Elementary Students Enjoy Homecoming Festivities

Members of the Western Wayne Marching Band, Homecoming Court, some varsity athletes, and beloved school mascot Westie visited both EverGreen Elementary and RDW Elementary  on Oct. 3 to perform songs, do meet and greets, and invite the students and their families to the Homecoming Game and ceremony on Friday, October 6, starting at 6:30 p.m.  A fun time was had by students of all ages during the elementary school visits!

Picture Two, from left: Amelia Kosciuk, Avery Orloski, and Ariana Marsan.

Picture Three , from left, the 2023 Homecoming Court:  Carter Mistishin, Brooke Kellogg, Frankie Leyshon, Lexi DeSiato, Rhayni Carroll, Allie Pauler, Vinny Tomasetti, Taylor Maiocco, and Ethan Grodack (absent from photo Gunnar Minor).

Western Wayne Invites Community to Homecoming 

The Western Wayne School District invites the community to attend its annual homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6th. The Western Wayne Homecoming Game against Mid Valley will begin at 7 p.m. with the presentation of the Homecoming Court about a half hour before kick-off. Western Wayne High School’s senior class nominated this year’s Homecoming Court and the whole student body is eagerly awaiting Homecoming Night to see who wins the title of Homecoming King and Queen!
This year’s court is composed of Rhayni Carroll, Lexi DeSiato, Brooke Kellogg, Taylor Maiocco, Allie Pauler, Ethan Grodack, Frankie Leyshon, Gunnar Minor, Carter Mistishin, and Vinny Tomasetti.
All of our senior court members have been highly involved during their time at Western Wayne in a variety of clubs, sports, and other activities.
Senior Brooke Kellogg has been on Varsity Soccer for four years, Varsity Basketball for four years; track and field for one year; National Honor Society for three years and served as treasurer, and Student Council for three years and served as Student Body President. In addition, she has done 4-H for nine years and served as treasurer for the 4-H Club along with being a member of CATS Club for three years, and Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science for two years. Brooke plans to attend college to pursue a degree as a large animal vet tech.
She will always cherish her memories at Western Wayne, especially her time in sports. “ My favorite school memory was in 7th grade at track practice when I jumped over a hurdle,” Brooke said, recalling how fellow Homecoming Court member Lexi DeSiato thought it was hysterical.
Fellow senior Taylor Maiocco will also cherish the memories she made in school, especially her time participating in sports. Taylor has been a member of Varsity Volleyball for four years; Varsity Softball for two years; National Honor Society for three years and served as president; Student Council for four years and served as treasurer, vice president, and president; and FBLA for four years where she was a national qualifier. In addition, she serves as Student Ambassador along with being a member of the Prom Committee, Yearbook Committee, Scholastic Team, and PBIS. She also participated in the Advanced Medicine and Healthcare program at Johns Hopkins University. Upon graduation, Taylor plans to further her education to become a nurse anesthetist.
Taylor remembers having many fun times in her sporting activities. “My favorite member is when When Mr. Butler was trying to throw a ball to Rhayni but ended up hitting me directly in the forehead,” she said.
Fellow Homecoming Court member Rhayni Carroll agrees that this is a moment both of the girls will never forget. Rhayni has been involved in many of the same activities as Taylor. She has been involved in Soccer for four years and serves as a Captain; Softball for four years; FBLA for four years with 3 years as a national qualifier; three years as vice president of National Honor Society; and she is Junior Class Secretary and Senior Class Vice President. In addition, she has been involved as Student Ambassador for two years; PBIS for three years; along with serving on the Youth Advisory Committee; Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, and the Scholastic Team. Rhayni plans to further her education at a four- year university in health sciences and eventually become an optometrist. Her favorite memory is with her friend fellow Homecoming Court member Taylor Maiocco in her statistics class.
Senior Allie Pauler also plans to further her education upon graduation in a science field. She has been a member of Volleyball, Basketball, and Track & Field for four years; FBLA for four years; and National Honor Society for three years. In addition, she has worked as a member of PBIS and the Coaches Alliance Program. She plans to pursue a degree in psychology at a four year college. She fondly remembers her time in FBLA, especially going to Hershey with her friends in that organization.
Next, another highly involved student athlete is Lexi DeSiato. Lexi has been a member of Varsity Wrestling for four years with one year as Captain; Varsity Soccer for three years; and Track & Field for three years. In addition, she was on the National Honor Society for two years and served on the Prom Committee and was a Co-Organizer of 2023 Powder Puff. For her future plans, Lexi plans to further her academics and athletics at a collegiate level. She will always remember her time in Western Wayne sports especially when she wrestled her way through every soccer game.
The five gentlemen on this year’s Homecoming Court also have been involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities and sports.
Senior Vincent Tomasetti is a member of Varsity Wrestling for four years and a three-year National Honor Society member. Upon graduation, he plans to attend Johnson College and expand his knowledge in HVAC and electrical. His favorite senior memory was competing in the regional wrestling tournament as a freshman.
Fellow senior Carter Mistishin also wants to study HVAC and electrical upon graduation at Johnson College. Carter is a member of Varsity Football for three years; National Honor Society for three years; Varsity Wrestling for two years; and FBLA for two years. He most enjoyed his time playing football at Western Wayne.
Senior football player Frankie Leyshon is also a part of this year’s Homecoming Court. He is a four-year Varsity Football team member along with being a Captain; Varsity Basketball for three years; Varsity Baseball for three years; and he earned an honorable mention for quarterback in All-League All Stars. In addition, he is a first honors student and a member of FCS. Upon graduation, Frankie plans to attend a four-year college and hopefully play football. He will always remember the fun memories he made with his coaches and teammates on and off the field.
Another fellow football player on the court is Ethan Grodack. Ethan is a four year Varsity Baseball player; Varsity Football for three years; National Honor Society for three years; and Student Council for one year. In addition, he is a volunteer with the Varden Conservation Area. Ethan plans to pursue a dual major in history and secondary education and play baseball at Wilkes University.
“My favorite high school memory is playing football under the lights with the whole town supporting the team,” Ethan said.
Our final member of the court is senior Gunnar Minor. Gunnar spends his time after school hours working hard to earn money. His future plans include going into the workforce or going to a trade school for welding.
Gunnar and all of the members of the Homecoming Court look forward to bonding with each other and making memories during Homecoming at Friday’s game. The court along with the rest of the Western Wayne community invite the public to join them on Friday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. for the Homecoming festivities followed by the game.

