School Board Newsletter for the November 13th Meeting
Please click here for information from the November 13th School Board meeting.
WAHS Students Attend Marywood University Art Department Event
On Monday, November 6, twelve juniors and seniors from Wallenpaupack Area High School joined several other local high schools at an Art Department Event sponsored by Marywood University. This included a large group presentation, speaking with current Marywood art students, an art department tour, an art activity, and an opportunity for students to sit down with a professor and do a portfolio review. Two of our seniors, Josh Lake and Ashley Hitty, did a portfolio review and received incredible feedback on their artwork.
School Board Honors Three Students at November Meeting
With a quarter of the school year already past, the Wallenpaupack School Board continued its tradition of honoring three outstanding Seniors at the November 13th meeting.
Daniel Marcus is a High Honor Roll Gold Award recipient, a member of the Engineering CTE, and an IEEE Wilkes Competition Winner. He also does volunteer work for Wally Church, Momentum Church, and Neighbors. Daniel's future plans include attending Johnson College for electrical construction, experiencing more of the world, and learning more about God.
Taryn Hensel has been a member of the National Honor Society, the Chamber Choir, the Show Choir, the Band, and the Field Hockey team. She is also a Wallenpaupack Church Sunday School Helper and Worship Singer, and has been a Gold Award recipient for High Honor Roll. Taryn plans to attend a Christian college.
Michael Soskil has served as Central Treasurer, Captain of the Scholastic Team, Scholastic State Competitor, Vice President and Advisor for the World Language Club, and has served as a member of the Executive Council of the National Honor Society. He has been a member of the Environmental Club, the Science Olympiad team, where he was a Regional Medalist and a State Competitor, the Track and Field team, and the Cross Country team, where he won the Pack Award. He is a High Honor Roll Gold Award recipient, NEIU Academic Quizbowl Competition winner, Rochester Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award recipient, and a Rensselaer Medal recipient. Michael plans to pursue a degree in Engineering.
The Wallenpaupack Community is extremely proud of these students and wishes them well on their future endeavors.
Submissions Window Open for WVIA Student Showcase!
Are you an aspiring filmmaker? Do you want to see your films up on the big screen and get to meet other filmmakers? Enter the WVIA Student Showcase and have your short film screened at the Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival this April!
Short film under five minutes
Can be fiction, documentary, animated, experimental
Can be any genre
Grand Prize
Winners in each of the three grade-based categories will win three free tickets to the 2024 Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival at the Waverly Community House the weekend of April 12-14th and have their short film screened on the festival's large screen in front of fellow filmmakers and industry professionals.
The Fourth Grade Students of the Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School will be participating in a Veterans Day Program on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 7:00 pm at the Wallenpaupack Area High School Gym. The students will be singing patriotic songs, as well as songs of the five branches of the Armed Forces. They have also created a beautiful art display called Faces of America, which focuses on our appreciation for our local veterans. All students at WNIS are involved in an essay writing contest on the same theme, and the winners will read their essays during the program. Area veterans will also be participating in the program, along with community officials, and school administration. The principal speaker will be Sgt. Trent Bryden, United States Marine Corps.
Sgt. Trent Bryden was born in Allentown, PA and attended Emmaus High School, graduating in 1996. After graduation, Sgt. Bryden started to attend Millersville University, but when a friend came back from bootcamp and declared, "It is so hard you could never do it!" Bryden quickly enlisted. Sgt. Trent Bryden left for bootcamp at Parris Island, SC in the summer of 1997, graduating with Platoon 2070. Sgt Bryden then attended Radio Operators school in 29 Palms, CA and cycled back to the Marine Corps Reserve while finishing college at Millersville University.
During the summers, Sgt. Bryden would volunteer for extra rotations at the Combined Arms Exercise (CAX) program at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in 29 Palms, CA where he would work various retransmission sites, eventually being meritoriously promoted to Corporal. In 2002, Sgt. Bryden participated in the annual training exercise Operation Rolling Thunder in Fort Bragg, NC. After serving as Radio Chief, a billet above his rank, for the Combat Service and Support attachment, Sgt. Bryden was again meritoriously promoted, this time to Sergeant.
In 2003, Sgt. Bryden's reserve unit was activated in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the time, Sgt. Bryden was serving as Radio Chief for Detachment 2 Communications Company, USMCR out of Allentown, PA. While the unit was deployed to Camp Coyote, Kuwait, Sgt. Bryden was moved to Camp Lejeune with a small group of Marines for additional training and medical. While in Lejeune Sgt. Bryden started preparing and delivering a series of classes on Middle Eastern History, History of Islam, and Cultural History of Iraq. Having graduated from Millersville University with a BA in History with a concentration in Middle Eastern and Russian History, this was an area of expertise. Sgt. Bryden was asked by various commands to present these lessons to their Marines at Camp Lejeune.
