Kindergarten and Third Grade Body Safety Program

On February 21st, our friend from VIP provided a program about body safety to Kindergarten and Third grade students. She discussed what safety means, good secrets vs bad secrets, and who to tell. She also read the children’s book “Good Touch, Bad Touch”.

 

Wildcat World Student Profile: Marquis Badger

Western Wayne High School Administration has recognized Marquis Badger as an outstanding student. He is a senior who serves as the president of the Hot Rod Club. His shop teacher Pat Farley acknowledges that Marquis is very helpful in his classes and does excellent work in Western Wayne’s Auto Shop.

Marquis started working on cars at the age of seven with his grandfather. By the time he got to high school, Marquis had a real interest in doing mechanical work.

“I love building engines,” he said. “One of the projects I am most proud of during my time at Western Wayne was building a 350 Chevy engine.”

Marquis said he did this in his junior year and he believes that all of the experience he had with auto bodywork at Western Wayne helped him to be able to take on the task of working on the Chevy engine.

Marquis also worked as a lab tech in the auto shop and enjoyed helping younger students learn how to do excellent auto bodywork.

“I get satisfaction in teaching others through knowing that I am helping them to have the same learning opportunities I had,” Marquis explained.

Working towards goals and helping others is a part of Marquis’ younger years as well when he was a part of the Boy Scout Troop 102 out of Lake Ariel for a number of years.

When Marquis isn’t helping students in Western Wayne’s Auto Shop, he likes to offer his services through farm handing at different farms in Wayne County. He has worked at a vegetable farm and a horse farm among other farming experiences.

“I love learning and helping people,” Marquis said. “If I can help somebody and take a load of off them, then that means more to me than any money I could earn.”

Marquis is currently learning more about the auto body trade at his place of employment Kizer’s Auto Body in Lake Ariel. He is learning a lot about bodywork and has the opportunity to work on a variety of company vehicles at his job.

When Marquis isn’t working on cars at Kizer’s or Western Wayne, he is working on his 1989 Dodge D150. This is his favorite car, which he hopes to pass on to his children one day. Marquis plans to work on his car repair skills even more after graduating from Western Wayne this spring.

Recently Marquis was accepted into the Universal Technical Institute located in Exton, PA. A representative from the college came to Marquis’ home to interview him and accepted him on the spot.

Marquis is very excited to study in the field of diesel and auto motive technician in the fall. Marquis credits the Western Wayne Auto Shop with preparing him for college and his future career in auto body.

“Western Wayne Auto Shop really made me who I am today,” Marquis said. “I walked in knowing how to do an oil change and walked out knowing how to fix engines and so many other things.”

High School Principal Paul Gregorski is proud of Marquis’ efforts.

“The Western Wayne School District is glad to offer a variety of electives for students interested in a wide variety of career fields,” Gregorski said. “I am proud of Marquis for being such a strong role model for other students in our auto shop classes.”

American Legion Essay Contest Winners

The American Legion essay contest gave our students a great opportunity to reflect upon what Americanism means. Through the process of writing the essay, the children realized ways that they display Americanism or Patriotism every day. Thursday night the winners were presented with a certificate and monetary award at the American Legion’s monthly meeting. The students were able to speak with the Veterans who were very impressed with all of the essays submitted. Congratulations to our 4th and 5th grade winners! Maggie Kotchessa, Madison Trapanese, Matthew Moyer, Anthony Donnini, Meksha Patel, and absent from photo, Olivia Ford-Venticinque.

 

PMEA District 9 Orchestra Festival to be Held At Western Wayne

Western Wayne High School is proud to host the annual PMEA District 9 Orchestra Festival. It will be the very first PMEA event held in the newly renovated Veterans Memorial Auditorium. 124 students representing 24 schools around the area will participate in the three day festival which culminates with a concert on Saturday afternoon. Five students from Western Wayne will be represented in the ensemble: Dakota Schaffroth, Katherine Moore, John Kear, Amanda Herold, and Mason Coccodrilli. These students along with their peers earned chairs in the orchestra by auditioning back in November 2017.

The concert will be Saturday, February 10th @ 2pm and is open to the public. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.

From left: Katherine and Dakota

Career Speakers!

This week EverGreen Elementary had two more career speakers.  Heather Chapman spoke with the 1st graders about being a pharmacist.  The students got to see how the things they are learning in math and science are used by pharmacists every day in their job.    Cristine Faustmann visited our 3rd grade classrooms, and spoke to the students about what an insurance investigator does.  They got to try out their own investigative skills to solve a few cases.

Heather Chapman spoke with the 1st graders about being a pharmacist.
Cristine Faustmann visited our 3rd grade classrooms, and spoke to the students about being an insurance investigator.

