Around the Schools

Public Invited to Western Wayne Catwalk for Hunger Event on June 6

 

The bright lights of Times Square, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Central Park among other iconic parts of New York City will be the inspiration for fashion collections created by Western Wayne High School students for their yearly fashion design competition.  These designs will be a featured part of the Catwalk for Hunger fashion show event to take place Wednesday, June 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Western Wayne High School Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1970A Easton Turnpike, Lake Ariel, PA.

The event that is open to the public is called Catwalk for Hunger because along with the evening being an opportunity for student designers to compete and show their fashions all proceeds will be donated to the Wayne County Food Pantry.  Admission is $1 for students and $2 dollars for adults.

Sophomore Abigail Black is collecting the money from the event for her senior project and worked closely with Carmody to ensure that all proceeds go to those in need through the Wayne County Food Pantry.
Abby is highly interested in fashion design and helping those in need.  Therefore, she thought this would be a great way for her to incorporate her senior project into her studies at Western Wayne.

Show director and fashion teacher Colleen Carmody is excited for the community to join her and her students on Wednesday evening, June 6 to support a good cause and see the beautiful work they have created.

“The students are looking forward to sharing their creations with the public and have worked hard to prepare for our show,” Carmody said.

Carmody explained how there will be much for the community to enjoy at the Catwalk event.  She explained how there will be two senior displays outside the auditorium doors featuring information about advanced students seniors Kayla Fitzpatrick and Cailin Brown along with a display of clothes and bags created by Western Wayne Introduction to Sewing students.

The show itself will feature pieces that students in her textile, fashion I, and fashion II classes have created and chosen to show.

Along with these pieces, the highlight of the evening will be collections created by fashion students working in teams. She said the overall theme of the event is Fashion News.  Carmody explained that newspaper will be used for some of the show decorations and that even some of the dresses will be made of newspaper and magazines.

Although Fashion News is the overall theme of the event, students working on collections for the competition portion of the show will have to make sure that their pieces reflect the specific theme:  New York City.

The students had about two days to work to prepare these collections after Carmody revealed the theme on Monday, June 4.  At this point, Carmody assigns the students to teams and they work together to come up with sketches and a list of materials to buy for their pieces.

Students then shop for their materials on Monday evening to prepare for their construction day on Tuesday.  Finally, at about noon on the day of the show the students have their collections judged in the Western Wayne District Office.

Carmody will reveal the results at the evening show.  Students will also have the opportunity to present their show to the high school student body on Wednesday afternoon.

Junior Victoria Petrosky explained how intense the preparation is for the competition portion of the show since students have a short time to come up with their unique creations.

“You just have to focus and get it done,” Victoria, who plans to study fashion in the college, explained.  “It is key to trust your team.”

Fellow junior Isabel Valentin agrees that focus is important.

“Getting everything together for the task is challenging,” she said.  “We really have to concentrate to push through and sew all of the garments in a set time limit.”

Senior Kayla Fitzpatrick, who will study fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles in the fall, said there is one essential factor to success in the competition.

“You have to be good under pressure,” she said.

Along with being excited to show her designs for the competition portion of the fashion show, Kayla is also excited to show her pieces from her senior collection.

Kayla’s brand name for the collection is ITFITZ, a play on words using her name.

“Mrs. Carmody helped me come up with it,” Kayla explained.  “I think it’s perfect.”

Kayla explained how one of her favorite garments is a pair of red palazzo pants that she describes as both professional and out there.

“In my collection, I played with a lot of volume,” Kayla said.  “I would describe my designs as bold and unapologetic.  I am using a lot of red colored lights for my portion of the show and my designs will be modeled to music by artists such as Meghan Trainor.  I am using her songs “No Excuses” and “Can’t Dance.”

Fellow senior Cailin Brown’s collection will also be on display.  Her brand name is CEB, also incorporating elements of her name.  However, Cailin’s portion will feature an opposite feel compared to Kayla’s. Cailin’s collection highlights colors found in nature.  She described her fashions as “earthy and edgy with a modern touch.”  Her favorite piece is a flowing earth-toned skirt.

Along with seeing exciting fashions from the students’ senior collections, the public will also have the opportunity to see a variety of fashions that Carmody’s students have created throughout the year in their design classes at Western Wayne.

One of Victoria’s favorite garments in the show is a black and white checkered jacket that she designed.

“It is busy but has a business feel,” she explained.

Fellow classmate Isabel’s favorite showpiece is a flowing jacket that features black and red Japanese cherry blossoms.

“I like the length because I prefer wearing jackets that flow behind me,” Isabel said.

All of the students are excited for the public to come out and see the designs they have worked on this year.  They cordially invite the community to attend their show and donate to the Wayne County Food Pantry through their admission fee.

 

Western Wayne High School Holds Annual Prom

Western Wayne High School recently held their annual prom on Saturday, May 5.  This year’s theme was Enchanted Forest.

From left:  Christine Carey, prom advisor; Paul Gregorski, principal; Bailey Walck, prom king; Laura Booths, prom queen; Jennifer Bradley, vice principal; and Colleen Carmody, prom advisor.

