metallic underlay and a fully-boned corset top.
The piece is especially meaningful because it was the first project in her freshman design class that she drew and then was able to create in her senior year.
“I’m really proud of my prom dress,” she said.
Angelina also felt proud to work to lead her group Backstreet Girlies for the competition portion of the show. She especially liked working on the team’s Stranger Things inspired piece because of the challenges it presented.
They created a garment made of vinyl and bubble wrap. Angelina described the challenges of sewing those types of materials together.
“It took some time to get the materials to go together on the sewing machine, but once we figured it out, we were really happy with the results.”
Fellow senior team member Ava Daniels also worked to lead the Backstreet Girlies for the competition. Ava was really happy with how her group excelled at working together.
“If someone was down in the group, then someone else would help out right away,” Ava explained.
Ava’s senior collection is called AvFall’n. It is a play on words for her name and the fall tones that are featured in her ensemble of pieces. All of her garments have fall tones of yellow, brown, etc. She loved how all of her pieces turned out. One piece that she really likes is a V-neck summer dress in yellow. She used two different patterns for the dress including a top portion that she created herself.
Ava plans to attend Thomas Jefferson University for fashion design.
Carmody and her students feel so grateful to be able to invite the community to their evening show on Tuesday, May 23, and they look forward to creating more designs to share with the Western Wayne community in the future.
Western Wayne elementary students placed well in their respective competitions at the 2023 Girls STEM Competition held at Valley View High School on Saturday, April 15. RDW 5th graders, Maria Shemanski (5), Skylar Horst (5), Hailey McCollum-Fitzpatrick (5): placed 3rdoverall in the 4-6th grade age group. In addition, for our RDW students, Rachel Enslin (4) and Makayla Franckowiak (5): placed 5th overall in the 4-6th grade age group. Also, Evergreen Elementary 4th graders, Mia Padula (4), Taylor Brown (4), and Molly Gifford (4): placed 1st overall in the 4-6th grade age group in the Computer Programming event.
The fourth grade students competed in four total events: Programming using Scratch; Mathematics solving problems and puzzle;, Science where they made their own lip-gloss with a Makeup Chemist; and engineering where they had to design, build, and test a vehicle, device and ramp to achieve a common goal. There were 1st place prizes in each of the four categories awarded, and there were overall places 1st through 5th for combined scores from all four events.
Finally, WWMS current 6th grader Reyna Weaver has been selected to attend the Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge this summer before her 7th grade year. She participated in this event when she was in fifth grade and really enjoyed applying her knowledge of science.
Established in 1990, the Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge is a residential, hands-on learning experience for Appalachia’s middle and high school students, as well as high school teachers in STEM-related fields. Hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, this program is a gateway to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the Appalachian Region.
All participants work with award-winning scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, one of the largest U.S. Department of Energy research facilities in the United States. High school and middle school students conduct guided group science, math, and computer science technology research projects, while high school teachers work with science practitioners to develop STEM-related curriculum. The program culminates in a graduation ceremony where participants showcase their work.
Western Wayne Middle Schooler Reyna Weaver is very excited to be offered the opportunity to participate in this experience.
“I really enjoy working on STEM related projects and am excited to be offered the chance to participate in this event,” Reyna said.
The Western Wayne Scholastic Team performed very well this school year. They defeated Valley View at a Scholastic Scrimmage hosted by WVIA by a score of 245-110. Team members are: Kylie Merring, Evan Peirce, Alex Chapman, Emily Brophy, and Bernie Roedel. From left, in both photos: Emily Brophy, Kylie Merring, Alex Chapman, and Evan Peirce.
“Robert D Wilson students give a huge SHOUT OUT to the Hamlin/Lake Rotary Club for the Colorado Blue Spruce. Thank you Jennifer Wargo for the delivery …we appreciate the kindness from all!”
Students in the Gifted program at Robert D. Wilson Elementary studied volcanoes! Avrianna O’Malley and Brinley Jenkins studied the various parts of volcanoes, how volcanoes are formed and how they erupt. They learned about the distinctions between active, dormant and extinct volcanoes, and between lava and magma. The girls then applied this knowledge to building their own functional model volcanoes. They each prepared a presentation to share their research with their respective regular education classroom. Their classmates enjoyed learning about volcanoes, and they especially enjoyed the volcanic eruptions!
