As a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition administrators throughout the Western Wayne School District served lunch to students on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Both teachers and administrators enjoyed this festive event before the holiday.
Pictured is EverGreen Principal Justin Pidgeon serving students.
Pictured is EverGreen Elementary Assistant Principal Kerrie Fitzsimmons serving students.
On November 17, SPO Wayne Thomas presented to the EverGreen Elementary Kindergarten – 5th grade students about Internet Safety. Officer Thomas discussed 4 important rules to help students stay safe online. He also spoke with EverGreen students about netiquette and cyberbullying.
Western Wayne elementary and middle school students were treated to an educational and extremely entertaining presentation about and “given by” Benjamin Franklin himself on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Elementary students at R.D. Wilson were treated to the presentation in the morning while students in the middle school enjoyed it in the afternoon in the newly renovated and recently dedicated Western Wayne Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The Wayne County Community Foundation made this presentation possible through a grant.
The Foundation has many programs and seeks proposals from organizations to secure grants that are meant to support efforts to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Wayne County. A variety of programs received almost $ 40,000 from the foundation grants that were awarded in the last fiscal year.
In 1997 the Estate of Benjamin Franklin awarded $ 20,000 to the Wayne County Community Foundation. The amazing vision of Mr. Franklin in realizing community organizations would exist more than 200 years after his passing, exhibits the man’s extraordinary vision.
The members of the Wayne County Community Foundation were glad students in Western Wayne’s R. D. Wilson Elementary School and the Western Wayne Middle School could experience a presentation about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin performed by professional actor Brian Patrick Mulligan.
Mulligan has been performing as Benjamin Franklin for over 25 years and his vast experience has proven to be an inspiration to all who have had the opportunity to witness his presentations. He has an extensive repertoire of events and many characters that he portrays.
Mulligan entertained and educated the students dressed in a period appropriate costume. The program was very interactive with Mulligan discussing many historical facts from Franklin’s life. A number of students had the opportunity to act out scenes to help the group learn about this rich history. There was a scene about the functioning of the printing press and another about kite flying among others.
The Western Wayne School District is very grateful to The Wayne County Community Foundation for providing their students with this educational opportunity. The Foundation also provided this same program to students from the Wayne Highlands School District, Forest City Regional School District, Wallenpaupack School District, and Canaan Christian Academy.
From left: Mr. Josh Rowe, middle school teacher; Benjamin Franklin played by Mulligan; and Josh Mahnke, 8th grade, who got to play a role in one of the skits from the presentation
Lead by example. Be helpful to someone. Nice is free. Pay it forward. This is a no bullying zone.
Students at the Western Wayne Middle School went on a hunt to find lids with these powerful words on them hidden throughout their school for just one of many activities in honor of Red Ribbon Week, which is observed from October 23 through October 31 each year.
Red Ribbon Week is a United States initiative for the education and prevention of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol abuse. Both students in Western Wayne’s Middle and High Schools participated in a variety of events to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.
They included wearing red ribbons to symbolize being drug and alcohol free, wearing black and gold to show school pride for making positive choices, wearing mismatched socks to spread the message of “socking it to drugs”, and wearing boots to show the idea of “giving the boot to drugs.”
These different dress days were done throughout the week in both middle and high schools. Prizes were given for homerooms who had the most participants among other activities to earn rewards.
The two schools also set aside October 24 to commemorate the life of Rachel Scott and celebrate Rachel’s Challenge. Rachel’s Challenge is a national program that promotes acts of kindness in memory of Rachel Joy Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine High School shooting. Participating Western Wayne students wore orange on this day to pledge that they will always try to treat others with kindness just like Rachel did.
The CATS (Community Attitude Toward Success) Club lead this kindness and positive choices initiative in the middle school. The group’s advisor is Western Wayne Middle School Guidance Counselor Lisa Jacques.
