RDW Elementary

RDW to Host Annual Read Across America Night THURS., MARCH 5

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.

Any questions, email jmclaughlin@westernwayne.org

RDW Elementary partnered with the Wayne County Arts Alliance AND Wayne County Conservation District

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, RDW Fourth Grade student achieves perfect attendance

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!

5th students at RDW Elementary engaged in a culminating self-portrait project

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!

Ms. Siena Cardamone honored as NEPA’s Outstanding Teacher

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>

Special Olympics

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Special Olympics.

Kindness is key

The kindness club at R.D. Wilson aims to spread kindness for both students and staff. The winter kindness club completed two important projects. First was the Coffee Cart which provided staff members with free coffee and hot cocoa. Each cup had an uplifting message written on it. Next, they designed a bulletin board in the cafeteria. Their goal was to motivate kids to be friends and include others. The kindness club members hope their projects made a lasting impact.

Kindness Club Members (Bulletin board photo, left to right): Elisabeth Burry, Keagan Quinn, Mrs. Germani, Veronica Miller, Ben Vinton, and Colby Doud

RDW to Host Annual Read Across America Night THURS., FEB. 27 

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, February 27.  Guests in attendance will surely leave singing their favorite ABBA tunes, because the Western Wayne Drama Club will treat people in attendance to a sneak peak of their spring musical Mamma Mia! as one part of the night’s entertainment. 

The annual Book Fair will take place between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Classroom readings will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the Cat in Hat and then the Mamma Mia! sneak peek performance around 7 p.m.  

Mamma Mia!  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, February 27, at the RDW Elementary School, a free evening of entertainment and events perfect for kids of all ages.

From left:  Stephanie Maxwell as Rosie; Lilly Maros, as Donna; and Jade Wetherington as Tanya.