New Scholastic Children’s Dictionaries!

On January 31, 2018, the third grade students at EverGreen Elementary were the proud recipients of new Scholastic Children’s Dictionaries.  The Wayne County Community Foundation generously sponsors this project.  Each dictionary is inscribed with both the student and donor’s names. Foundation Board Director Mr. Mark James presented the dictionaries, and the students could not have been more grateful.  They are fascinated with the text features and illustrations of the beautiful dictionaries.  The students will put them to good use for writing workshop and language arts activities.

 

Thank you!
Mr. Mark James, Board Director of the Wayne County Community Foundation, presents dictionaries to the third grade students at EverGreen Elementary. Pictured include: (front row from left to right)… Eleri Strocchia, Connor Kubilus, Abigail Bell, Kaylee Morgan (Middle row from left to right)… Skyla McGuire, Aiden Van Orden, Daniel Considine, Vincent Donnini (Back row from left to right)… Mr. Mark James, Board Director, Wayne County Community Foundantion Mr. Justin Pidgeon, Principal, EverGreen Elementary Mrs. Kerrie Fitzsimmons, Assistant Principal, EverGreen Elementary

 

EverGreen Elementary Career Presentations

EverGreen Elementary is happy to begin Career Presentations for the Kindergarten through 5th grade students. On January 23rd Jeannie Hedglin spoke with 2nd grade students regarding her career as a hair dresser. On January 24th Kim Altenhofen spoke with 3rd grade regarding her career as a Realtor. Over the next few months, there will be several more career presentations at each grade level.

Western Wayne to Host Open Mic Night Friday, Jan. 19

Western Wayne’s newly formed drama club called Wildcat Curtain Call invites the public to join them for an Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 19, in the Western Wayne High School Cafeteria located at 1970A Easton Turnpike, Lake Ariel, PA 18436.

Admission is free!

The show will be a family-friendly event with Masters of Ceremonies junior Lindsey Karwacki and sophomore Honour Shaffer. The show will feature songs by a Fife and Drum Corp. led by Western Wayne senior John Kear, who was recently recognized as an Artist of the Week on WVIA.

Other acts include a comedy piece by eighth grade student Nick Valentin titled “American Airlines” along with a performance of the famous Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine by Nick and senior Schuyler Chumard.

The night will also feature a variety of musical selections. There will be featured soloists including Laurel Frable, “Sick of Losing Soulmates;” Sam Clemens, “All Star;” Lily Visceglia, “Don’t Rain on My Parade;” R.J. Clemens, “For Forever;” and Ty Alpaugh, “Somewhere That’s Green”.

Junior Emily Barone with play flute for one performance along with singing “Titanium” as a duet with friend and classmate Lily Visceglia. Sophomore Becca King will play harmonica. Sam Pritzlaff and John Kear will entertain the crowd with a duet of the Beatles’ classic “If I Fell” and to end the evening sophomore Andie Solimine will sing “Carry On my Wayward Son” while accompanying herself on acoustic guitar.

The students will also perform group numbers that include: “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and “Seasons of Love.”

“We are very excited to get the community out to see these talented Western Wayne students,” Tori Clemens, president of the Western Wayne Drama Parents, said. “We look forward to seeing them shine on Friday night along with raising some money to support our drama club students.”

The Drama Parents Club will be selling a variety of treats at the free admission event this evening. There will be coffee, tea, and bottled water along with a variety of sweet treats and snacks available for sale.

“The event will feel like a coffee house,” Clemens said. “We want everyone to feel at home during the performances.”

Pictured are some of the members of Western Wayne’s Drama Club who will be part of the free admission Open Mic Night taking place tonight at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. From left, standing: Honour Shaffer, Lindsey Karwacki, and Andie Solimine. From left, kneeling: John Kear and Lily Visceglia. The event is open to the public.

Western Wayne Participates in “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?”

