Woodland Park School District News
Jan. 13, 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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In The Swing
Sixth grade students at Memorial Middle School were invited to join a new after-school program: 6th Grade Jazz Band. The group will meet once a week after school with Music Director Mr. Schaefer. In jazz band, students will learn how to play different styles of music including rock, blues, swing, and Latin jazz.
Playing in a jazz band is different from concert band, but it will help reinforce many of the same concepts and help to make students better, more well-rounded players. Students will learn how to improvise solos and will have opportunities to play solos at the concerts. There will be a greater focus on rhythms, articulation, and playing in different styles. But most importantly, playing rock, jazz, and swing is fun!
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The Mitten Tree
After reading the book The Mitten Tree by Candance Christansen, the PreK-4 students at School 1 learned about the importance of kindness and generosity. They designed a mitten and hung it on their very own mitten tree.
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Having a Ball Measuring
The students in Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Coffey's PreK-4 class at School 1 had lots of fun measuring and counting. They blew on a ball and then measured how far the ball rolled using blocks to count the distance.
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Making Tough Decisions
In April 2020, some 23 million Americans were unemployed. As of November 2022, six million were unemployed. It's a definite sign we are rebounding from the pandemic.
During Personal Financial Literacy class at Memorial Middle School, students completed an activity to see how many days they could survive a set of “real life” circumstances: they are unemployed, their savings was gone and they've lost their house. They have $1,000 left. Can they make it through one month?
There were decisions to be made on saving or spending money on important tasks and in special situations. The first decision they had to make was choosing to take a part-time or temp job. They were given several types of jobs to choose from with different hours, pay and responsibilities, and all without the security of knowing if they would still have that job from week to week.
They do not have health insurance. Which plan do they choose when they buy health insurance: gold, silver, or bronze? Some other decisions they made was whether to get a tutor for their child, purchase medicine for an elderly mother, or choose work instead of attending a friend's wedding, a grandparent's funeral, or their child’s play? Do they buy clothing from a thrift store, take their injured pet to the vet, use public transportation instead of getting the car fixed, purchase life insurance, or go to the public library to use the computer and WiFi there?
After the activity was completed, students had to report if they made it through the 30 days with the $1,000 or on what day they ran out of money. Most students made it the 30 days making the harshest of decisions, but a few did not. The students were made aware of and were surprised at the multitude of decisions their parents/guardians make on a daily basis.
According to MarketWatch, millions of Americans are just one paycheck away from financial disaster. Missing more than one paycheck is a one-way ticket to financial hardship for nearly half of the country’s workforce. Fifty-one percent of working adults in the U.S. would need to access savings to cover necessities if they missed more than one paycheck.
A separate survey from HomeServe USA, found that almost one in five Americans reported having no money set aside for dealing with the costs of an unexpected emergency expense. That report said 31% of Americans don’t have at least $500 set aside to cover an unexpected expense.
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Safety First
Students and staff members at School 1 practiced alternative escape routes during a recent fire drill.
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Rotary Food Drive
The Woodland Park School District has partnered with the Passaic Valley Rotary to assist in its food drive throughout the area during January. Donation boxes are located at Charles Olbon, Beatrice Gilmore and Memorial School.
Food collected will help local pantries during this challenging time when donations have severely dropped off. Items most in need include canned goods (vegetables/fruit/soup), canned fish and meats, dog food (wet and dry), peanut butter, cereal, pasta/pasta sauce, cat food (wet and dry), and rice.
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Gertrude Hawk Sale
The Beatrice Gilmore School Home & School Association is running a Gertrude Hawk chocolate fundraising sale until Feb. 27. Email bghsa1075@gmail.com for more information or to place an order if you do not have a child currently in BG.
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Save the Date!
The Beatrice Gilmore School Home & School Association is planning a Sweetheart Dance on Friday, Feb. 24. Save the date! Tickets will be going on sale on Feb. 5.
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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, Jan. 14, 11 a.m. - Arts & Crafts for grades K-4. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 16 - The Library is closed
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. - Crafternoon. Come make a beautiful craft with Linda to take home. Register here.
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 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. Register here.
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales for ages 3 and up. Join in for a story, songs, and a craft. Register here.
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Jan. 19, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Thursday, Jan. 19, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Thursday, Jan. 19, 4:30 p.m. - Afternoon movie for all ages. Join in for a viewing of "The Mitchells vs. The Machines." Snacks and drinks will be available. Register here.
Saturday, Jan. 21, 12:30 p.m. - A Very STEAM-y Winter for grades 3 to 8. This month's theme is snowy science, where participants will learn about the water cycle. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 23, 10 a.m. - Bouncing Babies for ages 1-23 months and a caregiver. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 23, 11 a.m. - Chair Yoga. Come and find inner peace through chair yoga and meditation. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 23, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 23, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m. - Dungeons and Dragons club for teens in 6th to 12 grade. Register here.
Monday, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m. - ESL Conversation Club. Register here.