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

Memorial Middle School held a Staff Secret Spirit Week last week. The students had no idea what each day would bring when they entered the school building each day.

Tuesday was "DRESS LIKE AN ADMIN" day. Our staff channeled Dr. Pillari and Mrs. Reilly's vibe. Scarves, nails, hair, and heels were worn to twin with the admin. While some students were confused, some immediately realized making statements like "You look like Dr. P." "Ummm, Ms. Reilly?"

Wednesday was "REP YOUR COLLEGE" day. Staff wore college gear that represented their college or their family member's college. Student-staff connections were made through conversations about staff "back in their day."

Thursday was "DRESS LIKE A MIDDLE SCHOOLER" day. When the students walked into the building it was like they were looking into a mirror. Being greeted with "I got some tea for you!" and "Good morning bruh" was a fun way to start the day. Our students are still talking about Ms. Ficarra's lip glass, Mrs. Glenn's eyelash curler, and Mr. Napoli feeling a little "emo" bit still managing to get in a selfie.

Friday brought double fun! Staff dressed from head to toe in their house color while drinking out of anything but a cup. Eye spy staff members wearing a green feather boa, a blue tulle skirt, and a purple hair bow to show their house color spirit. How does one drink out of a pepper - you ask? Ask Ms. Lazan! Baby bottles, coffee containers, tide pod holders, a vase, and a mini mailbox were just a few of the "anything but..." Look closely and you may be surprised - our students certainly were.

All of our preschool students have received character t-shirts. This initiative is an extension of the Six Pillars of Character Education, a system that has been in place at the middle school level for a number of years. The Six Pillars are caring, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and citizenship. Over the last two years, we have extended this system down into all our other school buildings.

Students in Ms. Byrnes' third grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School work in their math centers enforcing multiplication and division skills.

School social worker Ms. Weber and Guidance Counselor Mrs. Williams at Beatrice Gilmore School created a 2025 New Year's resolution bulletin board for students to write things they want to work on for the upcoming year!

Memorial Middle School held a House event on Jan. 17, which was a subject event during Social Studies classes on Martin Luther King Jr.

Ms. Najim’s ESL class at Beatrice Gilmore School has worked hard to publish their very first book! Each student wrote a creative short story about their imaginary friend and brought it to life with their own illustrations. This unique project was both inspiring and exciting for the class. We couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and creativity!

Mrs. LaSala's and Ms. Dawn's PreK-4 class at School 1 had fun making snow. They measured the ingredients and mixed them together. It felt cold and like real snow.

Students in Mrs. Tobia and Ms. A’s PreK-4 class at School 1 read The Paper Bag Princess during choice time. Afterward, a few friends made crowns and puppets to act out the story.

Mrs. Herbert's PreK-3 class at School 1 is intentionally incorporating students’ home languages into the classroom environment. For example, during a lesson on signs, students engage with the “Question of the Day” by identifying and discussing a stop sign in various languages. This approach supports language development while fostering inclusivity and cultural awareness.

Last call! Attention eighth grade parents only: the Memorial Middle School Yearbook Committee needs baby pictures of our eighth grade students and pictures of our eighth grade students from their Beatrice Gilmore School and Charles Olbon School days. If you have any pictures, please submit them by Jan. 31 here. Please make sure to label your child in the pictures.

Registration for new students for PreK-3 and PreK-4 for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. Transportation must be provided by the family. The program operates on a full day six-hour schedule, Monday through Friday. Any questions, contact Director of Early Childhood Education Mireya Gutierrez at mgutierrez@wpschools.org or call 973-317-7770. To register, click here.

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. Register for events here.