Woodland Park School District News
Oct. 7, 2022
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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Super Powers
The Week of Respect aims at educating students about the importance of showing respect to themselves and others.. Charles Olbon School kicked off the week with a visit from the Omegaman & Friends assembly which was funded by the CO Home & School Association.
Omegaman delivered various messages to the students by using "strongman" feats, such as breaking a wooden bat over his knee, bending a piece of steel with his teeth, and ripping the book entitled “Book of Bad Choices”. As Omegaman tore the book in half, he explained that anyone can erase bad choices they’ve made and start anew. He also noted that the bent steel bar represents how bad choices can stop someone staying on a straight path. A straight bar represents a straight path maintained by the good choices made.
The lively presentation covered numerous themes. Students were also encouraged to be a "dream-maker," not a "dream-breaker." They learned that they can all be heroes by following the H.E.R.O. way: Helping Everyone Respect Others. Omegaman also stressed to students that it's important they recognize and report bullying. By doing this, they are an upstander, not a bystander.
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Mindset Mission
Beatrice Gilmore School hosted a school-wide character education assembly Wednesday called The Ned Show - Mindset Mission. NED is a cartoon character whose name is an acronym for "Never give up," "Encourage others," and "Do your best." The program used humor, audience participation, yo-yo, and magic tricks to bring forth its message.
NED, and his human friend Rocco, shared details of Ned's mission: to find his mindset. Along the way, he overcomes Mt. Everest’s toughest obstacles - learning to understand the power of "yet." He uncovers treasures on a Caribbean island while learning how to encourage others. He also grows his brain while working to help an alien repair a spaceship. Students learned that their brains will keep growing the more they use it.
The Ned Show came to the school at no cost. The school made yo-yos and accessories available for sale following the show for purchase, which reinforce multi-sensory learning and are tangible reminders that increase the student's ability to retain Ned’s messages long after the assembly. Proceeds from the sale allow other schools to benefit from the program.
Find out more about the program here.
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With Appreciation
Our schools recognized our hard-working custodial staff on National Custodial Appreciation Day. We appreciate the hard work all of our custodians put in to keep our school buildings and grounds clean and safe. Check out this adorable note one of our Beatrice Gilmore students sent in. Also shown is a shot of Ms. Chiaravalloti's PreK-3 class at Charles Olbon School.
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Sweet Treat
Mrs. LaSala’s PreK-4 class at School 1 made fudge to go along with the book they read titled “Peeny Butter Fudge.” The students measured and mixed the ingredients and once it was set they enjoyed the yummy fudge!
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Letter Lessons
Ms. Tobia’s and Ms. Bonnie’s PreK-4 class at School 1 read the story "The Gingerbread Man" last week. In small groups, they used Play-Doh to make letters to complete the Gingerbread Man’s house. They talked about how some letters have straight lines and some letters have curved lines.
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Digital Designs
Last week, seventh grade Memorial Middle School students began to learn about colorists in the comic book industry in art class with Ms. Farrell. Their inspiration is Laura Allred. Students uploaded an inked drawing of comic book art to Canvas.apps.chrome and then colored it digitally. The works were amazing and the color duplicated the process of Allred, who was inspired by Matisse, the master of color shapes, which was the class' previous lesson.
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All About Me
Beatrice Gilmore School's newcomers in Mrs. Najim's class were eager to share "All About Me" to introduce themselves to their classmates, gain confidence, create a classroom community, and develop positive relationships with each other. They created 3D pumpkins that carry the colorful flags and their interesting information.
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Starting & Stopping
Students in Mr. Melton's fourth grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School are learning about force and energy in science. The students completed a hands-on investigation to explain how far cars travel when different push forces are used. First, each group was assigned roles. Then, each group wrote and shared a prediction. The students then used toy cars and measured the distance traveled when pushed with different amounts of force. The groups were able to collect and analyze data to explain the relationship between force and energy.
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Reading Nooks
Ms. Tonti’s first graders at Charles Olbon School enjoyed some "Read to Self" time. Students chose special spots around the room called, “Our Reading Nook.” There, they practiced taught Reading Workshop skills. Then, they transitioned to "Read with a Partner" to continue their practices while the teacher worked with individual students. The class has learned so much in such little time!
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Pumpkin Investigation
Ms. Tobia’s and Ms. Bonnie’s PreK-4 class at School 1 looked closely at pumpkins. They talked about the characteristics of pumpkins. They also came up with descriptive words like yellow, orange, round, bumpy, smooth, heavy, small, and big.
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School Helpers
In the "Beginning The Year" study, the children spend time learning about the people who work in their school. Nurse Tara visited classrooms at School 1 to answer questions from the students. Some questions were “What do you do in your office?” and “Why are you a nurse?” She told them what she does to help keep them safe and healthy. They loved hearing that Nurse Tara became a nurse because she loves helping people. Shown are photos from Ms. Casasnovas; and Mrs. Murray's classes.
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Meadow Farms Fundraiser
The Beatrice Gilmore Home & School Association is running a Meadow Farms Fundraiser until Oct 12. Shop online for chocolates, wrapping paper, home decor, and more. All are welcome to shop and support the sale. To view the items for sale, click here.
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Volunteer Trunkers Needed
The Woodland Park Municipal Alliance Against Alcoholism & Drug Abuse would like to again host Trick or Trunk on Halloween, Oct. 31. Registration for volunteer trunks is now open. Please consider helping out to make this event a success. Registration for children will not open until 50 cars have registered to take part. To sign up to be a volunteer trunk, email your name and phone number to wptrunks@gmail.com.
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Coming up at the Alfred Baumann Library:
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.
Saturday, Oct. 8, 10:30 p.m. - Fall-themed story time and craft. (Note this event will be at the library and not at Dowling Gardens as previously planned). Register here.
Monday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. - Bouncing Babies story time program for ages one to 23 months and a caregiver. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. - Weigh To Go no judgement weight loss sharing group. Share stories, tips, and struggles, or just listen. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons for sixth to 12th grade. New and experienced players are welcome. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m. - Pajama Story Time for all ages. Pajamas are encouraged. This story time is for the whole family. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m. - Chit Chat Club. Bring your children to storytime and then sit out in the main library to "chit chat" with other parents. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales for ages 2 and up. Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs, a craft, and more. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. - Wonder Babies. This interactive class for ages 6 to 24 months will help develop sensory skills through touch, sight, sound, and more. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 13, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 13, 12 p.m. - Sit & Fit Exercise Class. Wear comfortable clothing and bring water to hydrate. A health waiver needs to be completed prior to the program. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m. - How To Break Into Acting. Learn steps you can take to break into the world of performance! Woodland Park's own Melanie Hinkle is a N.Y.-based queer actor, talent manager, and filmmaker. Along with over 25 years acting on camera and VO credits, Mel also has experience with directing, producing, cinematography, editing, and screenwriting. Register here.
Saturday, Oct. 15, 12:30 p.m. - Fall Into STEAM for grades 3-8. This month, join in for "Earth Is An Onion," to learn about each unique layer of our home planet. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m. - Crafternoon for adults. Join in to make a beautiful fall craft. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 20, 4:30 p.m. - Afternoon movie for all ages. Join in for a special Halloween screening of "Hocus Pocus!" Snacks and drinks will be available. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 20, 6:30 p.m. - Spooky Zentangle with Maria. Create a design that will send you into a Zen state of mind. No experience is necessary. Register here.