One project that CATS Club members did this year was to work to cut out positive sayings to put on plastic lids that teachers hid throughout the middle school for students to find and turn in for prizes.
As students found the lids they put them up for display on a board in the cafeteria with the words reduce, reuse, and recycle on it. The board was an effort to promote the idea of spreading a positive, drug-free atmosphere in the middle school along with encouraging students to treat their environment with kindness.
Western Wayne Middle School CATS Club members pose in front of the lid display in honor of Red Ribbon Week. From left: Mary Jane Gilligan, Halle Smith, William Dwyer, Josh Mahnke, Zoey Goldman, Sami Sharp, and Emma Gilligan.
From Left: Miss Elizabeth Watson, Assistant Principal, Dawson Wargo, Grade 7, Victoria Scarpati, Grade 8, Jocilyn Brungard, Grade 6, Mrs. Kristen Donohue, Principal
Whip, nae nae, and dab are all moves that most teenagers have mastered in today’s culture. However, it is not often that teenagers have an opportunity to learn traditional couples dancing. At the Western Wayne High School, it is a yearly tradition that students in the Spanish course take Spanish dancing as a part of their curriculum during the fall.
Local dance instructor and studio owner Vince Brust works with the Western Wayne students to teach a variety of traditional Spanish dances such as tango, merengue, mambo, and salsa among others.
The students had about nine sessions with Mr. Brust before debuting their new dance skills for other Spanish classes during the day on Thursday, Nov. 2, in Western Wayne’s newly renovated high school auditorium.
Students performed a variety of the dances they learned for their classmates. They did a choreographed dance with multiple partners and a mambo among other numbers during the day as a practice session for an evening performance. The Spanish students also gave the night performance on Thursday, Nov. 2, for their friends, family, and members of the community.
All of the students involved enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about this important aspect of Spanish culture.
From left: Brittney Reinert, Dillon Dante, and Bethany DeGroat pose at a final rehearsal before their evening Spanish dance performance on Thursday, Nov. 2, in Western Wayne’s newly renovated high school auditorium.
Local dance instructor and studio owner Mr. Vince Brust explains to an audience of Spanish students the types of dances they will see their classmates perform during an in-school performance on Thursday, Nov. 2. He is pictured with Western Wayne High School Spanish teacher Mrs. Elizabeth Sandrowicz.
The Western Wayne High School marching band took their show on the road for Halloween festivities during the final days of October.
The students performed at a number of events including Honesdale’s Annual Halloween Parade on Thursday, October 26. They also gave a performance to elementary students in the district on Tuesday, October 31 at the R.D. Wilson School and on the same day, they performed in the community at the Wayne Woodlands and Julia Ribaudo Nursing Homes.
The Western Wayne Marching Band will wrap up their Halloween season tour on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. in the 52nd Annual Barrett Township Halloween Parade, Route 390, Cresco, PA, which had been postponed from a previous date due to rain.
From left: Rachael Harsch, color guard captain; Ellen Dwyer, color guard captain; Katelin Dennis, drum major; and John Kear, drum major.
On October 24 the elementary schools celebrated Apple Crunch Day in their classrooms and were served apple crisp and apple slices for lunch. This is a nation wide event that encourages healthy eating habits. It’s an opportunity for teachers to teach their students how to use apples and other fruits to make fun and nutritious snacks. Teachers incorporated this day into their lessons and even used apples to create science experiments! Learning and healthy eating is beneficial and fun! If you want to make some apple snacks at home, just google, “Healthy snacks kids can make” and enjoy!
