Western Wayne High School came together on Saturday, May 8th, in an exhibition of the arts. The chorus concert took place in the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium and the band concert followed in the high school gym.
The concerts showcased the groups’ musical abilities honed after months of hard work. Both the band and choir have faced challenges from a school year rife with uncertainty, but even through the difficulties of rehearsing in a pandemic the ensembles pressed onward and were proud to present a spring concert.
As chorus member and band drum major Rhonda Fenkner puts it, “Generally in the music program we’ve had our struggles, but thanks to the work of administration and teachers we were able to put on a show and persevere.”
The choir, directed by Mr. Taber Starnes, performed “Gratias Deo”, “We Believe in Music”, “Bully in the Alley”, and “Shenandoah”, as well as “Here’s to Us” featuring 12th grade students and “Wade in the Water” featuring PMEA District Chorus students. The band, directed by Mrs. Elaine Ort, presented their performance From Mozart to Modern with the songs “Overture to the Marriage of Figaro”, “Irish Tune from County Derry”, “The Wrong Note Rag”, “Sunchaser”, and “Fate of the Gods”.
The members of the band and chorus were pleased to have this opportunity to share their music with the community. Attendees of the event had preassigned tickets, and all COVID safety measures were in place for the performances.
A recording of the chorus concert can be found at the following link: https://youtu.be/e62QpzTlZ-w. As the school year ends, the Middle School chorus and band programs will also have concerts presented in much the same way as the High School music events. As they become available links to these performances will be posted on the Western Wayne web page https://ww3.westernwayne.org/
This is a fundraiser to benefit the Western Wayne sophomore class of 2023. If you have any questions please contact Trina Collins (tcarito@westernwayne.org), or Helene Tscheschlog (htscheschlog@westernwayne.org). ***PLEASE NOTE*** – This survey is being used to gather interest. – Order forms will be available in each of the building main offices, and monies collected by building secretaries. – Orders and payment must be in by May 14th. – Ticket books will be available for pick up during the week of May 21st.
The National Business Honor Society is designed to recognize FBLA members who truly excel in academic preparation and will pursue an eventual career in the business world. Pennsylvania FBLA recognizes that to succeed as a true business leader, members need to be well prepared in terms of their academics, career skills, and leadership development. Nominees must have an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, an overall cumulative GPA of 3.5 in a minimum of two completed business courses, demonstrated leadership, and have clearly defined career objective. This year, two members of Western Wayne FBLA have been inducted into the National Business Honor Society. Lacey Falloon and Lenny Maiocco were recognized at the PA FBLA Virtual State Leadership Conference in April. Both received a membership certificate, an honor society pin, and honor cords to be worn at graduation. From left: Lacey Falloon and Lenny Maiocco.
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 thrilled to have this opportunity to march in the parade,” Ort said. “It is an honor to represent Western Wayne.” 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.
Western Wayne’s CTC cosmetology junior Madison Bower won the Gold Medal in the CTC District Cosmetology Competition and then went on to place third in the State Competition. Both competitions took place this past spring virtually.
At the district level, Madison competed in the nail competition. This is a notable accomplishment as she is one of very few juniors to participate and only Gold Medalists are invited to compete at the state level. At the state level, Madison also did the nail competition and placed third. At first, Madison did not realize how prestigious the competitions she was a part of were. “After winning gold in the district competition is when I found out how big this competition actually was. I googled SkillsUSA and saw all the opportunities I had with this type of competition. That’s when I started getting really nervous,” Madison explained. “I did nails every free second I had. My house smelled like a nail salon 24/7. I focused mainly on the nail art. But the state competition required much more. It wasn’t as simple as gluing on tips and a quick acrylic layer. We had to do a gel overlay as well as sculpted acrylics which is where you sculpt the nail itself with no tip. I also had to know all the nail health and nail care for the interview questions. Then the nail art for five nails with a theme.” Madison’s hard work and preparations paid off with her third place win at the state competition.