Public Invited to WW Cavalcade of Bands Wednesday, Sept. 27

 Pictured are Lia Hartman, junior, drum major; and Caden Wilson, senior, drum major, leading the band on the field at a home football game earlier in September, along with the Western Wayne Marching Band and Color Guard entering the field behind them for their performance.

The Western Wayne School District will host a cavalcade of bands on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 27,  at our football stadium.  A total of eight schools will participate including: Abington Heights, GNA, Carbondale Area, Delaware Valley, North Pocono, North-West Area, Honesdale, and, of course, Western Wayne will close out the show.  

“It is exciting to perform for a home cavalcade crowd,” senior, drum major Caden Wilson said.  “I hope everyone comes out to enjoy our show!”

  The public may start arriving at the stadium as early as 5:45 p.m.  Abington Heights will be the first school to perform starting at  6:30 p.m. with the National Anthem being played shortly beforehand. 

Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children under 12 and senior citizens, a portion of this cost will be donated to a local charity.

In addition, concessions will be sold with all proceeds benefiting Western Wayne band and color guard students.  

Western Wayne’s field show this season is a Spy-Themed Show with the selections of “Men in Black,” “Soul Bossa Nova,” “Skyfall,” and “Mission Impossible,”  Come out and enjoy the hard work of all of the local school bands participating in this event.  

Girls on the Run program is now ‘up and running’ on our campus!

