Western Wayne senior percussionists Antonio Fisichella and Nicholas Fisichella placed second and third respectively at PMEA’s All-State Band event this past weekend of April 24.  It is a great accomplishment to place at All-State Band, which is very competitive.  The district congratulates these students and their director, Mrs. Elaine Ort.

Picture one, from left: Antonio Fisichella and Nicholas Fisichella.   Picture two, from left:  Nicholas Fisichella, Mrs. Elaine Ort, and Antonio Fisichella.

    Western Wayne seniors Khloe Mistishin and Paul Borowski recently represented Western Wayne at the annual Ann Marie Simons Scholar-Athlete Breakfast this spring.
    The annual Ann Marie Simons Scholar-Athlete Breakfast, hosted by the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association (LIAA) at Montdale Country Club, honors top senior student-athletes from a variety of districts for academic and athletic excellence. The event commemorates Ann Marie Simons, a former teacher and pioneering female athletic director at Wallenpaupack Area.
    From left: Khloe Mistishin and Paul Borowski.

The following students were recognized by the Student Council as students of the month for April. Their teachers and administrators weighed in on the decisions. All of the students chosen hold a high standard of academic and personal excellence. They are true examples of the P.R.I.D.E. standards for PBIS at our school.

First, is our selected freshman Allie Christopher. She is described as resilient and an overcomer by her teachers. She is thriving in high school especially with her writing. She is noted to be creative, imaginative, talented, and an advanced writer, who is resilient
determined, consistent, a hard worker, and an amazing artist. In addition, she sets high expectations for herself.

Next, Sadie Booths is our chosen sophomore this month. She is described as hard working, determined, kind, enthusiastic, friendly, smart, and dependable by her teachers. In addition, she broke a school record in Track and Field as a sophomore. She is also noted as being very caring about her academics and family and friends.

In addition, Patrick Donahoe is this month’s featured junior. He is noted to be hard-working, good-natured, hilarious, hard-working, full of school spirit, friendly, personable, smart, and having great manners. He is dependable and puts forth effort to do his best in all endeavors.

Finally, Audrey Agnello is our senior spotlight this month. Audrey is described as personable, intelligent, mature, and friendly. She is a high-achieving academic student who is also involved in sports. She thrives on building others up around her. Audrey is a true role model who is excited for her future in the field of nursing after graduation.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a Western Wayne student and athlete,” Audrey said. “I love helping others and can’t wait to pursue that goal more in my future career.”

The Western Wayne School District congratulates these April students of the month and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.

From left: Sadie Booths, Patrick Donahoe, Audrey Agnello, and Allie Christopher.

Members of Western Wayne High School Student Council attended the Pennsylvania Association of Student Council Region H’s Annual Conference on Friday, April 17, hosted by Wyoming Valley West. There were hundreds of middle and high school students from area schools in the region in attendance.

Mr. Mason Wooldridge gave a presentation.  Wooldridge encouraged students to remember that “things don’t happen to you; they happen for you” and encouraged them to take on challenges in life and know that everything is an opportunity for learning and growth.

In addition, Pennsylvania State Representative Mr. Alec Ryncavage, who represents the 119th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving parts of Luzerne County, also gave a presentation. He was a WVW graduate who spoke about feeling called to public service at a young age and the responsibility he holds for representing 65k residents and encouraged students to follow their calling.

Another part of the experience involved students attending three different workshops of their choice.  The workshops all focused on student leadership, teamwork, mental health, fundraising, and making connections with a fun twist. For example, they were able to make slime, friendship bracelets, and participate in breakout rooms.

Finally, there was a College/Vendor Fair that had 44 tables at the event.

Front row, from left:  Evan Davitt, Ava Fiorella, Layla Persaud, Leah Reeger, Raelyn Simpson, and Meghan Rath. Back row, from left:  Haley McGuire, Lillian Gilchrist, Olivia McGlone, Jailah McRae, Mackenzie Wehrmann, and Alexis Gill.

The following students were recognized by the Student Council as students of the month for March. Their teachers and administrators weighed in on the decisions.  All of the students chosen hold a high standard of academic and personal excellence. They are true examples of the P.R.I.D.E. standards for PBIS at our school. 

  First, is our selected freshman Xavier James.  He’s a hard worker who actively participates in class and is extremely polite and respectful. He always strives to push himself to be his best. He is described as respectful, polite, hardworking, and all-around great young man, strong athlete with a commitment to his academics, kind, gets along well with both classmates and teachers, and diligent.  It is also noted that he works hard to stay on top of his sports and classes.

Next, Leah Reeger is our chosen sophomore this month. She always participates during class, does her own work, and wants to learn.  She is described as polite, hardworking, dependable, a stand-out amongst her peers, helps others, kind, a role model, and has integrity.  In addition, it is noted that she is creative, insightful, dedicated, mature, hard-working, and courteous.

