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 its annual Field Day last Friday. All students took part in 10 rotating stations throughout the morning. Following a lunch provided by the Home & School Association, the students enjoyed tug-of-war games outside in the afternoon. They were also treated to ice cream, also courtesy of the Home & School Association.

Memorial Middle School's House System, following the tallying of the points collected at Field Day, last Friday afternoon announced the winning house for the 2022-2023 school year. Congratulations to House of Water! The students in House of Water will be rewarded with a field trip to Dave & Busters. This is the first year of having the winning house earn a field trip. Thank you to all students who participated throughout the year at the house events.

In recognition of Memorial Day, Beatrice Gilmore School recently completed a Cards for Veterans campaign, led by Mrs. Herrmann. Students created images and messages showing their appreciation for the sacrifices of our military veterans (and their families) in protecting the freedoms we cherish in the United States. Cards were distributed to local veterans via the American Legion Post #238, Great Falls Rotary Foundation-Military Assistance Pantry, and the A Million Thanks organization.

To celebrate the end of their insect study, the students in Mrs. Woessner's PreK-4 class at School 1 released the ladybugs that they grew in class the past few weeks. The students took turns giving the ladybugs water and raisins. They were excited to watch them crawl into their new habitat.

School 1 held an open house last Thursday evening to showcase our PreK3 and PreK4 curriculum, building, playground, and staff to members of the community and prospective students. PreK puppy mascot Paws was on hand to share popsicles with the kids. There were also informational tables for the Woodland Park Education Association, Home & School Association, and more.

All preschool classes had the opportunity to hatch and release butterflies thanks to the supplies generously donated by Preschool HSA. The HSA had a few extra caterpillars so some were given to a few select first, second, and LLD classes. Shown above are photos from Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Guariglia, Ms. Face, and Ms. Wittig's classes at School 1. Shown below are photos from Charles Olbon School. The students were very interested in observing the stages that the butterflies went through in their classrooms before they were set free. Then, they enjoyed chasing and holding them when they were released.

Memorial Middle School held a green shirt dress-down day on May 26 in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Students learned about mental health and wrote why mental health matters to them during their recess time. Students who participated received mental health-themed giveaways.

Mrs. Reisman's fourth grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School worked hard on the end-of-year posters for their last read-aloud, The One and Only Ivan by Kate Applegate. Students focused on reviewing character traits, themes, and symbolism throughout the book. It was a fun, hands-on learning project for everyone!

Memorial Middle School's Youth Month 2023 concluded this week with participants taking part in marching in the Memorial Day parade, marching right behind the Mayor & Council, and an appreciation dinner on Tuesday night, where they were treated to dinner and received certificates of appreciation from Mayor Keith Kazmark and the Borough Council.

Members of the Memorial Middle School Climate & Culture Committee spent time Wednesday afternoon with the WP Seniors, providing technical help and offering a bevy of useful tips for their devices. They also played an online Kahoot trivia game on their phones and enjoyed lunch.

Beatrice Gilmore School fifth grade students enjoyed a day of learning at Liberty Science Center for their class field trip. The visit to the planetarium was definitely a highlight! Shown are photos from Mrs. Hawkins' class.

These first graders in Ms. Tonti’s class at Charles Olbon School eagerly awaited for their seeds to begin sprouting to transplant to their home garden.

The Alfred Baumann Library 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, June 2, 11 a.m. - Pizza & A Movie. Join in for lunch and a screening of "A Man Called Otto" with Tom Hanks. Register here.

Monday, June 5, 10 a.m. - Weigh To Go weight loss support group. Register here.

Monday, June 5, 10 a.m. - Bouncing Babies. This program for babies age 1 to 23 months includes stories, rhymes, songs, and free play. Register here.

Monday, June 5, 6 p.m. - Dungeons and Dragons club for teens in grades 6-12. New and experienced players are welcome anytime.

Monday, June 5, 7 p.m. - Baumann Book Club will meet to discuss "The Paper Palace" by Miranda Cowley Heller. Register here.

Tuesday, June 6, 11 a.m. - Coffee and ... Looking for a friend or someone to chat with? Stop by, have a cup of coffee, and... Bring a friend or make some friends! Special guest will be Kelly Spinalli, recreation events coordinator and senior citizens coordinator for the Borough. Register here.

Wednesday, June 7, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales for ages 2 and up. Join Miss Sara for a story time with rhymes, songs, a craft, and more. Register here.

Wednesday, June 7, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.

Thursday, June 8, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.

Thursday, June 8, 12 p.m. - Sit & Fit chair exercise class. Register here.

Saturday, June 10, 11 a.m. - Arts & Crafts for grades K-4 (to be held in the Municipal Building community room). Register here.

June 11-24 - Library programming will be limited as the staff and volunteers pack for the move to the temporary location at Berkeley College while building renovations are being done. Programming during this timeframe will be in the Municipal Building.

Saturday, June 17, 11 a.m. - Shell Science STEAM for grades 3-6 (to be held in the Municipal Building community room). 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