Around the Schools

NEPA students attend STEM design challenge

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Nearly 100 fourth through eighth-grade students from schools in Lackawanna, Wayne, and Susquehanna County put their building skills to the test for the annual Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19’s Stem Design Challenge.

Putting stem skills to the test.

On Tuesday Johnson College hosted and sponsored the NEIU 19’s 2024 Stem Design Challenge.
the builds are made entirely of K’nex Construction toys.

“We built an agricultural robot, but it’s built out of K’nex pieces, and it has an arm and it rotates up and it’s supposed to move forward and help farmers,” said Sadie Booths a Western Wayne student.

This year’s theme is agriculture.

Working in teams, students had two hours to put their heads together to create prototypes of equipment designed to help farmers with their jobs.

“So it’s called the poop-en-a-tor. It cleans up chicken poop and turns it into fertilizer and it helps farmers because farmers spend a lot of money on fertilizers and they also spend a lot of time cleaning up chicken poop,” says Sadie Malamud a Lackawanna Trail student.

“So we built a solar-powered tractor with a solar-powered sprayer, and the sprayer is for irrigation,” added Cody Maros a Western Wayne student.

Students from King’s College and Johnson College help judge the projects.

The builds are judged based on creativity, attention to detail, and theme. Organizers say STEM and events like these teach kids valuable problem-solving skills.

“It also helps students that sometimes struggle in the traditional route to the kind of really showcase their talents which may not be necessarily just on facts and components like that, but it really gives them a different mindset and almost like a creative mindset also,” explained Stephanie Williams MIS coordinator in NEIU 19′

Teams from the Wayne Highlands school district took first prize in both divisions of elementary and middle school.

Those teams will go on to compete at the state competition in Harrisburg in May.

NEPA students attend STEM design challenge | 28/22 News (pahomepage.com)

Local Bands to Perform in Exhibition Concert at Western Wayne on Tuesday, February 6

The Western Wayne Middle School, Western Wayne High School, and Liberty Middle School Bands will join together on Tuesday, February 6, to participate in a one-of-a-kind clinic and exhibition concert sponsored by the KHS America Academic Alliance.

     After working tirelessly on the festival music in their own schools, band students from the two districts will meet for the first time as a band early in the morning and spend the day getting to know one another through music. Under the baton of esteemed clinician Dr. Peter L. Boonshaft, the students will have the opportunity to collaborate and learn festival rehearsal techniques to take back to their schools.

     Dr. Boonshaft, Director of Education for KHS America, is the author of the critically acclaimed best-selling books Teaching Music with Passion, Teaching Music with Purpose, and Teaching Music with Promise. He was honored by the National Association for Music Education and Music For All as the first recipient of the “George M. Parks Award for Leadership in Music Education.” Dr. Boonshaft was selected for the Center for Scholarly Research and Academic Excellence at Hofstra University in Hempsted, NY, where is Professor Emeritus of Music.

     The culminating exhibition concert is free and open to the public. The concert begins at 4:00 pm at Western Wayne High School Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Doors open at 3:30 pm.

For more information on KHS America and the Academic Alliance, visit www.academicalliance.org

RDW Club Models Kindness

The Kindness Club at RDW recently performed a play for students in grades K-2. The play was called A Day in the Life of an RDW Student and included five different scenarios that a typical student might encounter. In each scene, one or more of the characters chose to demonstrate kindness in a challenging situation. The club members had questions for students to discuss between acts. At the conclusion of the play, Kindness Club members encouraged students to practice acts of kindness throughout their day and to consider joining the Kindness Club when they are in fifth grade.

Members, left to right from first photo: Ryan Nixon, Paxton Shiner-Lewis, Caden Reeger, Saga Bryden, Lillian Sorrentino, and Kelly Talarico

Guiding Good Choices for 4th-6th grade parents and caregivers.

