About the Alumni Association

Since it's inception in 1959 we have had over 3000 graduates of the Wilkes-Barre Area Vocational-Technical School of Practical Nursing. We are very proud of our program graduates and feel with the 50 year anniversary approaching in 2009 it's time to organize an alumni association. We're hoping to get a significant number of graduates involved, so if you are interested in becoming a member there are several ways to do so. You can call us at 570-822-6539 or send your:

Name (current and name when attending school)
Address
Phone number
Year you graduated

To:
Wilkes-Barre Area Vocational-Technical School Practical Nursing Program
350 Jumper Road
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705

Or submit your information by e-mail to either dbarush@wbpracnsg.com or aserino@wbpracnsg.com
Please spread the word to any former classmates or fellow employees that are graduates of our program.
Meetings are held monthly (or bimonthly) and typically last about 45 m+inutes. Locations and times vary to accommodate differing work schedules – check Notices for recent information.

CURRENT OFFICERS:

June 5, 2009

We have cancelled the 50 year Gala/Class reunion.  Unfortunately we have had a very disappointing lack of interest.  I’m sure that a lot has to do with the current economic situation, however the cost involved could not be supported with such a small group.  Our sincere apologies to those who had planned on attending,  we do so appreciate the fact that you wanted to be part of this celebration.

We continue to be very proud of the school’s accomplishments over the past 50 years.

May 7, 2009 

GALA NEWS:  Invitations have been sent and we are waiting on the returns.  ALL alumni are invited, so if you did not get an invitation, just call the school for details.  We would love to have you there!

Looking forward to a great celebration for 50 years of great nurses.

February 27, 2009

Update on the all-class reunion: Plans are fully underway with one major change.  The gala will now be held at the Woodlands Inn & Resort.  Nothing else has changed – still on Friday, June 19 at 6 PM, with open bar, dinner, and the “New York Times Band”.

We have been receiving updated addresses and e-mails, however we are sure that there are probably alumni out there that we cannot contact, so continue to remind all to either call or e-mail their contact info.

Start watching for invitations in the mail around the beginning of April.  We are looking forward to a wonderful event!
There will be a notice when the next meeting is to be held – so continue to check this site.

Meeting held at the school today.  Again we are encouraging all of our alumni to become active.

Plans for the reunion are continuing and we certainly could use help, so e-mail or call if you can offer some assistance.   Remember, it is on June 19, 2009 at Touch of Class.  Open bar, New York Times Band, lots of food, and great fun.

We are also continuing plans to offer CEU’s, hopefully our first offering will be in February. 

The RN’s are already required to have continuing ed. hours – LPN’s will be required to do the same soon, so this should help.  Attend our next meeting and offer your suggestions for topics.

The next meeting is on January 12 at 6 PM here at the school.

Just a reminder – the next meeting will be on November 3 at 10 AM at the school.  ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.

Again – the reunion celebration is booked for June 19, 2009, so mark your calendars!

September 18, 2008

PLEASE NOTE:

The date for the All-Class Reunion has been changed to Friday June 19, 2009.  It will be held at A Touch of Class at the Golden Palace in Wilkes-Barre.  The "New York Times Band" has been confirmed to play at the event.
This will be an opportunity to meet fellow graduates old and new.  Let's make it a great event - we have 50 years to celebrate.
We will be discussing details at the alumni meeting on Monday October 6 at 7 PM.  Please come and invite any and all graduates that you may be in contact with. 

*Updated as of September 8, 2008

The meeting scheduled for September 8 is postponed.  The next meeting will be Monday, October 6, at 7 PM here at the school.

The all-class reunion has been confirmed for June 13, 2009 at Touch of Class at the Golden Palace.  We will announce details as they are finalized.  Please get involved - this is YOUR reunion and we want it to be great.

E-mail or call any of the officers (just click on the website), or the school with questions.

*Updated as of June 6, 2008

Officers for the Alumni Association have been selected and accepted the following positions:

President: Penny Butler
Vice-President: Tammy Smith
Secretaries: Naida Barretto and Mary Ann Pierantoni
Treasurer: Wayne Hinkin
Their contact information is listed on the “About” area under Alumni on this website.

A tentative date has been selected for the All-Class Reunion for June 20, 2009 at the Irem Temple Country Club Pavilion in Dallas, PA.  Plans are officially underway.  Pat Jones (nursep2010@yahoo.com), Doreen Tasko (NWnurseDoreen@yahoo.com), and Katie Halat have agreed to be co-chairpersons for the reunion and will be selecting committees to help make this event successful. 
*Please let all of your fellow alumni know, and check the website for updates.

Also, again please ask alumni to call, send, or e-mail their current contact info – the info in our student files is often out of date and we don’t want to miss any one.  If you want to be on an e-mail list, send your e-mail address to Diane Barush (dbarush@wbpracnsg.com).

We will not schedule meetings during the summer months, so our next meeting date is scheduled for September 8, 2008 at 7 PM at the school.  Please try to attend, on the agenda will be detailed planning for the reunion event.

*Updated as of April 11, 2008

Nominations are currently being accepted for all offices. Below are noted the offices and current nominees:

President: Penny Butler (Class #90)
Vice-President: Tammy Smith (Class # 96)
Jean Wolfe (Class #83)
Secretary: Maryann Pierantoni (Class # 95)
Naida Barretto (Class # 96)
Lisa Williams (Class #96)
Treasurer: Wayne Hinkin (Class #97)

If any alumni would like to serve as officer or would like to nominate a fellow graduate, please call or e-mail. Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2008.

Elections will be held at the next meeting which is scheduled for May 14, 2008 at 12 noon at the Practical Nursing Department. Hopefully this time slot will allow those who have not had the opportunity to attend to join us.

Alumni can also place a vote by e-mail to either dbarush@wbpracnsg.com or aserino@wbpracnsg.com . Votes will note be accepted until nominations are closed on May 1.

Also, we will be sending a mailing to determine the extent of interest in an All-Class Reunion celebration in either May or October of 2009. We need to get plans underway for this to be successful. Please call or send in current addresses for any and all alumni of our program.

Finally, plans for the Wyoming Valley Practical Nurses Association continue to move forward. We will keep everyone posted, and once it is fully established a link will be added to this website.

(Updated as of March 14, 2008)

We had a favorable turnout for our first alumni meeting. The next meeting is scheduled April 3, 2008 at 7 PM at the Practical Nursing Department.

On the agenda will be:
Nominations for offices - President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Plans for a 2009 all-class reunion to celebrate 50 year anniversary of program inception. Discussion of future plan for continuing education for our graduates.

The first meeting of the Practical Nursing Alumni Association will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 7PM in the Practical Nursing Department.  ALL graduates are encouraged to attend.

Keep watching this website for information about upcoming meetings and events! Also we are planning a BIG 50 Year celebration, watch for announcements! We are looking forward to hearing from you.