  In addition, Makenzie Chearney is this month’s featured junior.  She is noted as hard-working, completes all assignments on time, helps her peers, intelligent, friendly, determined and caring.

  Finally, Katarina Shumski is our senior spotlight this month. Katarina’s teachers say she quietly goes about her business and is impeccable with her organization, school work, and time management.  In addition, they note she is hard-working, dependable, considerate, reliable, and dependable because she is always on task.

The Western Wayne School District congratulates these March students of the month and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.

From left: Katarina Shumski, Leah Reeger, Makenzie Chearney, and Xavier James.

HERSHEY, PA — Students from Western Wayne High School’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter demonstrated outstanding achievement, leadership, and professionalism at the Pennsylvania FBLA State Leadership Conference held this week in Hershey.

Throughout the multi-day conference, students participated in a wide range of enriching experiences designed to build career readiness and leadership skills. Attendees engaged in competitive events, attended dynamic leadership workshops, explored career pathways at the expo, and collaborated with peers from across the state. These sessions provided students with opportunities to strengthen their communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, hallmarks of FBLA’s mission to prepare students for success in business and beyond.

Western Wayne proudly celebrates Grady Farley, who earned an impressive 4th-place finish in the event of Agribusiness, qualifying him for the FBLA National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas, in June. This exceptional accomplishment reflects his dedication and expertise.

The chapter also congratulates Kaelyn Chearney for her 10th-place finish in Introduction to FBLA, showcasing her strong foundational knowledge and competitive spirit.

In the Business Ethics event, the team of Khloe Mistishin, Maggie Kotchessa, and Grace Moser advanced to the final round, demonstrating excellence in ethical reasoning, teamwork, and presentation skills at a highly competitive level.

Western Wayne FBLA members competed across a wide range of events, including:

• Abigail Bell – Member at Large/Voting Delegate
• Eli Bilski – Human Resource Management
• Paul Borowski – Banking and Financial Systems
• Julia Burry – Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure
• Robert Carrelle – Banking and Financial Systems
• Kaelyn Chearney – Introduction to FBLA
• Makenzie Chearney – Journalism
• Roxanne Dugan – Healthcare Administration
• Paityn Duprey – Business Communication
• Grady Farley – Agribusiness
• Madison Forgione – Future Business Educator
• Raegan Fox – Member at Large/Voting Delegate
• Lillian Gilchrist – Introduction to Supply Chain Management
• Charlianne Hachikian – Business Law
• Justin Jimenez – Real Estate
• Madison Kizer – Advertising
• Kaitlyn Kloss – Introduction to FBLA
• Maggie Kotchessa – Business Ethics
• Raeleigh Kromko- Computer Applications
• Kelsey Lokuta – Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure
• Aiden Matthews – Banking and Financial Systems
• Kyle Matthews – Introduction to Information Technology
• Madelyn McClure – Organizational Leadership
• Khloe Mistishin – Business Ethics
• Grace Moser – Business Ethics
• Madison Trapanese – Hospitality and Event Management
• Graysen Valinski – Networking Infrastructure
• Avery Vinton – Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure
• Bryn Vinton – Business Communication
• Madelyn Vinton – Computer Applications
• Annie Williams – Job Interview

In addition to competitive success, several students were recognized for their leadership contributions at the regional level. Madelyn McClure was honored for her service as the 2025–2026 Region 22 Treasurer and was officially welcomed into her new role as the 2026–2027 Region 22 President, a testament to her leadership and commitment to FBLA.

The chapter also recognizes Raegan Fox and Abigail Bell, who served as Members-at-Large and voting delegates, representing Western Wayne in important conference decisions and leadership proceedings.

The State Leadership Conference is an incredible opportunity for our students to grow as leaders, connect with peers, and apply their skills in real-world scenarios. As their adviser, I am extremely proud of their hard work, accomplishments, and the way they represented Western Wayne. Students were also accompanied by Mrs. Megan Rush and Mr. Tim McClure, who are themselves WW FBLA Alumni.

The Western Wayne FBLA chapter looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellence and wishes Grady Farley the best of luck as he prepares to compete on the national stage this summer.

Picture one, front row, from left: Lillian Gilchrist, Madison Kizer, Kaelyn Chearney, Madison Trapanese, Khloe Mistishin, Grace Moser, and Maggie Kotchessa.  Second row, from left: Madison Forgione, Madelyn McClure, Makenzie Chearney, Bryn Vinton, Annie Williams, Paityn Duprey, Madelyn Vinton, Julia Burry, Kaitlyn Kloss, and Avery Vinton.  Third row, from left: Raegan Fox, Grady Farley, Abigail Bell, Eli Bilski, Kyle Matthews, Paul Borowski, Graysen Valinski, Robbie Carrelle, and Aiden Matthews.

Picture two, from left:  Kaelyn Chearney, 10th-place finish in Introduction to FBLA; and Grady Farley, 4th-place finish in the event of Agribusiness.