An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Benjamin Franklin

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”

Anthony J. D’Angelo
  • As the parents of a Wilkes-Barre Academy Class of 2022 graduate, we are incredibly grateful for the foundation WBA provided our son. He truly learned to Think, Explore, and Grow—not just academically, but as a person.

    The friendships he formed in Small Wonders and continued into K-8 blossomed into lifelong bonds. Today, all seven of those boys from the Class of ’22 are heading off to college, yet they still make a point to gather together each year. That speaks volumes about the community WBA creates.  In fact, he’s remained in touch with nearly his entire class- even classmates who later transferred after moving away- and still enjoys stopping back to visit the office and his former teachers.

    Academically, WBA prepared him exceptionally well for Scranton Preparatory School, where he thrived both in and out of the classroom.  The bus service from Bear Creek- while initially a leap of faith for us as parents- gave him confidence and independence at an early age.  He learned to navigate the world beyond our neighborhood, formed friendships with students on the bus who weren’t in his class, and gained experiences that shaped his maturity.  The extracurricular opportunities, including music lessons, ski club, and Winter Follies, helped him discover talents and interests we may never have known otherwise and positioned him well for high school and beyond.

    Most importantly, the diversity of the students, families, and faculty instilled in him a genuine respect for others. That quality shines through in him today and is, in our opinion, one of the greatest testaments to the school’s founding principles and values. We will always be grateful to Wilkes-Barre Academy for helping shape not only an excellent student, but an exceptional young man.

    People often ask whether private school is worth the investment.  For our family, the answer is simple: you can put a price on tuition but you can’t put a price on the person your child becomes.  When we break it down, the investment worked out to roughly $35 per school day- 5 days a week, 10 months a year- a remarkably small price for the character, confidence, lifelong friendships, and opportunities that helped shape the young man he is today.  That return is truly priceless.
    Tina & Guy Rothery
    Proud Parents of a WBA Class of 2022 Graduate
  • Having two children at Wilkes-Barre Academy has been one of the best decisions our family has made. We truly cannot imagine educating them anywhere else. Every year, we are amazed by what they are learning—not just in terms of curriculum, but in the depth of understanding they demonstrate. The vocabulary they naturally use in everyday conversation and the complex concepts they confidently explore speak volumes about the strength of the academic program.

    What sets this school apart is how intentionally it fosters independence. Our children are encouraged to be independent thinkers, thoughtful and compassionate human beings, and organized, responsible students. They are challenged academically in ways that stretch them while still nurturing their confidence. At the same time, they are given meaningful opportunities to explore the arts, develop creativity, and discover their individual strengths.

    We especially appreciate the strong Spanish program, which has given our children confidence and enthusiasm in learning another language at a young age. We also value the active PTO and the many ways parents are welcomed into the life of the school. The sense of partnership between families and faculty is genuine and meaningful.

    Communication with teachers is exceptional. We always feel informed, supported, and heard. The accessibility and responsiveness of the faculty give us tremendous confidence and peace of mind, knowing our children are understood not just as students, but as individuals.

    Public speaking, leadership, and ownership of their education are woven into the culture of the school. Our children are not simply completing assignments—they are learning how to think critically, manage their responsibilities, and take pride in their growth.