Students Present Aquaponics Challenge Project at Regional BanquetMay 7, 2026On May 5, 2026, students from Western Wayne High School proudly presented their student-led environmental education project at the Community Connections to Our Watershed banquet, held at Montage Mountain. Their project, an Aquaponics Challenge System, was designed, researched, and implemented entirely by the student team.Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines aquaculture (raising fish) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil). In this balanced system, fish waste provides essential nutrients for plant growth, while the plants naturally filter and clean the water for the fish. The Western Wayne team developed their system to demonstrate how this closed-loop approach can support both food production and water quality.As part of their project, the students raised trout from eggs to approximately three to four months old before preparing them for release into a local stream. A major focus of their work involved addressing water quality challenges, particularly nitrate buildup from fish waste. Through research and problem-solving, the team explored ways to improve natural filtration within their system, including redesigning components and upgrading equipment such as water pumps to maintain optimal conditions.The project also emphasized key components of the Aquaponics Challenge, including system design, environmental monitoring, and community outreach. Students utilized technology such as climate control tools and irrigation systems while also connecting with local organizations and professionals for support. In addition, they worked to share their knowledge beyond the classroom by engaging others in understanding sustainable practices and watershed stewardship.This presentation was the culmination of months of work as part of the Community Connections to Our Watershed program, a regional environmental initiative that has been in place for over 20 years. Each year, teams of five students and one teacher from schools across Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties participate in the program. Coordinated by the education teams at Lackawanna and Nescopeck State Parks, the program immerses students in watershed science through field experiences and collaboration with environmental professionals.Throughout the year, the Western Wayne students participated in field trips to Keystone College, Lackawanna State Park, the Old Forge borehole, the Anthracite Heritage Museum, Lacawac Sanctuary, Pennsylvania American Water treatment facilities, and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. These experiences deepened their understanding of how human activities impact local watersheds and helped inform their aquaponics system design, particularly in understanding the relationships between aquatic organisms, plants, and water quality.This year’s Community Connections to Our Watershed program included schools from across the region: Carbondale, Forest City, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, Riverside, Western Wayne, and Wayne Highlands in Lackawanna County; and Crestwood, Hanover Area, HAAS, HACC, Hazleton Area, Northwest, Tunkhannock, and Wyoming Area in Luzerne County.The program is made possible through the support of Pennsylvania American Water Company, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the DCNRWatershed Education Program.Picture one, from left: Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D., advisor; Rhys Locklin, Noah Benson, Aidyn Graci, Aliyah Gregory, and Giana Graci.Picture two, the group from Western Wayne making their presentation, from left: Aliyah Gregory, Giana Graci, Rhys Locklin, Noah Benson, and Aidyn Graci. [...]
Science meets nature: Students release trout at Varden Conservation AreaMay 6, 2026Students in Wayne County are getting an up-close look at nature with an opportunity to study what’s right in their backyard.
https://www.wnep.com/video/news/local/wayne-county/science-meets-nature-students-release-trout-at-varden-conservation-area/523-3cf2ef49-624d-4f00-95cd-f2573064bf60 [...]
Western Wayne Hosts Prom with Support of Local BusinessesMay 6, 2026Western Wayne hosted their annual prom with “A Starry Night” theme at a new venue this year New Leaf Farm in Waymart on Saturday, May 2. The event focussed around local community businesses who hosted food trucks for the event including: Lupo Russo, 2 Ways One Passions, and Pop-Pop’s Grill and Catering. The students also enjoyed gourmet cupcakes from Ms. Michele Dugan along with cotton candy donated by Mrs. Paula Lamberton
There were 225 students and guests in attendance. Event sponsors included: Ariel View Inn (AVI), Leeward, Waymart Hotel, Iron Hill at 1940,and Meadowbrook Stables, and For the Birds, who provided flowers.
The students in attendance enjoyed this new experience. Senior Maggie Kotchessa thought this unique prom experience was a great idea.
“I really loved all of the food choices,” Maggie, who decided on a pulled pork sandwich from Pop-Pop’s, said.
Her classmate Norman Phillips’ grandfather owns Pop-Pop’s, and he was excited his family business could be a part of the event.
“It was really neat having my grandfather there doing what he loves,” Norman said. “He usually travels around to do a number of different gigs, and it was really neat having him at our prom.”
In addition to the variety of food items at the event, the students also were treated to a mocktail bar. Junior Madelyn McClure wrote a grant through the Wayne County Community Youth Advisory Committee and the district used the money to fund the mocktails for prom.
Also, the community donated a variety of gift cards for the students as prizes. Each student in attendance got a raffle ticket for a chance to win.
The 2026 Prom Court included: Vinny Baldini, King; Audrey Agnello, Queen; and
Mia Gifford, Hannah DeStefano, Olivia Haines, and Sofia Ochlan served as attendants.
The students enjoyed this unique prom experience and thank the district for their continued support of student events.
Picture one: Mr. Paul Gregorski, high school principal; Vinny Baldini, King; and Audrey Agnello, Queen.
Picture two:: Olivia Haines, Hannah DeStefano, Vinny Baldini, Audrey Agnello, Mia Gifford, and Sophia Ochlan. [...]
Scholarships & Career Opportunities – May EditionMay 4, 2026The May 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/2026/05/Scholarships-and-Career-Opportunities-May-2026.pdf [...]
Western Wayne Annual Art Exhibit & Spring Concerts on May 9May 4, 2026Western Wayne’s annual art exhibit and spring concerts will take place on Saturday, May 9.
The art exhibit will run in the high school gymnasium from 2 to 5 p.m. It will mainly feature high school artwork with special displays by our seniors. In addition, a select sample of middle and elementary student artwork will be on display.
The concert schedule is as follows: the sixth-grade concert will begin at 11 a.m.; the seventh- grade concert will begin at 1 p.m., the eighth- grade concert will begin at 3 p.m.; and the high school concert will begin at 5 p.m. with all concerts in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium at the high school.
There will be concessions for sale in the high school cafeteria throughout the day. All events are free of charge. Please join us in the celebrating the arts in our school. [...]
