Western Wayne’s College and Career Fair will be on October 6th during 1st through 4th periods. We are excited to announce we have partnered with Strive Scan. This is an easy and contactless way for students to share their information with the Colleges in attendance. There is no longer any need to complete the information cards at the tables. Following the fair, each student will receive an email with information about each college they connected with, through their individualized barcodes. All students should register at https://www.strivescan.com/visits/ . Select student registration and complete the personal and student information. The academic and demographic information is optional. Your individualized barcode will then be texted and emailed to you. If you do not have a cell phone, you can print out the barcode to be scanned during the fair.
The Western Wayne Hot Rod Club will host their 6th Annual Car Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3. Spectators enter for free. Registration cost for vehicles is ten dollars. Cars will be directed to park in the lots near the football stadium for the show. The Drama Club will sell concessions at the stadium for spectators. In addition, there will be music, basket raffles, and, of course, prizes for car, truck, tractor, motorcycle, and best in show. All proceeds benefit both the Hot Rod and Drama Clubs. Please come out and support our students for this event to end Homecoming weekend.
National Substitute Appreciation Week is September 6-10. Western Wayne is grateful for our substitute and guest teachers. Thank you for stepping in to work with students when we need you the most!
If you are interested in joining the Western Wayne team, contact the District Office at 1-800-321-9973 Option 5.
Lenny’s hometown is Lake Ariel, PA. His parents are Christa and Len Maiocco. His activities in school are FBLA, NHS, Student Council, Spanish Club, Youth Advisory Committee, and tennis. In addition, he was named one of the Scranton Times Superstar Scholars. In FBLA, he was the State Parliamentarian for the 2020-2021 school year. In addition, he placed 1st at States in FBLA for Parliamentary Procedure, and in tennis he has won the District 2 Class 2A Boys Single Championships three years in a row and placed 3rd as a sophomore at States and 4th as a senior. His plans for the future are to attend the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Salutatorian, Celeste Orchard
Celeste’s hometown is Lake Ariel, PA. Her parents are Jeffrey and Magdalena Orchard. Her activities in school are National Honor Society, dual-enrollment, and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today. Her freshman year, she participated in girl’s JV soccer and art club. Also, she was a member of the Varsity Track team her freshman through junior years. In addition, she participated in Student Council and SAAD for her freshman through junior years. She also is a student ambassador for Western Wayne. In addition, she won second runner up in the American Chemical Society’s exam for first year high school chemistry. In her junior year in FBLA, she placed third in the Accounting I event. For her future plans, Celeste committed to Marywood University to study Pre-Professional Biology. She also completed her first year of college via dual enrollment from Penn State Scranton and Lackawanna College. In addition, she was named one of the Scranton Times Superstar Scholars. She maintained her class rank although she took on college coursework and completed her college courses with A’s. She took courses during winter break and intends to continue with a summer course. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue graduate school to become an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Picture One: From left, seniors Maggie Millon, Rachel Wertman, and Keyly-Shaye Robinson compare the unique caps they made for graduation. Millon will take a gap year and hopes to pursue a career that possibly involves fashion design. She was the only four-year fashion design student in the Western Wayne graduating class of 2021. Wertman plans to attend Iowa State University to major in science. Robinson plans to attend Nova Southeastern University in Florida to study Marine Biology.
Picture Two: From left, seniors Irene Sheehan, Thomas Gogolski,and Noelle Cruz chat about their friendship before the graduation ceremony. Sheehan plans to take a gap year and then do an internship in Kentucky in interior design. Gogolski will attend the University of South Florida and study finance. Cruz will attend the Pennsylvania College of Technology and study dental hygiene.
Picture Three: From left, band seniors head up from a final rehearsal to join their classmates in line for graduation Abigail Lopez, Stephanie Knecht, and Cheyenne Haney.
Picture Four: From left, band seniors head up from a final rehearsal to join their classmates in line for graduation Hailey Robbins, Julia Lamberton, and Alex Taylor.
Picture Five: Senior Rhonda Fenkner, one of this year’s drum majors, heads up to meet her classmates in line for graduation. Rhonda will attend Marywood in the fall and double-major in music therapy and music education. Picture Six: Band Director Elaine Ort directs the Western Wayne Band as they play the processional music for graduation. Junior class president Morgan Coccodrilli looks on as the band plays (second row, end seat on left).
