Mark Sabala has been named the new WHS Head Track Coach for the Waynesville Tigers and will be taking over the program from long-time Coach Mike Rawlings starting in the 2025-26 school year.
“Mr. Sabala is a passionate track and field and cross country guru with 30 years of experience,” said Cory Ace, director of MSHSAA activities and athletics at Waynesville R-VI. “Since 2004 at Hermitage High School, he has helped shape champions within the school’s cross country and track and field programs.”
Sabala is a 5-time MTCCA Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year, 9-time SWMO Cross Country Coach of the Year, and a 2-time track and field Coach of the Year.
“His leadership has created a culture that has earned the school multiple cross country district titles, a MSHSAA State Championship in Track and Field during the 2023 season, and a 4th place MSHSAA Track and Field finish in 2024,” Ace said.
Prior to coming to Missouri, Sabala served in multiple coaching roles in the states of Nevada (1995-1999) and California (1999-2003). In addition, Sabala has helped create both the Middle School and Track and Field State Championships within the state of Missouri, which have seen more than100 schools participating since its development.
“He is committed to fostering young talent and elevating athletic excellence, one finish line at a time and we are proud to welcome him within the athletic program at Waynesville,” Ace said.
Waynesville High School students conducted a food drive, setting out to make Valentine’s Day extra special for 100 high school and middle school students and their families, and along the way, far exceeded their goals.
Throughout January and the beginning of February, the WHS Student Government Association Student Leadership Class—in conjunction with Family, Career and Community Leaders of America’s star event projects—conducted a food drive called Meals that Matter to put together meal kits for WHS and WMS families enrolled in the Snack in a Pack program. The students wanted to be able to send home the ingredients to make two family meals that would go home on Feb. 14 for the long weekend.
“The students started this project in hopes of getting 1,000 donations to put together 100 meal kits,” said Student Leadership Advisor Joshua Mize. “Ultimately, the students collected enough to make 160 meal kits and collected over 1,800 goods.”
Clubs at WHS were challenged to bring in food items that would be needed for chicken dumplings and a pasta dish, as well as participate in the community collections.
Student volunteers spent two weekends partnering with Price Cutter, working in shifts collecting items to benefit their cause.
In addition to the meal kits, an additional 478 items were donated to the district’s Snack in a Pack efforts.
“I am extremely pleased with the planning, effort, and dedication shown by the students—Mackenzie Henderson, Mackenzie Workman, Danika Em, Jade Anderson, Chloee Santos, Remington Minard, Kelise Johnson, and Shelby Cannon—in making this project such a success,” Mize said.
The Waynesville R-VI School District is hosting a teacher recruitment event Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Parker Educational Center. #wayschools
There will be no in-person school in the Waynesville R-VI School District on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025; however, Waynesville R-VI students will attend school virtually on Wednesday morning as this will be an AMI day.
School will be in session using an Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI online) from 8:30 a.m. to noon for grades K-12 and Parker Preschool.
All AMI days begin at 8:30 a.m., including Wednesdays.
Williams Early Childhood Center AM classes will be online from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m. and Williams PM classes will be online from 10:15 a.m. to noon.
The Waynesville JROTC Drill Team has qualified for Nationals by competing in the 3rd JROTC Brigade Drill Championship and Nationals Qualifier on Feb. 14-15, 2025, at Smith Cotton High School in Sedalia, Mo.
In a field of 15 other high schools from Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa and Illinois, the Tiger Drill Team finished 3rd overall in the Masters Division, 2nd Place overall in the Unarmed Division, and 3rd overall in the Armed Division.
The complete results are below:
2nd Place Unarmed Exhibition
2nd Place Armed Inspection
2nd Place Armed New Cadet
3rd Place Armed Exhibition
3rd Place Unarmed Regulation
3rd Place Unarmed Inspection
1st Place Unarmed Exhibition Solo Annalyse Rivera
2nd Place Unarmed Exhibition Solo Emily Totten
2nd Place Unarmed Exhibition Dual Peyton Stuart and Addison Smith
3rd Place Armed Exhibition Solo Aiden Rivera
4th Place Armed Exhibition Solo Lord Torres
5th Armed Exhibition Solo Joseph Mendiola
4th Place Armed Exhibition Dual Max Jorgensen and Aubrey Ellison
The drill team's next competition is March 1, 2025, at the Blue Springs South High School in Kansas City.
There will be no in-person school in the Waynesville R-VI School District on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025; however, Waynesville R-VI students will attend school virtually on Tuesday morning as it will be an AMI day.
School will be in session using an Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI online) from 8:30 a.m. to noon for grades K-12 and Parker Preschool.
All AMI days begin at 8:30 a.m., including Wednesdays.
Williams Early Childhood Center AM classes will be online from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m. and Williams PM classes will be online from 10:15 a.m. to noon.
Instructions for PreK-6th graders are at https://5il.co/342dn
Instructions for 7th-8th graders are at https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/o/wms/page/ami-days
Instructions for 9-12th graders are at https://5il.co/342j7
NOTE: All inclement weather "snow day" days are AMI days in the morning.
Due to the potential weather Tuesday Nights BBB game swill be played alongside the GBB games on Monday, Feb 17. Start time is 4:30 PM Senior Night for the Boys will begin following the 4:30 PM 9th grade BBB game.
Twenty Waynesville DECA students have qualified for State competition and the Waynesville Career Center Express store managed by these students achieved Gold Certification in the School-Based Enterprise program through DECA. The students qualified at District 5 competition on Feb. 6, 2025.
On Feb. 11, 2025, Waynesville DECA students Connor Long, Cameron Wilson and Lenayah Thomas went to the state capitol for Legislative Day to speak with legislators and advocate for the importance of career tech programs and the difference they make.
