On Saturday, March 7, 2026, nearly 30 students from Robert D. Wilson Elementary proudly participated in the 3rd Annual Wayne County Arts Alliance Student Art Show, entitled “Tree,” held in Honesdale. Students have been preparing for this event since October, when the Wayne County Arts Alliance, in partnership with the Wayne County Conservation District, hosted a tree planting ceremony at the school. During this event, a commemorative pin oak tree was donated, serving as a lasting symbol of the art show, students’ artistic efforts, and connection to the natural world A collaborative mural created in art class by first-grade students at Robert D. Wilson Elementary, inspired by The Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt was prominently displayed at the show. The event was well attended by families and community members and received additional recognition through coverage by Joe Snedeker on WNEP-TV as part of his “About Town” series. We are incredibly proud of our students and their artistic accomplishments. The exhibition will remain open to the public at 959 Main Street in Honesdale through April 3, 2026.
The Western Wayne Drama Club performed a preview of their spring musical Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at RDW’s Read Across America Night this past week.
RDW-pre K student Vanessa Werner won a golden ticket at the event which will give her and a family member a backstage tour of the show along with an opportunity to meet the cast on a performance night of her choosing in April.
The Drama Parents Club will be doing more golden ticket giveaways at our upcoming character breakfast on March 28 and would love for your student to be our next lucky winner!
The cast and crew of The Western Wayne Drama Club’s production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will host a Character Breakfast on Saturday, March 28, at 10 a.m. in the High School cafeteria. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and senior citizens. You can reserve tickets by using the following Google Form.
Save the date for our performances of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Friday, April 10 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. in the High School Auditorium. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
From left, kneeling: Jason Vass, Charlie; Vanessa Werner, golden ticket winner; Emma DeNunzio, Augustus Gloop; and Molly French, Mrs. Teavee. From left, second row: Xavier Graham, Grandpa George; Jade Wetherington, Mrs. Bucket; Elizabeth Bilski, Mrs. Gloop; Samantha Torres Narvaez, Mrs. Green; Mikayla Fullone, Mike Teavee; Madison Forgione, Veruca Salt; and Dakota Douglas, Violet Beauregarde. From left, third row: Ruthann Neve, Grandma Georgina for this performance; Avery Ullner, Cherry Sundae; Scott Kurent, Grandpa Joe; Owen Obloshny, Willy Wonka; Zachary Wilbur, Mr. Beauregarde; Dominic Sgarlata, the ghost of Mr. Bucket; Johnathon Maxwell, Jerry Jubilee; Zachary Jordan, Mr. Salt; and Ayvari Ford-Rakosnik, Grandma Josephine.
Members of the local community are cordially invited to Western Wayne’s RDW Elementary School’s annual Read Across America Night starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. Guests in attendance will surely leave singing their favorite tunes from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, because the Western Wayne Drama Club will treat people in attendance to a sneak peak of their spring performance of the musical as one part of the night’s entertainment.
The annual Book Fair will take place starting at 5 p.m. Later, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sneak peek performance will begin at 7 p.m.
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
All are invited to come and enjoy Read Across America Night on Thursday, March 5, at the RDW Elementary School, a free evening of entertainment and events perfect for kids of all ages.
From left, standing: Chloe Jewett, Jasmine Yamamoto, Johnathon Maxwell who plays Jerry Jubilee; Dominic Sgarlata, Jade Wetherington who plays Mrs. Bucket; Jesse Mitchell, Zachary Wilbur who plays Mr. Beauregarde; Dakota Douglas who plays Violet Beauregarde; Scott Kurent who plays Grandpa Joe; Jason Vass who plays Charlie Bucket; Owen Obloshny who plays Willy Wonka; Madison Forgione who plays Veruca Salt; Zachary Jordan who plays Mr. Salt; Molly French who plays Mrs. Teavee; Xavier Graham who plays Grandpa George; Laila Rainford, Elizabeth Bilski who plays Mrs. Gloop; Emma DeNunzio who plays Augustus Gloop; Michael Fullone, Avery Ullner who plays Cherry Sundae; Owen Capozzi, and Britney Wertman. From left, sitting: Ayvari Ford-Rakosnik who plays Grandma Josephine, Ruthann Neve, Mikayla Fullone who plays Mike Teavee; Samantha Torres Narvaez who plays Mrs. Green; Sophia Johns, and Arn Bryden. Cast missing from photo: Paityn Duprey who plays Grandma Georgina; Knight Vizcaino, Rowan Purvis, Katherine Berman, and Daria Ivakhnina.
Stage Crew students include: Luckus Balmer, Audrey Capozzi, Nathan Day, Adam Erb, Audrey Fitzmorris, Ayvari Ford-Rakosnik, Xavier Graham, Roslyn Knecht, Miley Layton, Kendall Murray, Margaret Norris, Charlotte Nutt, Milan Nguyen, Zoe Ratchford, Duke Shemanski, Lola Vertalics, Nichols Wilbur, Kaleb Zawisky, Tyler Buehring, Matthew Carlson, Cayden Clever, Coltan Davitt-Hillemann, Rachel Erb, Guinevere Homisak, Regan Lane, Gavin Lepkowsky-Polizzi, Victoria Neve, Emmett Roccella, Lylah Semon, Maria Shemanski, Patience Strocchia, and Liam VanOrden-AlSaidi.
Pit students include: Antonio Fisichella, Nicholas Fisichella, Isabella Hayden, Gideon Jezorwski, Michael Kaminsky, Makaya Moser, and Kaitlin Wargo.