Western Wayne Middle School is excited to announce that the popular national Girls on the Run program is now ‘up and running’ on our campus!
Girls on the Run is a non Profit organization which offers a running based after school program to Elementary and Middle School students. The 6th to 8th grade program is called Heart and Sole. Each week our students play team building games, followed by a strength workout AND a running workout…phew!
Our Fall season is underway, and there will be a Spring season too…both lasting 10 weeks. At the end of each season, students will take part in a celebratory, non-competitive 5k with hundreds of other GOTR members. Girls on the Run has awarded Western Wayne 15 full scholarships, so there is no charge for our students.
The program is coached by Rachel Fitzmorris, who is a Paraprofessional at the MS and by Rachel Dennis, MS secretary. They are assisted by Amanda Steinmetz from our District Office and parent coach Bernadette Metschalut. Mrs Fitzmorris said “This program offers students who may not be in organized sports a chance to participate and discover the joy of movement. It also helps them build connections and self confidence.”
Mrs Jennifer Bradley, Principal, said “I am very excited about the opportunities that the Girls on the Run will provide for our Middle School students. GOTR empowers Middle School girls to lace up their sneakers, chase their dreams, and build resilience, proving that the journey to self -confidence and success begins every step they take together😊”
Any parents or staff interested in volunteering with Girls on the Run, or helping as ‘Running Buddies’ for our students in the 5k on November 18th are invited to email rfitzmorris@westernwayne.org

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!! – GUIDING GOOD CHOICES

5th and 6th grade parents – Attend this FREE program to help your youth navigate the pressures
and expectations of life during their teen years to succeed and achieve a brighter future

Five sessions will be held on Tuesdays,
October 3– November 7, 2023, from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
(No program on October 31.)

Parents and caregivers can enhance their parenting skills by learning how to:
➢Promote health and well-being during the teen years.
➢Develop healthy beliefs and clear standards for behavior.
➢Deal with anger in a positive way and manage family
conflict to strengthen bonds with youth.
➢Protect their children from substance abuse and other
problematic behaviors.
➢Strengthen family bonds and increase youth’s involvement in
the family through the teen years.
Youth attend session 4 with parents and caregivers and will learn skills they
can use to avoid peer pressure.
The program is open to all parents and caregivers and their 5th and 6th grade
children in the Western Wayne and Lake Ariel community. It includes a FREE dinner
for the entire family and childcare for younger family members

For more information or to register, contact by September 25: E-mail: prosper@westernwayne.org;
Call: (570)878-2385; Or return registration form below to your principal.

Drama Club Students Attend Hamlin Open Mic Poetry Night

From left, standing:  Dr. Pat Engle, Lynn Scramuzza, Hamlin Community Library director; Jason Vass, Drama Club freshman member; Joseph Regalbuto, Drama Club, treasurer; Robert Scramuzza, Drama Club vice president; Kaori Koike, and Tomoo Koike, missionaries from Japan. From left, kneeling:  Lillian Maros, Drama Club historian; and McKenzie Kennedy, Drama Club stage manager.

Changing seasons in life, the outdoors, leaving stress behind, and the act of writing itself were some of the many topics Western Wayne Drama Club students wrote about at the Hamlin Community Library’s Haiku Poetry Night on Tuesday, Sept. 19.  The night was open to the public and hosted by Lynn Scramuzza, library director.  The group was led in the art of writing Haiku by Dr. Pat Engle, a college professor of 18 years.

Engle explained that Haiku dates back to the 12th century with the actual name of Haiku poetry being coined in the 19th century.  This art of writing poetry with a prescription for the number of syllables in each line can be linked to a tradition called Renga. Renga is an exercise when a party guest gets the first few lines of a poem and then adds on to it as they see fit to create a story.

“Haiku usually involves discussing nature,” Engle said.  “It is about marking a moment that is important to you.”

One student in attendance, Lillian Maros, Drama Club historian, shared a poem with a nature theme, “trees wave in the wind/ mountains stand unwavering /emotions can’t choose.” 