Of the 26 Waynesville DECA students who competed:
· 10 received 1st Place
· 5 received 2nd place
· 5 received 3rd place
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.
Waynesville R-VI will be in the seated classroom on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, and will mostly be running regular bus routes.
___________
The following routes, however, will still be snow routes on Friday:
• Route 47
• Route 52
• Route 74
___________
As a friendly reminder, there will be no school on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in observance of Presidents' Day.
ATTN: WHS JUNIORS AND SENIORS
Juniors and senior may sign up to take the WorkKeys or ASVAB at 7:30 a.m. on March 6. See attached flyers for more details.
Snow routes today!
The Waynesville R-VI School District will be running snow routes on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. When the district runs snow routes in the morning, it will run snow routes in the afternoon.
For bus riders only
The Waynesville R-VI School District sent an email from traveltrackerrouting@app-garden.com with information about both regular routes and snow routes on Jan. 7 to parents of bus riders.
There will be no in-person school in the Waynesville R-VI School District on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025; however, Waynesville R-VI students will attend school virtually this morning as this is an AMI day.
School will be in session using an Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI online) from 8:30 a.m. to noon for grades K-12 and Parker Preschool.
All AMI days begin at 8:30 a.m., including Wednesdays.
Williams Early Childhood Center AM classes will be online from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m. and Williams PM classes will be online from 10:15 a.m. to noon.
Instructions for PreK-6th graders are at https://5il.co/342dn
Instructions for 7th-8th graders are at https://www.waynesville.k12.mo.us/o/wms/page/ami-days
Instructions for 9-12th graders are at https://5il.co/342j7
NOTE: All inclement weather "snow day" days are AMI days in the morning.
Mackenzie Henderson, a senior at Waynesville High School, has been named the Rotary WHS Student of the Month for February 2025 for best representing honor/honesty. She was recognized on Feb. 11, 2025, during the Rotary Club of Pulaski County meeting, which her parents Christopher and Madeline Henderson also attended.
Henderson’s nominator stated, “Mackenzie is an absolute joy to have in class. She demonstrates honesty in group work, speaking up when she needs help and giving credit to others for their contributions. When working on a class project, she made sure to acknowledge her teammates’ ideas. She embodies the true meaning of integrity, making our classroom a more positive and fair space for everyone.”
Henderson is an outstanding student that carries a 3.97 grade point average, ranking in the top 10% of her class, and has a 95% attendance rate for all four years of high school. She is involved in many clubs and activities at WHS, including serving as president of the French Club, secretary of the All School Student Government Association, a member of the cheer team, National Honor Society, and is advancing to state for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. Upon graduation, Henderson plans to attend Mizzou and become a therapist for Veterans. #wayschools
Waynesville’s Drill Team members finished 3rd overall in their first drill competition of the 2024-25 school year on Feb. 8, 2025.
The team tied for 2nd place, but lost the tie breaker, in a field of 12 other high schools from Missouri and Kansas.
The results are as follows:
· 1st Place Armed Exhibition
· 2nd Place Unarmed Regulation
· 2nd Place Unarmed Exhibition
· 2nd Place Armed Color Guard
· 3rd Place Armed New Cadet
· 3rd Place Armed Inspection
· 4th Place Unarmed Inspection
· 5th Place Armed Regulation
Joseph Mendiola earned 2nd place in the Armed Exhibition Solo.
Peyton Stuart and Addison Smith earned 3rd place in the Unarmed Exhibition Dual.
Lord Torres earned 5th place in the Armed Exhibition Solo.
Waynesville’s Drill Team will next compete on Feb. 15 at Smith Cotton High School in Sedalia.
Rhythm Nation, Waynesville High School’s dance team, has qualified for State competition for the first time in the team’s history.
The team took 1st place in the Pom division and 1st place in the Hip Hop division in class 5a/6a at the Parkway Central 2025 Invitational on Feb. 8, 2025, in Chesterfield, Mo. In addition, the team received an Excellent rating for their Duet, performed by Aniyah Smith and Tatum Scott, and choregraphed by Smith.
“I’m so proud of their hard work, encouragement of one another and dedication,” said Coach Cat Poole. “Perhaps even more impressive than their performance was their support of all of the dancers in the competition. Their enthusiasm proved to be contagious and helped create a positive environment – so much so that a parent from another school reached out to me to let me know how much she appreciated their cheering for all teams.”
The Waynesville High School Courtwarming queen and king were named on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, between the JV and varsity boys basketball game. Mariah Palmer was named queen and William Figueroa was named king. The court included Brenna West, Sawyer Baker, Danica Leet, Ethan Scarbrough, Athena Pittman, Aden Maust, Mariah Palmer (queen), William Figueroa (king), Renae Alailima, Montera Owens, Brayden Weigelt, Aayden Mantle (not pictured) and crown bearers Sawyer Ross and Avery Bales.
Feb 9-15 Athletic Schedule
Attention WHS Juniors and Seniors!
Fort Leonard Wood is hosting a College & Career Fair at Nutter Fieldhouse on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. Juniors and seniors: Please sign up using this Google Form by Friday, Feb. 14, at 2:35 p.m.
WHS will provide bus transportation for juniors and seniors who register by Feb. 14. Buses will depart WHS at 11:30 a.m., and return to school by 1:45 p.m. Parent Permission slips will be distributed through the WHS Counseling Office.
Students MUST return their signed parent permission form to Ms. Dennis by Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
The most recent edition of the Waynesville High School Counselors Newsletter is at https://secure.smore.com/n/gnhms