Meet the team...
The people who make it happen here at Wayne Highlands Middle School
Dr. John D. Kretschmer serves as Principal of Wayne Highlands Middle School in the Wayne Highlands School District. Serving students in Grades 6 through 8, Wayne Highlands Middle School provides an important bridge between elementary school and high school, helping students develop academically, socially, and personally during some of the most important years of their education.
As Principal, Dr. Kretschmer works collaboratively with students, teachers, support staff, families, and District administration to create a school environment centered on academic achievement, responsibility, respect, opportunity, and student success.
Leadership Focused on Students
The middle school years are a time of tremendous change and discovery. Students begin developing greater independence, exploring new interests, accepting additional responsibilities, and preparing for the expectations of high school.
Dr. Kretschmer is committed to ensuring that students have the support, guidance, structure, and educational opportunities necessary to successfully navigate these important years.
His leadership helps promote a school culture where students are challenged to achieve academically while also developing confidence, responsibility, resilience, and respect for others.
Supporting Academic Excellence
Strong teaching and learning are at the heart of Wayne Highlands Middle School.
Dr. Kretschmer works alongside teachers and staff to maintain high academic expectations while providing students with opportunities to strengthen their abilities in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and other areas of study.
Students are encouraged to become increasingly independent learners who can think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with others, solve problems, and take responsibility for their education.
These skills provide an important foundation for success at Honesdale High School and beyond.
Encouraging Exploration and Opportunity
Middle school should also be a time when students discover new interests and talents.
Wayne Highlands Middle School provides opportunities for students to explore music, performing arts, technology, athletics, clubs, academic activities, and other extracurricular experiences.
Dr. Kretschmer supports these opportunities because they provide students with experiences that cannot always be found inside a traditional classroom. Participation helps young people develop leadership, teamwork, creativity, communication, perseverance, and confidence while building friendships and becoming more connected to their school.
Building a Positive School Culture
A successful middle school provides students with an environment where they feel safe, respected, supported, and proud to belong.
Dr. Kretschmer encourages students to demonstrate respect, responsibility, integrity, kindness, and good citizenship throughout their school day. Students learn that their choices affect not only themselves but also their classmates, teachers, and the entire school community.
By maintaining clear expectations while building positive relationships, Wayne Highlands Middle School strives to create an environment where every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Partnering With Families
Families continue to play an essential role during the middle school years. Communication and collaboration between home and school can provide students with the consistency and encouragement they need as they become more independent.
Dr. Kretschmer values strong partnerships among parents, families, teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff. By working together, the school community can help students overcome challenges, celebrate accomplishments, and remain focused on their educational goals.
Preparing Students for Honesdale High School
The three years students spend at Wayne Highlands Middle School prepare them for an important next chapter in their lives.
Students enter sixth grade transitioning from elementary education and leave eighth grade ready for the greater opportunities and responsibilities of Honesdale High School.
Dr. Kretschmer and the Middle School faculty and staff work to ensure that students make that transition with a strong academic foundation, greater independence, confidence in their abilities, and an understanding of the expectations that accompany becoming a high school student.
Proud to Lead Wayne Highlands Middle School
As Principal, Dr. John D. Kretschmer is proud to serve the students, families, faculty, and staff of Wayne Highlands Middle School and to continue the Wayne Highlands School District's commitment to providing meaningful educational opportunities for every student.
Through strong leadership, high expectations, supportive relationships, and opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, Dr. Kretschmer helps ensure that Wayne Highlands Middle School remains a place where students can learn, discover, achieve, belong, and prepare for their futures.
Growing Together. Discovering Potential. Preparing for the Future.
Gerard Burns serves as Assistant Principal of Wayne Highlands Middle School in the Wayne Highlands School District. Serving students in Grades 6 through 8, Wayne Highlands Middle School provides an important transition between the elementary years and Honesdale High School.
As Assistant Principal, Mr. Burns works collaboratively with the principal, teachers, counselors, support staff, students, and families to maintain a safe, welcoming, respectful, and engaging educational environment where students are encouraged to achieve their potential.
Supporting Students During Important Years
The middle school years represent a significant period of academic, social, and personal development. Students are becoming more independent, accepting greater responsibility, developing new interests, and beginning to make choices that will influence their high school experience.
Mr. Burns helps students navigate these important years by promoting responsibility, respect, positive decision-making, accountability, and academic achievement.
Through consistent expectations and positive relationships, he works to ensure that students understand both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with being a member of the Wayne Highlands Middle School community.
Building a Positive School Culture
A successful school is one where students feel safe, supported, respected, and proud to belong.
Mr. Burns works alongside faculty and staff to foster a positive school culture built upon kindness, integrity, cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect. Students are encouraged to recognize that their actions and decisions contribute to the overall environment of their school.
Middle school provides students with valuable opportunities to learn from both their successes and their challenges. By providing guidance and encouragement, Mr. Burns helps students develop the maturity and confidence necessary to become increasingly responsible young adults.