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On October 23rd Western Wayne High School Students in grade 9 experienced the THINK! ENERGY Innovation Program. This program is an interactive, hands-on presentation with a take home energy efficiency kit for each participating student and teacher. The program teaches the importance of energy, natural resources and environmental resources, and gives each participating student’s family energy-efficient technologies to install at home. Students and Staff in the high school received innovation kits on October 23rd. The kits included four LED light bulbs, shower timer, a water conserving shower head as well an advanced smart energy power strip. 180 innovation kits were distributed overall. This comes to 3,012 new LED bulbs distributed to the Western Wayne School District since the program’s launch in 2015. This program will also result in a number of mini grants for the teachers in the high school as well. The Think Energy Innovation Program has been brought to the schools by the National Energy Foundation, PPL Electric Utilities and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. For more information or questions, please contact National Energy Foundation at 1-855-494-2942 or email stephanie.dorman@nef1.org.
Caption: Left to Right: Science Teacher, Mark Nebzydoski; Presenters Stephanie Dorman and Robert Penkala; Principal, Paul Gregorski.
On October 16, 2017 the Western Wayne High School AP Biology students visited Lacawac Sanctuary and Biological Field Station. Students had the opportunity to engage in field research in the area of Forest Ecology and Population Studies. During the course of the visit students collected and analyzed data from the Lacawac Forest including a comparison of biodiversity inside of Deer Exclosures as compared to the rest of the forest, population studies of earthworms and salamanders, tree identification, invasive species discussions and predatory/prey relationships. These rich field experiences allowed students to really understand the characteristics of a stable forest ecosystem. Students learned about research that is happening at the collegiate level at Lacawac Field Station and about partnerships between Lacawac and various Universities. Following our visit students were able to collect data from a wooded area on our WW campus and plan to relate this data to their research data fromm Lacawac.
Please take a minute to view the attached PDF file with pictures and descriptions from our trip. We would like to thank Mrs. Jamie Reeger and Mrs. Sarah Corcoran for organizing, coordinating and creating such rich learning opportunities at Lacawac for our students and the Western Wayne Education Foundation for their generous grant that funded our experiences. We would also like to thank our administration for their support of this trip. We look forward to working with Lacawac Sanctuary and Field Station in the future as we continue to promote scientific research and career pathways in our community.
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5th students at RDW Elementary engaged in a culminating self-portrait projectMay 28, 2025Fifth-grade students at Robert D. Wilson Elementary engaged in a culminating self-portrait project to conclude their elementary visual arts experience. Students used sculpture techniques to construct three-dimensional plaster models of their faces. Over the course of the unit, learners explored human facial proportions and studied influential portrait artists throughout art history to inform their progress. Students applied their knowledge of proportion, drawing and painting to add accurate facial features. Through the use of mixed media techniques, and creative problem-solving strategies, students personalized their sculptures with details such as hairstyles, eyeglasses, jewelry, and accessories. The 5th graders worked hard to synthesize years of art instruction to create this meaningful visual representation of their time and growth at RDW. Each student’s unique and individual personality shines through! [...]
High School Watershed Group Leads Fourth-Grade Environmental Education Program with Support from Community Grants May 28, 2025Lake Ariel, PA — Western Wayne High School’s Watershed Group is proud to announce the successful completion of a student-led environmental education initiative originally planned as a field trip to the Varden Conservation Area. This spring, thanks to grant funding and outstanding community partnerships, fourth-grade students at RDW and Evergreen Elementary Schools experienced a day filled with hands-on watershed education, led by professionals and high school mentors.This project is part of the long-standing Community Connections to Our Watershed program, which for over 20 years has connected students in northeastern Pennsylvania with local environmental experts and conservation educators. Each year, students explore watersheds, learn about clean water initiatives, and participate in forums alongside professionals from agencies committed to preserving Pennsylvania’s natural resources. More information about the program can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/CCTW2025This year’s participating schools include:• Lackawanna County Teams: Carbondale, Forest City, Lackawanna Trail, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, Riverside, Western Wayne, and Wayne Highlands• Luzerne County Teams: