It was a beautiful night on Friday, Oct. 6, when the Homecoming Court took to the field before the home football game against Mid Valley at Western Wayne’s Sharkey-Rosetti Stadium. The court crossed the field prior to the game escorted by their parents/ guardians to be honored in front of their family and friends before hearing the winners. Seniors Frankie Leyshon and Allie Pauler were crowned Homecoming King and Queen respectively. Congratulations to all the members of our court this year! From left, Homecoming Court members: Vinny Tomasetti, Gunnar Minor, Ethan Grodack, Carter Mistishin, Frankie Leyshon, Homecoming King; Allie Pauler, Homecoming Queen; Lexi DeSiato, Brooke Kellogg, Rhayni Carroll, and Taylor Maiocco.
Pictured are members of the 2023 Western Wayne Homecoming Court (picture one), from left, front row: Frankie Leyshon, Ethan Grodack, Carter Mistishin, Gunnar Minor, and Vinny Tomasetti. Back row, top, from left : Lexi DeSiato, Taylor Maiocco, Brooke Kellogg, Rhayni Carroll, and Allie Pauler.Second photo, front row from left: Lexi DeSiato, Brooke Kellogg, Rhayni Carroll, Taylor Maiocco, and Allie Pauler. Back row from left: Frankie Leyshon, Carter Mistishin, Gunnar Minor, Ethan Grodack, and Vinny Tomasetti.
The Western Wayne School District invites the community to attend its annual homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6th. The Western Wayne Homecoming Game against Mid Valley will begin at 7 p.m. with the presentation of the Homecoming Court about a half hour before kick-off. Western Wayne High School’s senior class nominated this year’s Homecoming Court and the whole student body is eagerly awaiting Homecoming Night to see who wins the title of Homecoming King and Queen! This year’s court is composed of Rhayni Carroll, Lexi DeSiato, Brooke Kellogg, Taylor Maiocco, Allie Pauler, Ethan Grodack, Frankie Leyshon, Gunnar Minor, Carter Mistishin, and Vinny Tomasetti. All of our senior court members have been highly involved during their time at Western Wayne in a variety of clubs, sports, and other activities. Senior Brooke Kellogg has been on Varsity Soccer for four years, Varsity Basketball for four years; track and field for one year; National Honor Society for three years and served as treasurer, and Student Council for three years and served as Student Body President. In addition, she has done 4-H for nine years and served as treasurer for the 4-H Club along with being a member of CATS Club for three years, and Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science for two years. Brooke plans to attend college to pursue a degree as a large animal vet tech. She will always cherish her memories at Western Wayne, especially her time in sports. “ My favorite school memory was in 7th grade at track practice when I jumped over a hurdle,” Brooke said, recalling how fellow Homecoming Court member Lexi DeSiato thought it was hysterical. Fellow senior Taylor Maiocco will also cherish the memories she made in school, especially her time participating in sports. Taylor has been a member of Varsity Volleyball for four years; Varsity Softball for two years; National Honor Society for three years and served as president; Student Council for four years and served as treasurer, vice president, and president; and FBLA for four years where she was a national qualifier. In addition, she serves as Student Ambassador along with being a member of the Prom Committee, Yearbook Committee, Scholastic Team, and PBIS. She also participated in the Advanced Medicine and Healthcare program at Johns Hopkins University. Upon graduation, Taylor plans to further her education to become a nurse anesthetist. Taylor remembers having many fun times in her sporting activities. “My favorite member is when When Mr. Butler was trying to throw a ball to Rhayni but ended up hitting me directly in the forehead,” she said. Fellow Homecoming Court member Rhayni Carroll agrees that this is a moment both of the girls will never forget. Rhayni has been involved in many of the same activities as Taylor. She has been involved in Soccer for four years and serves as a Captain; Softball for four years; FBLA for four years with 3 years as a national qualifier; three years as vice president of National Honor Society; and she is Junior Class Secretary and Senior Class Vice President. In addition, she has been involved as Student Ambassador for two years; PBIS for three years; along with serving on the Youth Advisory Committee; Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, and the Scholastic Team. Rhayni plans to further her education at a four- year university in health sciences and eventually become an optometrist. Her favorite memory is with her friend fellow Homecoming Court member Taylor Maiocco in her statistics class. Senior Allie Pauler also plans to further her education upon graduation