Save the date for our performances of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m. in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students, and Western Wayne students are free with a student ID. Follow us on instagram at ww_drama_club
This year we will have pre-sale tickets available for purchase during the time of our Character Breakfast on, Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. All ticket sales will be final. Having a pre-sale ticket means you will not have to wait in line on the dates of the performances for tickets but does not reserve a certain seat in the auditorium.
Tickets also will be available at the door. There are no online sales.
On Friday, October 10th, in celebration of the 2026 WCAA Student Art Show theme “Trees”, RDW Elementary partnered with the Wayne County Arts Alliance and the Wayne County Conservation District to plant a native Pin Oak tree. First and fifth graders helped make the day a success, with beautiful weather, art, and learning rooted in nature!
On Friday, October 10th, Robert D. Wilson Elementary School was proud to host a tree planting ceremony in cooperation with the Wayne County Arts Alliance (WCAA). First and fifth grade students participated in this special event celebrating art, nature, and community! Each year, RDW art students take part in the annual WCAA Student Art Show. The theme for the upcoming 2026 show is “Trees.” To celebrate this theme and promote the exhibit, the WCAA—along with forest specialist Trevor Tochydlowski of the Wayne County Conservation District—donated a native tree to each participating school as a lasting reminder of the art show’s message. During the ceremony, WCAA Director Debby Pollack read a poem by Sarah Coleridge and excerpts from Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, encouraging students to reflect on the importance of trees, growth, and imagination. Mr. Tochydlowski spoke about the value of planting and conserving native species and shared interesting facts about the Pin Oak. He then planted RDW’s new Pin Oak tree beside the Buddy Bench, where it will provide shade and inspiration for years to come. In preparation for the ceremony, RDW art students created tree- and nature-inspired projects. Kindergarteners made acorns and. First graders studied the art of Gustav Klimt, using his famous Tree of Life as inspiration for their own collaborative mural! The students were proud to have their mural on display during today’s ceremony!.
Charlotte Nebzydoski, Fourth Grade student at Robert D. Wilson Elementary School, was the only RDW student to achieve perfect attendance for the 2024/2025 school year. Charlotte was present for every day of school and was never tardy or dismissed early. Charlotte is a bright light for everyone in the school. Her academics are top notch and the kindness and positivity that she shows daily is truly inspiring. Having Charlotte in the building every day made RDW a better place. Please congratulate Miss Charlotte Nebzydoski on this seemingly impossible accomplishment. RDW is so proud of you, Charlotte!
Fifth-grade students at Robert D. Wilson Elementary engaged in a culminating self-portrait project to conclude their elementary visual arts experience. Students used sculpture techniques to construct three-dimensional plaster models of their faces. Over the course of the unit, learners explored human facial proportions and studied influential portrait artists throughout art history to inform their progress. Students applied their knowledge of proportion, drawing and painting to add accurate facial features. Through the use of mixed media techniques, and creative problem-solving strategies, students personalized their sculptures with details such as hairstyles, eyeglasses, jewelry, and accessories. The 5th graders worked hard to synthesize years of art instruction to create this meaningful visual representation of their time and growth at RDW. Each student’s unique and individual personality shines through!
PA Live (WBRE) — Congratulations to Western Wayne School District’s Ms. Siena Cardamone with being honored as NEPA’s Most Deserving Teacher. “Ms. C” as her students know her as is a Skill-Based Learning Support Teacher for grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade.
Walmart loves to support the communities where it does business, and with this being Teacher Appreciation Week, local Walmart store at Wilkes-Barre Township Marketplace – the closest Walmart to our 28/22 PA Live studio – reached out to ask for our help surprising Ms. C as the outstanding teacher in northeast and central Pennsylvania!
To celebrate the contributions of Ms. C – and to further their good work – Walmart committed to gifting $500 worth of classroom supplies and other essentials. <Read More>
Thank you to all who participated in the Special Olympics!
ALL NEWS
Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Graduation – May 1, 2026May 1, 2026Congratulations go out to Donovan Gregorski and Emaan Tanveer on their recent Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Graduation!
Leadership Lackawanna’s seven-month Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program develops the leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills of high school juniors and provides real-world experiences in the areas of health care, STEAM, history and heritage, crime and corrections, financial literacy, philanthropy, non-profit organizations, and community service. Each year, a class of approximately 70 students, representing various geographic areas and schools, is selected to participate. The program begins in October and concludes with a graduation ceremony in May. Sessions are held one full weekday each month from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Upon completion of the TLT program, participants will have the necessary skills to become concerned and committed citizens who participate and invest in our community. Tomorrow’s Leaders Today turns aspiring teens into future adult leaders. [...]
Junior Information Night – May 13th – 6:00 PMApril 30, 2026On Wednesday, May 13th, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. the Guidance Department will be conducting JuniorInformation Night in the LGI. The purpose of this evening is to inform parents/guardians about:selecting a college/trade school/training program, college cost, the college admissions process,registration and deadlines for the SAT/ACT, general financial aid information, Maia, SmartFutures,military and job opportunities and other important information.
https://ww3.westernwayne.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Junior-Information-Night-letter-to-parents-2026-1.pdf [...]
Student Council Attend Pennsylvania Association of Student Council Regional ConferenceApril 23, 2026Members 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. [...]
High School March Students of the MonthApril 23, 2026The 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. [...]
FBLA Students Shine at PA State Leadership Conference in HersheyApril 23, 2026HERSHEY, 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. [...]
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention
program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize
warning signs and signals, especially within social media,
from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others
and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late.