“ I can’t wait for next year and the chance at coming back to a SkillsUSA competition either in the nail care or cosmetology (hair) part of the competition,” Madison explained. She is excited to compete in a variety of areas and demonstrate her skills. Madison has been interested in the cosmetology field for many years. She discussed what first got her hooked. “When I was probably 12 years old, I went swimming and my hair turned bright green,” Madison described. “No matter what we did the green wouldn’t come out, so my mom let me dye my hair, and it escalated from there. My hair has been every color you can think of. After that I started really getting into make up. I was always watching YouTube and trying out all types of makeup techniques. When I found out about CTC and that they had a cosmetology program, I knew when I was a freshman that I would apply to CTC for the program and see if this was the right field for me. I absolutely love it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Madison feels passionately about all aspects of cosmetology. “ I love almost everything to do with cosmetology,” she explained. “I think my favorite part is just being able to be creative whether it’s with nail art, hair coloring, up-dos. I just love trying new things and see how it turns out.” Madison plans to pursue the cosmetology field after graduation next year. “My future goals are to attend college for a business degree as well as cheer in college and to work in a salon while earning my degree,” she explained. “ I’d also have to keep up on continuing education for cosmetology. Once out of school, I would love to open my own salon and possibly my own competitive cheer team. I have two loves, cosmetology and cheerleading.” Pictured is Western Wayne junior Madison Bower with her gold medal and some of her cosmetology tools.
Pictured is Caitlyn Burdick, Western Wayne FCCLA president, who won the Western Wayne FCCLA Chapter Member of the Year Award at a recent virtual Eastern Region FCCLA conference.
From left Western Wayne students Zoey Goldman and Kennedy Mistishin who were recognized as Silver Medal Recipients at a recent virtual Eastern Region FCCLA conference for the Community Service Project event.
Pictured is Western Wayne student Adelaide Treibley who was also recognized as a Silver Medal Recipient at a recent virtual Eastern Region FCCLA conference for her work in the Professional Presentation event.
Western Wayne Family Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) recently were recognized for being Silver Medal Recipients at a virtual Eastern Region FCCLA conference. These students are now part of the Star Events National Team and will compete this summer at the virtual national conference.
FCCLA President Caitlyn Burdick, senior, won the Western Wayne FCCLA Chapter Member of the Year Award. Caitlyn serves as president of the club and has worked on many projects this school year.
“I most enjoyed my work this year planning our community events such as our Breakfast with Santa Drive-through,” Caitlyn, who plans to attend Marywood University upon graduation with a major in early childhood education, said. “We did our best to work with COVID guidelines for such programs. It was really worth it to see the smiles on little kids faces when they saw Santa at our event.”
Another winner at the conference was junior Adelaide Treibley. She competed in the Professional Presentation event. She had to present a ten-minute speech on the topic of her choice which was unemployment.
Adelaide feels passionately about her topic. She discussed how she thinks a solution to the unemployment problem is to have more funding for higher education. Therefore, more people would be trained for specialized jobs. Adelaide became interested in this topic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She explained how she had to dress professionally for her presentation and deliver her message in a strong and academic manner.
Adelaide placed second in this STAR Event. She will compete virtually in the National FCCLA competition.
In addition, Western Wayne juniors Kennedy Mistishin and Zoey Goldman placed second for their Community Service Project event. The girls were co-chairs of Western Wayne’s Drive-Through Breakfast with Santa this past December. For the competition, they had to create a display board and give a ten-minute speech about their experiences creating, preparing, and running the event.
The girls explained how they created a board with many pictures of their successful event along with how they illustrated their budget.
“I discussed how we were thrilled to get people out for our event, yet still keep them at a safe distance,” Kennedy explained.
Zoey added, “It was such a good event during a year where our community has struggled so much. I think we really helped the community.”
Both Kennedy and Zoey look forward to moving on to the National level of competition for their service project. The girls also feel excited for their senior year in FCCLA where they hope to do even more good for the community.
PPL awarded Western Wayne student Amy Newman Wireless Beats Headphones as a prize for completing a survey about her usage of tools in the Innovation Kit that all Western Wayne 9th grade high school students and some students in other grades got as a part of the PPL Think! Energy program this past fall. The students were challenged to use the items in the kit such as a smart power strip and a special shower head for water conservation, among other items. Newman and many other Western Wayne students used these items and then filled in a survey about their experiences. Newman was the lucky winner drawn at random for the Western Wayne School District. “I love my Wireless Beats Headphones,” Amy said. “They are so much fun.” Pictured is Amy Newman enjoying her prize.
