Law Enforcement Recognition Day

January 9th is Law Enforcement Recognition Day. Western Wayne School District would like to publicly recognize and thank our School Police Officers. The primary goal of the school police officer is to assist school administration in maintaining a safe and secure environment, and we are so thankful for their willingness to go above and beyond to support our Wildcat Family.

To Officer Paul Semler, Officer Marty Robbins, Officer Wayne Thomas, and Officer Danny Martin- THANK YOU for your service and dedication to our students, faculty, staff, and community.  

Art Students Selected for Scranton Times Artist of the Month Exhibit

Western Wayne senior artists have been selected to be a part of the Scranton Times Artists of the Month Exhibit.  They include Carleigh Galliford, February artist; Adelaide Treibley, May artist; and Ella Dougher, November artist.

The students’ artwork will be featured in the Scranton Times for their designated month.  Carleigh’s acrylic painting titled “Beacon of Hope” will be featured for February.  The picture depicts a lighthouse by an ocean and a cabin.  Carleigh has been accepted at Marywood University for the fall.  She wishes to pursue an art therapy degree.  

She explained that most of her pieces are based on self expression.

“I enjoy art because it helps me to express things that can’t be expressed through words,”  Carleigh explained.

Fellow senior Adelaide Treibley also enjoys the aspect of creative expression in her art work.  Adelaide’s acrylic piece titled “ A Moment with Monet” will be featured for May.

She explained how her piece is a very detailed nature scene that took her a lot of time to work on all of the coloring throughout it.

In addition, Adelaide has artwork featured in the December  issue of Happenings Magazine.  The issue can be found at the following link:   https://issuu.com/happeningsmagazinepa/docs/dec_2021_issuu

“I like to create artwork with animals, wild life, and nature the most,” Adelaide explained.

Senior Ella Dougher’s artwork also features nature.  Her Scranton Times acrylic piece is called “Autumn’s Arrival.”  Ella is excited to have already received a scholarship to Mount Saint Mary’s.  She enjoys doing art and hopes to pursue it in some capacity in her college studies.

“I like having the freedom to create whatever I choose,” Ella said in regards to her art work.

The students look forward to having their pieces featured in the Scranton Times and are all currently working on creating more artwork for their upcoming spring art show which will be the culmination of their high school art careers.

Band Director to March in Rose Parade® on January 1

Elaine Ort, band director for Western Wayne High School, will join band directors from across the country next January 1st in the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Rose Parade.

    A custom-designed animated float will lead a “marching band of band directors” up to 300 strong from across the country. The Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio, is the sponsoring organization behind the project. The foundation was created to recognize and carry on the work of the late Mike Sewell, who dedicated his life to the school and community music programs in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area for more than 38 years.

    The parade entry will convey the theme, “We teach music. We teach life.” The extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors are well known to their students, to parents and to school teachers and administrators. No matter where they teach and work—public and private schools, colleges and universities, the military, community bands—dedicated music educators and leaders work long hours to not only teach and direct music, but to teach life itself. Students’ lives in particular are positively changed by a motivational leader who taught, inspired and mentored them.

     “I am so incredibly excited for this experience, and so grateful to have had such wonderful colleagues and friends who have helped prepare me for this adventure,” Ort said. “ I hope that I will make all of you proud in Pasadena.  Go Wildcats, and Go Band!”

    Elaine Ort has devoted much of her life to the study and performance of music.  A native of New England and graduate of Marywood University, Elaine is a member of the Scranton Brass Orchestra, the Providence Brass, the Schützengiggles Oompah Band, the Marywood University Wind Symphony, and performs often in musical pit orchestras throughout the region.  As an educator, Elaine serves as the director of instrumental activities in the Western Wayne School District since 2014.  At Western Wayne, her teaching responsibilities include sixth grade brass instruction, eighth grade band instruction, and the Pride of Western Wayne, the Wildcat High School Band.  Under her direction and guidance the school continues to invest heavily in its music program, and was recently named a KHS America Academic Alliance Platinum school for its investment in instrumental education.  It is the only school in Pennsylvania, and one of only 39 in the United States to have received that honor.

     Complete details on the project are available on the Saluting America’s Band Directors website, BandDirectorSalute.org.

WW Hosts 7th and 8th Grade Chorus Concert

On December 14th, the 7th and 8th Grade Choruses of Western Wayne proudly presented their annual Winter Holiday Program to a very receptive audience. Through their singing, these students shared the joy of the holiday season!

WW Hosts HS Band and Chorus Concert

The Western Wayne High School Chorus and Band  students performed their holiday concert on Friday, December 17,  for family, friends, and members of the community under the direction of Mr. Taber Starnes, chorus,  and Mrs. Elaine Ort, band.  A great time was had by all.

HS HOLIDAY DOOR DECORATING RESULTS

The winners of this year’s Holiday Door Decorating Contest are as follows:
1st Place is Mrs. Jenkins Room 104 with her Buddy’s Starbucks Café!
2nd Place is Mr. Hayden Room 102 with the Polar Express.
3rd Place is Ms. Ferraro Room 101 with her Cozy Log Cabin.
4th Place is Mrs. Orloski and Mrs. Rush with their Cat Lady Meme.
Runners up are Mrs. Masankay with the Year without a Santa Claus AND Mr. McCaffery with Putting the Fro in Frozen.

RDW Kindness Club Inspires

For their final project, the RDW Kindness Club decided to do something nice for the younger students in the building. They wrote inspiring messages on over 150 snowflakes and delivered them to Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade classrooms while they were away at lunch. Teachers later reported that students “loved” receiving the snowflake surprise.

Mrs. Germani is proud of the work that this group accomplished and is excited to be welcoming a new group of KC students after the holiday break!

Strengthening Families Program

TUESDAYS, FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 29, 2022
5:30- 8 PM
WESTERN WAYNE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Eligible to ALL students ages 10-14.
Limited to the first 15 families.

A Free and Fun Program for the Entire Family. Take advantage of this opportunity to make your family stronger and give your child the skills to transition into their teen years successfully.

1. Family Meal Provided

2. Attendance Prizes

3. Childcare for Younger Siblings

4. Youth Skill Building Activities

5. Play Games

6. Create Long Lasting Memories

Middle School Students Treated to Book Tasting

Western Wayne middle school students in Ms. Starlah Robbins English Language Arts classes were treated to a book tasting this week during class time.  The students got to sample a variety of new books to see what new flavor of reading sparked their interest.  The students were thrilled to get to experience so many new books at once, and many chose a new story to start reading for class assignments and for pleasure! The classroom was decorated as a sort of book café with table cloths and other trimmings, and Robbins herself dressed as book chef to make the atmosphere fun.  Ms. Robbins hopes to do more engaging activities of this nature in the future, and the students are looking forward to it as well!

Drama Club to Host Gift-Wrapping Fundraiser for Community

The Western Wayne Drama Club will be wrapping gifts for community members and/ or faculty and staff on Tuesday, Dec. 21, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Snow date is Wednesday, Dec. 22.  Let the students wrap your gifts for you! All are welcome!  Cost of wrapping is a donation of your choice.  Hope we can take some stress off of you during this busy holiday season!  All proceeds benefit our Drama Club students. Our spring 2022 production will be Little Shop of Horrors.  From left, sitting in the back row, Drama Club members: Colette Schmitt and Joanna Regalbuto. From left in front row:  Robert Scramuzza, Julia Phillips, Amanda David, and Gabe Treibley.