Supporting Teaching and Learning
Strong academic achievement requires collaboration among students, teachers, administrators, and families.
Mr. Burns supports the work of Wayne Highlands Middle School's educators as they provide students with meaningful learning experiences across the curriculum. Students are encouraged to become critical thinkers, effective communicators, creative problem-solvers, and independent learners.
These academic skills, combined with responsibility and good decision-making, help prepare students for the increased expectations they will encounter at Honesdale High School.
Encouraging Involvement and School Pride
Education extends beyond the classroom. Wayne Highlands Middle School provides students with opportunities to participate in athletics, music, performing arts, clubs, academic activities, student organizations, and special events.
Mr. Burns supports student involvement because these experiences help young people discover new interests while developing important skills in teamwork, leadership, communication, perseverance, creativity, and sportsmanship.
Participation also helps students build friendships and strengthens their sense of connection to the Wayne Highlands school community.
Partnering With Families
Families remain an essential part of a student's educational experience throughout the middle school years.
Mr. Burns recognizes the importance of communication and collaboration among parents, families, teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff. When home and school work together, students benefit from a strong network of people who share a common goal—their success.
These partnerships help students overcome challenges, recognize accomplishments, and remain focused on making positive choices throughout their middle school experience.
Preparing Students for Honesdale High School
Every student's experience at Wayne Highlands Middle School ultimately prepares them for the next important step in their educational journey.
As students progress from sixth through eighth grade, they develop greater independence, strengthen their academic skills, discover new talents, and accept increased responsibility. By the completion of eighth grade, the goal is for students to be prepared and confident as they transition to Honesdale High School.
Mr. Burns and the Middle School team work together to make that transition a successful one.
Proud to Serve Wayne Highlands Middle School
As Assistant Principal, Gerard Burns is proud to serve the students and families of Wayne Highlands Middle School and to contribute to the educational mission of the Wayne Highlands School District.
Working alongside the school's administration, faculty, counselors, support staff, and families, Mr. Burns helps ensure that Wayne Highlands Middle School continues to be a place where students are challenged to achieve, encouraged to grow, supported through challenges, and proud to belong.
Supporting Students. Building Character. Strengthening Hornet Pride.
Timothy Morgan serves as Superintendent of Schools for the Wayne Highlands School District, providing leadership to a school community dedicated to educational excellence, student achievement, innovation, and opportunity. As Superintendent, Mr. Morgan works closely with the Board of Education, administrators, faculty, staff, students, families, and community members to guide the District and ensure that students receive a high-quality educational experience.
Leadership Focused on Students
At the center of Mr. Morgan's leadership is a commitment to the students of Wayne Highlands. From a child's first day of Kindergarten through graduation from Honesdale High School, the District strives to provide an educational environment where students can learn, grow, discover their talents, and prepare for successful futures.
As Superintendent, Mr. Morgan provides leadership across the District's academic programs, operations, student services, technology, facilities, safety initiatives, extracurricular programs, and long-term planning. His role helps bring these different areas together around a common purpose—supporting students and the educators who serve them.
Supporting Educational Excellence
Wayne Highlands School District serves students through Stourbridge Primary School, Lakeside Elementary School, Wayne Highlands Middle School, Honesdale High School, Damascus School, Preston School, and the Wayne Highlands Virtual Campus.
Although each school has its own traditions and identity, Mr. Morgan works with District administrators to maintain a shared commitment to academic achievement, responsible leadership, student wellness, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Strong schools also require strong educators. Supporting teachers, administrators, and staff with the resources they need to succeed is essential to creating meaningful educational experiences for students.
Preparing Wayne Highlands for the Future
Public education continues to evolve, and school districts must continually prepare for new challenges and opportunities. Under Mr. Morgan's leadership, Wayne Highlands continues to balance the traditions and community values that have long defined the District with investments in curriculum, technology, school safety, facilities, communications, and innovative educational opportunities.
Preparing students for the future means ensuring they are ready for many different pathways. Whether graduates choose college, career and technical education, military service, employment, entrepreneurship, or another opportunity, Wayne Highlands seeks to provide them with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and experiences necessary to succeed.
Schools and Community Working Together
Wayne Highlands has always benefited from the strong relationship between its schools and the communities they serve. Mr. Morgan recognizes that successful public education depends upon collaboration among families, educators, local organizations, businesses, community leaders, and residents.
These partnerships strengthen the educational opportunities available to students and reinforce an important principle: our schools are an essential part of the communities they serve.
Proud to Lead Wayne Highlands
Serving as Superintendent carries the responsibility of protecting the traditions of the District while helping shape its future. Through collaboration, thoughtful leadership, and a continued focus on students, Timothy Morgan is committed to advancing the mission of the Wayne Highlands School District and creating opportunities for every student to succeed.
His leadership reflects the belief that every decision made throughout the District should ultimately support the people at the heart of public education—our students.