September 19, 2025
District Newsletter
Message from the Superintendent
Dear Wayne Township Public Schools Community,
It is with great pride and excitement that I welcome you to the 2025–2026 school year. We are fortunate to begin this year with such remarkable staff members, students, and families who make our district the special place it is.
This year, we launched with an incredible Convocation that championed our motto: WAY better in WAYne. Together, we will identify all the ways we can be “WAY better,” recognize the team members who help us reach new heights, and celebrate the many things that makeour schools and community truly exceptional.
Daisy and I have had the pleasure of visiting all of our schools, and it has been inspiring to see the buzz and excitement of learning already happening in classrooms across the district. The energy and commitment of our educators, paired with the enthusiasm of our students, make it clear that this will be a year of growth, achievement, and joy.
Thank you for your partnership and support as we work together to make this school year “WAY better in WAYne.”
Warmly,
David Cittadino
Superintendent of Wayne Township Public Schools
Welcome Convocation 2025
All district staff came together to celebrate new beginnings in the 2025-2026 school year.
Inspired by the theme, WAY better in WAYne, Superintendent Cittadino spoke about Who makes WAYne WAY better and Keys to a WAY better WAYne.
The district needed a location that could hold 1200 staff in an air-conditioned environment. Our neighbors at Calvary Temple International were willing partners in supporting our schools and students and offered their space. Local businesses partnered with the District to support our returning staff members donating approximately $1000 in incentives and prizes.
🏆 Congratulations and THANK YOU to Kathleen Statile, Reading Specialist at Pines Lake Elementary. She was the longest employed staff member at the Welcome Convocation! 36 years!
IMPORTANT DISTRICT DATES:
Tuesday, September 23 & Wednesday, September 24: Schools Closed in Observance of Rosh Hashanah
Thursday, October 2: Schools Closed in Observance of Yom Kippur
Thursday, September 25: BOE Meeting @ 475 Valley Road
Thursday, October 9: BOE Meeting @ 50 Nellis Drive
Review the District Calendar and add no-school and other important dates to your personal calendar!
School Events
October 3: One Town - One Heart -🏈 Wayne Hills vs Wayne Valley @ Wayne Valley HS 10/3/2025 6:00pm - UNITED in honor and remembrance of Rocco Sivolella
Wayne Valley wears ORANGE 🧡
Wayne Hills wears WHITE 🤍Tickets go on sale Friday, September 26 at 9:00 PM and can only be purchased HERE.
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October 11: Marching Band Competition @ Wayne Wayne Valley
October 28: Fall Chorus Concert @ Wayne Valley High School
November 15: Wayne Valley Fall Play
Keep up with Wayne Hills!
Keep up with Wayne Valley!
😜 Newsletter Riddle: What are a computer's favorite snacks? *answer at bottom
Welcome Back to School!
Preakness Student Orientation was a HUGE success!
James Fallon 2GO
Our first math game, Addition Top-It! ➕ Lots of smiles, teamwork, and learning already. 🎉📸
Mrs. Sek's 2nd grade class explored the book Alma & the Worry Stone
Mrs. Sek's 2nd grade class, at Theunis Dey Elementary, explored the book Alma & the Worry Stone. In the book, Alma faces anxiety and uses a "worry stone" to help her focus on positive thoughts and face her fears.
Finding positive coping mechanisms for the stresses we encounter is a wonderful lesson to learn. Over time, students (and adults, too) can then develop internal "worry stones" to help navigate through difficult situations.
Feeling anxious at school? It's ok! We are here, along with your loved ones, to help!
All the Places Wayne Valley Goes
📸: South Carolina by Tyler H
Ms. Pritchard hosted her 4th Annual Summer Travel Retrospective. Students and staff at Wayne Valley High School were encouraged to share their favorite landscape, seascape, or cityscape from Summer 2025.
📷: London by Isaiah B
📷:Norway by Mrs. Potts
📷: Portugal by Mrs. Smith
📷: Switzerland by Gabi M
Lafayette Safety Patrol Sworn in by Officer Faber
5th Grader wins Shot Put GOLD 🏆
TJ R, Theunis Dey 5th Grader, wins Shot Put GOLD at the Region 2 Championship for all of PA, NJ, DE, and NY.
TJ then traveled to compete at the National level of the USATF Junior Olympics at Savannah State University placing 14th in the nation!
Jumping High at the 2025 Track & Field Junior Olympics 🏆
Wayne brothers Joel T, student at Schuyler Colfax MS, and Vincent T, student at Pines Lake ES, have once again made their hometown proud, delivering standout performances at the 2025 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Savannah, Georgia.
