The Western Wayne School District welcomed back all faculty and staff on Wednesday, Aug. 25. The Wildcat school community started off the year with a celebratory meeting at the football stadium. The high school cheerleaders entertained the crowd. In addition, the high school marching band did a preview performance of their field show “A Full Course Meal” featuring the songs “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “The Chicken Dance” to name a few. Administration then welcomed back all faculty and staff after the performance for their in-service days.
The Western Wayne School District later opened for students in all grades on Monday, Aug. 30. Everyone is looking forward to a great new school year and is committed to showing their Wildcat Pride on a daily basis.
In photo: The Western Wayne Wayne High School Marching Band takes the field to preview their field show at a recent welcome back event for faculty and staff.
National Substitute Appreciation Week is September 6-10. Western Wayne is grateful for our substitute and guest teachers. Thank you for stepping in to work with students when we need you the most!
If you are interested in joining the Western Wayne team, contact the District Office at 1-800-321-9973 Option 5.
Hosted by: Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission & Wallenpaupack Church WHEN July 30, 2021 3pm – 6pm WHERE Wallenpaupack Church 1237 Purdytown Turnpike Lakeville, PA 18436
Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens, 18 and younger, at many locations across the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session.
Lenny’s hometown is Lake Ariel, PA. His parents are Christa and Len Maiocco. His activities in school are FBLA, NHS, Student Council, Spanish Club, Youth Advisory Committee, and tennis. In addition, he was named one of the Scranton Times Superstar Scholars. In FBLA, he was the State Parliamentarian for the 2020-2021 school year. In addition, he placed 1st at States in FBLA for Parliamentary Procedure, and in tennis he has won the District 2 Class 2A Boys Single Championships three years in a row and placed 3rd as a sophomore at States and 4th as a senior. His plans for the future are to attend the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Salutatorian, Celeste Orchard
Celeste’s hometown is Lake Ariel, PA. Her parents are Jeffrey and Magdalena Orchard. Her activities in school are National Honor Society, dual-enrollment, and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today. Her freshman year, she participated in girl’s JV soccer and art club. Also, she was a member of the Varsity Track team her freshman through junior years. In addition, she participated in Student Council and SAAD for her freshman through junior years. She also is a student ambassador for Western Wayne. In addition, she won second runner up in the American Chemical Society’s exam for first year high school chemistry. In her junior year in FBLA, she placed third in the Accounting I event. For her future plans, Celeste committed to Marywood University to study Pre-Professional Biology. She also completed her first year of college via dual enrollment from Penn State Scranton and Lackawanna College. In addition, she was named one of the Scranton Times Superstar Scholars. She maintained her class rank although she took on college coursework and completed her college courses with A’s. She took courses during winter break and intends to continue with a summer course. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue graduate school to become an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Picture One: From left, seniors Maggie Millon, Rachel Wertman, and Keyly-Shaye Robinson compare the unique caps they made for graduation. Millon will take a gap year and hopes to pursue a career that possibly involves fashion design. She was the only four-year fashion design student in the Western Wayne graduating class of 2021. Wertman plans to attend Iowa State University to major in science. Robinson plans to attend Nova Southeastern University in Florida to study Marine Biology.
Picture Two: From left, seniors Irene Sheehan, Thomas Gogolski,and Noelle Cruz chat about their friendship before the graduation ceremony. Sheehan plans to take a gap year and then do an internship in Kentucky in interior design. Gogolski will attend the University of South Florida and study finance. Cruz will attend the Pennsylvania College of Technology and study dental hygiene.
Picture Three: From left, band seniors head up from a final rehearsal to join their classmates in line for graduation Abigail Lopez, Stephanie Knecht, and Cheyenne Haney.
Picture Four: From left, band seniors head up from a final rehearsal to join their classmates in line for graduation Hailey Robbins, Julia Lamberton, and Alex Taylor.
