Western Wayne High School visual artists and musicians are coming together this Saturday, May 11th in an exhibition of the arts. The annual art show exhibit will start at 1 p.m. in the Western Wayne High School gym. This will be followed by the High School Chorus and Band concert beginning at 3 p.m. in the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium. All of Saturday’s events are free to the public.
This April the robotics team FRC 4285 Camobots (composed of Honesdale HS and Western Wayne HS students) competed in the World Championships for robotics in Houston, Texas. They competed in a group of 608 teams. FRC 4282 finished 6th in their division which put them in the top 25% of the entire world of robotics. The team made many connections with other teams, the Department of Defense, colleges, corporations, and educational personnel from the government. FRC 4285 will be working diligently in the offseason to train up students with what they have learned and will collaborate with teams near and far to grow the program. Western Wayne teacher and team advisor Brian Landry wants to thank the community for their well wishes and all of the help they received from both them and the district in the club’s journey to this tremendous accomplishment.
The 73rd annual Pennsylvania State Leadership Conference was held this past week in Hershey. Western Wayne FBLA had 32 members competing at the conference this year. Sixteen of those 32 members placed in the top 10 at the state level and were recognized at the Awards of Excellence Program. Eight members have qualified to compete at the FBLA National Leadership Conference this June in Orlando.
The Business Ethics team of Rhayni Carroll, Taylor Maiocco, and Emily Romanowski placed 3rd. Olivia Gries placed 2nd in Introduction to Business Communications. The team of Audrey Agnello and Phoebe Schmitt placed 4th in Introduction to Business Presentation. Maggie Kotchessa placed 5th and Khole Mistishin placed 7th in Introduction to FBLA. Madelyn McClure placed 3rd and Madelyn Vinton placed 6th in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure. The team of Clare Coccodrilli, Isabella Kolp, and Avery Ullner placed 9th in Introduction to Social Media Strategies. The team of Connor Bryant and David Elias placed 10th in Sports and Entertainment Management. Allie Pauler placed 4th in Word Processing.
In addition, Rhayni Carroll placed 4th, Emily Romanowski placed 7th, and Adrian Agnello placed 8th in Who’s Who in Pennsylvania FBLA and were recipients of the William Seldon Scholarship. Adrian and Emily each received a $1000 scholarship and Rhayni received a scholarship of $1250.
The team has won a District Champion at a District Event along with Innovation in Automation and Creativity Award for Robot Design and Gameplay
See link information below:
April 4, 2024
FIRST FMA Regional Championship Day 1 video feed: Lehigh University Stabler Goodman Stadium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLcQibPeSck
EST Qualification Matches start 1:30PM-6PM (8AM – noon is inspection / practice matches / calibration)
April 5, 2024
FIRST FMA Regional Championship Day 2 video feed: Lehigh University Stabler Goodman Stadium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0o5SW-QV8U
EST Qualification Matches start 8AM-6PM
April 6, 2024
FISRT FMA Regional Championship Day 3 video feed: Lehigh University Stabler Goodman Stadium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCDUeduIIeQ
EST Qualification Matches start 8AM-12 noon then Finals selection matches start 1PM est – 6PM
Western Wayne Drama Club’s production this year is The Addams Family School Edition A New Musical. The cast, crew, and pit band are excited to perform the show for the community. Performances of Western Wayne Drama Club’s The Addam Family are at Western Wayne High School’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium on Friday, April 12, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 13 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students, and Western Wayne students are free with a student ID. Follow us on instagram at ww_drama_club
All tickets are sold at the door. We will also have basket raffles and refreshments available at the show for purchase.
The Addams Family School Edition is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com THE ADDAMS FAMILY School Edition A NEW MUSICAL Book by MARSHALL BRICKMAN and RICK ELICE Music and Lyrics by ANDREW LIPPA Orchestrations by Larry Hochman Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams Originally produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary LuRoffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Company/Clarence, LLC, Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals; By Special Arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical.
All involved with the show are grateful to have the opportunity to perform for an audience and cordially invite you to their show.
“We have been working on some of the scenes since November and can’t wait to bring this iconically hysterical story to life,” senior Drama Club President Nathan Conway, who plays Gomez Addams, and serves as a student director, said.
Fellow senior Caden Wilson, who plays Lurch, and serves as a student director, agrees, “There are so many scenes that I think the audience will connect because they know the Addams family characters. They’ll get to see some of them in a new light since the musical centers around the story of an older Wednesday who has recently become engaged to a boy the complete opposite of her from Ohio. ”
Senior Mackenzie Kennedy is also excited for the performance. She will play the role of Grandma Addams and serves as stage manager. “I’m so excited to have my first named lead role this year,” Kenzie said. “She is such a fun character to play; she really tells it like it is.”