Vincent, dominated his age group (9-10) at nearly every level leading up to Nationals. He captured first place in both the high jump and triathlon, plus a 3rd place finish in the javelin at the USATF Region 2 Championships. And he was crowned the 2025 New Jersey State Champion in high jump, plus he had a 6th place finish in the javelin.
At the National Championships in Savannah, Vincent soared to 2nd place in the high jump with a leap of 4’2”.
Joel competed in the 11-12 age group and placed 15th in the nation in high jump with a personal best of 4 feet 4.25 inches. It was a performance that marked the second time Joel has finished in the top 15 at Nationals, following a similar result in the Oregon Junior OIympics in 2023.
Officer Joy - An Asset at Ryerson
Officer Joy has been part of the Ryerson School Community since September 2023. He began his career as a police officer in Jersey City, following in the footsteps of his older brother. Officer Joy was interested in police work after his brother told him that the Police Academy was similar to the military in its strict set of rules and physical requirements. An athlete all his life, Officer Joy felt connected to this type of training, and pursued the venture of being a cop.
Officer Joy has been part of the Ryerson School Community since September 2023. He began his career as a police officer in Jersey City, following in the footsteps of his older brother. Officer Joy was interested in police work after his brother told him that the Police Academy was similar to the military in its strict set of rules and physical requirements. An athlete all his life, Officer Joy felt connected to this type of training, and pursued the venture of being a cop.
After serving in Jersey City for 25 years, Officer Joy moved on to pursue the role of a Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO) after he retired, as he had a desire to continue making an impact in the community at a different level.
At Ryerson, Officer Joy has become an integral part of the school community. He is often the first face the families see at morning drop off, and will regularly be part of the team playing soccer during recess on the playground with the kids.
The students and staff at Ryerson have come to know and love Officer Joy. He is known to be silly in ways like playing pranks for April Fools, to trapping the leprechaun on St Patrick’s Day. He brings in items from home to share with the students, including “Ziggy” his Siri device to answer questions of the day, and a joke book to share laughs with the kids.
His presence at Ryerson has made our school a better place. He is a light in the lives of our kids, some of them who otherwise lack a positive connection to law enforcement.
He not only does his job, but goes above and beyond every single day in the connections he makes with our students. We are so grateful to Officer Joy for not only showing up to work every day, but for being his authentic self when he’s with us.
Wayne Hills High School Paint a Parking Spot
The Wayne Hills Student Council led a new fundraiser to kick off the school year called “Paint a Parking Spot”.
Treasurer Gré Ciccone came up with the idea back in June, and advisors Brittany Silvestri and Amanda Morgan worked, with the support of administration, to make it happen. Student Council organized and funded several fun events this past school year, so they were determined to continue the fun!
Interested seniors were able to submit a $30 donation to Student Council for the opportunity to paint their very own parking spot. Seniors painted their assigned spots with their own supplies, and their pre-approved design, to make their spot unique.
Seela’s Paint & Wallpaper Co. in Wayne was a huge supporter of the fundraiser. They graciously donated gallons of paint to the seniors, just to help out their local community!
So much camaraderie and joy shined through the two days. There were seniors who didn’t know each other sharing supplies, family and friends who came to help, and laughs and memories being made. It was such a success that the advisors opened up a third and final day for seniors who didn’t want to miss out on the fun.
In the end, 151 spots were painted and over $4,550 was raised from the fundraiser. These funds will be used to directly benefit the school through fun school-wide events, staff appreciation events, and a senior scholarship.
Follow along on Instagram @waynehillsstudentcouncil to see what else they have in store for the school year!
Wayne Hills Trumpet Section
Wayne Hills Trumpet Section Plays Taps at 9/11 Ceremony
Meet Daisy!
Have you met Daisy? If you haven't, you probably will very soon as she stops by each of the Wayne Township Public Schools!
Daisy is a 6 year old yellow Labrador Retriever that lives with Superintendent, Dave Cittadino. In 2020, she was certified as a therapy dog. With additional training, in 2022 they joined the Crisis Response Canines Operational Deployment teams available to respond to National Crisis Events. Operational Deployment Members are mandated to successfully complete ICISF Individual and Group CISM training.
Additional training includes:
*AKC Canine Good Citizen Advanced & Canine Good Citizen Urban Certifications (https://icisf.org/)
*CRC Crisis Response Canine Working Dog Certification (https://crisiscanines.org/
😜 Riddle Answer: Microchips and cookies, but only a few bytes of each! 😆
Wayne Day - Sunday, September 28, 2025
Wayne Day is a day of fun and entertainment that was created for the purpose of bringing the Township residents together to learn more about our community and the many things that our Township has to offer. Click HERE for more information.
Email: newsletter@wayneschools.com
Website: www.wayneschools.com
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