Wilkes-Barre Area School District

We Are One

Congratulations are in Order

The Math Department at Solomon Plains Middle School has been fortunate this 22-23 school year to have an abundance of new and inspirational young teachers. Two of these teachers have taken their education and practice to a higher level as they pursued Masters Degrees in their areas of specialty. We recognize and applaud their efforts. Their work in our department has been appreciated and we are happy that they have decided to reach higher and extend their talents .

Edward Rosengrant - Masters of Science in Education in Middle Level Mathematics

Kayley Nilon - Masters of Science in Education in Middle Level ELA.

If you see Edward and Kayley, stop and congratulate them.

We are a growing department and we hope to keep growing with all the great teachers that we have had this year.

GAR Computer Science Students Present Coding Projects

Great things are happening in the Computer Science classes (CS Discoveries) at GAR Middle School this 2022-2023 school year!

Mrs. Scalzo recently had two class periods enter a competition with their final animation coding projects. A total of 18 students were selected using a grading rubric. The goal was to find the projects that exceeded expectations with their live animations. Students' projects were then displayed between both classes anonymously. Their projects were voted on, and six winners were chosen. (Two sets of winners between both classes.) We celebrate the nominated students animations and celebrate the winners. Congratulations on a job well done.

Please view the winners projects using the link: Project Winners Present

WBA Trigonometry Students Bring Home the Trophy

WBA Trigonometry Students Make the Pack Proud

Students from Wilkes-Barre Area High School attended the annual Trig Star Competition held at Penn State Wilkes-Barre on March 24, 2023 bringing back the 1^st Place Award as well as taking both 2^nd and 3^rd place. The wolf pack shined on this test day. The students prepared and practiced with the help of their teachers.

The Trig-Star program contest is an annual high school mathematics competition sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the Pennsylvania Land Surveyors’ Foundation and focuses on the practical applications of Trigonometry.

The purpose is to:

Promote and recognize mastery of trigonometry among high school students.
Acquaint students with practical applications of trigonometry in the engineering professions; and
Build awareness of Surveying Engineering among students, career guidance counselors, and high school math teachers.

This trip provided a terrific opportunity for students to apply the Trigonometry that they learned this year. The Wolf Pack shined in the events this year and we look forward to competing again next year.

WBA Math Students Attend LCCTM Math Contest at Wilkes University, March 9, 2023

Four Wilkes Barre Area School District Seniors participated in the Wilkes University Luzerne County Council of Teachers of Mathematics Math Contest on March 9, 2023. A shout out goes to these students and their teachers for their preparation prior to the contest. The day included a two part exam, lunch and tours of the campus, and concluded with an awards ceremony.

Out of 56 Senior participants our students scored:

Gavin Nichols - 4th place

Amir Samadian - 6th place

Brandon Prevuznak - 8th place

Ashley Shorts - 20th place

Wilkes-Barre Area SD took 1st place as a team for their overall highest results.

On the picture from left are Ashley Shorts, Gavin Nichols, Brandon Prevuznak and Amir Samadian.

WBA Trigonometry Students Attend Trig Star Competition 2021-2022

Three students from Wilkes-Barre Area High School attended the annual Trig Star Competition held at Penn State Wilkes-Barre on April 8, 2022. Students Jyanna Mendola, Gavin Nichols and Amir Samadian prepared and practiced with the help of their teacher, Mrs. Andrea Raineri.

The purpose is to:

Promote and recognize mastery of trigonometry among high school students.
Acquaint students with practical applications of trigonometry in the engineering professions; and
Build awareness of Surveying Engineering among students, career guidance counselors, and high school math teachers.

The day included the exam in the morning, lunch, and demonstration and campus tours in the afternoon. The event concluded with the Trig Star Award ceremony. Wilkes Barre Area students Gavin Nichols placed 1^st and Amir Samadian placed 2^nd in the event. Gavin was awarded the Trig Star Trophy to stay in our WBA trophy case until we compete again next year. This trip provided a terrific opportunity for students to apply the Trigonometry that they learned this year. The Wolf Pack shined in the events this year and we look forward to competing again next year.

Shown in photo, left to right are Jyanna Mendola, Gavin Nichols and Amir Samadian.

Mr. Samuel Elias continues the Cardboard Regatta Tradition in the new WBA High School 2021-2022

Mr. Sam Elias, a Wilkes-Barre Area Stem and Geometry teacher at the new WBA High School, continues to inspire Geometry students to apply math both inside and outside of school. He doesn't have to pull their leg to get them to create a canoe that will hold their body weight - all done with proper math and creativity. This long standing tradition, combined with testing these boats in the pool became the highlight of their year. This project, rich in math applications became a chance to join together Meyers, Coughlin and GAR students as they worked side by side to design, create and then test these boats in the water. Opportunities like this inspire our next mathematician, scientist, designer, engineer and the list goes on.... excellent job Mr. Elias and students. You make WB Area Wolfpack proud.

Wilkes-Barre Area Math Teachers Make Math Fun and Meaningful in the Math Club

Wilkes-Barre Area School District teachers, Brittany Scarnulis, Cecilia Baltusavich, Jennifer Ricci, and Mary Ann Rizzo make math fun and meaningful in the Junior High as they sponsor their students in Math Club each year. They encourage students to take math to a new level by involving them in the problem of the month, problem solving strategies, fun activities in regular math meetings and trips designed to show students the fun side of math that relates everything that we do to real life. We thank them for taking the extra time to inspire our students.

Coughlin AP Calculus Teacher Authors and Publishes Module for the College Board

Coughlin Math teacher Gerald Gillis has been teaching AP Calculus for 8 years. Inspired by the early teachers of AP Calculus at Coughlin, he takes his teaching to new levels every year. Constantly refining and trying new strategies in the classroom has led him to author and present an online module for the College Board. This material entitled "Activity: Mean Value Theorem: Using graphic organizers to construct an argument" will be available for students across the country to use as they seek to understand the Mean Value Theorem. Mr. Gillis keeps sharp by working as a consultant for the College Board and attending numerous professional workshops geared to help bring his Coughlin students the most up to date material.

2021: Gerald Gillis continues to inspire students in the AP Summer Institute as the AP Institute thrives in an online format.

College Ready Math Teachers attend Summit

$Math Teachers$

Wilkes-Barre Area Math teachers were recently invited to participate in a “College Ready Summit” sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. Wilkes-Barre Area has partnered with Luzerne County Community College for the third year in a row to offer a new math course geared to preparing students for the true college math experience. Being the only high school in Pennsylvania to partner with a community college, we were invited to speak about the “College Ready Math” course we have created and share how we best feel we can prepare students to transfer from high school to college. Since starting this course, two other local high schools are now using this model.

Participating in the event from left to right are seated: Matthew Mill, Mackin High School math teacher, Lauren Wolfer, GAR High School Math Teacher, Jennifer Perks, Coughlin High School Math Teacher, Mary Krolewski, Meyers High School Math Teacher. Standing: Corinne Drost, Secondary Math Supervisor, Nicole Saporito, LCCC Math Department Chair.