Please take a moment to check out the 3rd and 4th grade music videos. Thank you!
Please take a moment to check out the 3rd and 4th grade music videos. Thank you!
Please take a moment to check out the 3rd and 4th grade music videos. Thank you!
Lillian Maros, Western Wayne 8th grade student, has been recognized as a Promising Young Writer by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
This past spring Maros researched the program and asked her English teacher to help her enter. She had to submit two samples of her original fiction writing– one that she considered her best piece and another piece that focused on a strong theme.
The Promising Young Writers Program represents NCTE’s commitment to early and continuing work in the development of writing. The school-based writing program was established in 1985 to stimulate and recognize writing talents and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, American schools abroad, and the Virgin Islands are eligible to nominate students.
This year, schools nominated 90 students. Of that number, 56 received the highest award, Certificates of Recognition, and 34 received Certificates of Participation. Each student submitted two pieces of writing. Two independent judges evaluated each submission holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style.
Maros’ pieces received the highest award of a Certificate of Recognition.
She has always enjoyed writing and was thrilled to have this chance to share her writing with the National Council of Teachers of English.
“I was a writer from a pretty young age. When I was really little I used to carry around a notebook and pen, and I would write down cool things I saw or ideas that I had,” Maros explained. “When I was around 10 I began actually attempting to write books.”
Maros explained the inspiration for the piece called “Emma” that she submitted as her best work.
“My inspiration for “Emma” is a book called Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. It was a book that I had to read for the reading competition [hosted by NEIU 19] and it was centered around a boy with cancer. When the competition said it’s theme for this year was “change” one of my first thoughts was cancer,” Maros discussed. “ But I wanted to do something different than the same old story of the person surviving and forgetting all about the experience because it was so hard. I wanted my story to be a reflection of what actually happens in the real world. I didn’t want to portray death as a horrible thing all the time. In fact, I personally think that we should never have funerals, but instead celebrations of life, and I wanted to show that in my story.”
Maros further discussed her inspiration for the piece she submitted for having a strong theme called Azara and the Seventh Realm.
“I started writing Azara and the Seventh Realm last year. My inspiration came from my dreams. I would dream of scenarios and swordfights and villains and I just became captivated by the ideas, and I had to write them down,” Maros explained. “The book is about a girl named Azara who runs away from home with her best friend, James. Neither of them knew that the universe was bigger than just their realm. They are taken to one of the other realms and their adventure begins.”
When Maros isn’t writing fiction she can be found participating in a variety of activities at the Western Wayne Middle School. She serves as Student Council president and is a member of the Color Guard, Drama Club, and Middle School band. In high school, she hopes to also become a member of the Political Science Club and FBLA along with continuing to work on her writing. Maros feels humbled to have been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English for something that she enjoys doing so much.
“The best part about writing fiction is that I get to create a circumstance better than my own. I can write about how I wish my life would work and adventures I would love to have. I can envelop myself in a world that no one can touch me in,” Maros explained. “I usually base my characters off of some of my friends because I know their tendencies and feelings. However, I do have some characters in my story who are unlike any friend I’ve ever had, which makes them the most difficult characters to write about. You have to step outside of your own body and tendencies and imagine what you would do or say as a completely different person.”
For more information about the Promising Young Writers Program, see http://www.ncte.org/awards/promising-young-writers/. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is the nation’s most comprehensive literacy organization, supporting more than 25,000 teachers across the preK–college spectrum. Through the expertise of its members, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911. www.ncte.org
Western Wayne High School celebrated their Prom the evening of Saturday, May 1, at the Anthracite Hotel in Carbondale outside under a tent. The students were thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate their Prom and followed COVID guidelines for the event.
Western Wayne Middle and High School students participated in the NEIU-19’s Virtual Reading Relay this past May. The students got the chance to virtually participate with students from other local districts in a book competition similar to how they had done so for years when the competition had taken place in person on Western Wayne’s campus. Students read books from a shared list and competed in rounds on their knowledge of the stories. The students were thrilled to share their love of reading with students from other districts in this new virtual format and look forward to many reading competitions in the future. Back row, from left, Western Wayne Middle School students: Luckus Balmer, Katelyn Nunez, Kayelin Martin, Audrey Agnello, Maggie Kotchessa, Samantha Duval, Grace Moser, Jeremy Brophy, John Catania, and Brooklyn Sutton.
Western Wayne junior Ashton Fitzsimmons graduated from the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today 2020-2021 program this past May. He was one of several local students who had this experience. Ashton feels grateful for the opportunity he had through Leadership Lackawanna’s Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.
“My experience with Leadership Lackawanna was very interesting. Normally everything is in person, you get to visit all these different places and do all these activities with people from all around; however, because of COVID everything was virtual,” Ashton explained. “Although that is a big curveball in the program, it did not stop the fun even a little bit. Everyone was able to participate and make new friends with a lot of people while learning what it takes to be a leader. In my opinion, the experiments we would do was the best part of each session. For example, the members learned how to make a self-drawing machine with some wires, a battery, foam and colored pencils, and you got to draw different pictures and show everyone in the Zoom meet.”
