Wildcat Football Notification

The Western Wayne High School administration was informed today of multiple positive cases of COVID-19 throughout the school district resulting in the quarantine of several students including multiple varsity football players. As a result, Western Wayne is canceling the varsity football game at Moore Catholic which was scheduled for 2 PM on Saturday, September 11^th 2021. Concerns regarding the health and safety of our students will continue to be our top priority.

Western Wayne Class of 2022 Hosts Senior Sunrise

Members of the class of 2022 gathered on the football field on the first day of school to reminisce while the sun rose on the start of their senior year.
Seniors Rachel Tuman and Alexandria Bien-Aime worked to plan the event with senior class advisors Maria Masankay and Kasey Gribble.
Rachel and Alexandria first were inspired by videos they saw of events of this nature on TikTok. The girls then did some further research and reached out to their advisors to see if this could be an event their entire class could enjoy.
“The idea of the event is to symbolize a good start to the school year with us all together at the start of the first day,” Rachel, who is interested in studying pre-law, explained. “Our class as a whole has always been very close our entire lives. It was so great to be there on the football field seeing groups of friends gathered in circles. It is such a fitting start to our senior year.”
The students were invited to gather on the football field for the event, and then were welcome to enjoy a breakfast at the school before beginning their first day of classes. About sixty students were in attendance.
Alexandria explained how she took time especially to reflect on her friendship with Rachel at the Senior Sunrise.
“We even recreated an old picture that we have from our elementary school days,” Alexandria, who has been friends with Rachel since the girls were four, explained. “We reminisced about when our friendship first began. It feels like time has gone by like a breeze.”
Throughout their high school years the girls have worked to plan a variety of events for their classmates through student council and other school groups.
Alexandria likes to do graphic design and has designed a variety of shirts for events over the years. A memorable shirt that she liked was the one she designed for the freshman class to wear to the school’s annual spirit games. She explained that it had Kermit the Frog on it.
In more recent years, the girls worked on the prom committee to plan last year’s outdoor prom with an Under the Stars theme. It was a challenge with COVID, but the girls wanted to do what they could to help their class have some traditional events with proper safety protocols.
Rachel and Alexandria also fondly remember decorating the halls for their sophomore spirit week. They planned an Egyptian theme that year. Even though they did not get to have the games due to COVID that year, they are still glad for the memories they have of working together with their classmates as a team to decorate.
“I think our class has a very strong bond,” Alexandria, who aspires to be an Orthopedic surgeon, said. “After our Senior Sunrise event, fellow Western Wayne alumni sent us messages commenting on how close our class is and wishing us the best in our senior year.”
Both Rachel and Alexandria plan to run for office in student council this year. Alexandria is a member of the soccer team, cheerleading for football and basketball, student government, track, and National Honor Society. Rachel is the first seat on the school’s tennis team. In addition, she is National Honor Society president along with being in basketball cheerleading. In the past, she has been on the softball team, FBLA, and Mock Trial. Both Alexandria and Rachel also were writers for the school’s newspaper Planet Wildcat and the school’s literary magazine.

Of course, Alexandria also designed the t-shirt for the Senior Sunrise event. She worked with her class to choose a quote for the back of the shirt from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The money raised from the purchase of their Senior Sunrise shirt will go towards funding other events for the students throughout the year.
“The whole Sunrise Event and the theme of our senior year is about living in the moment and taking advantage of special times in high school while we experience them,” Alexandria explained.
The girls hope to plan a Senior Sundown event at the end of the year for their class to symbolically celebrate the end of their time together at Western Wayne. In the meantime, the class of 2022 plans to enjoy each moment of their much-anticipated senior year.

Picture One: Western Wayne seniors gather on the football field for the Senior Sunrise event on the morning of Monday, Aug. 30.

Picture Two: From left, Alexandria Bien-Aime and Rachel Tuman present the t-shirt that Alexandria designed for the Senior Sunrise event that the girls worked to coordinate.

