Welcome to the next edition of RAM eNews, a product of the Wyalusing Area School District. This publication will be produced quarterly during the school year to keep community stakeholders engaged in our schools.

Hello and Happy Spring!

We have entered into the fourth and final marking period of the school year and our students, faculty, and staff are busier than ever! In the coming weeks, we will begin to move into standardized testing, where students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of grade level skills, spring break, field trips, warmer weather activities, and then graduation will be here before we know it!

But before we look ahead, please enjoy this newsletter as it showcases examples of the many successes our students have achieved this quarter. Between athletics, a successful production of Seussical the Musical, and engaging classroom activities, we continue to see excitement and perseverance.

Over the next few weeks, you may notice a few changes among our district leadership team:

• Mr. Matthew Wincek will move from WVHS to the District Office and will serve as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
• Mrs. Nicole Coldren was recently hired to serve as our Assistant Principal for the High School and will begin on Tuesday, March 29th.
• Mrs. Sue Kilmer is serving as our Interim Director of Special Education.
• Mr. Keyes’ title has changed to Elementary Assistant Principal and Director of Extra-Curricular Programs and he will continue to work alongside of Mrs. Lantz and the teachers at WVES.

Below you will find a list upcoming important spring dates. We are currently in the process of scheduling summer camps and activities for students and will begin advertising registration as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued support of our students, our classrooms, and our shared mission: to prepare our students for lifelong learning and meeting the challenges of tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Bottiglieri

Superintendent of Schools

The first week of March was a fun and exciting week at WVES! Students and staff participated in themed days centered around Dr. Seuss books. All students in grades Kindergarten through Sixth Grade were able to participate in activities from wearing pajamas to dressing up like what they want to be when they grow up. There were a few surprise guest readers as well and Mr. Keyes was a fan favorite! Many teachers provided fun, engaging lessons with their students centered around the Dr. Seuss themes. Lots of laughter and school spirit could be heard throughout the school!

Students in Mr. Marbaker’s class participated in the Scholarship Challenge, a local high school quiz bowl competition that has been broadcasted on Choice 102 Radio for the last 42 years. The team members practiced during the weeks leading up to the competition by reviewing questions covering various general knowledge topics. On the first day of the competition, March 5th, the team from Wyalusing took on students from Sullivan County and Canton. Our team won both matches and advanced to the Finals along with three other teams, which will air on March 26th at noon. Be sure to tune into Choice 102.1 FM!

Students pictured (from left): Erin Salsman, London Edwards, Ethan Lewis, and Layla Botts

The WVHS Science Olympiad team participated at the regional tournament held at the Penn State WIlkes-Barre Campus on March 9. A total of 25 students from grades 7-12 participated in over 30 building events, chemistry/lab based events, technology events and more against more than 30 other schools in the area. The junior high team took fourth overall and secured themselves a spot in the state tournament to be held on April 30 at the Penn State Altoona Campus. The students spent many hours after school preparing for their events and building models that surpassed their opponents. The Science Olympiad team is advised by Elizabeth Vanderpool and Krystle Putnam.

Students in Ms. Alt, Ms. Alvarez, Mrs. Mason, and Mrs. Delp's third grade classes have been participating in the USPS PenPal Project. They were assigned a partner class from around the country to exchange letters with from January-May. This program helps students practice writing and learn how to compose a friendly letter. They have had the opportunity to learn from other students in different areas of the United States, building empathy as they form connections. Classes will also be given the opportunity to have a Google Meet and talk to their partner face to face.

Pictured below are students from Mrs. Delp's class with letters they received from their penpals in Iowa; Braelyn Cobb, Harlee Brigham, Bastian Foux, and Ryder Tewksbury.

Sage Superko (12th grade) and Clare Allen (10th grade) participated in the 2022 Northeast Regional Bridge Competition at North Pocono High School in Moscow, PA, where Sage took 2nd place and Clare took 3rd place. This competition was open to students in 9-12th grade who live in Northeast PA and the object was to see who can design, construct and test the most efficient bridge within the established criteria.

Sage will advance to compete at the International contest in May. Congratulations, ladies!

CLICK HERE to view competition details and criteria.

The entire cast and crew of Seussical the Musical, under the direction of Mr. Bob Shumway, did a fantastic job with their performance! The beloved tradition of our spring high school musical was put on hold two years ago when Seussical was cancelled due to the onset of the pandemic. Since then, some of the original cast members have graduated or changed roles, but the students were looking forward to sharing their talent with you!

Thank you to parents, family, friends, and members of the community that shared their evening to support the show!

Mrs. Morningstar’s 7th grade class welcomed an addition to their class this year and it isn’t a typical student…it’s Peanut, the class guinea pig.

