PTFCA Indoor Track and Field State Championship Update:
Senior Trina Barcarola cleared 12’ 0” in the Girls Pole Vault to finish 7th overall and earned a state medal. This is Barcarola’s 11th career State medal in track and field. (2 indoor/9 outdoor.
Matt Leslie, (152lbs) a Junior, with a record of 39-3 and a District 2 Champ title, was seeded #1 in the North East AA Regionals. They were held at Williamsport High School on February 28-29, 2020.
Matt beat Matty Coller a Senior from Line Mountain with a 28-9 record. The score was 11-9 by decision. Next up was Senior Logan Newton from Wyalusing with a 32-6 record. Another win for Matt by decision 4-0. That moved him to the Championship round to face Wesley Barnes, a Freshman from Southern Columbia with a 33-9 record. He would lose to Barnes, getting pinned 3:12, however he would capture the Silver Medal and a ticket to the big show in Hershey, PA, the State Wrestling Championships! They will be held at the Giant Center in Hershey beginning Wednesday, March 4, throughday, March 7, when the finals will be held.
PIAA has the brackets out and Matt will have a 1st round bye. He will then face Malachi DuVall from Penns Valley. If you would like to follow here is link for live coverage: https://www.flowrestling.org/
Western Wayne has Three District 2 Wrestling Champs for 2020! Congratulations to Matt Leslie, Alex Hollister, and Jack McAllister – they are your District 2 Champs. They, along with Silver Medalist Tom Flood, and Bronze Medalist Nathan Koch now move on to the North East AA Regional’s at Williamsport High School on February 28-29, 2020 where the competition gets a little tougher. Also Congratulations to Scott Rush and Kevin Roginsky, coaches for the Varsity Wrestling Team.
District 2 AA Wrestling Championships were held recently at Hazelton High School, on February 21-22, 2020. Western Wayne placed 3rd in the Team Score and had 6 wrestlers medal, including 3 District Champs.
Western Wayne senior Alyssa Iovacchini has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of time to service their communities and their country, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Western Wayne nominated Alyssa for national honors this fall in recognition of her volunteer service.
Throughout Alyssa’s four years in high school she volunteered at Arrowhead Bible Camp in Brackney, PA. She found out about this opportunity through her pastor at the Waymart Church where she is an active member.
Alyssa described the service work she does each summer at the James Project held at Arrowhead Bible Camp. The James Project, named after the Book of James in the Bible, is a summer camp for mentally disabled adults. Alyssa and other volunteers work to clean the camp, so that the camp counselors can more focus their time on working with the campers.
In addition, Alyssa works at the camp in the winter doing the same jobs when youth groups and church retreats are at Arrowhead.
“I really enjoy this type of volunteer work because I am putting others before myself and making sure they have the most enjoyable time they can at the camp whether they be adults or other campers,” Alyssa explained.
She also participates in other various service activities in Waymart with her church throughout the school year.
“The faculty, staff, and administration at Western Wayne feel very proud of Alyssa’s accomplishments,” Western Wayne High School Principal Paul Gregorski said. “We hope our other students look up to her as a role model.”
In its 25th year, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.
“Across the United States, young volunteers are doing remarkable things to contribute to the well-being of the people and communities around them,” said Prudential Chairman CEO Charles Lowrey. “Prudential is honored to celebrate the contributions of these students, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer too.”
“Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life,” said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.”
Prudential Spirit of Community Award application details were distributed nationwide last September through middle level and high schools, Girl Scout Councils, County 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Points of Light Global Network members. These schools and officially-designated local organizations nominated Local Honorees, whose applications were advanced for state-level judging. In addition to granting President’s Volunteer Service Awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificate of Excellence recipients. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including initiative, effort, impact, and personal growth.
Alyssa feels honors to have been given this service award and to be able to represent the Western Wayne School District’s commitment to excellence through this honor. Along with her service activities, Alyssa also is involved in other activities at Western Wayne which include the National Honor Society, Spanish Club, and FBLA. After graduation, Alyssa aspires to attend a four-year college to pursue her teaching certificate in secondary education English.
“I think that my service work is preparing me for when I will one day work with students in my own classroom,” Alyssa said.
