Attention Juniors:
The Guidance Department has planned an Upstate New York college trip for Thursday, March 20th. Students will be able to tour Syracuse University, Cornell University, and Binghamton University. Students will need to purchase their own lunch. Grades, attendance and discipline will factor into eligibility. There are only 30 seats available, please sign up in the Guidance office. If there are any questions, please see Mr. Fitzsimmons.
The following students were recognized by the Student Council as students of the month for January. 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, Grace Owens is our selected freshman. Grace is dedicated to all of her studies in school and is looking forward to her honors English class next year. In addition, Grace is a member of the Wayne County Youth Advisory Committee this year. She also is a member of the high school CATS Club. In addition, she plays volleyball and will be playing lacrosse this spring. Grace is also highly involved in her church LCBC in Dickson City. Her faith is a large part of her life. She has always enjoyed helping others and just completed the Unified Bocce Ball season at Western Wayne in which she participated with special needs and regular education students.
“It is such a cool experience,” Grace said. “This is because the atmosphere is always positive.”
Grace aspires to be an agricultural engineer and a student pastor in the future.
Next, Madelyn McClure is our chosen sophomore this month. Madelyn is highly involved in FBLA having been recently elected as the FBLA regional secretary. She will go with Western Wayne FBLA students chosen to compete in states this April. Her event is Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure. In addition, she is an honor roll student involved in many other clubs, sports, and activities at school including: Envirothon, Science Olympiad, PJAS, tennis team, and Unified Bocce Ball. She aspires to be a physician’s assistant.
“I think the time management skills learned through FBLA competitions will help me in the future,” she said. “For one test you get only 40 minutes to answer the questions correctly and this really makes you learn how to think quickly.”
In addition, Zachary Wilbur is this month’s featured junior. He is extremely involved in the performing arts at Western Wayne. He has been in the Pride of Western Wayne Wildcat Marching band since his freshman year playing percussion. This year he serves as a band librarian. Zachary also is highly involved in the school’s Drama Club since his freshman year. This year he serves as the show’s student music director and is an essential part of the club’s creative team that works to create the musical.
In addition, Zachary is a member of NHS and aspires to be a constructional electrician. He is currently working to explore the many college degree paths that could lead him to his end career goal. He is grateful for the many leadership opportunities he has had working in performance arts in high school.
“My leadership roles have taught me a lot about responsibility,” Zachary said.
Finally, Nicole Klim is our senior spotlight this month. Nicole is dedicated to her academic studies and is a member of NHS. She has currently been accepted to three local colleges and wishes to pursue her degree in early childhood education having always enjoyed spending time with children.
“Their personalities are great and the stories they tell are so entertaining,” Nicole said of her time working with kids and babysitting over the years. “I love to watch how children develop.”
Nicole is also highly religious and dedicated to Thrive Church in Honesdale. She enjoys being a part of their youth group and has made many great friendships through being a part of it.
The Western Wayne School District congratulates these January students of the month and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.
From left: Grace Owens, Madelyn McClure, Zachary Wilbur, Nicole Klim, and Mr. Paul B. Gregorski, high school principal.
The Western Wayne High School received a 500 dollar 2025 ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Grant to support STEM education. ExxonMobil and Onvo present these grants to various area schools each year. The check was awarded to Western Wayne recently. Western Wayne Administration and staff are excited to use these funds to better the educational experiences of their students. The District intends to use these funds to enhance students’ experiences in STEM related studies. From left: Mr. Paul B. Gregorski, high school principal; and Mike Kizis, Onvo District Manager.
Jesse Weinberger, former programmer, nationally recognized speaker and author of The Boogeyman Exists: And He’s in Your Child’s Back Pocket, 2nd ed., will be presenting to Parents/Guardians Only on March 26th from 6-8 PM at the Wallenpaupack Area High School Auditorium!
Victims’ Intervention Program of Wayne & Pike Counties held their annual February Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) art contest recently and Western Wayne sophomore Elizabeth St. Louis was one of four winners who will have their art work displayed on billboards in the local community to raise awareness for this cause. Elizabeth was the only winner from Western Wayne with other winners coming from neighboring schools of Wayne Highlands and Lehman Intermediate. The winners also received Amazon gift cards and other prizes.
Debbie Cosentino, Children’s Program Manager, Victims’ Intervention Program of Wayne & Pike Counties, explained that the artwork for the contest fit the theme of “What does respect look like in a relationship?”