Crestwood, Hanover, HAAS, HACC, Hazleton, Northwest, Tunkhannock, and Wyoming AreaWestern Wayne High School students participated in several preparatory field trips, including visits to Lackawanna State Park, Keystone College, the Old Forge borehole, and the Alliance Landfill, the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania American Water Treatment and Sewage Treatment Facilities, and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. These experiences helped students learn how to assess watershed health and explore solutions to protect local water resources. Support for these programs was provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Pennsylvania American Water Company, and the DCNR Watershed Education Program.The culminating event was presented at a student showcase held at Montage Mountain on May 6, 2025, where Western Wayne students unveiled their vision: an interactive field trip experience for all district fourth-grade students. They designed original ecology-based activities and coordinated programming with outside agencies to bring their vision to life.Originally planned for the Varden Conservation Area, the field day was quickly relocated indoors due to cold, wet weather. Thanks to the flexibility and determination of teachers, administrators, and partners, the program was successfully delivered on-site at both elementary schools—retaining all core educational experiences.Participating Agencies and PresentersThe program featured presentations and hands-on stations from a wide range of environmental organizations, including:• Lacawac Education Department: Nichole Seul• Lacawac Sanctuary PLEON Department: Theresa Black• Promised Land DCNR Environmental Education Specialist: Joshua Heath• Trout Unlimited: Don Strathy, Paul Guinnane• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (National Park Service): Anna Grismero All participating 4th graders received a free National Parks pass good for unlimited admission for them and their families during their 4th-grade year• Wayne County Conservation District: Olivia D’Amore• Delaware Highlands Conservancy: Rachel Morrow• Western Wayne High School Science Faculty: Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D.• Community Connections to Our Watershed High School Student Leaders: Dakota Douglas, Aliyah Gregory, Giuliana VelazquezHigh school students acted as presenters, group leaders, and support staff, working closely with fourth graders during each 45-minute station rotation. Activities included a watershed model demonstration, casting skills with Backyard Bass, and a water chemistry/biology interactive lesson.Funding and Community SupportFunding for the program was made possible through two generous sources:• A mini-grant from the Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF), reviewed and awarded by the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee, which supported transportation and programming costs.• Additional funding for both the Varden classroom education and the in-school field trip was provided through an Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) grant from the Western Wayne Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting innovation and opportunity in the district.o For more information, contact Christine McClure, President, at 1970C Easton Turnpike, Western Wayne School District, Lake Ariel, PA 18436.Both the Wayne County Community Foundation and the Western Wayne Education Foundation play a crucial role in building long-term educational opportunities for students in the region.A Day of Fun, Learning, and ResilienceDespite the weather challenges, the program delivered an enriching experience filled with environmental discovery, hands-on activities, and expert instruction. Students were engaged, enthusiastic, and inspired by what they learned—and most importantly, they had fun doing it.Western Wayne High School extends its sincere thanks to all agency partners, grant providers, faculty, and students who made this unique educational day possible. The project is a testament to the power of youth leadership, collaboration, and environmental stewardship.
Picture One: Fourth grade students at EverGreen engaged in hands-on watershed education.
Picture Two: Fourth grade students at RDW engaged in hands on watershed education. [...]
Western Wayne Wins Wayne County EnvirothonMay 28, 2025Western Wayne High School students recently won The Wayne County Envirothon. These students include: Paul Borowski, Aiden Matthews, Logan Pauler, Robert Carrelle, and Phoebe Schmitt.
Envirothon is a hands-on environmental education and competition program for high school students, focusing on natural resource conservation and problem-solving. It involves students working in teams to demonstrate their knowledge of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and a current environmental issue. Back row, from left: Aiden Matthews, Paul Borowski, and Robert Carrelle. Front row, from left: Logan Pauler and Phoebe Schmitt. [...]
Mental Health First Aid Virtual TrainingsMay 23, 2025Mental Health First Aid training is an 8-hour evidence-based curriculum created by the National Council for Mental Well-being. This course helps adults working with youth ages 12-18 to identify, understand, and respond to the early signs of mental health and substance use challenges using the ALGEE action plan. Please download the flyer below for more details. [...]
