On May 25th the Pre-Kindergarten classes at EverGreen Elementary had a bus safety presentation. Students learned about safety while boarding and exiting the bus along with proper behavior while being on the bus. Students picture are from Mrs. Hoch’s morning and afternoon classes and Miss Sposto’s morning class. The presentation was by WW School Police Officer Marty Robbins and bus driver Mark Peet. Thank you to Officer Robbins, Mr. Peet and Mr. Henwood from Henwood Bussing for allowing the use of one of his buses.
The Cat Pack Games were held on Tuesday, May 24 at Sharkey Rosetti Stadium. Students from EverGreen, RDW and Middle and High Schools were greeted by the Western Wayne Marching Band. Student volunteers from the Middle and High Schools assisted in the games. The day was a perfect highlight of some of the many talents of our students-running, jumping, throwing, and playing! Thank you to everyone who helped make it a great day!
WVIA presented PBS Kids in the Classroom on at EverGreen Elementary on May 11, 12 and 17 to students in grades kindergarten through second grade. This program offered allows an educator from WVIA to come into the classroom and present a lesson about a PBS kids show. The lessons this year were based on animal habitats. Students picture here at from Miss Getz’s kindergarten class.
EverGreen Elementary hosted this year’s Title I Awards Night for our students from Robert D. Wilson Elementary and EverGreen Elementary who completed the Title 1 program. Dinner was served while our amazing speaker, Betty Lawson read a book aloud. “Ms. Betty” is the librarian at the Honesdale Library in Honesdale and became famous for her bedtime stories she read, virtually, during Covid. She also gave our families tips and tricks to get our children to talk about their day in a meaningful way that builds connections in our brains. We also learned when a child is born, they have as many brain cells as stars in the Milky Way. We had a great turnout, and the night ran smoothly thanks to our energetic, caring, and motivated Title I teachers who organized the entire event. Thank you to Mrs. Malec, Mrs. Daniels, and Mrs. Vinton for a very special evening.
The week of March 14th is designated as AG Literacy Week in the state of Pennsylvania. The program focuses on connecting volunteers from the agricultural community to local classrooms to share the story of agriculture. Volunteer readers will have the opportunity to talk about farming and agriculture through the book they read as well as their own experiences with farming. Volunteers visited all kindergarten, first grade, and second grade classrooms at EverGreen Elementary on March 15th where they read My Family’s Soybean Farm to the students. Students pictured are from Ms. Hemmler’s first grade class.
Pictured from left to right: Ella Sepelyak, Lucas Musgrave, Mrs. Davis (School Nurse), Taylor Brown, and Juliana DeCandis.
In light of dental health month, Dr. Joyce Perih donated dental hygiene bags to the 3rd graders at EverGreen Elementary during the month of February. Dental examinations are important for oral hygiene
In conjunction with Read Across America and Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2, the EverGreen Elementary PTA held a book distribution to celebrate reading! Each student at EverGreen had the opportunity to choose from a plethora of books to enjoy. Thank you EverGreen Elementary PTA!
Robert “Marty” Robbins didn’t spend a lot of time playing sports as a kid. However, he was definitely a fan and really enjoyed listening to the announcers on TV and radio.
As a result, Marty began dabbling in a bit of PA work whenever the opportunity arose. Mostly though, he was just having a bit of fun amusing himself and those around him.
“I started fooling around calling the games from the stands when my children played,” Marty said. “Eventually, I began announcing Little League Baseball and then became the voice of Stingers Football.”
Marty’s efforts were well-received. His sense of humor, unique style and dedication to the job made him a fan favorite all over Wayne County.
Then, just a few years ago, Marty landed a job at Western Wayne as a member of the district’s very first School Police Force.
One day he was asked to act as emcee at a pep rally, a gig that led to an invitation to call boys varsity basketball games. Before long, Marty was behind the mike for girls basketball and football too.
“Besides working with the kids in the classrooms and hallways I get my most joy from announcing,” Marty said. “I try to make it fun for all the spectators.”
And while Marty is undoubtedly one of the most popular public address announcers in the Lackawanna League, he’s more than that … so much more.
Setting the Stage
Marty is the son of Alberta and the late Robert Robbins, Honesdale.
He attended Wayne Highlands schools, graduating from HHS in the spring of 1985. Marty was very active in extracurricular activities during his high school years, participating in everything from rifle club and cheerleading to chorus and theatre.
After graduation, Marty enlisted in the US Army where he became a light wheel vehicle mechanic, serving with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
When Marty’s hitch was up, he returned to Honesdale and pondered his next move. He worked as an orderly at Wayne Memorial Hospital and seriously considered a career in nursing. However, he eventually decided to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper, entering the Academy in January 1990.
Six months later, Marty graduated and was assigned to the Bethlehem area where he served the citizens of at Dublin and Trevose.
In 1993, he was transferred to Dunmore. After that, there were stints in Susquehanna, Pike and Wayne counties.
Marty was promoted to corporal in 1999 and retired in 2013 after serving a total of 23 years. It’s at this point in the story that Marty arrives on the scene at Western Wayne.