“The contest is allowing them to have a voice and an opportunity as a young adult to express how they experience and understand these relationships by knowing red flags early,” Cosentino explained.
She also discussed how the Victims’ Intervention Program hosts a yearly program at some local high schools including Western Wayne in which they meet with students in groups to discuss healthy relationships.
Cosentino was thrilled to be able to meet all of the Western Wayne students in the high school and middle school who entered the teen dating violence art contest.
One such student, freshman Layla Persaud explained that her entry which had puzzle pieces on it had a symbolic meaning for teen dating awareness month.
“It is about putting a relationship together on an emotional level,” she explained. “All of the pieces come together and have a role and meaning.”
Western Wayne winner of the contest Elizabeth St. Louis agrees that there are many pieces to a healthy relationship and that communication is key when putting it all together which is what she revealed in her winning art submission.
“When a couple talks, they should take the communication to heart instead of letting it go in one ear and out of the other,” Elizabeth, honor roll student and wrestling team member, explained. “Instead my picture shows how what is said should go straight to a person’s heart, because everything said in a relationship has great value.”
Elizabeth, who wishes to pursue elementary education in college, was surprised and honored to receive this recognition. She was inspired to pursue art from a young age by her mom. She especially enjoys painting, sketching, and water color with a focus on landscapes and nature overall.
“I hope that the billboard of my artwork inspires others my age to listen in their relationships.”
High School Pic One:
Back row from left: Mrs. Jessica Gregorski, Family Consumer Science teacher; Khloe Mistishin, Phoebe Schmitt, Sophia Franchak, Ellyana Armstrong, Abigail Brown, Liliana Hayes, Holly Kellogg, and Mr. Paul B. Gregorski, High School Principal.
Front row, from left: Morgan Malloy, Emaan Tanveer, MaKennah Holbert, Debbie Cosentino, Children’s Program Manager, VIP; Julia Hart, Lily Kieva, and Layla Persaud.
Middle School Pic Two:
From left: Cayden Clever, Mrs. Devon Farley, middle school art teacher; Mackenzie Hoke, and Aubrey Hendricks. Not pictured, middle school participant: Trinity Leonard.
Winner Pic Three:
From left: Debbie Cosentino, VIP; Elizabeth St. Louis, High school winner; and Mrs. Jessica Gregorski.
Jersey Mike’s recently made a donation to the Western Wayne School District. They held a fundraiser during their grand opening which resulted in a donation of over $3,600 to the district. The district is very grateful to the restaurant chain for their generous donation in support of our school community.
Pictured left to right: Casey Newcomer – WWMS Principal; Mike Tirko – Jersey Mike’s Regional Director; and Paul B. Gregorski II – WWHS Principal.
Western Wayne FBLA recently attended the Regional Leadership Conference at The University of Scranton. Students participated in competitive events and attended workshops with local business leaders. Twenty-two Western Wayne Students qualified to compete in the State Leadership Conference in April. Students who qualified are as follows:
Clare Coccodrilli, Isabella Kolp, Avery Ullner – 1st Place, Intro to Social Media Strategy
Khloe Mistishin, Grace Moser, Maggie Kotchessa – 1st Place, Business Ethics
Chris Pane – 1st Place, Intro to Financial Math
Madelyn McClure – 1st Place, Intro to Parliamentary Procedure
Lance Maiocco – 1st Place, Networking Infrastructures
Lily Kieva & Julia Wehrmann – 1st Place, Sales Presentation
Makenzie Chearney – 2nd Place, Intro to FBLA
Phoebe Schmitt & Audrey Agnello – 2nd Place, Social Media Strategies
Colette Schmitt – 2nd Place, Public Speaking
Nathaniel Amberg – 2nd Place, Impromptu Speaking
Kyle Matthews – 3rd Place, Intro to Event Planning
Abigail Bell – 3rd Place, Intro to FBLA
Ciarra Kidder – 3rd Place, Accounting 1
Olivia Gries – 4th Place, Business Communication
Paityn Duprey – 4th Place, Intro to Business Communication
Eli Bilski – 4th Place, Intro to Business Procedures
Lastly, Madelyn McClure was voted to serve as the 2025-26 Region 22 Secretary.
The District is proud of our FBLA members’ hard work and commitment to the program.