Guiding Good Choices for 4th-6th grade parents and caregivers. Attend this
FREE VIRTUAL five-session program to help your youth navigate the
pressures and expectations of life during their teen years to succeed and
achieve a brighter future.
Parents and caregivers can enhance their parenting skills by learning how to:

  • Promote health and well-being during the teen years.
  • Develop health beliefs and clear standards for behavior.
  • Deal with anger in a positive way and manage family conflict to strengthen
    bonds with youth.
  • Protect their children from substance abuse and other problematic behaviors.
  • Strengthen family bonds and increase youth’s involvement in the family through
    the teen years.

Youth attend session 4 with their parents and caregivers.
The program will be held on five Tuesdays: February 6, 13, 20, 27 and March 6
from 6 to 8 PM via Zoom.
For more information or to register, e-mail or call Karen Thomas at kat1@psu.edu
or 570-878-2385

Universal Technical Institute Guest Speaker

On January 12th, Jay Amore from the Universal Technical Institute met with fourth and fifth grade students at RDW. Mr. Amore shared the different training programs that are offered at UTI and why many of these are in high-demand. He discussed the cost of technical school versus a traditional college and explained the difference between these two endeavors. He also shared his personal career journey to demonstrate the potential for success and happiness when pursuing a career in the trades.

Mr. Amore’s engaging presentation helped to expand students’ understanding of their post-secondary options, which is an important goal of the K-12 College and Career Readiness program here at Western Wayne.  

High School CATS Club Spreads Holiday Cheer at Wayne Woodlands

Top row, from left: Allyson Irvine, Mackenzie Adams, and Angelina Correa.

The Western Wayne High School CATS club visited Wayne Woodlands Manor in Waymart on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, to spread Christmas cheer.  They visited with all the residents and gave out a gift to each person.  The residents and the students had a wonderful time talking to each other, singing, and spreading holiday spirit. Bottom row: Lizzie Washine. Middle row, from left:  Lillian Bronson, Grace Lidy, and MaKennah Holbert.

EverGreen Elementary Ornament Donation

The PTA at EverGreen Elementary purchased ornaments for the 5th grade students so they can decorate the Christmas tree at EverGreen. Students had the opportunity to decorate the pawprint during their art classes. The fifth grade classes enjoyed the opportunity to display their artistic and creative abilities to kick off the holiday season while having their ornaments on display in the school. Fifth grade students are pictured with PTA Representatives around the decorated tree; from left to right: Bryleigh Sickler, Francine Harkins (PTA President), Isabella Conroy, Aubrianna Yannone, Erica Musgrave (PTA Treasurer), and Lyla Price.

Such a joyful time at the RDW Elementary School!  Thank you to the RDW PTA

“ Such a joyful time at the RDW Elementary School! Thank you to the RDW PTA for putting on a week long Santa shop and gifting books and the love of reading to all of our RDW students!  We even had a very special visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause! “ All of the students LOVED the Christmas Fun and Spirit!” 

Thank You EverGreen PTA

The EverGreen Elementary School PTA purchased a holiday gift for all students. Students received their Western Wayne Wildcat blankets from PTA members on Wednesday, just in time for the holiday break. All students at EverGreen were very appreciative of the gift. Thank you to the PTA for this year’s gift!

Middle School Students Attend Presentation on Bullying

Officer Urban giving the presentation to the entire Western Wayne Middle School grades six through eight.

Western Wayne Middle School students attended a school-wide presentation on the dangers of bullying, specifically cyberbullying, on Wednesday, December 13, in the Middle School Gym, given by TFC. Robert M. Urban, Community Services Officer, Public Information Officer, at Troop R. Dunmore. Officer Urban gave the students a lot of important information on how not to be a bystander in a bullying situation along with explaining the importance of being kind to others, and a discussion of the legal repercussions that a person could face if the bullying they partake in leads to another person hurting themselves. The district is thankful to Officer Urban for taking the time to discuss these important issues with their students.