Picture Five: Senior Rhonda Fenkner, one of this year’s drum majors, heads up to meet her classmates in line for graduation. Rhonda will attend Marywood in the fall and double-major in music therapy and music education. Picture Six: Band Director Elaine Ort directs the Western Wayne Band as they play the processional music for graduation. Junior class president Morgan Coccodrilli looks on as the band plays (second row, end seat on left).
Picture Seven: Valedictorian Lenny Maiocco leads a line down to the field for graduation. Picture Eight: Senior Hayley Kovaleski twirls around in the rain on the way down to the field to graduation. From left: Jordan Koch, Hayley Kovaleski, Michael Kromko, Miranda Kubilus, and Maggy Langendoerfer.
Picture Nine: Senior class president Madison McGlone passes the mantle on to junior class president Morgan Coccodrilli.
Picture Ten: Senior Gabby Velez receives her diploma. Velez plans to move to Illinois to be near family. After first joining the workforce, she hopes to attend college for art animation.
Picture Eleven: Salutatorian Celeste Orchard shakes hands with Western Wayne High School Principal Paul Gregorski after the graduation ceremony is over.
Picture Twelve: From left seniors Natasha Orehek and Maggie Millon embrace after receiving their diplomas. Orehek will attend Penn State Worthington in the fall with an undecided major.
True to the everchanging unique time the 2020-2021 school year was tonight’s graduation had a surprise rain shower as students processed onto the field in their caps and gowns. Many say that rain is a sign of good luck or a blessing when it falls on an important day, and this graduation day for a class that had their senior year during a global pandemic was truly blessed with the love of all of the families of the graduates in attendance who cheered them on through rain and shine from the stands. Students each had a limited amount of tickets to give to family members for tonight’s event to lessen the crowd.
Senior Madison McGlone, president of the Class of 2021, gave the Welcome Address.
“Once a Wildcat always a Wildcat,” she told her fellow classmates about how she knows they will always feel welcome back at the district in the future when they stop for a visit.
McGlone then presented the Class Mantle to Morgan Coccodrilli, junior class president.
Senior Celeste Orchard was then named salutatorian with a GPA of 101. Celeste gave a speech on the importance of words.“Words have power over us,” she said. “Seldom do people celebrate themselves and it is important to celebrate our own value. I have nothing but pride for myself and for my class.”
Next senior Leonard Maiocco III was announced as valedictorian with a GPA of 101.5.
“It is an honor and a privilege to give the final farewell to the class of 2021,” Maiocco said.
He discussed the unique school year had by all. “We have faced challenges that no other class has ever had to face,” Lenny continued. “We persisted and we are here tonight with our family members in the stands.”
Pictured are Western Wayne students watching Holocaust survivor Peter Stern’s presentation. Students watched the presentation via Google Meet in their respective classrooms on the morning of June 4.
A story of survival through perseverance, faith, and luck was told to Western Wayne Middle School students by Holocaust survivor Peter Stern.
This presentation was made possible through the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center. Western Wayne Middle School sought out this experience for their students as part of their PBIS program. The PBIS initiative involves successfully creating a proactive positive school environment in which students are demonstrating their Wildcat PRIDE daily.
PBIS is an ongoing effort of the Western Wayne School District to guide students in behaving and interacting with others in such a way as to promote an effective learning community. One fitting way the students learned about building a strong community year was through Stern’s virtual presentation on the morning of June 4th.
All Western Wayne Middle School students and their teachers were able to experience Stern’s presentation via Google Meet.
Stern spoke for 45 minutes about his experiences in various concentration camps for about four years. He then held a question and answer session with the students and asked them all a concluding question. Stern’s full biography can be found through the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center at https://hamec.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Peter_Stern_Survivor_Biography_Handout_Map.pdf
Through his story, Stern, who was born in Nuremberg, Germany in March 1936, explained that he was fortunate enough to stay with his mother, father, and brother for most of his time in captivity until his father’s death after which he remained with his mother and brother.
Stern explained how during their time in captivity his father saved the life of a German officer, and that that event led to them being sent to a much more secure camp.
“Survival is a lot of luck,” Stern noted.
