Woodland Park School District News
Sept. 23, 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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Reading Workshop Kickoff
In Mrs. D’Amico and Mrs. Davidson’s first grade class at Charles Olbon School, students have officially kicked off their Reading Workshop. Students are practicing the proceses and procedures of the workshop model! They have started partner reading and working as a team to choose and read a book together. Partner teams have the chance to share with the whole class and accountability is recorded on Post-it Notes as exit tickets. These readers are on their way to amazing things!
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Writing Inspiration
Second grade students in Ms. Greco's class personalized their writing folders as part of the introduction to Writer's Workshop and the writing process. This activity helps students feel inspired to write throughout the year. Once completed, students presented their folders to their classmates.
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Chemical Safety
Students in Ms. Ament's seventh grade science class at Memorial Middle School practiced using “chemicals” safely and also practiced how to use different tools to measure liquids during science lab time. These scientists used water and food coloring to mix the “chemicals” together to create the rainbow!
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Penny Lab
Students in Ms. Chang and Ms. Riviera's sixth grade science class worked on a penny lab. Students formed a hypothesis about which side of a penny would hold the most water. They then used lab equipment to run their experiment. Students analyzed the data gathered in this first lab of the school year. Lab safety and procedures were in full effect!
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Bridge Designers
Students in Ms. DiBona's third grade class are learning about real-life bridge design. They used their knowledge of forces to build a strong bridge that supports as many counters as possible, using only paper.
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Classroom Decorations
PreK-3 students in Ms. Wittig's class at School 1 are being creative in the Art Center. They were working to decorate their classroom for Back to School Night.
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Becoming Family
Mrs. Behnken’s class at Memorial Middle School has begun working on classroom etiquette and being a “family.” Students created a Google slide presentation and shared it with the entire class. Each student answered questions from their classmates and made sure to be good audience members as well. Ms. Petrecca, Ms. Dalia, Ms. Filiz, and Mrs. Behnken are so proud of each student for being so brave and speaking in front of their peers! Great job everyone!
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Buddy Bench Dedications
This week, the WP Stigma Free Task Force installed two buddy benches, one at Charles Olbon School and the other at the Alfred Baumann Library. The CO bench was funded by the New Jersey Education Association and the Library bench was funded by the Woodland Park Democratic Organization. A buddy bench is a designated seating area where students who are feeling lonely or upset can seek camaraderie. Designating such a bench is a helpful way for schools to facilitate peer support among students, a critical factor in combating school bullying. Two additional benches, donated by the Woodland Park Republican Organization and the Hornstra family, will also be installed at a later date at School 1 and Memorial Middle School. A buddy bench also exists at Beatrice Gilmore School, installed in 2018 by Memorial School graduate and PVHS sophomore, Erin Ryan, as the project for her Girl Scout Gold Award.
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Yearbook Club
The Yearbook Club at Memorial Middle School, under advisor Ms. Ament, is a student club that helps to create the annual school yearbook. The club will hold its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7:45 a.m. in Room 304.
In addition, Memorial Middle School parents who would like to reserve a copy of the yearbook can do so by clicking here. The cost is $30. Orders will be taken until Oct. 28.
Any questions, email Ms. Ament at sament@wpschools.org.
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Memorial HSA Membership Drive
The Memorial Middle School Home & School Association is running its annual membership drive. Membership is $15 per family and goes towards the required insurance to allow HSA members to attend events and activities that are run at the school. Become a member by printing the attached form and sending it back to school. Non-members will not be permitted to volunteer at HSA-sponsored events in the building/on-premises. The deadline to sign up is Oct. 1.
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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.
Monday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. - Bouncing Babies story time program for ages one to 23 months and a caregiver. Register here.
Monday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. - Join in for a relaxing Yoga & Meditation session in the Community Room in Borough Hall. Register here.
Monday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons for sixth to 12th grade. New and experienced players are welcome. Register here.
Monday, Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m. - Let's Talk ESL Conversation Club. Register here.
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4:30 p.m. - Reading Rebels book club for grades 3 to 5. We will introduce the book, read an excerpt, then enjoy activities, crafts, or games based on the book. The book will be provided at the program. You must have a library card to attend. Register here.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 4 p.m. - Picture Bingo for grades K-4. Register here.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Sept. 29, 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, Sept. 29, 7 p.m. - Spice of the Month Club meeting. Each month you will receive a packet with a new spice, recipe, and the history of the spice. We meet on the last Thursday evening of the month to discuss findings. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. - Baumann Book Club will meet to discuss "The Day the World Came to Town" by Jim DeFede. Copies are available at the library. The club will meet in person at the library; however, we will have a Zoom link available. Register here.
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 6:30 p.m. - Escape the Mansion of Secrets escape room for grades 4 to 8. Can you discover the secrets of the mansion and escape in time? Space is limited. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m. - Teen Advisory Board meeting. Members in grades 6-12 have the opportunity to share ideas for programs, help decide what books, movies, and more to add to the collection, promote the library's role in the community, and more. Snacks will be provided. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m. - Create a spooky drawing using the Zentangle technique for kids in grades 3 to 8. Everyone will create and bring home their own drawing. Register here.