Western Wayne Participates in “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Contest Creating sets for MSNBC, making podiums for presidential debates, and producing custom sets for television shows and movies are just some of the high-profile jobs that Boyce Products Ltd., a manufacturing facility located in Damascus, PA, produces.
A group of Western Wayne Middle School students visited this very impressive facility on Tuesday, January 9 to learn more about the plant and its employees as a part of their participation in the Pennsylvania state-wide competition called “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?”
Created by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) in Allentown, PA in 2013, the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” contests draw entries from more than 200 teams across Pennsylvania. The teams of students and teacher coaches receive camera equipment, software, and professional guidance as they learn to script, record, and edit their video stories. The contest’s objective is to change students’ perceptions about manufacturing careers.
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” contests are supported regionally by their sponsors and partners. Production support is provided for several of the contests by PBS39 Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, PA. There are 12 contests held in Pennsylvania during the 2017-2018 school year. These contests involve students from 40 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties – a combined area that represents more than 9 million of the state’s 12.7 million residents. The contest format also has been adopted by groups in 11 additional states.
Mrs. Kristen Donohue, Western Wayne Middle School principal, worked with Mr. Bill Schoen, “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Northeast, PA contest manager from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC), Hanover Township, PA, to get her students involved in this very educational and fascinating contest. The inaugural “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” contest for Northeast, PA features 13 teams from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne counties.
After discussing the opportunity with Schoen, Donohue worked to form a group of eighth grade students who are academically dedicated and have an interest in manufacturing and technology to participate in the project. She thought those qualities would make for the perfect recipe for success in this endeavor by her students.
“It’s unbelievable to know a company in Wayne County produces such high-end products to use all over the nation,” Donohue explained. “I was so glad to be able to show our Western Wayne students that the possibilities of working in such an industry are so close to home.”
The group of Western Wayne students consisting of Addie Treibley, Ally Bien-Aime, Morgan Coccodrilli, Justin Olson, Ava Compton, Rachel Hoch, Rachel Tuman, and Hudson Malinowski were thrilled to have this experience at Boyce.
The students are currently working to edit their footage to submit for the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” contest deadline for the Northeast, PA region on March 9.
Both the students and Donohue are very grateful for the unique, educational, and pleasant experience they had at Boyce. They look forward to a reception sometime in the spring for all groups who participated in the contest.
“Every employee of Boyce couldn’t have been nicer or kinder to our students,” Donohue explained. “We thank them so much for this opportunity.”
To learn more about the incredible work done at Boyce visit their website at www.boyceproducts.com
To vote for the Western Wayne Middle School team to win the Viewer’s Choice Award for the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” contest for the Northeast, PA region visit www.whatssocool.org/ from Monday, March 19, through Wednesday, March 21.
Please take a moment to help our young and talented Western Wayne Wildcats win this honor for their hard work on this very informative project.
The public also can visit www.whatssocool.org/ at any time to find out more information about this contest and the schools, businesses, and other organizations involved in this awesome educational endeavor.
From left, standing: Mrs. Kristen Donohue, Middle School principal; Morgan Coccodrilli, Hudson Malinowski, Rachel Hoch, Ally Bien-Aime, and Rachel Tuman. From left, kneeling: Addie Treibley, Ava Compton, and Justin Olson.

Western Wayne Middle School students Hudson Malinowski and Morgan Coccodrilli learn about a machine used at Boyce Ltd. while on a recent field trip.

Hudson Malinowski takes video footage at Boyce Ltd. for use in Western Wayne Middle’s School submission to the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Contest while her fellow Western Wayne teammates look on.

Western Wayne Middle School students Hudson Malinowski, Morgan Coccodrilli, and Justin Olson are seen learning about tasks done at Boyce Ltd. from discussions given by their employees.

Western Wayne Senior Accepted to Vassar College

Ty Alpaugh has been recognized as an outstanding student by Western Wayne High School Administration. She is a senior who has just been accepted into the prestigious Vassar College located in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Ty, a two-year National Honor Society member, is a National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist who scored a 1500 out of 1600 on her SAT with her score evenly split between Reading and Math.
She greatly looks forward to studying liberal arts at Vassar next year with a focus on drama and film.
Ty has been interested in these areas of study throughout her high school career. She dedicated herself to four musical productions at Western Wayne playing roles such as Pinocchio in Shrek, Rose Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie, and she is currently in rehearsals to play Billie Bendix in Nice Work if You Can Get It. Ty loves developing her acting, singing, and dancing skills in musical theater.
She aspires to one day live and work in New York City. She dreams to earn a living on Broadway as an actress but also has an interest in cinematography. Currently she is taking a video production course at Western Wayne and looks forward to pursuing this study in college.
Ty also has much experience with music through her participation in band and chorus during her high school years. Ty plays the drums in Western Wayne’s marching band and plays mallet percussion for the concert season. She also has served as historian for the band for two years.
Along with all of her performing arts experiences at Western Wayne, Ty is proud of her accomplishments as an athlete. She has participated in Western Wayne’s Tennis team for four years serving as co-captain her senior year. The team made it to playoff rounds this year.
Ty feels excited to take all of her enthusiasm for excellence in all areas to Vassar this fall.
“I just can’t wait to meet all of the new people from different backgrounds,” she explained. “I feel like it will be such a tight knit community at Vassar where everyone has a passion for the arts.”
From left: Alpaugh and Western Wayne High School Principal Paul Gregorski.