Stern and his family were liberated on April 15, 1945.
“I consider that date my second birthday,” Stern told his very captive audience via the internet.
Eventually in 1947, Stern and his family immigrated to the United States, but he was split up from his mother and brother due to financial constraints. He moved to Georgia with relatives, while his brother moved to New York with other relatives, and his mother went to work as a live-in maid to earn money for her family.
Stern told the students how he struggled greatly with learning English once coming to America. However, Stern eventually chose to become a middle school teacher, and he dedicated his life to educating students for 30 years. He explained that his brother also went on to be an educator at the college level as a professor.
Through the presentations that Stern makes to many student groups across the country he continues to educate the youth of America about the importance of respecting and appreciating others no matter their race, religious preference, appearance, etc.
Stern asked the students at the end of the presentation, “Why is it that people like myself, survivors, come and talk to you? What do we want from you?”
The students were eager to share their responses with Stern and offered many ideas about how it is to keep history alive, inspire others to never give up, make students more open to share their stories, inspire students to not repeat the mistakes made by others in history, etc.
After patiently and actively listening to all of the ideas shared by Western Wayne students and staff, Stern said, “ This is truly one of the better responses I have gotten.”
Stern explained how he wants students to be people who affect change in the world.
“I want you to be active, not passive,” Stern said.
Stern quoted a number of famous people who have spoken on the subject of what happens in history when individuals stand by and do nothing. One being Mark Twain who said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
After this truly exceptional experience of listening to Stern’s first-hand account of survival, the Western Wayne Middle School community is much better prepared to affect the type of change that Stern challenged them all to do in their daily lives.
Eighth grader Allyson Irvine reflected on how moved she was by Stern’s presentation.
“The presentation made me realize that the people living through the Holocaust were strong. This was a very difficult time and these people had to be very positive even in the worst times. It must have been very difficult at a young age not knowing what was happening and being separated from your parents,” Ally noted.” “ This presentation showed how truly brave the people who survived the Holocaust were. Not only because they went through it, but because they went through it and witnessed all of that and still managed to function a normal life AND continue to tell their story. The presentation was very moving and definitely taught many students about the Holocaust and even the ability we have as humans to touch others in ways that are unimaginable.”
Retiree Cynthia Bianchi and long-time co-worker and friend Todd Pauler.
Retiree Sharon Giombetti and co-worker and friend Randy Wolff.
The Western Wayne Middle School started a new tradition on the last day of school which was Friday, June 18, this year. It is called the 8th Grade Final Walk. As a final activity before leaving the building to move on to the high school, 8th grade students took a walk through the hallways appropriately led by two of their teachers that have led them through their middle school years Cynthia Bianchi and Sharon Giombetti, who are retiring. Bianchi and Giombetti led the procession through the hallways of the middle school and received flowers from 6th and 7th grade students along the way. The two ended up with beautiful bouquets at the end along with many well wishes from students, faculty, and staff who lined the hallways and met them outside of the building to celebrate. Giombetti has been a gym and health teacher at Western Wayne for 18 years. She is a high school graduate from Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre. “I felt honored to be given such a send off,” Giombetti said. “It was such a surprise.” Fellow retiree Bianchi agreed. “This was wonderful,” she said. “I was totally blown away by the love of the faculty and students.” Bianchi has been a sixth grade teacher for 34 years. She taught math every year with some other subjects on occasion throughout her time in the district. Bianchi notes that she also was a Western Wayne student who began her time at the school in Head Start which means she spent 14 years as a student at the district before eventually beginning her teaching career. In total as both student and teacher, she has spent 48 years at Western Wayne. Western Wayne faculty, administration, staff, and students wish Bianchi and Giombetti the best in the future.
The Honesdale National Bank presented the Western Wayne Education Association with a check for 1,600 this past spring. The money is given through EITC, Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. The money then funds enrichment at the district for needs of students outside of the traditional curriculum such as field trips, equipment, etc. Most recently the money was used to fund a ninth grade science camp field trip and a photography project done by high school students. The Western Wayne School District is extremely grateful for the generosity of HNB. From left: Tim McClure, high school social studies teacher; Robert Ferraro, a branch manager from HNB; Maria Masankay, high school science teacher; and Paul Gregorski, high school principal.
