April 11, 2025

Illegal passings of stopped school buses are at an epidemic level.

This action can result in a 5-point ticket ranging from $100 - $250 and up to 15 days in jail, along with insurance surcharges.

The Wayne Township Board of Education is proud to announce the appointment of Jacob Cavins, Ed.D., as Principal of Theunis Dey Elementary School. Dr. Cavins graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  For eight years, he served as an Apache Helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Captain.  He deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  During that time, he flew over 100 combat missions and planned over 30 Brigade and Division level operations, earning two Bronze Stars as well as two Air Medals. Click here to read the full press release.

Superintendent Search Update - Click Here

😜 Newsletter Riddle: What do you call two coffee mugs sitting next to each other?☕☕ *answer at bottom

Wayne Valley hosted the 2nd annual Flag Football Jamboree. Twenty teams from New Jersey participated in the pre-season girls flag football tournament. Wayne Valley was victorious, going undefeated.

Tucker, a Blue Merle Mini Aussiedoodle, began his journey as a therapy dog at Ryerson Elementary School during the 21/22 school year, when his handler, Mrs. Lindsay Hassert-Leech (teacher), had him certified through the Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. Since then, he has been a well-known member of our school community, beloved by students, staff, and their families, operating alongside our students as they learn. He is regularly part of their classroom lessons and gets his photo taken on School Picture Day, celebrates his birthday, and even earns rewards from the prize box (treats!).

Therapy dogs have been shown to provide emotional support, helping students cope with stress and anxiety. Their calming presence promotes a sense of security, allowing students to feel more at ease. Studies show that spending time with therapy dogs can lower stress hormones while boosting feelings of happiness and emotional well-being - this, in turn, helps students stay focused and engaged in their academic work. Additionally, therapy dogs teach important life skills, such as empathy, responsibility, and compassion, as students care for and interact with the animals.

For those who struggle with social interactions, therapy dogs will often serve as an icebreaker, fostering communication and connection among students. They also help reduce disruptive behaviors by offering emotional grounding for them. For neurodiverse students, therapy dogs offer a soothing and non-judgmental presence that makes it easier for them to participate in school activities. Beyond emotional benefits, therapy dogs contribute to a positive school climate, creating a nurturing environment that promotes safety, well-being, and overall happiness for both students and staff. Therapy dogs encourage physical activity, whether through play during breaks or walks around the school.

Schuyler Colfax and Wayne Hills students, under the direction of Ms. Pierri, went to the YMCA to see a performance of Caccia al Tesoro. A journey through the regions of Italy guided by the 8 winds of the Mediterranean.

Students participated in Unified Sports at Preakness Early Childhood Center with advisors, Jessica Haftek and Brianna DeLuccia. Unified Sports at PECC is an inclusive program where children of all abilities play and learn together through fun, developmentally appropriate activities. Students build motor skills, confidence, and friendships while engaging in games and exercises that promote teamwork and social development. This program fosters a positive, supportive environment for all children to grow physically and socially through play. 

Preakness Early Childhood Center students are kind and learn about differences! Students started their Autism Acceptance walk inside the building and then moved outside where family members observed. Preschoolers rang bells, carried signs and displayed the paper chain they made.

The Wayne Valley Media Center hosted a week of STEAM activities, known to the students as Makers Week, from March 24- March 28. Teachers were able to sign up their classes to participate in the Makers Week events, and over 1100 students visited the media center during that time period.

Students participated in charity projects this year as well, funded by a mini-grant from New Jersey Makers Day. The charity projects consisted of fleece blanket making, hat knitting, and canvas basket art. Completed projects were donated to the Packanack Community Church in Wayne. Blankets will be distributed to those in need.

In addition to the charity projects, students participated in activities such as rock painting, jewelry making, fused beads, scratch art, 3-D pen designs, digital art on the Wacom-1 tablets, clay creations, puzzles, marble runs, science experiments, building with legos, K-Nex, Kava planks, Magnatiles, etc., a Rubiks cube contest, and a freehand sketch contest.

Middle School students at Anthony Wayne, George Washington, and Schuyler Colfax are excited to celebrate Earth Day in a big way!

Sixth graders were tasked with designing ordinary Starbucks coffee sleeves to display messages and drawings about protecting our planet. The decorated sleeves will be distributed on Earth Day, April 22nd, at the Waynechester Plaza, 183 Hamburg Turnpike and the 57 NJ- 23 locations in Wayne.

Seventh graders also had an opportunity to demonstrate their artistic abilities and make connections to the content. Students created posters that depicted the 2025 Earth Day theme of, “Our Power, Our Planet” that will be displayed at the Wayne Community Center. The posters provided a platform for students to share positive messages with the wider community. Students hope that these small projects will have a big impact and ultimately encourage everyone to take care of our environment!

Students in the Middle School Mathematics Competitions Club competed in multiple contests throughout the school year. A special congratulations goes to Abiageal Devine from the 6th grade at George Washington Middle School. In February, Abiageal competed in the Math League Grade Level Contest and took First Place in Passaic County. She also placed in the top 25 students in all of New Jersey! Her high score earned her a special invitation to compete in a summer program at the College of New Jersey. Students at Schuyler Colfax and Anthony Wayne also participated in these competitions and performed well. Students were presented with awards in each building. Congratulations to Abiageal and the rest of the Math Competitions Club participants!

APT students enjoyed a special visit from Stephen Shaskan! They loved learning all about comics and how to draw Pizza and Taco!

Tie Dye Tuesday - We all blend together. Wear tie dye to celebrate the beauty in diversity.

What's Your Passion Wednesday? - What are you passionate about? Dress to show something you love.

Team Up Thursday - Together we accomplish more. Wear your favorite team jersey or PL gear.

Family Friday - We're all family at Pines lake. Wear blue or your Autism Awareness shirts to show your love and support

Hats and headbands to celebrate neurodiversity and show that all minds are great!

A virtual class meeting was held with university students from Ukraine and Poland. During the session, we read and discussed a Polish poem called “The Little Smuggler” by Henryka Łazowertówna. It tells the story of a Jewish girl who undertakes the perilous job of smuggling food into a Nazi-occupied Warsaw ghetto during World War Two. During discussions of the poem, students were able to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust. They were also able to hear from their Ukrainian and Polish peers about the importance of resilience, compassion, and justice in our daily lives. It was a rare opportunity for students to gain a real-time perspective on the geo-political realities of Ukraine, as every Ukrainian student on the Google Meets session is impacted in some way by the current war.

The Wayne Education Foundation's 2025 Summer Camp is just around the corner! Don't miss out! Register Now at https://www.wayneeducationfoundation.org/register

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Location: 50 Nellis Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470 USA

Phone: 973-633-3000

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Wayne Township School District | 50 Nellis Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470 | 973-633-3000