WAYNESBORO – At the June 13, 2023 Waynesboro Area School District (WASD) Board meeting, over 100 high school and middle school students were formally recognized for their achievements in academics, sports and music outside the boundaries of the high school in 2022 – 2023. The number of students to be recognized was large enough to justify moving the board meeting to the Oyer Auditorium.
Recognition was structured in three areas: academics, sports and music. Stacy Sawicki from Gifted Support, Eric McIlquham, District Athletic Director, and Diane A. McCallum, WASHS Principal shared the podium to introduce and review each area of competition. They then called competing individuals and team members to receive awards while describing what each had achieved.
This is an interesting group of people. For one thing, unlike music or athletics, not all of these students perform in public. In the academic area, some wrote stories, poetry and media and design, or developed computer programs which won critical acclaim at district, state or beyond. One wrote a book. Many others received Diamond, Gold and Silver awards, or placed high in mathematics, science, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and history competitions.
Another interesting characteristic of these winners was their competition in multiple areas, a point emphasized by McIlquham. He called attention to the high GPAs many student athletes achieved, noting that 21 of 22 “teams” had average GPAs of over 3.0, and for individual athletes in all three seasons:
· 192 of 255 in the fall had a GPA over 3.0
· 118 or 155 in winter were over 3.0
· 141 of 194 in the spring had 3.0 or better.
He called attention to the Cross Country Team as an outstanding example of both performance in the field and in the classroom, though most teams also demonstrated that the pursuit of excellence in one area of a learner’s life frequently carries over to other areas.
Boys basketball received well deserved recognition for their performance all season long, but many others like the undefeated Girls Swim Team also demonstrated great talent. Their swim coach noted Waynesboro is the only swim team to enjoy a cheering section at all their home meets.
McCallum noted that music program groups did extremely well in county and PMEA District 7 performances, with one learner receiving recognition in a Wind Ensemble Concerto competition.
She went on to note that “if you’re not attending some of the high school sports or music events, you’re missing outstanding performances by Waynesboro learners who compete very well at District and State.”
