Wyalusing Area School District

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 Fall!

We just completed our first marking period and are rapidly approaching the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and reflection; a time to focus on the positives in our lives and remain hopeful of what is yet to come.

I am impressed by the hard work shown by our students and staff... great things are happening in the classroom and we are all thankful to be leading and learning this year without restrictions. Students are working hard developing projects, solving complicated math problems, writing essays, collaborating with classmates, completing college applications, fine tuning resumes and preparing for job interviews, and many more Next Generation Learning occurring across our campus.

As always, school safety remains our top priority. During the month of November, we will conduct our state mandated security drill with all students and staff. Additional details will be shared via our robo notification system. Remember... If You See Something, Say Something.

Thank you for your continued support of our students and your children- together we will achieve greatness! Please accept my warmest wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Bottiglieri

Superintendent of Schools

Keeping our students safe is our top priority. In addition to our own safety measures, we comply with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) School Safety Requirements, which includes various drills throughout the year.

Within the first 90 days of school, districts are required to hold an emergency drill. This year's drill will include the steps needed for an evacuation should the district experience a significant event. The drill helps students and staff become more familiar with proper procedures in all situations and is supported by the Pennsylvania State Police and Bradford County Emergency Management Services.

In the coming weeks, we will perform a safety drill on our campus and practice our lockdown procedures. When the evacuation drill begins, parents will be notified and our campus will temporarily be closed to all traffic and visitors. The drill is anticipated to last approximately one hour and students will resume their scheduled activities once the drill has concluded.

The safety drill is a good time to review your emergency plans with your child. Should the district need to conduct an early dismissal for any type of urgent matter, it is extremely important that your children know your procedures.

The district cannot manage last minute phone calls requesting bus changes or location changes especially during an emergency early dismissal. Students will arrive at their bus stop location and parents must make plans to ensure pick-up and proper supervision during an early dismissal.

While extreme emergencies that require this type of action are rare, it is very important to discuss and rehearse with your child the following items:

• Who may meet them at the bus stop? Share this information with the bus driver.
• How can they get into your home?
• Where can they go if no one is at home?
• How can they reach you if they have a concern?
• How to express a safety concern to the bus driver?

The Northern Tier is notoriously known for its variety of weather conditions, especially in the winter months. As the temperature continues to drop, please dress your child accordingly. If schools need to pivot to remote learning or close due to hazardous weather and road conditions, parents will be notified via our school messenger notification system. Weather related updates will also be posted on our District website, Facebook page, and will be shared on local news and radio stations.

Please be sure we have your most current contact information by informing Mrs. Katy Stoddard x3000 of any contact information changes.

Students will dismiss early on Thursday, November 10th, for Parent/Teacher conferences, Wednesday, November 23rd, for the Thanksgiving holiday and Thursday December 22nd, for the Christmas holiday. Half-day dismissal times are as follows:

Elementary School: 11:45am

High School: 12:00pm

To see the full list of early dismissals for the 2022-2023 school year, please see the calendar on our district website.

In an effort to provide an at home learning device for students at Wyalusing Valley Elementary School who do not have a device in their home, the District has been able to offer devices on a first-come, first-served basis. These devices are to be used for remote learning when not physically attending school, including off-campus educational activities, virtual classes and homework. These devices are able to be offered through the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

70% of the available devices were issued the second week in October for those who completed and returned the device application. If your student (Kindergarten through Sixth Grade) is still in need of a device through this program, please reach out to Angela Miller at 570-746-1600 x 3001 for further information.

Governor Wolf announced FREE Breakfast for all students beginning Monday, October 3rd through the end of the 2022-2023 school year. However, parents are always encouraged to complete the Free/Reduced meal application, which can be accessed via this link. Completing this application may show your student is also eligible for free lunch.

Menu changes and meal options are subject to change as the cafeteria staff continues to manage food supply chain constraints.

If you have any questions regarding the free meal application please contact Lana Clark, at lclark@wyalusingrams.com or ext. 3014.

Questions regarding cafeteria operations can be directed to Nancy Iseminger, nutrition@wyalusingrams.com or ext. 3015

This year we advertised an Amazon Gift Card giveaway for meal application submissions. Thank you to everyone who participated!

We are excited to announce the two winners of the $100 Amazon gift cards are:

Michael & Kylie Roberts

Dustin & Hope Brawley

In 2020, water bottle fill stations were installed to replace water fountains at both the Elementary and High School buildings. These fill stations are still available, and students are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle with them to school so they can visit a fill station and have a drink available when they may need it throughout the school day.

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. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.

Safe2Say Anonymous Tip Link

Homecoming was nothing short of a success this year. Festivities kicked off at both the Elementary and High School with Spirit Week. By Friday afternoon, High School students celebrated with carnival-themed activities such as face painting, games and various types of carnival food prior to a Homecoming pep rally.

The 2022 Wyalusing Valley Homecoming Court featured: Kayla Beebe, Layla Botts, Olivia Carr, Karley Chamberlin, London Edwards, Hannah Ely, Sydney Friedlander, Elana Jennings, McKenna Mapes, Priscilla Newton and Emilee Otis.