Picture Seven: Valedictorian Lenny Maiocco leads a line down to the field for graduation. Picture Eight: Senior Hayley Kovaleski twirls around in the rain on the way down to the field to graduation. From left: Jordan Koch, Hayley Kovaleski, Michael Kromko, Miranda Kubilus, and Maggy Langendoerfer.
Picture Nine: Senior class president Madison McGlone passes the mantle on to junior class president Morgan Coccodrilli.
Picture Ten: Senior Gabby Velez receives her diploma. Velez plans to move to Illinois to be near family. After first joining the workforce, she hopes to attend college for art animation.
Picture Eleven: Salutatorian Celeste Orchard shakes hands with Western Wayne High School Principal Paul Gregorski after the graduation ceremony is over.
Picture Twelve: From left seniors Natasha Orehek and Maggie Millon embrace after receiving their diplomas. Orehek will attend Penn State Worthington in the fall with an undecided major.
True to the everchanging unique time the 2020-2021 school year was tonight’s graduation had a surprise rain shower as students processed onto the field in their caps and gowns. Many say that rain is a sign of good luck or a blessing when it falls on an important day, and this graduation day for a class that had their senior year during a global pandemic was truly blessed with the love of all of the families of the graduates in attendance who cheered them on through rain and shine from the stands. Students each had a limited amount of tickets to give to family members for tonight’s event to lessen the crowd.
Senior Madison McGlone, president of the Class of 2021, gave the Welcome Address.
“Once a Wildcat always a Wildcat,” she told her fellow classmates about how she knows they will always feel welcome back at the district in the future when they stop for a visit.
McGlone then presented the Class Mantle to Morgan Coccodrilli, junior class president.
Senior Celeste Orchard was then named salutatorian with a GPA of 101. Celeste gave a speech on the importance of words.“Words have power over us,” she said. “Seldom do people celebrate themselves and it is important to celebrate our own value. I have nothing but pride for myself and for my class.”
Next senior Leonard Maiocco III was announced as valedictorian with a GPA of 101.5.
“It is an honor and a privilege to give the final farewell to the class of 2021,” Maiocco said.
He discussed the unique school year had by all. “We have faced challenges that no other class has ever had to face,” Lenny continued. “We persisted and we are here tonight with our family members in the stands.”
The Honesdale National Bank presented the Western Wayne Education Association with a check for 1,600 this past spring. The money is given through EITC, Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. The money then funds enrichment at the district for needs of students outside of the traditional curriculum such as field trips, equipment, etc. Most recently the money was used to fund a ninth grade science camp field trip and a photography project done by high school students. The Western Wayne School District is extremely grateful for the generosity of HNB. From left: Tim McClure, high school social studies teacher; Robert Ferraro, a branch manager from HNB; Maria Masankay, high school science teacher; and Paul Gregorski, high school principal.
The Western Wayne Marching Band waits in their parade block before stepping off for the Pride & Patriotism Parade
From left, newly elected Western Wayne Band student leaders for the 2021-22 school year, standing: Joanna Regalbuto, Isabella O’Donnell, Madison Weinczyk, Evan Peirce, B. Flannery, Hudson Malinowski, Bridget Oppelt, and Aidan Donnini. From left, kneeling: Emily Brophy, Maggie Nagle, Madison Kammer, and Jenny Guadagno
From left Western Wayne Color Guard members: Joanna Regalbuto, Emily Brophy, Jamie Newman, Amanda David, Amy Newman, Isabella O’Donnell, and Rebekah Palko
For the first time in over a year the Western Wayne Marching Band was able to participate in a parade performance. The band marched in the annual Waymart Pride & Patriotism Parade on Saturday, June 12. The group was met with much applause from a very supportive community who missed seeing a lot of the pride of Western Wayne this year due to COVID-19. The students were thrilled to be out playing for the public again. “It was an awesome way to end my senior year as a drum major,” Rhonda Fenkner, who will attend Marywood University in the fall, said. “When I was first announced to be one of the drum majors at our live meet band banquet [on the internet] last spring, I had no idea what our performance season would actually look like. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunities I had this year to perform for a live audience safely. This final parade was an excellent experience I wasn’t sure I would even be able to have.”
Senior Maggie Millon shows her embroidered tank top.
Senior Maggie Millon models the pants she made out of bean sacks.