in a science field. She has been a member of Volleyball, Basketball, and Track & Field for four years; FBLA for four years; and National Honor Society for three years. In addition, she has worked as a member of PBIS and the Coaches Alliance Program. She plans to pursue a degree in psychology at a four year college. She fondly remembers her time in FBLA, especially going to Hershey with her friends in that organization. Next, another highly involved student athlete is Lexi DeSiato. Lexi has been a member of Varsity Wrestling for four years with one year as Captain; Varsity Soccer for three years; and Track & Field for three years. In addition, she was on the National Honor Society for two years and served on the Prom Committee and was a Co-Organizer of 2023 Powder Puff. For her future plans, Lexi plans to further her academics and athletics at a collegiate level. She will always remember her time in Western Wayne sports especially when she wrestled her way through every soccer game. The five gentlemen on this year’s Homecoming Court also have been involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities and sports. Senior Vincent Tomasetti is a member of Varsity Wrestling for four years and a three-year National Honor Society member. Upon graduation, he plans to attend Johnson College and expand his knowledge in HVAC and electrical. His favorite senior memory was competing in the regional wrestling tournament as a freshman. Fellow senior Carter Mistishin also wants to study HVAC and electrical upon graduation at Johnson College. Carter is a member of Varsity Football for three years; National Honor Society for three years; Varsity Wrestling for two years; and FBLA for two years. He most enjoyed his time playing football at Western Wayne. Senior football player Frankie Leyshon is also a part of this year’s Homecoming Court. He is a four-year Varsity Football team member along with being a Captain; Varsity Basketball for three years; Varsity Baseball for three years; and he earned an honorable mention for quarterback in All-League All Stars. In addition, he is a first honors student and a member of FCS. Upon graduation, Frankie plans to attend a four-year college and hopefully play football. He will always remember the fun memories he made with his coaches and teammates on and off the field. Another fellow football player on the court is Ethan Grodack. Ethan is a four year Varsity Baseball player; Varsity Football for three years; National Honor Society for three years; and Student Council for one year. In addition, he is a volunteer with the Varden Conservation Area. Ethan plans to pursue a dual major in history and secondary education and play baseball at Wilkes University. “My favorite high school memory is playing football under the lights with the whole town supporting the team,” Ethan said. Our final member of the court is senior Gunnar Minor. Gunnar spends his time after school hours working hard to earn money. His future plans include going into the workforce or going to a trade school for welding. Gunnar and all of the members of the Homecoming Court look forward to bonding with each other and making memories during Homecoming at Friday’s game. The court along with the rest of the Western Wayne community invite the public to join them on Friday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. for the Homecoming festivities followed by the game.
The October edition of Scholarships & Career Opportunities is now available. All grades should read this document to get information on college, careers, important dates, SAT/ACT exams and of course…scholarships!
Pictured are Lia Hartman, junior, drum major; and Caden Wilson, senior, drum major, leading the band on the field at a home football game earlier in September, along with the Western Wayne Marching Band and Color Guard entering the field behind them for their performance.
The Western Wayne School District will host a cavalcade of bands on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 27, at our football stadium. A total of eight schools will participate including: Abington Heights, GNA, Carbondale Area, Delaware Valley, North Pocono, North-West Area, Honesdale, and, of course, Western Wayne will close out the show.
“It is exciting to perform for a home cavalcade crowd,” senior, drum major Caden Wilson said. “I hope everyone comes out to enjoy our show!”
The public may start arriving at the stadium as early as 5:45 p.m. Abington Heights will be the first school to perform starting at 6:30 p.m. with the National Anthem being played shortly beforehand.
Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children under 12 and senior citizens, a portion of this cost will be donated to a local charity.
In addition, concessions will be sold with all proceeds benefiting Western Wayne band and color guard students.