Western Wayne Celebrates Start of School Year

The Western Wayne School District welcomed back all faculty and staff on Wednesday, Aug. 25. The Wildcat school community started off the year with a celebratory meeting at the football stadium. The high school cheerleaders entertained the crowd. In addition, the high school marching band did a preview performance of their field show “A Full Course Meal” featuring the songs “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “The Chicken Dance” to name a few. Administration then welcomed back all faculty and staff after the performance for their in-service days.

The Western Wayne School District later opened for students in all grades on Monday, Aug. 30. Everyone is looking forward to a great new school year and is committed to showing their Wildcat Pride on a daily basis.

In photo: The Western Wayne Wayne High School Marching Band takes the field to preview their field show at a recent welcome back event for faculty and staff.

National Substitute Appreciation Week

National Substitute Appreciation Week is September 6-10. Western Wayne is grateful for our substitute and guest teachers. Thank you for stepping in to work with students when we need you the most!

If you are interested in joining the Western Wayne team, contact the District Office at 1-800-321-9973 Option 5.

Senior Sunrise – Class of 2022

Slip-N-Slide Kickball

KICKBALL FLYER

Created: 19 - 07 - 2021

Preview

Hosted by: Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission & Wallenpaupack Church
WHEN
July 30, 2021 3pm – 6pm
WHERE
Wallenpaupack Church
1237 Purdytown Turnpike Lakeville, PA 18436

Nutritious free meals are available for children.

Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens, 18 and younger, at many locations across the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session.

To find the nearest location:

Call 1-866-3HUNGRY or 1-877-8Hambre

Text: “MEALSPA” TO 877877

Or Click on the following link: http://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks

Western Wayne Class of 2021 Valedictorian and Salutatorian

Valedictorian, Leonard Maiocco III

Lenny’s hometown is Lake Ariel, PA. His parents are Christa and Len Maiocco. His activities in school are FBLA, NHS, Student Council, Spanish Club, Youth Advisory Committee, and tennis. In addition, he was named one of the Scranton Times Superstar Scholars. In FBLA, he was the State Parliamentarian for the 2020-2021 school year. In addition, he placed 1st at States in FBLA for Parliamentary Procedure, and in tennis he has won the District 2 Class 2A Boys Single Championships three years in a row and placed 3rd as a sophomore at States and 4th as a senior. His plans for the future are to attend the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Salutatorian, Celeste Orchard

Celeste’s hometown is Lake Ariel, PA. Her parents are Jeffrey and Magdalena Orchard. Her activities in school are National Honor Society, dual-enrollment, and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today. Her freshman year, she participated in girl’s JV soccer and art club. Also, she was a member of the Varsity Track team her freshman through junior years. In addition, she participated in Student Council and SAAD for her freshman through junior years. She also is a student ambassador for Western Wayne. In addition, she won second runner up in the American Chemical Society’s exam for first year high school chemistry. In her junior year in FBLA, she placed third in the Accounting I event. For her future plans, Celeste committed to Marywood University to study Pre-Professional Biology. She also completed her first year of college via dual enrollment from Penn State Scranton and Lackawanna College. In addition, she was named one of the Scranton Times Superstar Scholars. She maintained her class rank although she took on college coursework and completed her college courses with A’s. She took courses during winter break and intends to continue with a summer course. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue graduate school to become an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Western Wayne High School Hosts Graduation for Class of 2021

True to the everchanging unique time the 2020-2021 school year was tonight’s graduation had a surprise rain shower as students processed onto the field in their caps and gowns. Many say that rain is a sign of good luck or a blessing when it falls on an important day, and this graduation day for a class that had their senior year during a global pandemic was truly blessed with the love of all of the families of the graduates in attendance who cheered them on through rain and shine from the stands. Students each had a limited amount of tickets to give to family members for tonight’s event to lessen the crowd.

Senior Madison McGlone, president of the Class of 2021, gave the Welcome Address.

“Once a Wildcat always a Wildcat,” she told her fellow classmates about how she knows they will always feel welcome back at the district in the future when they stop for a visit.

McGlone then presented the Class Mantle to Morgan Coccodrilli, junior class president.

Senior Celeste Orchard was then named salutatorian with a GPA of 101. Celeste gave a speech on the importance of words.“Words have power over us,” she said. “Seldom do people celebrate themselves and it is important to celebrate our own value. I have nothing but pride for myself and for my class.”