“I joined the newly-formed school district police working with three fellow retired troopers: Paul Semler, Danny Martin, and Wayne Thomas,” he said.
“We all take the safety of our students, faculty and staff very seriously. Each of us brings a different aspect to the table, so to speak, connecting with different students.”
On a typical day, Marty and his fellow officers patrol the parking lot, bus drop and cafeteria. They’re also a constant presence in the hallways and all over the the grounds, working hard to ensure that students, faculty and staff all remain safe.
“The Western Wayne school district is truly a second family,” he said. “Everyone here is involved and invested in the students’ lives. I enjoy being proactive and helping kids in their career development and avoiding trouble.”
Marty and his colleagues are frequently invited into the classroom to speak on a wide range of topics.
Last week, Officer Robbins accepted just such an invitation. This one was extended by RD Wilson Elementary School Counselor Erica Germani, who asked him to come and talk to a large group of students.
Marty happily complied, drawing from his experience as a sports announcer to win over a gym filled with first and fourth graders.
“Officer Robbins had a meaningful discussion with students about his career journey,” Erica said. “He surprised many by saying he got into the profession because he wanted to help people.
“Overall, I feel like he transformed students’ perception of the law enforcement field. He even spoke one-on-one with a student who was upset.”
Marty has a genuine way with children. It’s nothing less than a gift. When he speaks, he’s able to gain their trust, make them relax, and also communicate truly important information.
These traits proved crucial in helping students deal with the disruption caused by COVID.
“Kids in general are very resilient,” he said. “Especially our younger students seem to have adapted well to all the challenging circumstances of the past two years.
“They’re happy just to be back to in-person learning. Judging from the excitement I see, I don’t believe that events of the past two years have slowed them down any.”
Rave Reviews
Matt Fitzsimmons has been a fixture at Western Wayne for 23 years now.
He grew up in Forest City, but has played many roles during his tenure at Western Wayne including teacher, coach and guidance counselor. It’s in his capacity as a counselor that he helped arrange Officer Robbins’ visit with the RD Wilson students.
“Marty is fully part of the Western Wayne community,” Matt said. “He identifies with the students and they know he truly cares about them. Plus, his announcing at sporting events is the best!”
Paul Gregorski concurs.
Western Wayne’s High School Principal has nothing but praise for Marty’s role in the district.
“Officer Marty Robbins is an integral member of our school community,” Paul said. “He is caring and compassionate individual who truly cares about students.
“He’s also the best PA announcer in the area. We appreciate Officer Robbins everyday, and we thank him for his ongoing service to the students and staff at Western Wayne.”
EverGreen Elementary fifth grader, Igor Barth, started a business at school this year called Creamer Coffee Cart. He developed and delivered a presentation to third grade about his business. The presentation, titled “Entrepreneurship in EverGreen”, outlines the steps to start a business and become an entrepreneur. Igor explained his decision making when choosing his target audience, which product to sell, and why he started his school business. He described the steps he took to get the business up and running, including writing letters to and meeting with Mr. Pidgeon to discuss the business, the loan, and interest. The presentation highlighted problems and obstacles he faced during operation, such as hiring and training new employees after his business partner moved. Igor has recently expanded his business to also sell hot chocolate and tea. Overall, he likes how his business is going and hopes to continue. The EverGreen third grade class enjoyed learning more about entrepreneurship and Igor’s business. Many students asked if they could be hired and some were even inspired to start their own businesses!
Welcome to the WESTERN WAYNE SCHOOL DISTRICT! We hope that your child’s educational experience will be wonderful in every sense.
One of our goals is to see that the parents — like the students themselves — feel at home at Western Wayne. Should you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s education, we encourage you to call the school and talk with those who might be of help. We are glad to have you with us. We want to assure you that we will do our best to help your child experience academic, social, and emotional growth. With your help and cooperation, this will be an excellent journey,
Listed below are the dates and requirements for Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten registration: REGISTRATION OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN WILL BE HELD AS FOLLOWS:
Lake, Salem, and Sterling Townships — EverGreen Elementary Week of March 14 2022.
Canaan, Clinton, South Canaan Townships and Waymart Borough Robert D. Wilson Elementary School — Week of March 14 2022 Criteria for children registering for these programs are as listed: A. Parent or guardian Proof of Residency (deed, driver’s license, tax receipt, voter’s registration, lease agreement, current utility bill, etc.). B. A child is eligible for admission to Pre-Kindergarten if she/he has attained the age of four (4) years on or before September 1, 2022. C. A child is eligible for admission to Kindergarten if she/he has attained the age of five (5) years on or before September 1, 2022.
PREK Requirements — Please bring a current physical with you if you have it.
Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoid Initial series (3 doses)
Polio — 4 doses (4th dose on or after 4th birthday)
MMR-I dose
Hepatitis B Vaccine Series — 3 doses
Variceila Vaccine — 1 dose or diagnosis of disease or laboratory testing
KINDERGARTEN Requirements — Please bring a current physical with you if you have it.