Western Wayne’s field show this season is a Spy-Themed Show with the selections of “Men in Black,” “Soul Bossa Nova,” “Skyfall,” and “Mission Impossible,” Come out and enjoy the hard work of all of the local school bands participating in this event.
From left, standing: Dr. Pat Engle, Lynn Scramuzza, Hamlin Community Library director; Jason Vass, Drama Club freshman member; Joseph Regalbuto, Drama Club, treasurer; Robert Scramuzza, Drama Club vice president; Kaori Koike, and Tomoo Koike, missionaries from Japan. From left, kneeling: Lillian Maros, Drama Club historian; and McKenzie Kennedy, Drama Club stage manager.
Changing seasons in life, the outdoors, leaving stress behind, and the act of writing itself were some of the many topics Western Wayne Drama Club students wrote about at the Hamlin Community Library’s Haiku Poetry Night on Tuesday, Sept. 19. The night was open to the public and hosted by Lynn Scramuzza, library director. The group was led in the art of writing Haiku by Dr. Pat Engle, a college professor of 18 years.
Engle explained that Haiku dates back to the 12th century with the actual name of Haiku poetry being coined in the 19th century. This art of writing poetry with a prescription for the number of syllables in each line can be linked to a tradition called Renga. Renga is an exercise when a party guest gets the first few lines of a poem and then adds on to it as they see fit to create a story.
“Haiku usually involves discussing nature,” Engle said. “It is about marking a moment that is important to you.”
One student in attendance, Lillian Maros, Drama Club historian, shared a poem with a nature theme, “trees wave in the wind/ mountains stand unwavering /emotions can’t choose.”
All of the guests discussed many memorable moments in their lives. Also in attendance along with the Western Wayne students were community members Tomoo and Kaori Koike, who are from Japan and in the local area doing missionary work. They both said they learned a lot from poetry night.
Kaori even gave everyone an origami swan she made as a token of appreciation. It was the perfect way to end a night where everyone was immersed in Japanese culture.
The library plans to have a variety of events open to the public in the coming months and especially hopes that Western Wayne students will join in the fun!
From left: Maddie Vinton, Khole Mistishin, Emily Romanowski, Rhayni Carroll, Taylor Maiocco, Alex Chapman, Adrian Agnello, and Weston Nugent.From left: Khloe Mistishin, Rhayni Carroll, Emily Romanowski, Taylor Maiocco, Alex Chapman, Adrian Agnello, Weston Nugent, and Maddie Vinton.
Eight members of Western Wayne High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter (FBLA) were among the 13,000 members and advisers who traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, for the organization’s annual National Leadership Conference. The students were accompanied by their local adviser, Theresa Lubash, and former adviser, Fran Vitovsky.
During the Awards of Excellence program, the students captured two important awards: The team of Adrian Agnello and Weston Nugent placed fifth nationally in Business Ethics. Also placing fifth were the members of the Parliamentary Procedure team comprised of Alex Chapman, Rhayni Carroll, Taylor Maiocco, and Emily Romanowski.
Khloe Mistishin competed in Introduction to FBLA and Maddie Vinton competed in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure.
While in Atlanta, the students had the opportunity to see some of the sights including the College Football Hall of Fame, the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the Mercedes-Benz Football Stadium, and an evening at the Atlanta Braves baseball game.
Besides competing, a variety of workshops were offered to develop the students’ leadership qualities.
MaiaLearning is a college and career readiness platform that engages students in planning your future. It lets you develop profiles, explore careers that fit those profiles, and build academic, college, and career plans. It helps you manage college applications, and build portfolios.
Students will use their Google Sign-in to get into the program. They will be able to link their Common App accounts to get transcripts, teacher and counselor recommendations, and build data.
In August 2023, Colleen Carmody, FCS Department Chair and Fashion teacher, made a monetary donation to Ann Siebecker, Wayne County Food Pantry Aging Case Aid. Monies for this donation were generated during our WW CAT WALK, and annual Spring Fashion Show, showcasing students’ yearly work and senior collections.