From left, members of the 2018 Western Wayne Prom Court:  Tabitha Stanger, Lilli Millon,  Bailey Walck, Prom King; Laura Booths, Prom Queen; Vadea Pontosky, and Samantha Atcavage.

Western Wayne Student Participates in All-State Band Conference

Western Wayne Administration has recognized John Kear as an outstanding student.  John is a senior who has been highly involved in Western Wayne’s music programs all four years of high school.

He served as a drum major for Western Wayne’s Marching Band this fall season and is also first chair clarinet for Western Wayne’s Concert Band.

John recently was awarded the Black and Gold Award at the band’s annual awards ceremony. His fellow band members voted for him to win this award, which goes to the student in the band who not only greatly excels at playing his or her instrument but also is always willing to help others.

John has participated in many music festivals over the years at the district and regional level.  This year John placed first in clarinet at the PMEA District 9 Band Festival.  He then went on to Region Band where he also placed first which earned him a spot at this year’s PMEA All-State Conference playing in the All-State Wind Ensemble. At Region Band, John scored a total of 488 points, beating the student in second place by 50 points.   This was the first year John had the honor of participating in states.

“It was the best ensemble I’ve been a part of,” John said.  “It was fun to experience playing with a group where everyone had the same sense of passion for playing their instruments.”

Participating in the All-State Band Conference wasn’t the only first for John this year.  He also joined the Western Wayne Chorus, where he sings tenor, and had the opportunity to compete in the PMEA District 9 Chorus Festival where he came in 9th place.

John thinks that his successes in band have helped him to develop as a vocal performer.

“Playing an instrument has helped me to develop a good sense of pitch,” John explained.

During his time at Western Wayne when John wasn’t working on his music for band and chorus, he was spending time playing in the pit orchestra for the school’s yearly musicals.  John played with the pit band for three years.  Then for his senior year, John was cast as one of the lead roles in Nice Work If You Can Get It where he played the quirky, over-the-top role of Cookie.

John also had the honor of being named a WVIA artist of the week this past January for all of his accomplishments in performing arts.

In his spare time, John is working on music with the Wayne County Fire & Drum Corp., a group he formed with his fellow musician friends from Western Wayne.  The group has done performances at the GDS Fair in Newfoundland and Community Day at the Evergreen Elementary School in the past and looks forward to doing more performances for the public in the future.

John will attend Marywood University in the fall with a major in music education.

Western Wayne School District Participates in Area P Special Olympics

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The excitement that had been building through Western Wayne’s elementary schools, middle school, and high school could be felt by all working with this year’s student participants in the 12th Annual Track and Field Area P Special Olympics that took place on May 9 at Delaware Valley High School stadium.

“It’s the day they look forward to all year,” Elizabeth Bellush-Moore, Western Wayne special education teacher, said. “The event is so special because it is all about them.”

Bellush-Moore described how her middle school students worked to prepare for the Special Olympics event in which they had the opportunity to spend the day in friendly competition with their peers from other local school districts.

“We would practice the different running events so the students would know where to start and stop,” Bellush-Moore explained. “We would also practice for the softball events.”

The special Olympians competed in running events, such as the 50M walk, 100M dash, the 400M dash, and the mile run.  They also competed in high jump, long jump, shot put, and softball throw.

One of Bellush-Moore’s students who greatly enjoyed his experience at Special Olympics was eighth grader Braydon Christian.

He noted winning a gold medal in the 50-meter run event as a highlight.

“I liked playing with my friends,” Braydon said.

Bellush-Moore explained how Braydon had an exceptionally special day because his older brother came to cheer him on as a surprise.

Along with a crowd of spectators made up of teachers, administrations, family, and friends, the student athletes also spent much of the day cheering on their fellow athletes.

Lorna Gilpin, an aide at Western Wayne High School, explained the positive atmosphere at the games.

“All of the kids from our school were cheering on all of the Western Wayne participants,” Gilpin said. “It was so nice to spend the day with the children where they could spend time interacting with peers of their own age from other schools. The whole day was filled with excitement.”

Gilpin is an aide for Western Wayne junior Patrick Gilligan. Patrick agrees with Gilpin that the Special Olympics was a wonderful event.

“It was a fun day,” Patrick, who won a medal for his efforts in shot put, said. “I saw some of the kids I knew from Dyberry Camp.”

Patrick and some other Western Wayne special education students attend Dyberry Day Camp in the summer with other special education students from Honesdale, Wallenpaupack, and Wayne Highlands and have the opportunity to do many activities such as swimming.

Patrick’s classmate fellow junior Marisol Henkel also had a rewarding experience at Special Olympics.

“I liked the 50-meter run,” she said. “It was fun to see my cousin from Evergreen.”

Gilpin explained how Marisol’s cousin attends Western Wayne’s Evergreen Elementary School and was also there at the games as a participant and said it was great when the two interacted at the event.

Like Marisol, senior Shawn Dixon enjoyed the same type of sporting events at the games.

“I liked the running,” he explained.

Shawn’s aide Andrea Covey discussed the atmosphere the students experienced that day.

“The students develop a camaraderie with each other and are very supportive,” Covey said. “It’s not like a competition. It’s just fun.”

