Middle School Honors Retirees on Last Day

Retiree Cynthia Bianchi and long-time co-worker and friend Todd Pauler.

The Western Wayne Middle School started a new tradition on the last day of school which was Friday, June 18, this year. It is called the 8th Grade Final Walk. As a final activity before leaving the building to move on to the high school, 8th grade students took a walk through the hallways appropriately led by two of their teachers that have led them through their middle school years Cynthia Bianchi and Sharon Giombetti, who are retiring.
Bianchi and Giombetti led the procession through the hallways of the middle school and received flowers from 6th and 7th grade students along the way. The two ended up with beautiful bouquets at the end along with many well wishes from students, faculty, and staff who lined the hallways and met them outside of the building to celebrate.
Giombetti has been a gym and health teacher at Western Wayne for 18 years. She is a high school graduate from Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre.
“I felt honored to be given such a send off,” Giombetti said. “It was such a surprise.”
Fellow retiree Bianchi agreed.
“This was wonderful,” she said. “I was totally blown away by the love of the faculty and students.”
Bianchi has been a sixth grade teacher for 34 years. She taught math every year with some other subjects on occasion throughout her time in the district. Bianchi notes that she also was a Western Wayne student who began her time at the school in Head Start which means she spent 14 years as a student at the district before eventually beginning her teaching career. In total as both student and teacher, she has spent 48 years at Western Wayne.
Western Wayne faculty, administration, staff, and students wish Bianchi and Giombetti the best in the future.

Western Wayne Education Association Receives Donation from The Honesdale National Bank

The Honesdale National Bank presented the Western Wayne Education Association with a check for 1,600 this past spring. The money is given through EITC, Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. The money then funds enrichment at the district for needs of students outside of the traditional curriculum such as field trips, equipment, etc. Most recently the money was used to fund a ninth grade science camp field trip and a photography project done by high school students. The Western Wayne School District is extremely grateful for the generosity of HNB. From left: Tim McClure, high school social studies teacher; Robert Ferraro, a branch manager from HNB; Maria Masankay, high school science teacher; and Paul Gregorski, high school principal.

Middle School Holds Annual 8th Grade Moving-Up Ceremony

From left: Lia Hartman, winner of The Daughters of the American Revolution Award, and David Elias, winner of the American Legion Award.

“You have conquered so much this year,” Lillian Maros, Western Wayne’s 8th grade student council president, told all in attendance at the annual 8th Grade Moving-Up Ceremony.

In her speech, Lillian addressed the many challenges that students, teachers, and their families faced in school both last year and this year due to COVID-19. She expressed her gratitude for all she and the other students were able to do this year both academically and in extracurricular activities.

Of course the culminating activity of 8th grade year has always been the annual Moving-Up Ceremony which serves as a final milestone for our middle school students. The event looked a bit different this year being held at the football stadium instead of the middle school gym, but it was just as meaningful, if not more, to all of those in attendance.

All 8^th grade students received awards in various categories for excellence or improvement in all academic and unified arts classes. In addition, students received awards for good citizenship, excellent work habits, and for a variety of high academic achievements such as making the honor roll for 11 quarters in middle school from 6^th through 8^th grade. After all of the students received their initial awards, the class of 2025 stood up, and the entire stadium filled with their family and friends gave them a standing ovation.

It is also a Western Wayne Middle School tradition for many years that two outstanding students, one male and one female, are recognized for their patriotism and leadership among other qualities. The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the local American Legion present these awards.

The Daughters of the American Revolution Award was presented to 8^th grader Lia Hartman.

Lia received the good citizenship medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution for being an outstanding student in the 8^th grade class who exhibits the qualities of honor and honesty, service, courage, leadership, and patriotism.

George Schaffer presented the American Legion Award to 8^th grader David Elias.

David received this annual award for being an outstanding student in the 8^th grade class who exhibits the qualities of honor, scholarship, Americanism, leadership, and courage.

Both Lia and David felt extremely honored to receive their respective awards. They also both, at first, felt shocked to learn the Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Legion had chosen them for these high honors.

David is a hard-working young man who believes that a strong work ethic is the key to success. He is most looking forward to his introduction to business class in his freshman year.

“I was really intrigued by the course description,” David said. “I look forward to taking it on as a challenge of something new next year.”

Lia agrees that the new variety of classes she will take in high school is what she looks forward to the most.

“I’m so excited for new experiences,” Lia explained. “I can’t wait to start working with the Western Wayne High School Marching Band this summer where I will play the flute.”

As a new tradition this year, students and their families made poster boards of pictures of favorite memories of their students. In the past a slideshow had been done, but since the ceremony was held outside it seemed fitting to add the personal touch of posters hung on the fences that line the stadium.