    We are consistently grateful for the dedicated teachers, the supportive community, and the environment that inspires our children to be curious, capable, and kind. Wilkes-Barre Academy continues to exceed our expectations in every way.
    Amanda Crognale
    Parent / Class of 2030 & Class of 2033
  • I have three children currently at Wilkes-Barre Academy. My family first came to the Small Wonders/Wilkes-Barre Academy community when my oldest child was three months old and my maternity leave expired in January 2013. Thirteen years later we are still here, and I could not imagine my children enrolled at any other elementary or middle school.
    I never cease to be amazed by the quality of the education my children are receiving; I am a professional who always did well in school, college and post graduate school; however, I feel like my children are way ahead of younger me. That being said, it is not just the quality of the education, it is also the amazing teachers and staff educating the children and the community/family environment at this school.
    I am a proud local public school product so I was concerned about what extra-curricular activities a small school could offer because as important as education is, it is also important to be well rounded. So, to answer those inquiries in no particular order:
    Student Council: Our student council is continually active in organizing both community service activities and fun events. Student council hosts multiple fundraisers a year for various charity organizations. They also host monthly themed skating parties.
    Annual Fall Festival: The annual Fall Festival features food, fun and games with each grade sponsoring its own themed tent.
    Glee Club: Our glee club practices throughout the year and performs at Fall Festival, at our local semi-professional sports venues and in regional competitions.
    Winter Follies: Every January, all grades/students participate in plays that they began working on at the beginning of the school year. Think it is the painful school plays portrayed in TV shows and movies? Think again.
    Ski Club: During the winter season, enjoy fantastic school rates while skiing/snowboarding with friends at Montage Mountain.
    Sports: WBA does partner with local schools to provide athletic opportunities for middle school children.
    STEM: WBA middle school participates annually, with remarkable success, in Science Olympiad.
    And these are just a handful of clubs/events that hi-light our small but mighty school.
    Wilkes-Barre Academy checks all the boxes.
    Shannon Crake Lapsansky
    Parent / Class of 2027 & Class of 2030 & Class of 2033
  • So love Wilkes-Barre Academy. All three of my girls attended. Great, wonderful family! Miss everyone!
    Cheryl Lutz
    Past Parent
  • We loved WBA when our daughter attended and would never consider another school to do it all over again! Cappie and Cletta… you are stuck with us till 2021! We are looking forward to it.
    Terri Bonn Smith
    Past Parent
  • Just a few words to thank you again for preparing Steven for the future. Everyone at the school did a fantastic job. I remember years ago when Steven and I used to fight and cry trying to get through the homework at night. Now, he is in his second year of college at IUP and doing fantastic. He is now 20 and majoring in communications and journalism. He just picked up a second major. He has a radio broadcast twice a week, editor for the school paper, and is announcing the football and basketball games. I watch him on the computer and you can see the passion he has for it.
    Anonymous
    Past Parent
  • The experience and education I received at Small Wonders and Wilkes-Barre Academy prepared me for the many challenges I faced throughout my life. I believe early childhood education is the key in the foundation for success.
    Stefanie Salavantis
    Class of 1997
  • Imagine life as a thing red string. Everyone has one. the red string follows you everywhere you go. It follows you to good places, bad places, and everywhere in between. Sometimes your string intersects with other people’s strings for better or worse. A history marker you can see but are sure is there. In 1984, my parents made the decision to take their only son and thread his string through Wilkes-Barre Academy (when Wilkes-Barre Academy didn’t even really exist) and to tie it right in the center of it. They took a leap of faith and went all in on this new little school, its teachers, and the two red heads running it. It was here my string met up with all of these families, laid a foundation still present today but made stronger since I left. It’s much more than a school; as corny as it sounds it’s really a community closing in on being a big extended family. It is truly a wonderful place. From here, using the foundation provided to them, decades of students left and ran their strings all over the world: Ivy League schools, Military Service academies, medical schools, Wall Street firms, law schools, Saturday Night Live writer’s rooms, Capitol Hill Offices, and a million other amazing places I’m sure I don’t even know about. We ended up artists, computer programmers, federal agents, finance whizzes, business owners, lawyers, nurses, prosecutors, teachers, and on and on. Every decision of every single graduate can be followed directly back to this school and the lessons learned here using their little red string. Before we left this place taught us to not only be a good student but good citizens: to keep our strings in the right places with the right people, to think critically about what was presented to us, to be articulate with our words, that the arts have a place alongside science and arithmetic, and to understand our place in the world. We now run our red strings through our communities as leaders, as business owners, as leaders in our workplaces, and now some of us have the most important job of all – being Mom and Dad. Along with that important job comes the time to start threading the strings of our children’s lives like my parents did 30 plus years ago. For my wife and I the choice was easy. We followed my red string right back here and started threading our kid’s right through here too. I wonder all the time about where my children’s strings will go and how far it will take them. I’m happy to have the opportunity to have theirs knotted up in the halls of this school and intertwined with these teachers to give the the best chance at success and happiness. Everyone has a little red string. I can’t thank my parents enough for pulling mine through Wilkes-Barre Academy all those years ago and even prouder to bring my own children back here. It feels like home. 
    E. Conahan
    Class of 1995

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