All of the  guests discussed many memorable moments in their lives.  Also in attendance along with the Western Wayne students were community members Tomoo and Kaori Koike, who are from Japan and in the local area doing missionary work.  They both said they learned a lot from poetry night.

Kaori even gave everyone an origami swan she made as a token of appreciation.  It was the perfect way to end a night where everyone was immersed in Japanese culture.

The library plans to have a variety of events open to the public in the coming months and especially hopes that Western Wayne students will join in the fun!

FBLA Participates in National Leadership Conference

Eight members of Western Wayne High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter (FBLA) were among the 13,000 members and advisers who traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, for the organization’s annual National Leadership Conference.  The students were accompanied by their local adviser, Theresa Lubash, and former adviser, Fran Vitovsky.

         During the Awards of Excellence program, the students captured two important awards:  The team of Adrian Agnello and Weston Nugent placed fifth nationally in Business Ethics.  Also placing fifth were the members of the Parliamentary Procedure team comprised of Alex Chapman, Rhayni Carroll, Taylor Maiocco, and Emily Romanowski.

         Khloe Mistishin competed in Introduction to FBLA and Maddie Vinton competed in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure.

         While in Atlanta, the students had the opportunity to see some of the sights including the College Football Hall of Fame, the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the Mercedes-Benz Football Stadium, and an evening at the Atlanta Braves baseball game.

         Besides competing, a variety of workshops were offered to develop the students’ leadership qualities. 

Western Wayne to Host Annual Car Show Saturday, Sept. 9 

The Western Wayne Hot Rod Club and Drama Club will host their 2023 Car Show on Saturday, September 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the high school parking lot, 1970A Easton Turnpike, Lake Ariel, PA, near the football stadium. Food to be sold at the concession stand. Registration fee is $10. Spectators are free.   The Hot Rod Club will give prizes for best car, truck, tractor, motorcycle, and best in show.   New category for juding this year is vintage snowmobiles!

In addition, the Drama group will sell a variety of concessions.  There will also be a raffle of baskets and gift certificates generously donated by businesses and families in the local community. 

Drama Club president Nate Conway is excited to partner with the Hot Rod Club for the fourth time for the Car Show. He explained how the Drama Club students will be dressed in 50s attire for the event.

“We wanted our presence at the event to go along with the variety of cars from the past that surely will be there,” Nate said.  “We hope that the public comes out to enjoy the cars and to have some good food and purchase some chances to win baskets and gift certificates.” 

Members of the Drama Parents Club are working to gather  a variety of items for the raffle at the Car Show from many very generous businesses and families in our Wildcat community.  The students involved in the Hot Rod Club and Drama Club can use the funds raised from this event for their club activities. 

The Hot Rod Club meets on a regular basis to work on a variety of automotive projects after school and can use the funds for their projects among other activities. 

The Drama Club meets on a regular basis after school to work on a variety of projects and activities.  

“Drama Club gives students a place where they can express themselves,” senior member Robert Scramuzza, club co-vice president,  explained.  “We are like one big family in our club and really enjoy coming together to work as a team on events such as the Car Show.” 

All of the members of the Hot Rod Club, Drama Club, and Drama Parents Club cordially invite the public to attend this fun-filled event on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the High School parking lot near the stadium.  Come out and see some great vehicles, take some chances on our basket raffle, enjoy some food, and enjoy some time socializing.  Rain date is Sunday, September 10.

MaiaLearning – New for 9th -12th Grade Students

MaiaLearning is a college and career readiness platform that engages students in planning your future. It lets you develop profiles, explore careers that fit those profiles, and build academic, college, and career plans. It helps you manage college applications, and build portfolios.

Students will use their Google Sign-in to get into the program. They will be able to link their Common App accounts to get transcripts, teacher and counselor recommendations, and build data.

Log in at www.maialearning.com

Watch this brief video for more information on MaiaLearning.