Cast members include: Nathan Conway, Gomez Addams, club president, student director; Jade Wetherington, Morticia Addams; club PR officer; Lillian Maros, Wednesday Addams; club historian, assistant student director; Colette Schmitt, Pugsley Addams, club secretary; Owen Obloshny, Fester Addams; club vice president; Mackenzie Kennedy, Grandma Addams, stage manager; Caden Wilson, Lurch, student director; Robert Scramuzza, Conquistador Ancestor, club vice president; assistant student director; Scott Kurent, Caveman Ancestor; Zachary Jordan, Soldier Ancestor; Brenna McGlone, Saloon Girl Ancestor; Emma DeNunzio, Flight Attendant Ancestor, assistant stage manager; Stephanie Maxwell, Bride Ancestor, student costume assistant; Madison Trapanese, Pirate Ancestor; prop mistress; Molly French, School Girl Ancestor; Zachary Wilbur, Grim Reaper, student music director assistant; Hayley Cordero, Thing; Charlotte Skelton, Cousin It; Joseph Regalbuto, Mal Beineke, club treasurer; Emily Lescinski, Alice Beineke; Jason Vass, Lucas Beineke; and Madison Forgione, the Moon.
Ensemble Cast Members include: Dakota Douglas, Aveah Drelich, Hannah Dockemeyer, Kendall Murray, Melinda Kopzca, Abigayle Pavlicek, Olivia Swingle, Avery Ullner, Allen Ratchford, Isabella Hayden, Britney Wertman, Mikayla Fullone, Jesse Mitchell, Mackenzie Warnock, Chloe Jewett, Alex Bernardi, Laila Rainford, Ian Forney, Johnathon Maxwell. Stage crew members: Tash Amberg, Luckus Balmer, Claire Cowley, Nathan Day, Madison Vinton, Sonora Dockemeyer, Ireland Swingle, Roslyn Knecht, Anthony Martin, Kallie Wehrmann, Leo West, Audrey Capozzi, Margaret Norris, Lola Vertalics, Tori Walton, Kaitlin Wargo, Milo MacCollum, Charlotte Skelton, Joseph Regalbuto, Jameson Balmer, Michael Olivo, Summer Paugh, Mikayla Fullone. Student pit orchestra members: Xavier Graham, Lia Hartman, Will Dwyer, Kalob Franko, Makayla Moser, Kayla Walton, Brad Miehle, Antonio Fisichella, Nicholas Fisichella, and Anthony Redmond.
Picture One: The full cast of Western Wayne Drama Club’s The Addams Family School Edition A New Musical.
Picture Two: Stage Crew for Western Wayne Drama Club’s Production of The Addams Family
Picture Three: Pit Band for Western Wayne Drama Club’s Production of The Addams Family
Picture Four: From left: Owen Obloshny, Fester Addams; Colette Schmitt, Pugsley Addams; Lillian Maros, Wednesday Addams; Charlotte Skelton, Cousin It; Nathan Conway, Gomez Addams; Jade Wetherington, Morticia Addams; Mackenzie Kennedy, Grandma Addams; and Caden Wilson as Lurch; pose by their family car.
Picture Five: From left (seated): Nathan Conway, Gomez Addams; Jade Wetherington, Morticia Addams. From left (standing): Lillian Maros, Wednesday Addams; Caden Wilson, Lurch; Owen Obloshny, Fester Addams; Colette Schmitt, Pugsley Addams; Charlotte Skelton, Cousin It; and Mackenzie Kennedy as Grandma Addams pose for an Addams Family portrait.
Picture Six: From left: Allen Ratchford, Molly French, Madison Forgione, Zachary Jordan, Stephanie Maxwell, Scott Kurent, Nathan Conway, Gomez Addams; Jade Wetherington, Morticia Addams; Brenna McGlone, Melinda Kopcza, Madison Trapanese, and Zachary Wilbur, Grim Reaper, tango together.
Picture Seven: Grandma Addams, played by Mackenzie Kennedy, warns her grandson Pugsley Addams, played by Colette Schmitt, to stay away from her acrimonium potion or else.
Picture Eight: Alice Beineke, played by Emily Lescinski; Mal Beineke, played by Joseph Regalbuto; and Lucas Beineke, played by Jason Vass; search for the Addams Family home so that Lucas can introduce his parents to his fiancee Wednesday Addams. Cousin It, played by Charlotte Skelton, gives the family a not-so-subtle hint.