Senior Maggie Millon models her “Bada bean, bada boom” pants.
Senior Maggie Millon models her fabulous red corduroy outfit.
Senior Lily Visceglia shows some of her designs.
Western Wayne Fashion students created their first-ever virtual fashion show this year, appropriately themed “Do What You Can.”
In the words of Bon Jovi from the song “Do What You Can” which he wrote with some help from his fans to inspire others to carry on during the pandemic: “If you can’t do what you do, do what you can.”
Colleen Carmody, show director and fashion teacher, said she thought the song made for perfect inspiration for the theme of this year’s fashion show that is much different from the Catwalk fashion show that is usually put on, but needed to be done in a new way due to COVID-19.
“This year’s fashion show is dedicated to a year of challenge, perseverance, and change for all of us both teacher and student,” Carmody noted. “Through equipment and supply exchanges, adjustments in schedules, and cameras, we made it.”
Students in grades 9 through 12 had their pieces featured in the show. The Introduction to Sewing class had featured purses, bulletin board research projects, and visual design projects. The Textile and Design classes modeled pajamas, skirts, and bags. While the Fashion and Design class showed bucket hats, skirts, dresses, and jackets in the show.
Senior Maggie Millon was the only four-year fashion student in the show this year.
Millon started sewing in 8th grade after going to an after-school art club where other students were creating sewing and fashion projects. She just knew she wanted to get involved in the fun after seeing upperclassmen at Western Wayne doing it.
Maggie’s senior fashion collection is titled “Golden Rosebud of the 70s”.
“My middle name is Rose, and my dad calls me Rosebud, so I just took my inspiration from there,” Maggie explained. “Of course, I also am very inspired by fashions from the 1970s era.”
She has a number of beautifully designed pieces in her senior collection. One is a tank top with paint and embroidery. The tank top has the classic Beatles’ song lyric “Here comes the sun,” a song lyric from a modern band called AURORA that is “Drinking your eyes” from their song called “The River” along with a Hindu symbol that means peace embroidered on it. She also has a stunning red outfit made of corduroy–this ensemble is her favorite. It includes a fashionable blazer with snakeskin lining and bell bottom pants. In addition, she has some funky pants made from bean sacks that appropriately have lettering that says “Bada bean, bada boom.”
Maggie is pleased with all the pieces in her collection and feels so happy to share them with the school and the community through the fashion video.
In addition to working on her senior collection this year, Maggie also completed her senior project which also involved sewing in a unique way.
Maggie made about 20 dresses out of recycled pillowcases for Little Dresses for Africa, a non-profit 501c3 Christian organization. She spent time gathering pillowcases from the community and especially liked the beautiful pillow cases she got from some older women she knew in Wayne and Lake Ariel.
She then shipped the dresses to the organization and is thrilled that girls in Africa have gotten to wear them.
“I really like to help people,” Maggie explained.
She hopes to make more dresses for Little Dresses for Africa after graduation.
Maggie had a lot of fun in her fashion and design classes throughout high school. She especially enjoyed working with her teacher Colleen Carmody on fashion projects through the years. Maggie is considering pursuing a career that involves design or art in some way in the future.
“I like being able to put pieces of myself into whatever I make,” Maggie explained. “I can take a basic pattern and make it my own through creativity. I am inspired by past fashion and use old movies for reference as well.”
Fellow senior Lily Visceglia has done fashion and design classes at Western Wayne for the past three years.
She also had a variety of pieces in the fashion video.
One is an up-cycle denim outfit with a cheetah bell sleeve. She also had a bucket hat in the show along with a cardigan with a butterfly and ladybug print. In addition, she had a green suede skirt.
Lily plans to attend Wilkes University in the fall to study early childhood education with a minor in the arts. Lily loves many fields in the arts including fashion design, band, and musical theater. She hopes as a teacher of young children that she can incorporate all of her passions into her career.
“I like making my own designs,” Lily explained. “When I put it on paper and see it, I feel accomplished. The creation process can be difficult, but the end product is always great.”
Western Wayne administration and staff congratulate the students on their fashion video that was made in a year of uncertainty and many challenges. These students truly did what they could for the “Do What You Can” fashion show, and they exceeded all expectations. The district looks forward to their annual Catwalk Fashion Show next year.
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. [...]
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.