ALL NEWS
Band Performs at GDS Fair and Meets Kurt AaronAugust 29, 2024Kurt Aaron and Michael Olivo
Band and Color Guard perform at the GDS Fair.
The annual Western Wayne Marching Band and Color Guard performance at the GDS Fair was especially eventful this year because on the day of their performance Wednesday, August 28, WNEP’s Kurt Aaron and his infamous dog Ranger were also there doing live spots. Aaron briefly interviewed Western Wayne band member Michael Olivo, a senior. Michael proudly told the viewing audience about Western Wayne’s upcoming performance at the fair.
“It was really exciting to get to promote our band to a TV audience,” Michael said.
The students were thrilled to perform their 2024-25 Boy Bands themed field show for the audience along with playing some fan favorite stand tunes.
Drum majors this year are seniors Lia Hartman and Kalob Franko. This is Lia’s second season as drum major.
“We are all so grateful to be able to perform for the local community who is so supportive of us,” Lia said.
The Western Wayne Band is under the direction of Mrs. Elaine Ort who is now in her 11th season with the district.
The entire Western Wayne Band and Color Guard invite the local community to attend the first home game of the season for varsity football against Lackawanna Trail on Friday, August, 30, at the Sharkey-Rosetti stadium. Western Wayne will have the pregame show starting at about 6:45 p.m.; kick-off is at 7 p.m. [...]
Western Wayne to Host Annual Car Show Saturday, Sept. 7—NEW RAIN DATE! August 27, 2024The Western Wayne Hot Rod Club and Drama Club will host their 2024 Annual Car Show on Saturday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the high school parking lot, 1970A Easton Turnpike, Lake Ariel, PA, near the football stadium. Please note our NEW RAIN DATE is Sunday, September 15.Food to be sold at the concession stand. Registration fee is $10. Spectators are free. The Hot Rod Club will give prizes for best car, truck, tractor, motorcycle, and best in show.In addition, the Drama group will sell a variety of concessions. There will also be a raffle of baskets and gift certificates generously donated by businesses and families in the local community.Drama Club student Robert Scramuzza is excited to partner with the Hot Rod Club for the for the Car Show. He explained how the Drama Club students will be dressed in 50s attire for the event.“We wanted our presence at the event to go along with the variety of cars from the past that surely will be there,” Bobby said. “We hope that the public comes out to enjoy the cars and to have some good food and purchase some chances to win baskets and gift certificates.”Members of the Drama Parents Club are working to obtain a variety of items for the raffle at the Car Show from many very generous businesses and families in our Wildcat community. The students involved in the Hot Rod Club and Drama Club can use the funds raised from this event for their club activities.The Hot Rod Club meets on a regular basis to work on a variety of automotive projects after school and can use the funds for their projects among other activities.The Drama Club meets on a regular basis after school to work on a variety of projects and activities.“Drama Club gives students a place where they can express themselves,” club president Lillian Maros explained. “We are like one big family in our club and really enjoy coming together to work as a team on events such as the Car Show.”All of the members of the Hot Rod Club, Drama Club, and Drama Parents Club cordially invite the public to attend this fun-filled event on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the High School parking lot near the stadium. Come out and see some great vehicles, take some chances on our basket raffle, enjoy some food, and enjoy some time socializing. Rain date is Sunday, September 15. [...]
Freshman Orientation – Save the Date!August 8, 2024August 22, 2024 – 6:00-7:30pm – Veterans Memorial Auditorium, WWHS
Western Wayne High School welcomes the Class of 2028!
Information on the high school/ 9th Grade Transition
High School Survival Guide
Student’s class schedule
Tours
Refreshments [...]
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention
program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize
warning signs and signals, especially within social media,
from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others
and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late.