Picture Nine: Gomez Addams, played by Nathan Conway, talks to the worst hotel in Paris to try to mend his relationship with Moricia after he keeps a secret from her. Cousin It, played by Charlotte Skelton, and Lurch, played by Caden Wilson, do their best to help the forlorn Gomez.
Picture Ten: Gomez Addams, played by Nathan Conway, sings the song “Trapped” about his conflicted feelings over trying to keep his daughter’s secret and lying to his wife along with practicing his fencing skills with the help of Lurch, played by Caden Wilson; and Thing, played by Hayley Cordero.
Picture Eleven: Gomez Addams, played by Nathan Conway; gives the future father-in-law of his daughter, Mal Beineke, played by Joseph Regalbuto, an overly enthusiastic tour of the Addams mansion.
Picture Twelve: Alice Beineke, played by Emily Lescinski, brings a gift to Morticia Addams, played by Jade Wetherington, that is much too bright for the Addams Family’s usual style. From left (kneeling): Madison Forgione, Brenna McGlone, Madison Trapanese, and Molly French. From left (standing, row two): Lillian Maros, Wednesday Addams; Jason Vass, Lucas Beineke; Emily Lescinski, Alice Beineke; Nathan Conway, Gomez Addams; Jade Wethertington, Morticia Addams; Colette Schmitt, Pugsley Addams; Mackenzie Addams, Grandma Addams; Charlotte Skelton, Cousin It; Stephanie Maxwell. From left (standing, row three): Owen Obloshny, Fester Addams; Scott Kurent, Joseph Regalbuto, Mal Beineke; Zachary Wilbur, Grim Reaper; Caden Wilson, Lurch; and Zachary Jordan.
Scott Rush’s athletic accomplishments earned him a spot in the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
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RESERVATIONS DUE SATURDAY, MARCH 23
The cast and crew of The Western Wayne Drama Club’s production of The Addams Family School Edition will host a Character Breakfast on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m. in the High School cafeteria. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and senior citizens. You can reserve tickets by using the following Google Form. Form link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUPNEM06dLL5oewmhdM1fenYxIZEmWOwjw90UI5nXi4/edit
TICKET ORDER DEADLINE IS THIS WEEK ON MARCH 23. Any questions, email jmclau@wwsd.io
Save the date for our performances of The Addams Family School Edition on Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 14 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.
Front row, from left: Nathan Conway as Gomez; Jade Wetherington as Morticia; and Charlotte Skelton as Cousin It. Back row, from left: Lilly Maros as Wednesday; Caden Wilson as Lurch; Owen Obloshny as Uncle Fester; Colette Schmitt as Pugsley; and MacKenzie Kennedy as Grandma.
Western Wayne High School is planning to start its first Career Technical Education (CTE) program, focused on computer programming and networking.
Certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), a CTE program can prepare students for the workforce directly from high school with the added advantage a CTE can have on the resume, district STEAM Principal Elizabeth Watson said.
Click here for the full story!
Under the direction of Coach Shawn McFadden, Western Wayne junior Olivia Ford is making a name for herself in the world of women’s amateur boxing.
Follow this link to read more.
On Tuesday, March 5th, The University of Scranton held their first World Language Day in which they hosted over 100 high school students to experience lessons in Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, German, and Arabic. Some Western Wayne High School students were in attendance and loved their experience.
“It was very interesting to be immersed in so many different languages,” Mackenzie Kennedy, Western Wayne senior, said. “I really loved making new friends and learning about different cultures. I am so excited to go to college next year and feel this experience makes me even more prepared for the future.
From left, Western Wayne students: Loucy Allen, Mackenzie Kennedy, and Vallita Belinova.
FBLA Students Excel at Regional Leadership ConferenceJanuary 16, 2025Western 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. [...]
Band Director Earns PMEA District 9 Citation of ExcellenceJanuary 16, 2025The 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/ [...]
High School Watershed Group Receives Grant for Fourth-Grade Trip to Varden Conservation AreaJanuary 16, 2025Western 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 – January 29, 2025 – 6:00-8:00 PMJanuary 10, 2025Curriculum 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. [...]
Western Wayne School District Job OpportunitiesJanuary 2, 2025We are currently looking for a food service team member.Part-time (5 hours per day) 9 am-2 pm. Rate $14.00 per hour
Great jobs when you have students in the district…you work when they are in school.
Please reach out for more info to: Maria Liptak, RD Food Service Directormliptak@westernwayne.orgor call 1-800-321-9973 option 1
Applicants must be in compliance with Acts 34/151/114 GuidelinesWestern Wayne School District is an EOE school district [...]
