Woodland Park School District News
Dec. 8, 2023
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!
Please join us in congratulating our 2023-2024 Governor’s Educator of the Year Winners!
Educator of the Year:
WP Pre-K - Ms. Alyson Petrullo, CO Pre-K
Charles Olbon - Ms. Dana Davidson, first grade
Beatrice Gilmore - Ms. Tara Byrnes, third grade
Memorial School - Mrs. Joanne Kelly, sixth grade
Services Professional of the Year:
WP Pre-K - Mrs. Janel DeLuca, aide
Charles Olbon - Ms. Nicole Orgo, paraprofessional
Beatrice Gilmore - Mrs. Veronica Seavy, BSI ELA teacher
Memorial School - Mrs. Luisa Cruz, aide
Cup Tower Building
The enthusiastic students in Ms. Omran's third and fourth grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School recently engaged in an exciting STEM project focusing on cup tower building. The students used their creativity to delve into the principles of balance, stability, and engineering. Beyond the tangible outcomes, it aimed to instill their problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and deep critical thinking skills.
Mustangs of the Month
The November Mustangs of the Month have been announced! Following the announcement, students had their photo taken and each student received a certificate. All October and November Mustangs of the Month will have a principal's pizza party before the holiday break with Ms. Socha.
Students were nominated by staff members based on the Six Pillars of Character. As a reminder, the Six Pillars of Character is also utilized as the basis for Memorial's Positive Behavior Intervention Support program, the house system, at Memorial Middle School.
Congratulations to:
- 6th - Dante Barbieri
- 6th - Ryan Barros
- 7th - Isabella Briganti
- 7th - Mason Parra
- 8th - Emily Tucker
- 8th - Sofia Rodriguez
Gingerbread Dough Making
Mrs. Tobia and Ms. Bonnie's class made gingerbread playdoh. We read the story The Gingerbread Man. The students learned all about the five senses! They loved smelling the gingerbread smell just like in the story. The students' favorite part was mixing up all the ingredients and watching the dough form.
Letter Practice
PreK-3 students in Mrs. Tobia and Ms. Bonnie's class at School 1 practiced making letters using shaving cream.
Special Guest Visitor
To end the Tubes and Tunnels study and to give the students a "wow" experience, Mr. John Murray was a guest visitor at School 1. He showed the students that a saxophone is a tubular instrument, and he explained how the saxophone works. The children enjoyed learning about this instrument. They really enjoyed it when Mr. John played "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Jingle Bells" and they got to sing along.
Coming up at the Woodland Park Library at Berkeley College
The Woodland Park Library at Berkeley College, 44 Rifle Camp Rd., in Renaissance Hall, 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.
Saturday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. - Arts & Crafts for grades K-4. Make a fun seasonal craft and hear a special story. Register here.
Sunday, Dec. 10, 2 p.m. - Holiday Concert. Join in to hear the sounds of the holiday season as performed by the Memorial School Chorus under the leadership of Mr. Eric Schaefer. The concert will be held in Borough Hall's Council Chambers, 5 Brophy Lane.
Monday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m. - Weigh To Go. Need some inspiration? Want to share your weight loss journey? Join us in a judgment-free setting to help you reach your weight loss goals. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 10:30 a.m. - Bouncing Babies for ages 0-18 months. Enjoy songs, rhymes, stories, and free play. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m. - Chair yoga and meditation. Come and find inner peace through chair yoga and meditation. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers for grades K-8. Register for only one slot per day. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers for grades K-8. Register for only one slot per day. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 6 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons for grades 6 to 12. New and experienced players are welcome. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m. - Low-Impact Dance Class. Get your exercise in while having fun. Don't forget to bring a water bottle. Register here.
Monday, Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m. - ESL Conversation Club. This program is for adults that speak a foreign language and would like to brush up on English speaking skills. Register here.
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers for grades K-8. Register for only one slot per day. Register here.
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers for grades K-8. Register for only one slot per day. Register here.
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. - Elf story time for grades K - 2. Children are invited to a special elf story time. There will be songs, activities, and a craft Register here.
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales: Mystery Letters for ages 3 and up. Enjoy songs, rhymes, stories, and a craft. Register here.
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m. - Teen Advisory Board meeting for grades 6-12. Members of the board brainstorm program ideas, help choose books and games for the Library collection, and more. Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 12 p.m. - Sit & Fit. Have fun exercising from the comfort of your chair. Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers for grades K-8. Register for only one timeslot per day. Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 13, 3:30 p.m. - Gingerbread man contest for PreK to third grade. Design a gingerbread man using paper, stickers, glitter, and more. Gingerbread men will be voted on and the winner will get a prize! Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers for grades K-8. Register for only one timeslot per day. Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. - Adult Holiday Story Time. Enjoy a holiday story time with Borough Historian Rick Lijoi. Relax with us during this hectic holiday season. Register here.
Friday, Dec. 15, 10:30 a.m. - Little Movers for ages 18 to 36 months. Join in for a fun story time for toddlers. Register here.
Friday, Dec. 15, 1 p.m. - Join the Library's first-ever holiday cookie exchange! Bake a batch of your favorite cookies to bring with you so everyone can taste them. Drop off or email your recipe so that we may share it with the participants. Register here.
Saturday, Dec. 16, 11 a.m. - Legomania for all ages. Use your imagination and create using Legos. Register here.
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 1 p.m. - Crafternoon for adults. Enjoy creating a beautiful craft to take home. Come and relax and let your creative juices flow with Linda. Register here.
Thursday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m. - Afternoon Movie. Join us for free snacks, drinks, and a movie. This month, we will be watching "Frosty the Snowman!" All ages are welcome. Register here.