In the summer of 2003, the Marine Corps had lifted their Stop-Loss policy, but Sgt. Bryden stayed on until his unit returned from Iraq. While teaching classes at Camp Lejeune, Sgt. Bryden again applied to Millersville University for their Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification program, and a year later applied for a teaching position at Wallenpaupack Area High School. He has been teaching US History, AP US History, Modern Government and Civics, Russian History and World Cultures, and Logic at Wallenpaupack ever since.
Years after Sgt. Bryden rotated out of the United States Marine Corps, he was asked to be a guest pinner at the promotion ceremonies for former Marines for whom he had trained and acted as Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC). He has pinned on a Master Sergeant, a First Sergeant, and a Master Gunnery Sergeant. Sgt. Bryden sees his ability to shape young non-commissioned officers (NCOs) into the next generation of enlisted leadership as his greatest accomplishment and legacy while serving.
WNIS Drama Club to Present Disney's Finding Nemo
The Drama Club of the Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School will present "Disney's Finding Nemo" on Friday, November 17th, 2023 at 6:00 pm in the WNIS Gymnatorium. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
Students involved in the production include: Zachary Neenan as Crush, Patrick Tigue as Professor Ray, Brendan Sullivan as Marlin, Iyla Karausky as Nemo, Declan Buselli as Tad, Carina Ferrara as Shelda, Tess Nalesnik as Pearl, and Liz Stuart as Dory.
WAHS FCCLA Hosts Friendsgiving Celebration
WAHS FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) members hosted a Friendsgiving Celebration on November 1st. Each member contributed refreshments to the event for all to enjoy. Students used their creativity and culinary expertise to assemble charcuterie boards with a variety of items including cake pops, brownies, tropical fruits, meats and cheeses, cookies, and candy. A good time was had by all!
WAHS Competitive Spirit Team Takes First Place
The Wallenpaupack Co-Ed Competitive Spirit team brought home the First Place trophy from their first competition of the year, the Northampton Cheer Challenge, on Sunday, November 5th. Also, a stunt group took Second Place in the longest held Liberty with a time of 1 minute 50 seconds, just short of the First Place time of 1 minute 51 seconds. (A "Liberty" is a one-leg stunt where both bases (the athletes who remain on the floor) have a grip on the flyer's (the athlete who is lifted into the air) foot, with the main base typically holding the heel and toe and the secondary base holding the middle of the foot. The flyer then raises their other leg, bent at the knee, and extends their arms for the duration of the stunt. (source: wikipedia))
Congratulations to the Competitive Spirit team for their fine performance! Pack Attack!
WAHS Environmental Club Participates in Delaware River Fish Sampling
The WAHS Environmental Club had the opportunity to assist fisheries biologists in September and October with their annual Delaware River, Young of the Year Shad Sampling. Students worked side by side with staff from the PA Fish and Boat Commission, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection the NY Department of Environmental Conservation and the National Park Service.
Sampling involved deploying and hauling in a 300 foot long, 12-foot-deep, beach seine and then identifying, measuring and counting the fish that were caught. Sampling started at sunset and four samples were completed each night. The September shad tally was 908 and October's was 503. The information is used to manage the shad population. All the fish were released back into the river.
WAHS Regional Officers attend FCCLA Regional Meeting at Marywood
WAHS Regional Officers coordinated the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) North Eastern Region Meeting with fellow Regional Officers from Delaware Valley School District at Marywood University on October 24th. The Regional Officers led workshops to help FCCLA members improve leadership skills, explore community service projects, and develop strategies to recruit new members for their chapters.
Our Kids Food Pantry on BRC-TV13
WAHS Classes Go Kayaking on the Lake
Mr. Michael Phillips' and Ms. Heather Amon's morning Phys Ed and Holistic Fitness classes took to the lake Tuesday morning for their annual water safety unit in kayaks!
Arrival and Departure Procedures for the North Campus - 2023-24
Important Information Regarding Free Breakfast and Lunch
Dear Parents and Guardians:
We are pleased to inform you that the District will be implementing a new provision known as the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in the 2023-2024 school year. All enrolled students of the Wallenpaupack Area School District are eligible to receive a nutritional breakfast and lunch at school each day at no charge to your household.
A complete breakfast is free and must have 3 components, one being at least 1/2 cup fruit/juice. A complete lunch is free and must have 3 of the 5 components (meat/meat alternative, grains, fruit, vegetable), one being at least 1/2 cup fruit or vegetable.
A milk alone is not free, the cost is $0.75. An additional entrée is $2.75, and a second complete meal is $5.00.
WASD Food Services uses a computerized cash register system in our school cafeterias. This system gives parents the advantage of depositing money into their student's account. The money can be used for any additional purchases (milk, ice cream, additional entrees, chips) during breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria. This eliminates the hassle of remembering to send money every day and takes the worry out of carrying cash. Upon school registration, students will be issued a student identification number (Student ID). This number links the student to his/her school lunch account.
There are two ways to deposit funds into your student's account:
Send a check or money order in an envelope clearly marked with your student's name, ID, and grade. Make checks and/or money orders payable to Cafeteria Fund.
