Senior, Lia Hartman, was recently recognized as both the NEIU 19 Scholar of the Year and The Times-Tribune Scholastic Superstar. The Scholastic Superstar Ceremony was held on May 5th at Lackawanna College. NEIU Scholar of the Year Ceremony was held on May 6th at Carbondale Area Jr./Sr. High School.
Lia is a highly involved student who is the president of the Science Club. She, also, is in Envirothon, National Honor Society, and is president of the Band. In addition, she served as a drum major for the past two years playing the flute and piccolo.
“I have learned a lot about leadership in my time at Western Wayne,” she said. “I’ve come to embrace the fact that everyone I work with is unique and to have success leading them I have to adjust to their needs. I have become a more understanding and open-minded person through being a drum major.”
Hartman will take the leadership skills she learned at Western Wayne to college next year. She will be attending The University of Scranton in the fall with a major in biochemistry.
“The human body is really interesting,” she said. “I want to contribute to people’s health, and I enjoy lab work best, so pathology embodies what I see for my future.”
From left: Western Wayne High School Principal Mr. Paul B. Gregorski and Lia Hartman.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Kloss for setting the JH School Record in the 3200 with a time of 12:23.74 with a Gold Medal effort at Abington Heights tonight in a makeup event from the invitational two weeks ago. Garrett Malakin earned a Bronze Medal in the event with a time of 11:56.24.  From left:  Kloss and Malakin.

Senior Lillian Maros and junior Nicholas Fisichella were recognized by the Western Wayne School Board at the May 7th meeting for their outstanding excellence in band this year for earning places to perform at All-State Band.  It has been four years since a Western Wayne student achieved this honor.  Their band director Mrs. Elaine Ort was also recognized with her students for helping them achieve this high honor.

From left Mrs. Elaine Ort and Lillian Maros.  Nicholas Fisichella absent from photo.

The Western Wayne School Board recognized the cast, crew, and directors of Mamma Mia! for their excellence this season in their vocal, visual, and overall performance.  Lead performers, stage crew members, and directors attended the meeting. The board acknowledged the growth of the program over the years and gave well wishes for future performances and to graduating seniors.  The Western Wayne Drama Club is thankful for the support of the School Board and looks forward to their next projects and performances.  From left: Mrs. Elaine Ort, pit director; Johnathon Maxwell, supporting role; Colette Schmitt, five-year senior, public relations officer, lead role; Kallie Wehrmann, senior, stage crew leader; Jason Vass, creative team member, lead role; Jade Wetherington, lead role; Lillian Maros, five-year senior, student director, drama club president, lead role; Mrs. Jessica McLaughlin, musical director; Stephanie Maxwell, five-year senior, student costume mistress, lead role/ understudy.  Absent from photo: Robert Scramuzza, five-year senior, student director, lead role; Owen Obloshny, drama club vice president, lead role; and Scott Kurent, lead role.

This year the Western Wayne High School Marching Band and Color Guard went to Virginia Beach and surrounding areas for their annual field trip this May. The band had an amazing trip where they went to the beach, Busch Gardens and a symphony! Every year Mrs. Elaine Ort, Western Wayne High School band director, carefully crafts a trip for these students to make memories they will have for a lifetime. Pictured is the Western Wayne Marching Band and Color Guard in Colonial Williamsburg.

On May 6, 2025, students from Western Wayne High School proudly presented their student-led environmental education project at the Community Connections to Our Watershed banquet, held at Montage Mountain. Their project—a hands-on ecology field trip to Varden Conservation Area for Western Wayne’s 4th grade students—was designed, researched, and organized entirely by the high school team.

This presentation was the culmination of months of work as part of the Community Connections to Our Watershed program, a regional environmental initiative that began over 20 years ago. Each year, groups of five students and one teacher from schools across Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties participate in the program, which is coordinated by the education teams at Lackawanna and Nescopeck State Parks. The goal is to engage students in meaningful learning about watershed science and conservation through outdoor field experiences and professional mentorship.

Western Wayne students applied their knowledge by creating an original educational experience for younger learners. They began by researching costs for transportation and supplies, identifying local agencies that could provide environmental programming, and crafting a detailed plan for the trip. The students collaborated with representatives from Lacawac Sanctuary, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the National Park Service, and the Wayne County Conservation District to develop engaging, standards-based ecology activities. They then proposed the idea to their principal and worked with school administrators to schedule the trip, which will take place later this month.

To fund the initiative, the students successfully applied for a mini grant from the Wayne County Community Foundation. Their proposal was approved by the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) and presented to the Foundation’s Board for final approval. The grant provides funding for transportation and program costs to make the field trip possible for all 4th grade students at Western Wayne Elementary.

During their presentation at the banquet, the Western Wayne team shared how their participation in field trips to Keystone College, Lackawanna State Park, the Old Forge borehole, Alliance Landfill, the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania American Water Treatment and Sewage Treatment Facilities, and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail shaped their understanding of watershed science. They explained how those experiences informed their vision for teaching younger students about local water ecosystems.

This year’s Community Connections to Our Watershed program included schools from across the region: Carbondale, Forest City, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, Riverside, Western Wayne, and Wayne Highlands in Lackawanna County; and Crestwood, Hanover, HAAS, HACC, Hazleton, Northwest, Tunkhannock, and Wyoming Area in Luzerne County.

The program is made possible with the support of Pennsylvania American Water Company, DCNR, and the DCNR Watershed Education Program.

To learn more and view highlights from the 2023–2024 program, visit: https://tinyurl.com/CCTW2025

From left:    Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D. advisor; Jerrah-Ann DeBree, Kyleigh Turner, Aliyah Gregory, Dakota Douglas, and Giuliana Velazquez.