Woodland Park School District News
Oct. 8, 2021
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
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House Sorting Ceremony
Last Friday, Memorial Middle School students participated in the first ever House Sorting Ceremony.
All students at Memorial School are sorted into four houses: earth, wind, fire, and water. Each house represents a character trait is instilled in the students and staff each and every day: earth - trustworthy, wind - respect, fire - responsibility, and water - caring.
The goal of the House System is to assist in improving the school’s overall climate, build a positive culture and provide every student, teacher, and staff member with a place to belong. The House assignment process is conducted through random sorting in order to ensure that each student is provided with opportunities to work and socialize with others outside of typical social circles. This in turn promotes a sense of belonging and connection at school.
The sixth graders, as well as students new to the school, were individually called to the front table and instructed to blindly select a colored gem, each color representative of one of the four houses. After all students were sorted, the newly developed houses took part in their first challenges: which team cheered the loudest and tug of war.
Knowing there are individuals to turn to for help provides students with a feeling of support and welcoming. In the upcoming months, each team will work together to participate in various events including, but not limited to, academics, athletics, school spirit, good citizenship, field day, and other things that come up that can be used as constructive competition. The always-friendly rivalry builds healthy school spirit and connectivity as an educational community.
House events will take place throughout the school year. Each house will earn and accumulate points at each event and will be accumulated towards a final reward.
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Bridge Designers
Third grade students in Ms. DiBona's class are learning about real life bridge design. They used their knowledge of forces to build a strong bridge that supports as many cubes as possible, using only paper.
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Gingerbread Men
Mrs. Guariglia's PreK-3 class at School 1 read the story of The Gingerbread Man and retold the story using finger puppets during literacy time.
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Young Illustrators
Ms. Tonti and Miss Tobia’s first grade students at Charles Olbon School learned that illustrators and authors work together to make books. Students enjoyed being authors and illustrators telling all about fall activities. The class was engaged and stayed on task to create model books.
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Showing Solidarity
Last week, all students in our school district took part in the "Start With Hello" initiative. This program teaches children the skills needed to reach out and include those who may feel alone or isolated. This helps create a culture of inclusion and connectedness among peer groups.
Students wore green to show solidarity and support of one another. Pictured above are kindergarten students from Ms. Candusso's class at Charles Olbon School and third grade students Ms. Miranda's class at Beatrice Gilmore School.
Also shown is a project from Mrs. Morozowski's PreK class at Charles Olbon School. During circle time, students talked about how they could say hello to someone if who might be sitting alone. After the discussion, the teacher traced all of the students' hands. The students then decorated their very own handprint. The handprints were then glued together to create a wave from their class to all the other classes at the school.
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All About Me
Ms. Tonti and Miss Tobia’s first graders at Charles Olbon School are enjoying getting to know one another! The children completed an “All About Me” project to share individual likes with each other. This process of sharing builds acceptance and fosters tolerance among peers by observing similarities and differences.
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Week of Respect
The Week of Respect was observed across the school district this week through the participation in a number of activities.
School 1 PreK students used paper leaves to share ways to show respect.
Students in Mrs. Morozowski's PreK class at Charles Olbon School created a class bucket and brainstormed ways how to show respect. These ideas were recorded and used as "bucket fillers". Each time a student was seen being respectful in the classroom, the teacher added a sticker to the bucket. The students truly enjoyed earning stickers and adding them to their bucket.
During Ms. Moore's lessons at Charles Olbon School, books about respect and kindness were read. Students drew and colored pictured in order to illustrate ways an individual can show respect and kindness.
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Picture Day
The students in Ms. Odaman’s kindergarten class at Charles Olbon School dressed up in preparation to show off their smiles for picture day.
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Studying Forces
Mrs. Bouroult's fourth graders at Beatrice Gilmore School used scientific thinking to make observations and ask questions about forces. Together, the students created a list of over 60 pushes and pulls outside of the school! Next, the students will explain their thinking and elaborate by drawing models in order to illustrate their findings.
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Charles Olbon HSA Plans Clothing Drive
Help the Charles Olbon School Home & School Association raise funds by cleaning out your closets, attics, garages, and basements. Used clothing, accessories, toys, household items, and more will be collected on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Paterson Boys & Girls Club parking lot, 8 Memorial Dr.