Seniors Alex Hunsinger and Elena Jennings were named our 2022 Homecoming King and Queen.

View the pictures below for a recap of our homecoming festivities and memories made!

**Photos courtesy of WVHS Yearbook**

Mental health plays a significant role in a student's ability to develop and thrive. At the request of many staff members, counselors, and coaches, Wyalusing Area School District has created a Seasonal Fitness Room Coach program. This is a unique opportunity to provide an additional method to combat stress, anxiety, and mental health for all students in grades 7-12.

The Fitness Room Coach ensures supervision and coaching to eligible students during assigned hours in the Taylor Family Fitness Center located at Wyalusing Valley High School.

In partnership with Friendship House, the Wyalusing Area School District is pleased to continue services with a Community/School Based Behavioral Health (CSBBH) Program at the high school. CSBBH is a unique program embedded in the Wyalusing Area School District, Jr./Sr. High School with a multi-disciplinary team, providing therapeutic services to identified students in the school, and to the identified students and their families in their homes and the community.

CSBBH provides services that are based on social emotional and behaviorally informed clinical principles, including behavior management, clinical and crisis intervention, case management, and consultation/training to school staff and others involved in the children’s care. We are fortunate to continue to expand our mental health services to ensure the growing needs of our students and families are addressed.

Wyalusing Area School District has had the distinct pleasure of hosting Mr. John Perricone for two events, opening day for educators and again for 6th-12th graders. Mr. Perricone has the most impressive ability to captivate his audiences with the most genuine and heartfelt messages.

Mr. Perricone's message to the 6th - 12th graders in October made connections to students related to anti-bullying, mental-health, positive peer relationships, helping others, impact on good decision making, and many more.

Photo courtesy of Mr. John Perricone

This upcoming summer Ellie Adams, a seventh-grade student, will join outstanding middle school students from across the nation to take part in a unique academic and career-oriented development experience, the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) in Washington, D.C.

The Junior National Young Leaders Conference is one of the Envision by WorldStrides family of programs (www.envisionexperience.com) that enable students to explore their interests and experience learning beyond the classroom. Ellie was nominated by her sixth-grade teacher at Wyalusing Valley Elementary School. She has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten and is currently the treasurer of her Cadette troop. Ellie participates in soccer, cross country, and softball. She also plays the violin in her orchestra. She has acted as a math tutor, completed babysitter training, was a foster sister, and was a school board student representative.

After her sixth-grade year, Ellie received the High Honors Award, The Presidential Excellence Award, and the Charlie Kingston Award, which was voted on by her peers. In her free time, she enjoys baking and working as a real estate assistant with her aunt. Ellie is excited about this opportunity! She is looking forward to meeting people and growing as a leader.

Hannah Ely, Daphne Knapp, Mckenna Mapes, and Sydney Reilly represented WVHS at the Bradford-Sullivan Outstanding Young Woman Program. The OYW Program annually recognizes well-rounded high school senior women and gives contestants the opportunity to compete for various scholarships.

A special congratulations to Sydney Reilly for winning the Patricia Parsons Spirit Award and for additionally receiving the Dupont STEM Award. Also, a special congratulations to Mckenna Mapes for receiving the People's Choice Award.

We could not be more proud of these four ladies for all of their accomplishments and wish them nothing but success as they complete their senior year!

CLICK HERE to view all finalists and learn more about the Bradford-Sullivan OYW Program. Applications for next year's program will be available in April 2023.

**Photos courtesy of OYW Program**

We are proud to announce the 2023 Outstanding Young Woman title belongs to Wyalusing Valley High School Senior, Hannah Ely! Hannah was also the recipient of the Scott Wilcox Memorial Award.

Hannah tap-danced, interviewed, and performed her way to the 2023 OYW title, bringing home the title to Wyalusing for the fifth time in six years!

See a full article write-up on the event, showcasing the five out of six-year winning title, from The Daily Review by Nancy Sharer by clicking this link

On Wednesday, September 21st, representatives from thirteen Colleges and Universities and two military branches (U.S. Air Force and Army) were available to Wyalusing Valley High School students in eleventh and twelfth grade. Students in attendance engaged in conversation with their classmates and professionals about future opportunities and programs. Wyalusing Valley High School's Career Coach, Mrs. Shurtleff, was in attendance to gather materials for students who visit her in the new Career & Conference Center located at the High School.

Whether students choose to further their education, join a branch of the military, or join the workforce, Wyalusing aims to provide rigor and support for students to be successful.

The administrative team has worked hard to ensure the new Career and Conference Center located at the High School is equipped and ready to assist students this school year.

This new addition allows room for up to 50 students at one time and has been designed as a professional space for career and college preparation. The Career and Conference Center will host informational sessions with colleges and local businesses, provide one on one assistance with cover letter and resume writing as well as offer training on job preparation skills.

Mrs. Shurtleff, Wyalusing's Career Coach in partnership with the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission, is available to assist students from 9:00 am-2:30 pm. Mrs. Shurtleff is a great addition to the Career and Conference center who will, in addition to the above-mentioned offerings, also be available to assist with job and college searches/applications, Smart Futures lesson help, and various other areas related to professional development.