Photo One:
From left, row one: Grace Langendoerfer, David Elias, Ethan Lamberton, Timmy Roberts, Madelyn McClure, Audrey Agnello, Phoebe Schmitt, Ciarra Kidder, Olivia Gries, Isabella Kolp, Clare Coccodrilli, Avery Ullner, Cameron Press, and Myles Lee.
From left, row two: Carmine Leggio, Connor Bryant, Jared Goldman, Emaan Tanveer, Lily Kieva, Grace Moser, Maggie Kotchessa, Graysen Valinski, Paul Borowski, and Lance Maiocc.o
From left, row three: Jason Vass, Julia Wehrmann, Khloe Mistishin, Colette Schmitt, Vinny Baldini, and Mitchell Ferraro.
From left, row four: Mia Arcadipane, Madison Trapanese, Donovan Gregorski, and Gage Roberts.
Back row: Nathaniel Amberg, Mackenzie Adams, Hannah DeStefano, Raeleigh Kromko, and Madelyn Vinton.
Photo Two:
Madelyn McClure, who was voted to serve as the 2025-26 Region 22 Secretary.
The Western Wayne School District would like to congratulate high school band director Mrs. Elaine Ort on being the recipient of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 9 Citation of Excellence. Mrs. Ort is the only band director in District 9 to be chosen for the award this year. This award is given to music educators who demonstrate high musical standards both inside and outside the classroom. She will attend an awards banquet at the PMEA State Conference in April to receive the official recognition.
In addition, Mrs. Ort has had the honor of being a member of America’s Bands Directors with her most recent appearance with this group at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The district is proud of Mrs. Ort’s past and most recent accomplishments.
Pictured is Mrs. Ort at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Please also enjoy this link to an appearance Mrs. Ort made on PA Live last year to discuss her accomplishments in music.
https://www.pahomepage.com/pa-live/western-wayne-band-director-performs-at-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/
Western Wayne High School’s Watershed Group is proud to announce the acceptance of a grant to sponsor a fourth-grade field trip to the Varden Conservation Area this spring. This initiative, led by students, exemplifies their commitment to fostering environmental stewardship and creating meaningful educational opportunities for younger learners.
Sophomore Aliyah Gregory wrote the grant and is thrilled to have been given it to use to help the younger students at Western Wayne have this unique educational experience.
“I really enjoy helping environmental causes,” Aliyah said. “I also aspire to be a teacher one day and think that working with the fourth graders later this year will be a good experience in leading others.”
The program, Community Connections to Our Watershed, has a legacy spanning over two decades. Each year, education staff from Lackawanna and Nescopeck State Parks collaborate with local schools to engage students and educators in an environmental forum. Participants explore local parks and public lands while learning from conservation professionals who work tirelessly to ensure equitable access to clean water—a resource vital for both human and ecological health. An overview of the 2023-2024 program, including information, pictures, and highlights from field trips, is available at https://tinyurl.com/CCTW2024
This year’s participating schools include:
Lackawanna County Teams: Carbondale, Forest City, Lackawanna Trail, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, Riverside, Western Wayne, and Wayne Highlands.
Luzerne County Teams: Crestwood, Hanover, HAAS, HACC, Hazleton, Northwest, Tunkhannock, and Wyoming Area.
Western Wayne High School students have already participated in enriching field trips to Lackawanna State Park, Keystone College, the Old Forge borehole, and the Alliance Landfill. These experiences provided hands-on lessons in understanding healthy watersheds, monitoring their condition, and implementing solutions to maintain water quality. These activities were made possible through support from Pennsylvania American Water Company, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and DCNR’s Watershed Education Program.
Sophomore Dakota Douglas greatly enjoyed the trip to Keystone. Part of the experience that day was the students doing a simulated bird watching activity where they used binoculars to look at pictures of birds on trails and then identify them.
“The bird watching activity was really fun,” she said. “I love science and hope to study psychology one day in college.”
The program will culminate on May 6, 2025, with a student presentation banquet at Montage Mountain. Western Wayne students will present their project, which involves designing and implementing a field trip for fourth-grade elementary students to the Varden Conservation Area. Drawing from their own learning experiences, the high school students crafted ecology-based activities to inspire and educate their younger peers.
To fund this initiative, the students successfully applied for a grant through the Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF). The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) reviewed and approved their mini-grant application, which secured funding for transportation and programming costs.
The Wayne County Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a charitable reserve for the current and future needs of Wayne County. Through its grant programs, the Foundation empowers community organizations to grow, thrive, and achieve sustainability. For more information about the Foundation, visit their office at 214 Ninth Street, Honesdale, PA 18431, call 570-251-9993, email info@waynefoundation.org, or visit https://www.waynefoundation.org.