After receiving a $50 grant through Petsmart, Mrs. Morningstar purchased the guinea pig and students voted on the name “Peanut.” Students have enjoyed playing with Peanut during free time or holding her if they’re having a hard day.

Some parents have donated supplies or offered to take Peanut on the weekends and 7th grade student Bryce Victory even made Peanut a wooden nameblock in shop class (pictured below).

“The kids love her and she makes all of our days brighter,” said Mrs. Morningstar.

Left photo: Allie Vanderpool and Chloie Whipple smile as they feed Peanut.

Boys Basketball: It was another successful season for our boys basketball program. For the first time in school history, our boys won back-to-back District IV AA Boys Basketball Championships. It was a memorable run through the District tournament, highlighted by huge crowds and amazing community support, and a thrilling 49-47 victory in the District IV Championship Game at Mansfield University vs. Muncy. Our boys also won the NTL Division II title, winning both a league and district title in the same year for only the second time in school history.

Wrestling: Our wrestling season was highlighted by a great run during the individual postseason. Nick Woodruff had a senior season that won't soon be forgotten. Nick won the District IV North Section tournament, District IV Championship tournament, and the PIAA Northeast Regional tournament. He finished his career by taking 3rd at the PIAA State Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. C.J. Carr also qualified for states as a freshman, where he won a match. Ayden Hunsinger was a regional qualifier as a freshman as well.

Girls Basketball: Our girls basketball team was competitive all winter, finishing with an 8-14 record. The girls played many close games throughout the year and worked extremely well together as a team.

Basketball Cheerleading: It was the first time that we had a basketball cheer squad since the 2019-20 season. It was the first season for head coach, Mikayla Hallett. The program had a good turnout for numbers and worked hard to improve throughout the year.

Stay up-to-date with all sports by following Wyalusing Rams Sports and Northern Tier Sports Report.

***Photos provided courtesy of Northern Tier Sports Report***

Senior Grady Cobb achieved a significant milestone in his athletic career by scoring his 1,000th point, helping his team to win the Class AA District IV Championship. Congrats, Grady!

CLICK HERE to read the full article from Northern Tier Sports Report!

Nicole Coldren was born and raised in Berks County, PA. She moved to Virginia in 2003 to attend college and later began her teaching career in Roanoke, VA. During her ten years working for Roanoke City Public Schools, she taught elementary, then became a Reading Specialist, Instructional Coach, and finally an Assistant Principal at the middle school level. In 2021, her husband's job brought them to the Wilkes-Barre area and they purchased a home near Tunkhannock. Mrs. Coldren currently serves as the Vice Principal at West Scranton High School and will officially make the transition to Wyalusing High School on Tuesday, March 29th.

Mrs. Coldren has been married to her high school sweetheart for 14 years and they have two rescue cats. She enjoys the mountains, laying on the beach, and reading on her back porch. “I’m excited to be closer to our family and look forward to being a part of the Wyalusing Community!”

Vince Valoroso is a 1986 graduate of Wyalusing. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy before working for a subway system, where he spent 20 years traveling the tri-state area. Mr. Valoroso is a familiar face to the district because he previously worked in the maintenance department from 2019-2021 and was recently hired as the Game Manager. In addition, he has been working as a day-to-day substitute paraprofessional. Mr. Valoroso currently resides in Towanda and says he enjoys working with the students and professional staff.

Last month, Dr. Bottiglieri proudly represented the Wyalusing Area School District and PA Association for Rural & Small Schools at a press conference with Governor Wolf, where he shared the challenges and inequality that rural communities face by the lack of high-speed internet access.

Our District supports the movement towards closing the digital divide and expanding broadband access across the Commonwealth.

View full press conference at video below or see Dr. Bottiglieri speak at minute 21.

Click HERE to read the press release.

Consider volunteering with the Wyalusing Valley Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)! The PTO is actively seeking volunteers to support student events and fundraising activities!

View their March newsletter below to see important information and follow them on Facebook!

Stay up-to-date with all of the Wyalusing Area School District scheduled holidays and events by subscribing to our calendar! Visit https://www.wyalusingrams.com/events and select your preferred calendar option from the drop-down menu.

The mission of the Wyalusing Area Education Foundation (WAEF) is to provide additional funding and support to the Wyalusing Area School District to enrich, maintain, and expand innovative educational improvement. The tremendous support of the WAEF and community has helped to enhance learning experiences and make a positive impact in the lives of our students and faculty members.

Stay up-to-date with all WEAF events by following them on social media!

Website: www.wyalusingrams.com
Phone: 570-746-1600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wyalusing-Area-School-District-950147475073863