1st row (l to r): Morgan Coccodrilli, Rhayni Carroll, Emily Romanowski, Kaeli Romanowski, Gabby Tetreault, Rachel Tuman, Adrian Agnello 2nd row (l to r): Skylar Long, Julie Bryan, Alaina Maiocco, Laynee Nugent, Rachel Hoch, Lacey Falloon, Alex Hineline, Alex Chapman, Dustin Ferraro
Twenty members of Western Wayne’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter were recognized at the Awards of Excellence program during the Virtual State Leadership Conference held recently.
During this conference, senior Lenny Maiocco, the PA FBLA Parliamentarian, and the other state officers conducted the session from their homes. Nine officers were elected/appointed to lead the organization during the 2021-2022 school year including Morgan Coccodrilli, State Reporter; and Gabby Tetreault, State Parliamentarian. Both students are juniors at Western Wayne.
The top ten members/teams were recognized for their performance in one of the 70+ different competitive events. The top four winners in each event qualify for the National Leadership Conference to also be held virtually because of the Pandemic.
The members from Western Wayne included: Intro to Parliamentary Procedure: Jenna Kwiatkowski, first; Alex Chapman, third; and Skylar Long, fifth place. Intro to FBLA: Rhayni Carroll, second; and Emily Romanowski, tenth place. Parliamentary Procedure. The team of Lenny Maiocco, Lena Piccolino, Gabby Tetreault, Rachel Hoch, and Kaeli Romanowski, third place. Accounting II: Alex Hineline, fifth; and Lacey Falloon, ninth place. Management Decision Making, Rachel Tuman, fifth place. Intro to Public Speaking: Adrian Agnello. Word Processing: Laynee Nugent; Intro to Business Presentation: Alaina Maiocco and Ella Pavlovich, ninth place. Public Service Announcement: the team of Julie Bryan, Cyrah Biehler, and Dustin Ferraro, ninth place.
In addition, the Western Wayne chapter placed fourth in the Outstanding Chapter event and third in the Local Market Share Award. Lenny Maiocco placed third in Who’s Who in Pennsylvania FBLA and William Selden Scholarship Award.
The Department of Social Work at Kutztown University is conducting a statewide study titled “Access to Mental Health in Rural Pennsylvania” and is seeking parent of school age children to complete and online survey which should take about 15 min. The survey explores the demand for and access to mental health services. You can enter a random drawing to win a $25 Walmart or Target gift card by completing this survey.
We are also seeking parents to speak more in-depth about their experiences.
Online Parent Interview:
We are also looking to interview parents of school-age children about their experiences seeking mental health or substance abuse treatment for their children. The interview will last about an hour and you are paid $10 for your time.
You are eligible to participate in the interview process if: 1) You are a parent of youth 18 2) You have experience accessing mental health services for your child 3) You live in rural Pennsylvania.
If you are interested in participating in an individual interview, please contact the Juliana Svistova at 610-683-4330 to schedule a date and time to complete the interview.
Western Wayne students were elected as Region 22 FBLA Officers for the 2021-2022 school year. Junior Luciano Azzato will serve as secretary for the region and Junior Morgan Coccodrilli will serve as president for the region next year. At present, Lou serves as the region treasurer, and Morgan serves as the region secretary. From left: Morgan and Lou.
This past winter Western Wayne FBLA students participated in the Regional Leadership Conference for the state of Pennsylvania in a virtual format. The students performed very well, and two Western Wayne students were elected as Region 22 FBLA Officers for the 2021-2022 school year. Junior Luciano Azzato will serve as secretary for the region and Junior Morgan Coccodrilli will serve as president for the region next year. At present, Lou serves as the region treasurer, and Morgan serves as the region secretary.
Lou said that he has been making the most of this unique year in education and FBLA. He explained how he has had the opportunity to meet virtually with other region office holders. Lou also enjoyed his experience in the virtual Regional Leadership Conference. He discussed how he participated in the Business Calculations event and that he is preparing to participate in the State Leadership Conference for this same event during March.
