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

Congratulations to the Memorial Middle School December Mustangs of the Month! Students are nominated by staff members based on the Six Pillars of Characters, which is also utilized as the basis for Memorial's Positive Behavior Intervention Support program, the House system, at Memorial. All recipients receive recognition over a special school announcement, a displayed photo, and a certificate of recognition.

Congratulations to:

6th - Daryln Ocon Lopez

6th - Jaxson Frazier

7th - Ayden Neuenschwander

7th - Dilsat Celik

8th - Yazan Drbas

8th - Ryan Bernabel

Beatrice Gilmore School announces the three students who were named as a December Buddy of the Month. Congratulations to third grader Eithan Alarcon, fourth grader Adele Ramierez, and fifth grader Natalija Pesev.

The STRIVE program is designed to challenge and inspire our district’s gifted and talented students. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) defines “gifted and talented” as a student possessing or demonstrating high levels of ability in one or more content areas when compared to chronological peers in the school district and/or students who require modifications to meet their full potential.

Students are identified for STRIVE through multiple data measures including academic performance in both language arts and mathematics, teacher Renzulli rating scales, and an ability assessment used to identify potentially gifted students. Every child in grades K-8 is considered for the program based on our district identification matrix.

During STRIVE, students meet weekly with Mrs. McGinnis and are enriched through interdisciplinary projects that foster collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving. STRIVE students in grades 5-8 also have the chance to participate in monthly competitions with other districts in the Passaic County Gifted & Talented Consortium.

Some events that students have participated in this year include:

• Hosted the Grade 7 Quiz Bowl at our own Memorial School
  
• Grades 5/6 Board Game Challenge at Lenox School in Pompton Lakes
  
• Grade 7 Logic Problem-Solving Day at Haledon Public Schools
  
• Grade 8 Quiz Bowl at Washington Park School in Totowa
  
• Grade 6 Scratch Coding at Haskell Elementary School
  
• Grade 5/6 Kahoot Bowl at J.P. Holland Charter in Woodland Park (third place winners)
  
• Grade 8 Science Quiz Bowl at Wanaque Elementary School
  

We are proud of our current STRIVE students and look forward to welcoming a new group to the program. Stay tuned for updates on their incredible work and achievements. For more information, please visit the gifted and talented section of our website here.

Ms. Gutierrez's third grade students at Beatrice Gilmore School recently dove into non-fiction writing, researching self-chosen topics, and showcasing their knowledge through engaging Google Slides presentations, incorporating text features learned in class!

Beatrice Gilmore School kicked off the “Read Around the Bases” program with the New Jersey Jackals baseball team on Wednesday morning. Students who complete the reading goals assigned to them will receive two free tickets to the June 5 Jackals game and can participate in a pregame parade with our banner on the field.

Students in Mrs. Herbert's PreK-3 class at School 1 made an animal bridge using blocks. They incorporated animal signs into their structure as well.

Memorial Middle School families, make sure you place your order for the 2024-2025 school yearbook! They are currently on sale for $37. Our yearbook is pre-order only. No extra books will be available for sale in June. Orders can be placed here.

Mayor Tracy Kallert, the Borough Council, and Alfred H. Baumann Public Library are proud to partner with Sen. Kristin Corrado’s Socks for Soldiers initiative for this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project.

Clean, unworn socks are one of the most requested items by service members — and you can help make a difference! Collection dates: Jan. 20 to Feb. 15. Drop-off locations: Alfred H. Baumann Public Library (44 Rifle Camp Rd.), the Woodland Park Municipal Building (5 Brophy Lane), and the WP Boys & Girls Club (8 Memorial Drive.)

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.