Guiding Good Choices – Guests Karen Thomas, PROSPER field coordinator and Margaret-Ann Gager, parent participant discusses this evidence-based program and the positive changes in has made in Margaret-Ann’s family. This interactive, skill-based program is open to families with youths ages 9 – 14. A new 5-week virtual program starts June 19th and an in-person program in the fall at the area school districts. To register or learn more contact Karen at kat1@psu.edu or call 570-878-2385.
ALL NEWS
Scholarships & Career Opportunities – May EditionMay 4, 2026The May edition of Scholarships & Career Opportunities is now available. All grades should read this document to get information on college, careers, important dates, SAT/ACT exams and of course…scholarships!
Click here: https://ww3.westernwayne.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Scholarships-and-Career-Opportunities-May-2026.pdf [...]
Western Wayne Annual Art Exhibit & Spring Concerts on May 9May 4, 2026Western Wayne’s annual art exhibit and spring concerts will take place on Saturday, May 9.
The art exhibit will run in the high school gymnasium from 2 to 5 p.m. It will mainly feature high school artwork with special displays by our seniors. In addition, a select sample of middle and elementary student artwork will be on display.
The concert schedule is as follows: the sixth-grade concert will begin at 11 a.m.; the seventh- grade concert will begin at 1 p.m., the eighth- grade concert will begin at 3 p.m.; and the high school concert will begin at 5 p.m. with all concerts in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium at the high school.
There will be concessions for sale in the high school cafeteria throughout the day. All events are free of charge. Please join us in the celebrating the arts in our school. [...]
Two Western Wayne Students Place at All-State BandMay 4, 2026 Western Wayne senior percussionists Antonio Fisichella and Nicholas Fisichella placed second and third respectively at PMEA’s All-State Band event this past weekend of April 24. It is a great accomplishment to place at All-State Band, which is very competitive. The district congratulates these students and their director, Mrs. Elaine Ort.
Picture one, from left: Antonio Fisichella and Nicholas Fisichella. Picture two, from left: Nicholas Fisichella, Mrs. Elaine Ort, and Antonio Fisichella. [...]
Western Wayne Represented at Scholar-Athlete BreakfastMay 4, 2026 Western Wayne seniors Khloe Mistishin and Paul Borowski recently represented Western Wayne at the annual Ann Marie Simons Scholar-Athlete Breakfast this spring. The annual Ann Marie Simons Scholar-Athlete Breakfast, hosted by the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association (LIAA) at Montdale Country Club, honors top senior student-athletes from a variety of districts for academic and athletic excellence. The event commemorates Ann Marie Simons, a former teacher and pioneering female athletic director at Wallenpaupack Area. From left: Khloe Mistishin and Paul Borowski. [...]
National Speech-Language-Hearing Month at EverGreenMay 4, 2026May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, a time to raise awareness of communication and hearing disorders and to highlight the important role communication skills play in student success.
Speech and language disorders are among the most common disabilities, with over 1 million school-aged children in the United States receiving school-based speech and language services each year (ASHA, 2026). School-based Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) support students in grades K-12, as well as children ages 3 to 5 years, in developing and improving communication skills to promote success in school.
Teachers are at higher risk for voice disorders due to frequent speaking and projecting over classroom noise. Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways to protect vocal health. In recognition of the month, EverGreen’s school-aged SLP, Alyssa Wesley, and Early Intervention SLP, Julie Conklin, provided teachers with water and mints to encourage hydration and healthy voice habits.
Hearing is an important part of learning. Even temporary hearing loss from colds, allergies, or ear infections can impact a student’s ability to follow directions, participate in class, and engage in instruction. Mild hearing loss may also affect comprehension, speech clarity, language development, the ability to distinguish speech sounds, and overall academic progress.
Sarah Taylor, one of Western Wayne’s Teachers of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, created an ASL Nook at EverGreen, made possible through a Youth Advisory Committee Mini-Grant from the Wayne County Community Foundation. The ASL Nook is a mobile cart that includes sign language books, flashcards, games, and a rotating “ASL Challenge”. The goal is to allow students to explore American Sign Language in a fun, hands-on way while also building awareness of Deaf culture and encouraging inclusive communication. [...]
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