Utilize the online payment system at https://www.schoolcafe.com. The Food Service department strongly recommends this option as it will assist parents in monitoring what their students are receiving during meal service. Registration/Access to your student's account is free, however, there is a 5% convenience fee to the website, for electronic payments.
Sincerely,
Heather Fedoryk, RDN Director of Food Services Wallenpaupack Area School District
WAHS Global Human Rights Class Hosts Speaker Dorothea Szczesniak
The WAHS Global Human Rights class had the honor of listening to Mrs. Dorothea Szczesniak, a Holocaust survivor, recount the harrowing and poignant childhood that she and her family endured under Hitler's absolute dictatorship. Yet, much to the students' surprise, she interjected moments of humor, hope, and courage into her conversation. Mrs. Szczesniak's lived experience serves as a crucial testament and reminder to the world that "We Shall Never Forget."
Many thanks to Mr. David Jackman and his Video Production students who filmed the interview.
"And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides."
~Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
Newfoundland Rotary Youth Exchange Program Opportunity
Since 1927, students and host families all over the world have had their horizons broadened and their lives enriched by the generosity of Rotary's Youth Exchange program. Administered by Rotary clubs, districts and multi-district groups, the program today involves more than 82 countries and over 8,000 students each year.
Each year, more than 8,000 teens participate in Rotary lnternational's Youth Exchange program. Youth Exchange students spend a year living with a host family in a country other than their own. They may learn a new language; they will learn a new way of living and a great deal about themselves. While they are busy learning, the people they meet learn as well - about the students' countries, cultures, and ideas. If you are ready for the challenge and the rewards of living in another land as an exchange student, then you are ready to discover new worlds through the Rotary Youth Exchange program.
Please contact: Newfoundland Rotary with any questions:
As inclement weather approaches, Wallenpaupack will continue to utilize the SwiftK12 messaging system to notify families of school delays and cancellations. Please note that as parents/guardians, you can maintain the contact phone numbers used by the system by using the PowerSchool Parent Portal. These phone numbers are maintained separately from the student database by design and are not automatically updated when you inform the school of a changed phone number. Information regarding setting up and configuring your account through the Parent Portal can be found in this document.
It is our intent to begin sending SMS text messages regarding delays and cancellations to families in addition to our normal communication avenues of TV, radio, website, Facebook, etc. We will not robo-call families in the morning except in unusual or unexpected circumstances. We ask that you maintain accurate contact numbers in the SwiftK12 system to facilitate this.
If clicking on the SwiftReach SwiftK12 link causes a 'Log in. Your session may have expired.' message, please follow these instructions.
Notice Regarding Student Insurance - Revised for 2023-2024 School Year
Please be advised that it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians, in the event of a student accident, to provide for accidental injury expenses either through insurance or cash payment to health care providers. For this reason, the School District would like to make you aware of the availability of a low cost, standard school approved insurance policy.
The School District does not provide insurance coverage for students. If you do not have insurance or the financial ability to cover potential injury expenses, we encourage you to review this Student Accident Insurance document.
If you choose to purchase insurance through this program, please have your child return the completed insurance form with your payment to their school and it will be forwarded to the insurance company to process.
We hope this program can be a valuable service for you and your family.
On-line Learning Resources and Information for Students and Parents
In 2018, the General Assembly passed Act 44 mandating the establishment and use of the "Safe2Say Something" (S2SS) anonymous reporting system by every Pennsylvania school entity by January 14, 2019.
S2SS is a life-saving and life-changing school safety program that teaches students, educators, and administrators how: (1) to recognize the signs and signals of individuals who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others, and (2) to anonymously report this information through the S2SS app, website, or 24/7 Crisis Center Hotline.
For further information, please refer to the following documents:
Vaccination Requirements for 2018-2019 School Year Onward
In the 2018-2019 school year, there are requirements that students in 7th and 12th grade must adhere to. On the First Day of School in the fall of 2018, unless the child has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, a child must have had the vaccinations as described in this pamphlet, or risk exclusion from school. Students at any grade, Kindergarten through 12th, including all public, private, parochial or nonpublic school in this Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must show proof of immunization before they can attend school. This pertains to vocational schools, alternative education programs, intermediate units, special education, home education programs, charter and cyber charter schools. For more information, please refer to this pamphlet.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service. This new benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.
Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail in application.
You can learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575.
Please note that the Wallenpaupack Area School District is providing this information as a courtesy, and is not involved in the operation of the Affordable Connectivity Program. Any and all questions should be directed to the contact information above, and NOT to the School District.
Highmark Insurance - Transparency in Coverage Compliance
The Transparency in Coverage Rule issued by the federal government requires health insurers and group health plans to provide detailed pricing data for all covered items and services to the public in the form of Machine Readable Files (MRFs).
Highmark Insurance has provided the following documents to explain and comply with this rule.
Athletics