Western Wayne faculty, administration, and staff wish the class of 2025 the best on their new journey to the high school.

Congratulations Class of 2021!

Western Wayne Marches in Flag Day Parade

The Western Wayne Marching Band waits in their parade block before stepping off for the Pride & Patriotism Parade

For the first time in over a year the Western Wayne Marching Band was able to participate in a parade performance. The band marched in the annual Waymart Pride & Patriotism Parade on Saturday, June 12.
The group was met with much applause from a very supportive community who missed seeing a lot of the pride of Western Wayne this year due to COVID-19.
The students were thrilled to be out playing for the public again.
“It was an awesome way to end my senior year as a drum major,” Rhonda Fenkner, who will attend Marywood University in the fall, said. “When I was first announced to be one of the drum majors at our live meet band banquet [on the internet] last spring, I had no idea what our performance season would actually look like. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunities I had this year to perform for a live audience safely. This final parade was an excellent experience I wasn’t sure I would even be able to have.”

Middle School Hosts Annual Student vs. Faculty Basketball Game

Madison Stiffler prepares to pass to classmate Sean Owens

Cheers filled the Western Wayne Middle School Gym as the 8th grade class cheered on their classmates and teachers in the annual Student vs. Faculty Basketball Game on the afternoon of Thursday, May 27.

The students felt thrilled to get to participate in this school tradition for 8th graders and their teachers that they were unable to have last year due to COVID-19.

Eighth graders Aliya Fiorella and Raegan Palmer planned the event with the permission and assistance of the principal and staff. Both girls play on Western Wayne’s Girls Basketball Team.

“It was a really cool experience to see our teachers out of the classroom and in a different element, not being so serious,” Raegan said.

The entire 8th grade class had fun and were glad to be a part of an annual school event in such a uniquely challenging school year.

“I was really glad to be able to plan something my classmates and teachers could enjoy,” Aliya said.

Picture One: From left, the Western Wayne student team for the annual Student vs. Faculty game, standing: Adam Bartholomew, Sean Owens, David Elias, Ethan Lamberton, Hayden Mundrake, Tony Donnini, and Evan Ronchi. From left, kneeling: Raegan Palmer, Grace Langendoerfer, Madison Stiffler, and Aliya Fiorella.

Picture Two: From left, Raegan Palmer and Aliya Fiorella, 8th grade students who were event organizers for the annual Student vs. Faculty Basketball Game.

Students Produce Fashion Show Video

Senior Maggie Millon shows her embroidered tank top.

Western Wayne Fashion students created their first-ever virtual fashion show this year, appropriately themed “Do What You Can.”

In the words of Bon Jovi from the song “Do What You Can” which he wrote with some help from his fans to inspire others to carry on during the pandemic: “If you can’t do what you do, do what you can.”

Colleen Carmody, show director and fashion teacher, said she thought the song made for perfect inspiration for the theme of this year’s fashion show that is much different from the Catwalk fashion show that is usually put on, but needed to be done in a new way due to COVID-19.

“This year’s fashion show is dedicated to a year of challenge, perseverance, and change for all of us both teacher and student,” Carmody noted. “Through equipment and supply exchanges, adjustments in schedules, and cameras, we made it.”

Students in grades 9 through 12 had their pieces featured in the show. The Introduction to Sewing class had featured purses, bulletin board research projects, and visual design projects. The Textile and Design classes modeled pajamas, skirts, and bags. While the Fashion and Design class showed bucket hats, skirts, dresses, and jackets in the show.

Senior Maggie Millon was the only four-year fashion student in the show this year.

Millon started sewing in 8th grade after going to an after-school art club where other students were creating sewing and fashion projects. She just knew she wanted to get involved in the fun after seeing upperclassmen at Western Wayne doing it.

Maggie’s senior fashion collection is titled “Golden Rosebud of the 70s”.

“My middle name is Rose, and my dad calls me Rosebud, so I just took my inspiration from there,” Maggie explained. “Of course, I also am very inspired by fashions from the 1970s era.”

She has a number of beautifully designed pieces in her senior collection. One is a tank top with paint and embroidery. The tank top has the classic Beatles’ song lyric “Here comes the sun,” a song lyric from a modern band called AURORA that is “Drinking your eyes” from their song called “The River” along with a Hindu symbol that means peace embroidered on it. She also has a stunning red outfit made of corduroy–this ensemble is her favorite. It includes a fashionable blazer with snakeskin lining and bell bottom pants. In addition, she has some funky pants made from bean sacks that appropriately have lettering that says “Bada bean, bada boom.”

Maggie is pleased with all the pieces in her collection and feels so happy to share them with the school and the community through the fashion video.

In addition to working on her senior collection this year, Maggie also completed her senior project which also involved sewing in a unique way.

