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's 2025 production of "Shrek the Musical Jr." kicked off last night to a sold-out crowd. Remaining show times are tonight at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. For tickets, click here.

Our School District celebrated Read Across America this week with numerous guest readers visiting our schools to read to students. Guests included Mayor Tracy Kallert; Borough Business Administrator Sam Yodice Jr; Recreation Director Jay Hersh; Board of Education members Dr. Joe Giammarella, Andrew Mingione, and Shannon Marren; Alfred Baumann Library Director Linda Hoffmann; Library Youth Services Coordinator Sara Rappa; School District Superintendent Dr. Michele Pillari; and many more.

Ms. Altomare's third grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School incorporated many language arts activities during Read Across America Week. They read Dr. Seuss stories, used their imagination to create their very own character and more!

Charles Olbon held its monthly CO Heroes assembly on Friday. These students were recognized for exhibiting the CO rules (be a leader, be a worker, be a friend) as well as adhering to the character education program the Six Pillars of Character. The Six Pillars are caring, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and citizenship.

Mrs. Skibinski’s Growing Minds class at Memorial Middle School held a school-wide contest to design this year’s Autism acceptance t-shirt design. They received over 50 designs, which are currently being displayed across three bulletin boards outside of the gymnasium. This year’s winner is sixth grader Micayla Torres. Congratulations Micayla!

Micayla’s design will be featured on this year's t-shirt, which will be available for purchase for all of Woodland Park’s families in the near future. Students will be permitted to wear this shirt on every Friday during the month of April in honor of Autism Acceptance Month.

Congratulations to the Beatrice Gilmore School February Buddy of the Month winners: third grade - Dylan Bauman; fourth grade - Liliana Crynock; and fifth grade - Luke DeLaCruz Acapana.

Mrs. DiBona's third grade students at Beatrice Gilmore School engaged in an exciting hands-on STEM lesson designing hurricane-resistant houses. In this activity, students focused on how thoughtful design can help us tackle climate change and weather-related hazards. After discussing the engineering behind storm-resistant structures and exploring materials, students collaborated in teams to create their house models. To test their designs, they used a fan to simulate hurricane winds, challenging students to see how well their houses could withstand the simulated storm conditions. This hands-on experience not only deepened their understanding of natural disasters but also fostered critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.

Exciting news! The Woodland Park Preschool Program, in partnership with New Jersey Preschool Inclusive Education Project (NJPIEP,) was honored to attend Montclair State University’s College for Education and Engaged Learning Evening of Gratitude event. Hosted annually, this special event celebrates and appreciates the partners and community members who support Montclair State University students, their education programs, and the communities they serve. We were proud to represent the Woodland Park School District and Preschool Program at this wonderful gathering and grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful collaboration!

Pizza City will host a giveback event all day on Monday, March 10 for the Beatrice Gilmore School Home & School Association. Please show flyer when placing an order so the HSA can receive credit.

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.