Western Wayne High School is deeply grateful for the support that made this student-led program possible. This grant underscores the power of youth initiative and collaboration in promoting environmental awareness and education within our community.
From left, kneeling: Aliyah Gregory and Kyleigh Turner. From left, standing: Dakota Douglas, Jerrah-Ann DeBree, Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D. advisor; and Giuliana Velazquez.
Curriculum Night will be held Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00. Administration, Guidance and the Department Heads will go over the curriculum, graduation requirements and the scheduling process.
Students Present 4th Grade Watershed Field Trip Project at Regional BanquetMay 9, 2025On May 6, 2025, students from Western Wayne High School proudly presented their student-led environmental education project at the Community Connections to Our Watershed banquet, held at Montage Mountain. Their project—a hands-on ecology field trip to Varden Conservation Area for Western Wayne’s 4th grade students—was designed, researched, and organized entirely by the high school team.
This presentation was the culmination of months of work as part of the Community Connections to Our Watershed program, a regional environmental initiative that began over 20 years ago. Each year, groups of five students and one teacher from schools across Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties participate in the program, which is coordinated by the education teams at Lackawanna and Nescopeck State Parks. The goal is to engage students in meaningful learning about watershed science and conservation through outdoor field experiences and professional mentorship.
Western Wayne students applied their knowledge by creating an original educational experience for younger learners. They began by researching costs for transportation and supplies, identifying local agencies that could provide environmental programming, and crafting a detailed plan for the trip. The students collaborated with representatives from Lacawac Sanctuary, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the National Park Service, and the Wayne County Conservation District to develop engaging, standards-based ecology activities. They then proposed the idea to their principal and worked with school administrators to schedule the trip, which will take place later this month.
To fund the initiative, the students successfully applied for a mini grant from the Wayne County Community Foundation. Their proposal was approved by the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) and presented to the Foundation’s Board for final approval. The grant provides funding for transportation and program costs to make the field trip possible for all 4th grade students at Western Wayne Elementary.
During their presentation at the banquet, the Western Wayne team shared how their participation in field trips to Keystone College, Lackawanna State Park, the Old Forge borehole, Alliance Landfill, the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania American Water Treatment and Sewage Treatment Facilities, and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail shaped their understanding of watershed science. They explained how those experiences informed their vision for teaching younger students about local water ecosystems.
This year’s Community Connections to Our Watershed program included schools from across the region: Carbondale, Forest City, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, Riverside, Western Wayne, and Wayne Highlands in Lackawanna County; and Crestwood, Hanover, HAAS, HACC, Hazleton, Northwest, Tunkhannock, and Wyoming Area in Luzerne County.
The program is made possible with the support of Pennsylvania American Water Company, DCNR, and the DCNR Watershed Education Program.
To learn more and view highlights from the 2023–2024 program, visit: https://tinyurl.com/CCTW2025
From left: Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D. advisor; Jerrah-Ann DeBree, Kyleigh Turner, Aliyah Gregory, Dakota Douglas, and Giuliana Velazquez. [...]
Ms. Siena Cardamone honored as NEPA’s Outstanding TeacherMay 9, 2025PA 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> [...]
Junior Leadership Northern Poconos Graduation 2025May 8, 2025Congratulations to our Junior Leadership Northern Poconos graduates:
Ciarra Kidder
Phoebe Schmitt
Madison Trapanese
Graysen Valinski
Logan Vinton
The Chamber of the Northern Poconos is pleased to present the Junior Leadership Northern Poconos program. Our goal is to develop mutual understanding, respect, civic engagement, leadership and the interpersonal skills of high school juniors by proving real-world experiences. In addition to the skills learned and topics explored, the opportunities and challenges of the region are discussed as participants network with community leaders and other high school students. This program is for high school juniors from Forest City Regional, Wallenpaupack, Wayne Highlands and Western Wayne School Districts. [...]
Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Graduation – 2025May 2, 2025Congratulations go out to our two Tomorrow’s Leaders Today graduates… Audrey Agnello and Khloe Mistishin.
Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Program:
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 60 students, representing various geographic areas and schools, is selected to participate. The program runs from October through May. Sessions are held one full weekday each month from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. A graduation ceremony is held in the Spring. Upon completion of the 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. [...]