As of right now, Lou is interested in the business field for a possible future career. He really enjoys math in general. He discussed what FBLA has taught him over the years.
“It’s taught me a lot of important skills that I have not learned in my regular classes,” Lou explained. “I learned about interest and finance, and this has helped me to use my money the right way. Also, I have learned leadership skills such as responsibility, in taking care of others, and using my communication skills in a good positive way to get things done.”
Lou aspires to attend a four-year university after graduation and is interested in Temple University, York University, and Penn State University.
Junior Morgan Coccodrilli is also glad to have the chance to participate in FBLA this year. He explained how he helped to organize a meeting on a regional level by securing a speaker from the Woodloch Pines Resort to meet with the regional officers virtually. Matt Kiesendahl of Woodloch spoke to the students.
“We learned how Woodloch has handled their business during the pandemic,” Morgan explained. “We learned that it is important to cater to the people and to make sure your customers are your main priority. We also learned about the importance of caring for employees and adhering to CDC guidelines.”
In addition, Morgan explained how he really liked his experience in the Impromptu Speaking event at the Regional Leadership Conference. He said that students in the event were given a prompt and ten minutes to prepare to speak on it. The prompt was about how being in FBLA is like being a superhero.
“I discussed how being in FBLA is like being a part of The Avengers,” Morgan explained. “You are a part of a team, and you help others.”
Morgan placed first in the Impromptu Speaking event. He aspires to attend Penn State University and major in either engineering or premed. He is also thinking about doing an ROTC program.
“FBLA has taught me that a good leader understands when working with others not everyone will always agree. You need to be able to find common ground to have success when working in a group,” Morgan said.
The following Western Wayne students placed in the FBLA Regional Leadership Conference. In the Accounting II event: Lacey Fallon, first place; Alex Hineline, second place.
In the Banking & Financial Systems event: Delaney Valinski, first place. In the Business Calculations event: Luciano Azzato, third place. In the Business Communication event: Hannah Elbert, fourth place. In the Business Ethics event: Brett Schane and Caden Slifko, first place. In the Business Ethics event: Adeladie Treibley, third place.
In the Economics event, Haley Estus, fourth place. In the Entrepreneurship event, Anya Rusnak and Sydney Hutchinson, fourth place. In the Hospitality & Event Management Event: Morgan Heenan, Sarah Collins, Alexandra Butler, first place. In the Impromptu Speaking event: Morgan Coccodrilli, first place.
In the Introduction to Business event: Lucas Putman, second place. In the Introduction to Business Presentation event: Alaina Maiocco and Ella Pavolvich, first place. In the Introduction to Business Procedures event: Brenna McGlone, second place; and Mackenzie Kennedy, fourth place.
In the Introduction to Event Planning event: Eleanor Black, fifth place. In the Introduction to FBLA event: Emily Romanowski, first place; Rhayni Carroll, second place; Taylor Maiocco, fourth place. In the Introduction to Financial Math event: Allie Pauler, third place; Weston Nugent, fifth place. In the Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure event: Skylar Long, first place; Alex Chapman, second place; Jenna Kwiatkowski, third place.
In the Introduction to Public Speaking event: Adrian Agnello, second place. In the Management Decision Making event: Rachel Tuman, first place. In the Marketing event: Aly McCarthy and Emilie McAllister, second place. In the Parliamentary Procedure event: Leonard Maiocco, Kaeli Romanowski, Lena Piccolino, Gabby Tetreault, and Rachel Hoch, first place. In the Personal Finance event: Thomas Gogolski, fifth place.
In the Public Speaking event: Kelton Slifko, second place; Lily Visceglia, third place. In the Sports & Entertainment Management event: Jake Kopcza, Alex Iovacchini, and Ashton Fitzsimmons, third place; and Caleb Hoch and Matthew Henneforth, fourth place. In the Word Processing event: Laynee Nugent, second place.
In the Public Service Announcement event: Julie Bryan, Cyrah Biehler, and Dustin Ferraro, all are Top 10 State Qualifiers.