Kids of all ages can enjoy a night of entertainment to include the reading of children’s books, performances from the upcoming Western Wayne Drama Club’s production of Once Upon a Mattress, and even a performance by local magician David Black.
Western Wayne’s Robert D. Wilson Elementary School PTA will host Read Across America Night on Thursday, March 5, beginning at 4:45 p.m. The event is free of charge to the public. There will be tours of the RDW building and opportunities to stop in classrooms to hear stories read by RDW staff and friends from 4:45 until 5:30 p.m.
In addition, concessions will be available for purchase from 5:30 to 6 p.m. At 6 p.m. Western Wayne Drama Club students will perform excerpts from their upcoming spring show Once Upon a Mattress with performance dates set for April 17, 18, and 19. The musical is the classic story of the princess and the pea.
Senior Sydney Peet plays Queen Aggravain in the show. Her character is determined to keep her son Prince Dauntless, played by senior Honour Shaffer, from marrying an unsuitable bride. Sydney has really been enjoying playing the role of the queen who is quite out spoken.
“I enjoy playing a character who is set in what she wants and not afraid to get her point across,” Sydney, who is playing her third role in a Western Wayne musical and has played various roles in community theater, said. “I hope the audience likes our performance of “Sensitivity.” This is the queen’s solo in which she tries to come up with an unfair way to test the new princess in the kingdom suing for her son’s hand in marriage.”
“Sensitivity” is just one song from Once Upon a Mattress to be performed at Read Across America Night.
Another Western Wayne senior who is excited to perform is Sydney’s costar Honour Shaffer. Honour looks forward to performing in “The Swamps of Home” at Read Across America.
“I really think the audience will find this number entertaining because the princess tells a story about growing up in an unconventional swamp kingdom that she and everyone else on stage comes to find fascinating,” Honour, who is playing his fourth role in a Western Wayne musical, explained.
Senior Andie Solimine plays the role of Princess Winnifred. She feels very happy to be playing a lead role for her senior year having been in two musicals prior to this one at Western Wayne.
“I love to sing, act, and dance,” Andie said. “I really look forward to sharing what we have been practicing each day with the community.”
The final act of the evening will be a performance by local magician David Black at 6:30 p.m.
The RDW PTA, cast of Once Upon a Mattress, and everyone involved in Read Across America Night encourage the public to attend this fun event for kids of all ages.
Sports available to 7th & 8th grades are Baseball, Softball, and Track. Boys Volleyball and Tennis are for High School only.
Wayne County Community Foundation, Youth Advisory Committee presented two separate grants to Western Wayne High School students Rachel Hoch and Sydney Hutchinson on Friday, January 24.
Ryanne Jennings and William Gershey, representing the Wayne County Community Foundation, presented the grants to the students.
Rachel Hoch, sophomore, received a grant to use for her senior project. The project involves her work with Western Wayne High School’s annual spring Catwalk fashion show themed “Tune into Fashion”. Rachel will work to plan decorations for the show along with sewing other projects for the event. She also will choose a charity to donate proceeds from the event to.
“I felt glad I wrote the grant,” Rachel explained. “I know the funds will greatly benefit our spring show along with the community that will get to enjoy seeing it.”
Fellow classmate Sydney Hutchinson, junior, received her grant for her senior project which is a 5K color run to take place at Western Wayne High School on May 16. More information on her project will be available at www.westernwayne.org in the spring. Sydney is a member of both the Cross County and track teams and has an interest in studying business in college. She believes that her project will combine all of her interests and give her some experience in event organizing.
“I’m excited to use the grant money to develop an amazing 5K event for the public to enjoy,” Sydney explained.
Western Wayne High School administration and staff feel proud of these students who received grants and encourage the community to come out and enjoy both of these upcoming spring events.
Picture one, from left, standing: Trina Barcarola (YCA), Mrs. Colleen Carmody, Rachel Hoch, and Brendan Fitzsimmons (YCA).
Picture two, from left, standing: Trina Barcarola, Mrs. Laura Wojnar, Sydney Hutchinson, Mrs. Annette Fox, and Brendan Fitzsimmons (YCA).
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. [...]
