Woodland Park School District News

Welcome to the Woodland Park School District e-Newsletter, which is sent out weekly when school is in session. It serves as a glimpse of some of the wonderful things going on in our schools, as well as a point of reference for upcoming events.

Your Partner in Education,

Michele R. Pillari, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

The Board of Education on Monday night recognized the students in the newly launched Mustang Ambassadors program at Memorial Middle School and the BG Ambassadors (formerly BG Influencers ) program at Beatrice Gilmore School.

The BG Ambassadors look forward to making changes in a positive way, especially to help others, and they are the voice and representation of the school community. They will be involved in community fundraising events, develop surveys to help change and improve the climate and culture of the school, and be involved in the Buddy Bucks program, just to name a few things.

The Mustang Ambassadors are serving as mentors for fifth grade students at Beatrice Gilmore School and they will meet numerous times throughout the year to take part in team-building sessions, play games, and hold reflective sessions. The goal is to assist the fifth graders make an easy transition to middle school.

Students at Charles Olbon School made kindness quilts for World Kindness Day on Nov. 13. The students designed a quilt on what kindness meant to them. The students now get to enjoy their work being displayed in the hallway for everyone to see.

School 1 has an Attitude of Gratitude Turkey Board, created by the School Culture and Climate Committee. Staff members stop by the turkey board to leave a little note of gratitude for a staff member. Each note is announced during morning announcements.

Ms. Handel's third grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School has been working on their cursive handwriting. They have been working on two new letters a week and the students are excited to practice in their notebook.

As part of their class reward system, students in Mrs. Simpson & Ms. Riviera’s fifth grade classroom at Beatrice Gilmore School are able to earn reward coupons. One student chose to share his mini-ecosystem complete with a real-life caterpillar. His classmates were fascinated by this show and tell.

At Beatrice Gilmore School, Mrs. Najim's ESL group enjoyed working on the tenses and the irregular verb form in a creative way outside. Students reviewed the verb form by touching a specific body part for each verb’s form. Then the students took a turn to be the leader and asked their friends for different verb forms. After that, the students drew the forms on the blacktop and practiced that by playing hopscotch too. It was a creative productive lesson outside under the sun!

The students in after-care recently enjoyed a special enrichment program with an introduction to STEM and robotics. The kids got to build robots and vehicles - learning about STEM, problem-solving, and teamwork. There will be more STEM classes and programs monthly.

Beatrice Gilmore School Nurse Mrs. Roehrich and Memorial Middle School Nurse Mrs. Carbonelli were twinning recently as they celebrate the Thanksgiving season of giving!

The Memorial Middle School Home & School Association is running a Nothing Bundt Cakes fundraising sale. Deadline to place orders is Dec. 12. Orders will be available to pick up on Dec. 23, in the evening at the WP Boys & Girls Club, just in time for your holiday gatherings.

Memorial Middle School is introducing its new Music Booster Club. Music students will be given fundraising opportunities to earn credits to pay for their music trip and t-shirts in the spring. Funds earned from the fundraisers go right to that student selling. The Booster Club's first fundraiser this year is 6-inch poinsettia plants. Contact any band or chorus student to place an order.

The Alfred Baumann Library, 44 Rifle Camp Rd., will host the following programs. Visit the Library's website here or Facebook page here. Its phone is 973-345-8120. Email is library@abwplibrary.org.

Friday, Nov. 22, 1 p.m . - Caring for Your Mental Health During the Holidays. Feeling blue around the holidays? You are not alone. Join the Mental Health Center of Passaic as they share tips on coping with holiday stress. Register here.

Saturday, Nov. 23, 11 a.m. - STEAM Teams for grades 3-6. Explore the principles of color mixing, plant biology, and symmetry by creating colorful turkeys using leaves and conducting a color-leaching experiment. Register here.

Monday, Nov. 25, 10:30 a.m. - Bouncing Babies for ages 0 to 18 months. Enjoy songs, rhymes, stories, and free play. Register here.

Monday, Nov. 25, 11 a.m. - Yoga & Meditation. Let your problems go for a while and relax. Register here.

Monday, Nov. 25, 6:30 p.m. - Dancersize. Join certified instructor, Karen, as she leads the class doing low-impact dancing. It's a great way to get your exercise in while having fun. Don't forget to bring your water to stay hydrated. Register here.

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1 p.m. - Crafternoon for adults. Enjoy creating a beautiful craft to take home. All supplies are included. Register here.

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m. - Family Chopped: Thanksgiving Edition. The family is invited to compete in this no-cooking cooking challenge. Register here.

Wednesday, Nov. 27, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales story time for ages 3 and up. Join in for a new theme each week, with stories, songs, rhymes, and a craft. Register here.

Thursday, Nov. 28 - The Library is closed

Friday, Nov. 29 - The Library is closed

Saturday, Nov. 30 - The Library is closed

Monday, Dec. 1, 4 p.m. - Domino Adventures for grades 1-4. Build and complete fun domino challenges! Expand your problem-solving and balancing skills in a fun, creative environment. Register here.

Monday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m. - Baumann Book Club will meet to discuss the selection of the month. Copies of the title can be picked up at the Library or downloaded on Libby or Hoopla. Register here.

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1 p.m. - Coffee and... Join in for coffee and speak to our special guest, Joanne Hirkaler, who is a Friend of the Library member and runs its fundraisers. She will answer any of your questions regarding FAB. Register here.

Thursday, Dec. 5, 4 p.m. - Kids yoga for grades K-3. The MindfulNest Co. will lead this fun and engaging class. Register here.

Thursday, Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m. - Bingo for adults. Join in for some games of bingo and win some great prizes. Register here.

Friday, Dec. 6, 11 a.m. - Enjoy a complimentary lunch and showing of "Christmas with the Kranks." Register here.

Friday, Dec. 6, 1 p.m. - Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange. Join in our second annual holiday cookie exchange. Make a batch of your favorite cookie and sample those of others. Everyone will leave with copies of all of the cookie recipes. Register here.

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Email: mpillari@wpschools.org
Website: www.wpschools.org
Location: 853 McBride Avenue, Woodland Park, NJ 07424, USA
Phone: 973-317-7711