ALL NEWS
Special OlympicsApril 23, 2025Thank you to everyone who participated in the Special Olympics. [...]
Dr. Mark Nebzydoski Receives Prestigious Charlie Bright Award from Wayne Pike Trout UnlimitedApril 15, 2025On Saturday, April 12, 2025, during the annual Wayne Pike Trout Unlimited Banquet and Fundraiser, Dr. Mark Nebzydoski—a science teacher at Western Wayne High School and passionate participant in the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program—was honored with the 2025 Charlie Bright Award.Presented by the members of the Wayne Pike Trout Unlimited Chapter, the Charlie Bright Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, dedicated service, and meaningful contributions to cold-water conservation. The award is named in honor of Charlie Bright, a beloved long-time Trout Unlimited member and owner of the Charlie Bright Fly Fishing Shop in Rowland, located on the banks of the Lackawaxen River, which he operated for more than 40 years.“It was truly a humbling experience to be recognized for my work in watershed education and cold-water conservation,” Dr. Nebzydoski said. “I am deeply grateful for this kind gesture.”Dr. Nebzydoski leads the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program at Western Wayne High School, where students raise rainbow trout from eggs provided by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. Throughout the school year, students care for the trout and learn about aquatic ecosystems, biology, and the importance of clean, cold water for trout survival. The program culminates in a spring field trip to the Varden Conservation Area, where the trout—now fingerlings—are released into the wild. Wayne Pike Trout Unlimited proudly partners in this annual release, helping to connect students directly with conservation in action.This recognition highlights Dr. Nebzydoski’s commitment not only to science education but also to fostering environmental stewardship in the next generation.
Picture Caption: (Left to Right: Vice President Wayne Pike TU – Tony Capitano; President Wayne Pike TU- Paul Ranello; Western Wayne Science Teacher, Dr. Mark Nebzydoski; Wayne Pike TU Youth Advisor – Don Strathy) [...]
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Freedom Lodge #88 Donates Bench to WWHSApril 15, 2025Western Wayne junior Connor Buchinski is in The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Freedom Lodge #88 in Honesdale. Connor has been a part of this organization for about a year now. Membership in The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is somewhat of a legacy in his family with his grandfather Dennis Buchinski being a member along with his father Doug Buchinski and other family members.
One of the community outreach efforts of Freedom Lodge #88 is collecting soft plastic. There is even a collection bin in the office of the Western Wayne High School. Once 1,000 lbs. of plastic is gathered the organization recycles with the Trex Bench program and donates a Bench to a non-profit organization. It was Connor’s idea to donate one of the benches this year to Western Wayne High School.
“I thought students would enjoy it during their lunch periods,” Connor said. “I really like working with this organization because of the new people I get to meet and the members of the community that I get to help.”
On Monday April 14th Freedom Lodge #88 members donated the Trex Bench to Western Wayne High School.
Freedom Lodge #88 also donated a history book to the Western Wayne High School Library on the Pennsylvania history of The Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Connor plans to work to collect more plastic and donate another bench to the Western Wayne High School before his senior year is over.
From left, standing: Sarah Rickert, high school teacher; Dennis Hiller, Lodge #88; Mr. Paul B. Gregorski, high school principal; Dennis Buchinski, Lodge #88 member; Maria Phillips, high school teacher; and Forrest Goodenough, Lodge #88 member. From left, seated: Doug Buchinski, Lodge #88 member; and Connor Buchinski, Lodge #88 member and Western Wayne junior. [...]
High School’s Student Council attends Student Council ConferenceApril 4, 2025Western Wayne High School’s Student Council was invited to attend the annual Pennsylvania Association of Student Council’s Region H Conference, hosted by Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School, on Friday, March 28th. Several of our students joined the 535 delegates, presenters, and advisors for a day of networking and learning more about what it means to be an effective leader in school and how to become one! Our students were thrilled with the opportunity to attend and left energized to put much of what they learned into practice here at Western Wayne! Pictured from left to right are Autumn Sawicki, Leah Reeger, Sadie Booths, Dakota Douglas, Madison Forgione, Raegan Fox, Makenzie Chearney, and Madie Kizer. [...]
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.