Maggie made about 20 dresses out of recycled pillowcases for Little Dresses for Africa, a non-profit 501c3 Christian organization. She spent time gathering pillowcases from the community and especially liked the beautiful pillow cases she got from some older women she knew in Wayne and Lake Ariel.

She then shipped the dresses to the organization and is thrilled that girls in Africa have gotten to wear them.

“I really like to help people,” Maggie explained.

She hopes to make more dresses for Little Dresses for Africa after graduation.

Maggie had a lot of fun in her fashion and design classes throughout high school. She especially enjoyed working with her teacher Colleen Carmody on fashion projects through the years. Maggie is considering pursuing a career that involves design or art in some way in the future.

“I like being able to put pieces of myself into whatever I make,” Maggie explained. “I can take a basic pattern and make it my own through creativity. I am inspired by past fashion and use old movies for reference as well.”

Fellow senior Lily Visceglia has done fashion and design classes at Western Wayne for the past three years.

She also had a variety of pieces in the fashion video.

One is an up-cycle denim outfit with a cheetah bell sleeve. She also had a bucket hat in the show along with a cardigan with a butterfly and ladybug print. In addition, she had a green suede skirt.

Lily plans to attend Wilkes University in the fall to study early childhood education with a minor in the arts. Lily loves many fields in the arts including fashion design, band, and musical theater. She hopes as a teacher of young children that she can incorporate all of her passions into her career.

“I like making my own designs,” Lily explained. “When I put it on paper and see it, I feel accomplished. The creation process can be difficult, but the end product is always great.”

Western Wayne administration and staff congratulate the students on their fashion video that was made in a year of uncertainty and many challenges. These students truly did what they could for the “Do What You Can” fashion show, and they exceeded all expectations. The district looks forward to their annual Catwalk Fashion Show next year.

High School Holds Annual Art Show

From left Western Wayne senior featured artists: Emma Pontosky, Cori Talarico, Miranda Kubilus, Courtney Petrilak, and Maggie Millon.

The Hollywood Sign, spider legs, murals, and whimsical-themed pieces were just a few of the things featured through art at Western Wayne High School’s Annual Art Show that took place on Saturday, June 5, in the high school library.
The students and their teachers faced many challenges in their preparations for this year’s show, but they put together a magnificent presentation of the art work they worked so hard to create this year under challenging circumstances due to COVID-19.
Students from grades 9 through 12 had artwork displayed with seven featured senior art displays. The featured senior artists included: Noelle Cruz, Emma Pontosky, Cori Talarico, Cailie Thoman, Courtney Petrilak, Miranda Kubilus, and Maggie Millon.
The featured seniors had a variety of different themes for their displays.
“Mine focused on unfinished sketches,” Emma, who plans to attend West Chester University in the fall to study secondary education English, explained. “I usually fall in love with my sketches before I finish, so I decided to feature my favorite unfinished pieces for my display.”
One of Emma’s favorite unfinished pieces was of an actor from the television show Looking for Alaska based on the popular novel of the same title by John Green.
Senior Courtney Petrilak also had a reference to popular culture as the theme of her senior display. One of her larger pieces was a painting of the Hollywood Sign. Courtney, who plans to attend Penn Tech in the Physician’s Assistant Program, explained how her art work centered around a Hollywood Walk of Fame for ordinary people that she chose to create pictures of.
“Art is like therapy for me,” Courtney said. “It is very relaxing.”
Fellow senior featured artist Cori Talarico agrees that art helps her to feel calm.
“I use the time I create my art as an escapism period where I have peace and quiet time,” she explained.
Cori’s senior display was centered around a favorite mural picture she created from something she drew in her sketchbook. Her mural is of a girl in a blue outfit looking out a window. Cori explained that the other pieces in her display matched the color scheme from her mural. Cori is thinking about studying art in college in the future after taking a gap year.
Senior Maggie Millon also intends to take a gap year and do some online classes upon graduation. She explained the theme of her senior art display as whimsical. Her favorite picture is of an African American woman that she painted using blues, oranges, and browns among other colors.
“Making art allows me to be creative,” Maggie explained. “It helps me to stretch my limits and skill through the pieces I make.”
Fellow senior artist Miranda Kubilus also feels enabled to take on challenges through creating her artwork.
“I love art because there is no right way to really do it,” Miranda explained.
For her senior display, Miranda, who will attend SUNY Oswego to major in creative writing, decided to combine all of her favorite pieces together with no particular theme. Her favorite piece is called “Legs”. She explained how spiders were the inspiration for her piece. She isn’t a fan of the tiny creatures. However, she is fascinated with their legs hence why they inspired one of her favorite pieces of art.
Western Wayne administration and staff congratulate these senior artists and all of the other art students who displayed work in the June art show. They look forward to another fabulous show next year.