Mrs. Shurtleff has been busy ensuring the new space is being utilized to set our students up for success. Already in the first quarter, she has hosted three small group college visits, attended the college fair hosted at the High School and made connections with representatives at multiple schools, visited the Life Skills and Special Education classes to present, "How to be successful in your hometown," and scheduled the Army National Guard to meet with students one-on-one in the Career and Conference Center.

Wyalusing Area School District aims to ensure our students leave with more than just a traditional Diploma, we remain committed to providing our student's resources and opportunities to grow and learn beyond the classroom in preparation for life after graduation.

Photo of Mrs. Shurtleff courtesy of Warren Howeler

Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield, together as Commonwealth University and 50 school districts in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, have signed an agreement guaranteeing admission, eligibility for merit-based scholarships, and on-campus housing at any of its locations.

Wyalusing Area School District administrators, Mr. Matthew Wincek, Director of Curriculum and Mr. Gary Otis, HS Principal attended a signing day at Mansfield University making the District 1 of 50 school districts assisting graduates with guaranteed admission and the chance for a financially responsible degree option to prepare for in-demand careers at one of the three campuses of Commonwealth University.

Fourth-grade students in Mr. Moss and Mrs. Card's class welcomed Dan Rhodes from the Bradford County Conservation District to learn a lesson on the water cycle. Students specifically learned about water molecules' life cycle and then completed an activity as if they were a water molecule themselves.

Students were given a pipe cleaner and traveled around different stations identified as areas of the water cycle to earn a bead for their pipe cleaner to represent that area of the life cycle. At some stations, like the glacier, the molecules would be 'stuck' for awhile so they earned multiple of the same color bead. Students would roll a die to tell them to stay at the station and earn another of the same color bead or to move to another station and earn other colors.

The final result of the pipe cleaners with the beads served as a visual for students to better understand the lesson and life cycle of the water cycle.

Students in Mrs. Schloder and Mrs. Doney's Life Skills class took a trip off campus for a community-based learning opportunity in October. They visited the Wyalusing Library, Wyalusing Post Office, and the American Sandwich Shop where students had the opportunity to learn how each of these businesses operate and participate in activities of daily living.

GOLF: Our Golf team made it back to the District IV Championships for a second straight season after finishing the regular season with a 36-12 record. We had two individuals qualify for the second day of the District IV Championships at Williamsport Country Club. Nick Salsman and Brody Fuhrey both played extremely well, missing the cut for the State Tournament by one and three, respectively. Our numbers were way up, with 17 total golfers, as well as 3 girls for our first-ever Girls Golf team.

SOCCER: Our Girls Soccer team made the District IV Playoffs for the 5th straight season after finishing the regular season with a 12-5-1 record. They will open postseason play vs. Northeast Bradford at Towanda High School on Saturday, 10/29 at 2:00 PM. The bracket and all playoff information can be found at the following link: https://piaad4.net/sports/girls-soccer/post-season/.

FOOTBALL: Our Football team picked up wins over Spencer Van-Etten and Montgomery. They were lead by a strong group of seniors that included Liam Franklin, Alex Hunsinger, Jordan Lamb, Cole Porter, and Ken Warfle.

VOLLEYBALL: It was another successful season for our Girls Volleyball program!!! After winning the District IV Class AA Championship last year, we returned many key players and expectations were high. We finished the regular season with a 15-5 record and finished in second place in the NTL Division 2. The Girls will be the #2 seed for the upcoming District IV Playoffs. Playoff information can be found at the following link: https://piaad4.net/sports/volleyball/post-season/.

CROSS COUNTRY: For our Cross Country program, it was another successful fall season. Our Girls team finished in second place in the league with a 9-1 record, while our boys finished with the fourth best record in their division at 6-4. At the District IV Meet at Bloomsburg University, our Girls team finished 2nd and will be returning to the PIAA State Meet as a team. Our Boys team finished 3rd in the district, just missing out on a state berth as a team, but Trennan Tewksbury and Jeremy Clauser did qualify for the state meet.

Stay up-to-date with all sports by following Wyalusing Rams Sports.

With restrictions lifted and this school year seemingly "back to normal", Dr. Bottiglieri has been able to revisit inviting students to an informal lunch period. Students love going to his office for lunch and a break from the school day.

Dr. Bottiglieri states, "I am always impressed by our students, it's an amazing opportunity to learn from them during these informal and fun interactions! It's always a good time."

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.

Students enjoyed some Halloween fun across the district on Friday, October 28th. Haunted Hallways, pumpkin judging, trick-or-treating and more! Thanks to all that made this day spooky and fun for all the kids!

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.

You can help make a difference:

2022 Wyalusing Area Education & 2023 Senior Class Comedy Cabaret

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022

Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Showtime 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Location: Wyalusing Valley High School Auditorium

Movie-style concessions, raffle baskets and a 50/50 drawing! You can purchase tickets by clicking the picture below.

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