Next senior Leonard Maiocco III was announced as valedictorian with a GPA of 101.5.

“It is an honor and a privilege to give the final farewell to the class of 2021,” Maiocco said.

He discussed the unique school year had by all. “We have faced challenges that no other class has ever had to face,” Lenny continued. “We persisted and we are here tonight with our family members in the stands.”

Middle School Hosts Holocaust

Pictured are Western Wayne students watching Holocaust survivor Peter Stern’s presentation. Students watched the presentation via Google Meet in their respective classrooms on the morning of June 4.

A story of survival through perseverance, faith, and luck was told to Western Wayne Middle School students by Holocaust survivor Peter Stern.

This presentation was made possible through the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center. Western Wayne Middle School sought out this experience for their students as part of their PBIS program. The PBIS initiative involves successfully creating a proactive positive school environment in which students are demonstrating their Wildcat PRIDE daily. 

PBIS is an ongoing effort of the Western Wayne School District to guide students in behaving and interacting with others in such a way as to promote an effective learning community. One fitting way the students learned about building a strong community year was through Stern’s virtual presentation on the morning of June 4th.

All Western Wayne Middle School students and their teachers were able to experience Stern’s presentation via Google Meet.

Stern spoke for 45 minutes about his experiences in various concentration camps for about four years. He then held a question and answer session with the students and asked them all a concluding question. Stern’s full biography can be found through the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center at https://hamec.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Peter_Stern_Survivor_Biography_Handout_Map.pdf

Through his story, Stern, who was born in Nuremberg, Germany in March 1936, explained that he was fortunate enough to stay with his mother, father, and brother for most of his time in captivity until his father’s death after which he remained with his mother and brother.

Stern explained how during their time in captivity his father saved the life of a German officer, and that that event led to them being sent to a much more secure camp.

“Survival is a lot of luck,” Stern noted.

Stern and his family were liberated on April 15, 1945.

“I consider that date my second birthday,” Stern told his very captive audience via the internet.

Eventually in 1947, Stern and his family immigrated to the United States, but he was split up from his mother and brother due to financial constraints. He moved to Georgia with relatives, while his brother moved to New York with other relatives, and his mother went to work as a live-in maid to earn money for her family.

Stern told the students how he struggled greatly with learning English once coming to America. However, Stern eventually chose to become a middle school teacher, and he dedicated his life to educating students for 30 years. He explained that his brother also went on to be an educator at the college level as a professor.

Through the presentations that Stern makes to many student groups across the country he continues to educate the youth of America about the importance of respecting and appreciating others no matter their race, religious preference, appearance, etc.

Stern asked the students at the end of the presentation, “Why is it that people like myself, survivors, come and talk to you? What do we want from you?”

The students were eager to share their responses with Stern and offered many ideas about how it is to keep history alive, inspire others to never give up, make students more open to share their stories, inspire students to not repeat the mistakes made by others in history, etc.

After patiently and actively listening to all of the ideas shared by Western Wayne students and staff, Stern said, “ This is truly one of the better responses I have gotten.”

Stern explained how he wants students to be people who affect change in the world.

“I want you to be active, not passive,” Stern said.

Stern quoted a number of famous people who have spoken on the subject of what happens in history when individuals stand by and do nothing. One being Mark Twain who said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

After this truly exceptional experience of listening to Stern’s first-hand account of survival, the Western Wayne Middle School community is much better prepared to affect the type of change that Stern challenged them all to do in their daily lives.

Eighth grader Allyson Irvine reflected on how moved she was by Stern’s presentation.

“The presentation made me realize that the people living through the Holocaust were strong. This was a very difficult time and these people had to be very positive even in the worst times. It must have been very difficult at a young age not knowing what was happening and being separated from your parents,” Ally noted.” “ This presentation showed how truly brave the people who survived the Holocaust were. Not only because they went through it, but because they went through it and witnessed all of that and still managed to function a normal life AND continue to tell their story. The presentation was very moving and definitely taught many students about the Holocaust and even the ability we have as humans to touch others in ways that are unimaginable.”