Place your gently used/unwanted items in tightly tied bags. Every bag counts. Give your items a chance to be worn/used again. The more the collection weighs, the more the HSA raises. Any questions, contact charlesolbonhsa@gmail.com.
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Deadline To Order From BGHSA Fundraiser is Oct. 15
Time is running out to buy pizza kits and other treats to support the Beatrice Gilmore School Home & School Association Little Caesar's fundraiser! Every week, they are getting closer to their goal but we really need everyone to work together and participate. Please forward the link to family and friends. Think of anyone you know who likes pizza…HINT HINT, that’s everyone! Deadline to order is Oct. 15. It’s super easy and delicious! To get started click here. Pizza Kits will be delivered directly to your home by FedEx. Every kit sold earns the BGHSA a profit and makes an impact.
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Police Department Will Host Faith & Blue Event Tomorrow
The Woodland Park Police Department and Living Water Church are teaming up for Faith & Blue on Saturday from 11 to 3 on the Memorial School field/blacktop. An event aimed to strengthen community relations between law enforcement and our youth, this is the first time that this event will be held in New Jersey. Faith & Blue was launched to facilitate safer, stronger, more unified communities by enabling local partnerships through the connections of local faith-based organizations. The initiative aims to re-calibrate police-community relations through activities that are organized jointly by faith-based or other community groups and law enforcement agencies.
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Stigma Free Plans World Mental Health Awareness Day Vigil
Sunday, Oct. 10 is World Mental Health Day. The Woodland Park Stigma Free Task Force will host a candlelight vigil to reflect, remember, and to bring hope for all those affected by suicide, addiction, and mental illness, and loved ones lost. Attendees will be provided with luminaries in which you can honor a loved one by writing their name on it. All are welcome at the Dowling Gardens Gazebo, Dowling Parkway at McBride Avenue, Woodland Park, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10. Visit “Woodland Park Stigma Free Task Force” on Facebook or click here to find out more.
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Coming up at the Alfred Baumann Library:
The Alfred Baumann Library will host the following children's programs. While the Library building is temporarily closed due to flood damage, please check the website for event locations. Programming may be held outside, in the Municipal Building Community Room, or via Zoom. The Library's website is www.abwplibrary.org. Its phone number is 973-345-8120. Reach the Library via email at library@abwplibrary.org.
Saturday, Oct. 9, 10:30 a.m. - Farmers Market Story Time for kids of all ages. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. - Weigh To Go. Join the group every Monday to discuss your weight loss journey via Zoom. Enjoy a relaxed, judgment-free zone to share your stories, recipes, tips, and more. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 11, 1 p.m. - Yoga and chair meditation. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m. - Inside Out. Join Miss Sara for a very special story time centered on topics like diversity, inclusivity, teamwork, the environment, and more. Read, play games, do crafts, and discuss topics. Open to grades K-4. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 4:30 p.m. - Fall into STEM. Join in for a glow stick themed STEM challenge. Open to patrons in grades 3-8. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m. - Pajama Storytime for babies - kindergarten. Put on your PJs and join us for evening stories. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. - Trivia Night. Whether you’re solo, a couple, or a group of friends or family, trivia is a perfect choice. Questions are geared for adult players, but family teams are welcome. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. - Baby Snails story time for babies and toddlers. Join Miss Bri for early literacy outdoor story time on the lawn. Each week will have a new theme with stories, songs, rhymes, and more. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales Storytime for children 3 and up. Join Miss Sara for stories, songs, rhymes, and more, with a new theme each week. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 14, 12 noon - Sit & Fit chair exercises. Join in on the second floor of Borough Hall in the Community Room for low-impact chair exercises for adults. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m. - Fire Safety with Assistant Fire Chief Andy Roehrich. Join in via Zoom and learn some tips about fire safety, how to prevent fires and what to do in the event a fire starts in your home. Register here.
Saturday, Oct. 16, 10:30 a.m. - Sunshine & Stories on the Library lawn for all ages. Bring a blanket. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 4:30 p.m. - Reading Rebels book club for grades 3 to 5. "Flora & Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo is the book for the month. An excerpt will be read, followed by activities, crafts, or games based on the book. The book will be provided at the program. Register here.
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Important Upcoming Dates To Note:
- Monday, Oct. 11 - Columbus Day - District Schools are closed
- Wednesday, Oct. 13, 12 p.m. - School 1 Lunch & Learn
- Wednesday, Oct. 13, 3 p.m. - Memorial School Animal Club meeting