DPT Series — must include booster dose after age 4
Polio — 4 doses — (4th dose on or after 4th birthday)
MMR — 2 doses
Hepatitis B — 3 doses
Varicella Vaccine (Chickenpox Vaccine) — 2 doses or diagnosis of disease or laboratory testing Also, if your child has a special condition/mental, physical, or heatth disability, please provide medical documentation from your physician and any accommodations that your child may need at school.
In addition, Pennsylvania requires a physical exam for all students upon original school entry. It may be performed by your family health care provider or by the school physician at a later date. Please bring a recent exam if you have it. You have access to current health information and forms on our website: ww3.westernwayne.org. To access this information, select departments and then health services. Please complete the form above and return it to Mrs, Muller at the EverGreen building and Mrs. Kromko at the Robert D. Wilson building by February 22, 2022. This form is necessary in order to schedule your appointment date and time, Registration will be held in-person and limited to one (1) adult and one (1) child. If you need additional information, please contact the Robert Wilson Elementary School or EverGreen Elementary School at 1-800-321-9973. IF YOUR CHILD CURRENTLY ATTENDS PRE-K, YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER FOR KINDERGARTEN.
ALL NEWS
FRC 4285 Camobots place 6th in Division / Top 25 Percent in WorldApril 29, 2024This April the robotics team FRC 4285 Camobots (composed of Honesdale HS and Western Wayne HS students) competed in the World Championships for robotics in Houston, Texas. They competed in a group of 608 teams. FRC 4282 finished 6th in their division which put them in the top 25% of the entire world of robotics. The team made many connections with other teams, the Department of Defense, colleges, corporations, and educational personnel from the government. FRC 4285 will be working diligently in the offseason to train up students with what they have learned and will collaborate with teams near and far to grow the program. Western Wayne teacher and team advisor Brian Landry wants to thank the community for their well wishes and all of the help they received from both them and the district in the club’s journey to this tremendous accomplishment. [...]
Girls on the Run Summer – Fall Opportunities Volunteer CoachesApril 29, 2024Western Wayne’s Girls on the Run coaches are excited to announce that our program is expanding to serve more students. Girls on the Run combines life skills lessons, games and discussions with physical activity. The focus is on having fun while moving and learning.
Firstly, there will be a GOTR summer camp for our Elementary students at the EverGreen campus this June! This will be followed by a Fall season of Girls on the Run for grades 3 – 5 (location TBA) and at the Middle School for grades 6 – 8. The Fall season starts in September and runs for 10 weeks. It ends with a celebratory (non-competitive) 5k at Keystone College in November.
Summer Camp will be held at EverGreen Elementary school from Monday, June 17, to Friday, June 21, 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Registration opens May 6. Flyers will be sent home with students on that date with sign-up info! For more information email rfitzmorris@westernwayne.org.
The coaches would like to thank our principals, Mr. Pidgeon, Mrs. Miller, and Mrs. Bradley for their support for this program which has such a positive influence on our students! [...]
RDW DISCOVERY DAY 2024April 22, 2024“It was an out of this world experience for our students at RDW! SPACE was the theme of this years Discovery Day. With all the hard work and dedication from the RDW PTA they were able to give our kids an amazing experience. From learning about the Moon, Star Constellations, the Sun, and Rockets – This years Discovery
Day was surely a BLAST!” [...]
Western Wayne FBLA Excels at Pennsylvania State Leadership ConferenceApril 19, 2024Row 1 (l to r): Olivia Gries, Audrey Agnello, Phoebe Schmitt, Taylor Maiocco, Rhayni Carroll, Emily Romanowski, and Madelyn McClure. Row 2 (l to r): Avery Ulner, Isabella Kolp, Clare Coccodrilli, Connor Bryant, David Elias, Khole Mistishin, Maggie Kotchessa, and Allie Pauler.
The 73rd annual Pennsylvania State Leadership Conference was held this past week in Hershey. Western Wayne FBLA had 32 members competing at the conference this year. Sixteen of those 32 members placed in the top 10 at the state level and were recognized at the Awards of Excellence Program. Eight members have qualified to compete at the FBLA National Leadership Conference this June in Orlando.
The Business Ethics team of Rhayni Carroll, Taylor Maiocco, and Emily Romanowski placed 3rd. Olivia Gries placed 2nd in Introduction to Business Communications. The team of Audrey Agnello and Phoebe Schmitt placed 4th in Introduction to Business Presentation. Maggie Kotchessa placed 5th and Khole Mistishin placed 7th in Introduction to FBLA. Madelyn McClure placed 3rd and Madelyn Vinton placed 6th in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure. The team of Clare Coccodrilli, Isabella Kolp, and Avery Ullner placed 9th in Introduction to Social Media Strategies. The team of Connor Bryant and David Elias placed 10th in Sports and Entertainment Management. Allie Pauler placed 4th in Word Processing.
In addition, Rhayni Carroll placed 4th, Emily Romanowski placed 7th, and Adrian Agnello placed 8th in Who’s Who in Pennsylvania FBLA and were recipients of the William Seldon Scholarship. Adrian and Emily each received a $1000 scholarship and Rhayni received a scholarship of $1250. [...]
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention
program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize
warning signs and signals, especially within social media,
from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others
and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late.