All local students who attended the event truly enjoyed their time together.

Students from Western Wayne’s Robert D. Wilson Elementary School, Evergreen Elementary School, Middle School, and High School participated and brought home several gold medals and many silver and bronze.

“One of the most rewarding parts for me as an educator is seeing the success and progress the students make from year to year,” Bellush-Moore said.

All involved look forward to returning to participate next year.

 

 

Unified Track and Field Tri Meet – Need Your Help!

On May 24th, Western Wayne will host a Track and Field Tri Meet against Wallenpaupack and Wayne Highlands. This is our Unified Track and Field team.  The meet starts at 4PM and volunteers are needed. If interested, please email Elizabeth Bellush-Moore at ebellush@westernwayne.org.

Spectators are welcome to cheer on the athletes from the stands. Please come out and show that Wildcat PRIDE!

The Special Education Department, along with the district administrators are excited and proud to host this event.  We thank Mrs. La Rosa, Ms. DeNike,  and Kristin Johnson who have been volunteering, for all the efforts and extra time they have provided to our students; and we thank you in advance for all those we know will step up, as we host this event.

 

GO WILDCATS!

Western Wayne to Hold Fashion Show on June 6

Western Wayne Fashion presents their annual Catwalk for Hunger event to be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6 at the Western Wayne High School’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1970 A Easton Turnpike, Lake Ariel, PA. The event features a fashion show presented by Western Wayne fashion students. Cost is $2 for adults and $1 for students. All proceeds will be donated to the Wayne County Food Pantry.

Robert D. Wilson Student Earns Recognition in National Handwriting Contest

Waymart, Pa. – Universal Publishing recently presented a certificate of excellence in handwriting to Robert D. Wilson student Kenzie Gregory. Kenzie is a student in Miss Judge’s first-grade class. Kenzie achieved an honorable mention among first-grade entries in Universal Publishing’s 2018 National Handwriting Contest. The handwriting contest rewards students for their exceptional handwriting skills and raises awareness about the importance of handwriting instruction. First-, second-, and third-place winners were selected for each grade in grades K-5 and for grades 6-8 combined, as well as for the new teacher division. Honorable mentions were also awarded in both the student and teacher divisions. Winners were selected from thousands of submissions by public, private, and home school students and teachers from across the nation. When asked about the contest, Universal Publishing president Thomas Wasylyk said, “This is a great way to get students involved and promote excellence in handwriting – a skill used by every student, every day, in every subject. Kenzie should be proud of her achievement!” This year, students completed a two-part entry form in either manuscript (grades K-2) or cursive (grades 3-8) that required writing a provided sentence and answering an open-ended question. Teachers were asked to provide samples of both manuscript and cursive writing for their entries. All participants were judged on their letter formation, size, and spacing; word spacing; line quality; and slant. Judges also considered joinings on cursive entries. For a complete list of winners, visit upub.net/contest.

Students test handmade water wheels at engineering competition

With help from her teammates Wednesday, Trinity Foulds hustled to pour liquid onto the blades of the water wheel they built with cardboard, wood and plastic cups.
The four seventh-graders at Western Wayne Middle School scrambled to keep the water coming as their wheel spun. A judge counted the wheel’s rotations as a 30-second timer ticked toward zero in the North Pocono Middle School science lab where they gathered for an engineering competition rooted in local history.

Made possible by a $725 grant from the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, Wednesday’s competition saw 15 or so middle school students from four schools districts — North Pocono, Western Wayne, Forest City Regional and Wayne Highlands — test the efficiency of water wheels they spent months making. The water wheel angle harkens back to the early days of Moscow, which borough Councilman Marc Gaughan said was once home to at least five working water mills.

“We wanted a connection to local history,” North Pocono Middle School science teacher Michelle Swarts said of the contest, noting students were given dimensions for either a small-scale or large-scale water wheel and chose their own building materials. “Old Mill Park was recently dedicated in the borough … and so we though: “No one’s ever done water wheels before, let’s do that.’ It incorporates simple machines, which is a concept in our science curriculum.”
The project also involved many elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum, commonly known as STEM; students designed and engineered the waterwheels themselves.
“I mostly enjoyed the building of the water wheel itself and just working with my team,” North Pocono seventh grader Alex Iannone said. “We put a lot of hard work into this.”

Alex’s team used scrap wood to build their wheel, which won first place in the large-scale water wheel category. The Wayne Highlands team, who built their wheel using a 3-D printer, won first place in the small-scale category.
And while Wednesday’s event was competitive, it was also collaborative, as students from the four schools participated together in several science-related activities after testing their water wheels. One challenged students to levitate pingpong balls by blowing through drinking straws — a lesson in Bernoulli’s principle.
Wayne Highlands seventh graders Eve Rogers and Gopi Patel said they enjoyed working with kids from the other schools. Wayne Highlands technology and engineering teacher Christopher Piasecki said it was a good life lesson.
“It’s very real world, because they’re not always going to work with this group of students their whole life,” Piasecki said. “They’re going to leave Wayne Highlands Middle School, they’re going to go to college, they’re going to get a job down the road and they’re going to have to work with some new people.”