Ashton has been highly involved in high school activities. He is a member of the varsity soccer and basketball teams, along with Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, and the Youth Advisory Committee. Notably for soccer, he is on the First Team All-Star Roster. In FBLA, he placed 1st at States his freshman year, and 4th at States last year. He especially enjoyed going to Hershey with FBLA and spending time with his friends in the club.
After high school, Ashton plans to attend West Chester University and earn his teaching degree.
“Western Wayne has prepared me for my plans after high school in many ways. The school offers so many opportunities with clubs inside and outside of school that give different outlooks on how the real world works,” Ashton explained. “ These opportunities not only prepare me for the future, but they also better me as a person. TLT is the perfect example. Currently, we are helping out different nonprofit organizations like Keystone Mission, which is a homeless shelter around Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.”
More than 7,400 students in six area school districts received a treat with a message this month: snack packs with two lifesaver candies, resource cards listing organizations offering help for mental health issues, and a note that said “Be a lifesaver, let someone know help is within reach.”
The packs, distributed for Mental Health Awareness Month by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Wayne/Pike Northeast Suicide Prevention Initiative (NSPI), went to students in grades 7 through 12 in Wayne Highlands, Western Wayne, Wallenpaupack Area, Delaware Valley, Forest City Regional and East Stroudsburg school districts.
Western Wayne students received their snack packs the week of May 24. The students were glad to get their treat and this important information.
“This past year we saw so many changes in our daily lives, it was hard for everyone, but especially for young people,” said Carol Kneier, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, manager Wayne Memorial Community Health, a member of NSPI.
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, between April and October 2020, at the height of the pandemic, hospital emergency departments saw visits from children for mental health needs rise sharply from the year before – up 24% for children aged 5-11 and 31% for young people 12-17.
“Our goal is to increase awareness about mental health and let students know that they are not alone and help is always available. The resource cards were designed to be handy – to fit in pockets and wallets—and to be conveniently accessed if and when needed.”
NSPI groups involved in the effort also included the Wayne County Office of Behavioral and Developmental Programs and Early Intervention and Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health and Developmental Services.
Kneier reiterated the national message of NAMI, “Together, we can realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives — a nation where no one feels alone in their struggle.”
For more about Mental Health Awareness Month, visit the NAMI website Mental Health Month | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness or for information about Pennsylvania’s Statewide Suicide Prevention Plan, visit PA SSPP.
We are informing you about the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program. This program was developed by the FCC to help provide internet service to low-income families who qualify. We want to make you aware that students in your household may qualify. Eligible consumers can receive up to $50/month discount for broadband services.
In order to qualify for the EBB Program, at least one member of the household meets one of the following criteria:
1. Participates in a Lifeline-qualifying government program such as Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefits.
2. Participates in the free and reduced-price school lunch/breakfast program in 2019-20 or 2020-21 school year.
3.Received a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year.
Significant loss of wages in the year 2020
In order for the household to be considered for the EBB Program, they must complete a National Verifier Application Form through the website www.usac.org. Once approved they will then have to contact their approved internet provider and provide proof of approval.
Please note that all eligible households must individually be registered through the National Verifier, The Community Eligibility Provision does
not automatically grant approval into the EBB Program.
The official start date for EBB Program Wednesday May 12. Complete information regarding the EEB Program can found at www.fcc.gov/ broadbandbenefit.
Additionally, in an effort to identify the level of Internet access and connectivity that residents have within our school district, we are asking that you complete a short survey. The data collected will greatly assist our school district with obtaining local, state and federal broadband funding to provide additional resources to our students and families. The survey can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/broadbandsurveypa. Thank you in advance for your time in taking this survey!
Please take a moment to check out the 1st and 2nd grade music videos. Thank you!
Western Wayne High School came together on Saturday, May 8th, in an exhibition of the arts. The chorus concert took place in the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium and the band concert followed in the high school gym.
The concerts showcased the groups’ musical abilities honed after months of hard work. Both the band and choir have faced challenges from a school year rife with uncertainty, but even through the difficulties of rehearsing in a pandemic the ensembles pressed onward and were proud to present a spring concert.
As chorus member and band drum major Rhonda Fenkner puts it, “Generally in the music program we’ve had our struggles, but thanks to the work of administration and teachers we were able to put on a show and persevere.”
The choir, directed by Mr. Taber Starnes, performed “Gratias Deo”, “We Believe in Music”, “Bully in the Alley”, and “Shenandoah”, as well as “Here’s to Us” featuring 12th grade students and “Wade in the Water” featuring PMEA District Chorus students. The band, directed by Mrs. Elaine Ort, presented their performance From Mozart to Modern with the songs “Overture to the Marriage of Figaro”, “Irish Tune from County Derry”, “The Wrong Note Rag”, “Sunchaser”, and “Fate of the Gods”.
The members of the band and chorus were pleased to have this opportunity to share their music with the community. Attendees of the event had preassigned tickets, and all COVID safety measures were in place for the performances.
A recording of the chorus concert can be found at the following link: https://youtu.be/e62QpzTlZ-w. As the school year ends, the Middle School chorus and band programs will also have concerts presented in much the same way as the High School music events. As they become available links to these performances will be posted on the Western Wayne web page https://ww3.westernwayne.org/