Woodland Park School District News
Oct. 20, 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
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Speak Sobriety
The Woodland Park Stigma Free Task Force and Municipal Alliance Against Alcoholism & Drug Abuse sponsored an assembly on Monday for the Memorial Middle School eighth grade class.
Stephen Hill brought his Speak Sobriety to the school, which showcases his powerful, honest, and heartfelt story of his struggles with addiction and pathway to recovery. During an introductory video that showed interviews with Stephen’s family, it becomes clear he had a great childhood. “No one saw this coming.”
Stephen, one of four brothers, detailed to the students the trifecta of nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol introduced to him in 8th grade by older peers. It was just the beginning.
“That time I picked up my first drink would change my life forever,” he said, detailing the self-destructive behaviors, drug dealing, criminal convictions, and opioid addiction that would follow over the course of 10 years.
Stephen said he would have never made it out alive if fentanyl was as prevalent during his addiction as it is today. “This is truly the most dangerous time to use drugs,” he told the students. “These drugs are that much more dangerous.”
After numerous stints in rehab only to relapse, Stephen had a pivotal moment, given a second chance to turn his mess into a message by being offered a job in the field of addiction treatment and prevention during rehab in 2012. In recovery, Stephen gained the confidence to share his story, and go back to college and eventually law school. He is now 11 years sober.
During the school day, Stephen met with smaller breakout groups of students, where they could ask questions and engage in open discussion in a smaller setting where they felt more comfortable.
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Pumpkin Patch
The Home & School Associations at both School 1 and Charles Olbon School provided a pumpkin patch to all the students. Each student was provided the opportunity to choose their very own pumpkin and was also given a craft. ECC students will visit their pumpkin patch next week.
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First Responder Visit
Preschool students at the Early Childhood Center, School 1, and Charles Olbon School learned all about community helpers this month. All three schools received a visit from members of our Woodland Park Police Department and West Paterson Volunteer Fire Department, who talked to them about safety and gave them an inside look at their vehicles and equipment.
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Straw Bridge Challenge
Students in Ms. O'Donnell's STEM classes at Memorial Middle School acted as a team of engineers to create a model of a bridge to cross one of the local rivers. Sixth and seventh grade students got to work to see which bridge could hold the most weight. Straw and tape were the only materials allowed to create their prototype.
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An Inside Look
Ms. Gutierrez's third grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School has been busy with their reader's workshop and social studies units. In reading, students discussed reading goals for the year. In social studies, they are discussing types of communities and maps. Students worked in partners to create a suburban, urban, or rural community.
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Young Illustrators
Ms. Antunez’s kindergarten grade class at Charles Olbon School worked very hard to complete the illustration unit. Now, they can officially call themselves illustrators! Students showed their favorite illustrations to the class and explained their stories to their friends.
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Prey And Predators
In sixth grade science, Mr. Krakower's students at Memorial Middle School had a blast learning about the balance between prey and predators. They dove into captivating experiments, discovering what unfolds when a predator steps into the picture. They recorded their findings and translated them into graphs. Through these adventures, they not only uncovered the secrets of how creatures coexist but also grasped the concept of energy transfer in nature.
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Kind Words
Sixth grade students at Memorial Middle School drew colorful messages on the blacktop during School Violence Awareness Week.
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Showing Their Support
Mr. Melton’s afternoon fourth grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School proudly wore pink to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month last week, and wore orange on Wednesday for Unity Day.
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Special Visitors
Ms. Odaman's PreK-3 class at School 1 enjoyed the visit from the West Paterson Fire Department and Woodland Park Police Department.
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Volunteer Trunks Still Needed
URGENT! Volunteer trunks are still needed for the Municipal Alliance Against Alcoholism and Drug Abuse's annual Trick or Trunk on Oct. 31. This event cannot happen without the community's help! About 10 vehicles are still sought to make this event a success for the kids.
Registration for children to attend will open on Monday, Oct. 23 via Community Pass if a sufficient number of trunks are registered and run until Oct. 28. Cost of admission to the event will be one bag of candy (wrapped only, no loose candy please). Please check in by the Boys & Girls Club main entrance with your candy before stopping to the vehicle.
To volunteer your trunk, please email wptrunks@gmail.com with your name and cell phone number by the end of the day Sunday.
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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, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. - LegoMania for all ages. Use your imagination and create using Legos. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 23, 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, Oct. 23, 11 a.m. - Chair yoga and meditation. Come and find inner peace through chair yoga and meditation. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons for grades 6 to 12. New and experienced players are welcome. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m. - Low-Impact Dance Class. Join certified instructor, Karen, as she leads the class. It's a great way to get your exercise in while having fun. Don't forget to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. - Craft Crew for grades 6-12. This month, make a Halloween tie-dye shirt! Bring your own t-shirt that is preferably white and at least 60% cotton. If you would like to purchase a shirt for $5, please include your size in the registration. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. - OverBOOKed book club for Gen X and Millennials. The book of the month, "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover, guarantees a lively and engaging discussion. Copies are available at the Library or via download on Libby. New members are always welcome. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 26, 12 p.m. - Sit & Fit. Have fun exercising from the comfort of your chair. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 26, 4 p.m. - Halloween Bingo for grades K-4. Prizes are available for all winners. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m. - Spice of the Month Club. Each month, pick up a new spice along with a recipe that you can prepare. Then, meet to discuss the spice, whether you used it with our recipe or a recipe of your own. You may bring a sample of the food that you have prepared for everyone to taste. Register here.
Friday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m. - Legos for adults. Who says Legos are just for kids? Come get your creative juices flowing and have some fun building with Legos. Register here.
Saturday, Oct. 28, 12:30 p.m. - Spooky STEAM for grades 3-6. Join in for some hands-on spooky experiments for Halloween. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 30, 10:30 a.m. - Halloween parade for ages 1 to 36 months. Enjoy a fun story, music, parade and craft. Don't forget to wear your costume! Register here.
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 4 p.m. - Disguise a Turkey for grades PreK-2. Disguise a turkey so it won't get eaten on Thanksgiving! Register here.
Thursday, Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. - Fall bingo for adults. Join in for some games and great prizes. Register here.