Woodland Park School District News
Sept. 30, 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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Start With Hello
The week of Sept. 19-23, all students took part in the "Start With Hello" program. This program teaches children the skills needed to reach out and include those who may feel alone or isolated. It helps create a culture of inclusion and connectedness among peers.
Social isolation is the feeling of being left out, lonely, or treated as if the individual is invisible. It is a growing epidemic in the United States and within schools throughout the nation. The goal of this program is to ensure that no child feels alone, isolated, or excluded.
We encourage parents to speak with their children about what was learned throughout the week. Check out the Start With Hello program online here.
After discussing different ways to say hello, Ms. Morozowski's PreK-4 students traced and decorated their own handprints to wave hello to everyone at Charles Olbon. They created a "Wave of Waves" which can be found outside of the classroom door. The students also marked the week with Start With Yellow: "Smile Day." Students created masks to help make their smiles shine by emphasizing "Don't mask your smile!"
Paws, our Preschool Puppies mascot, visited students at both School 1 and Charles Olbon School to say hello during Start With Hello week.
Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Farraye, created a bulletin board at Beatrice Gilmore School with photos of smiling and waving students as part of their Start With Hello Week activities.
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All About Apples
Ms. Tonti’s first grade students at Charles Olbon School learned all about apples. The class learned facts by reading and listening to non-fiction texts and enjoyed an apple themed picnic snack while listening to various fiction books about apples. The children truly enjoyed a special apple fest celebration!
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Young Scientists
First graders in Ms. Tonti’s class at Charles Olbon School studied about scientists: types of scientists, tools used and began learning the scientific method using high level vocabulary such as hypothesis, observations, investigations, experiments, etc. The students were beyond thrilled to rotate in centers in order to use magnify glasses to observe many types of shells, various rocks and stones, and fossils collected from the Jersey shores and from some islands. The children discussed individual observations and some students even used new vocabulary terms during the conversations. The class was excited to learn that their classroom will have a designated area to explore all things science!
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Solving Density
Mrs. Sturdy's eighth grade science students at Memorial Middle School recently completed a lab where they solved for the density of mystery liquids by finding the mass and volume of three unknown samples. By solving for the density, students were able to make a claim identifying the “mystery materials” using the data collected during the lab.
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Centers Fun
Mrs. Macchiavello's first grade class at Charles Olbon School enjoyed doing some fun language arts-based centers last week.
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Back To School Nights
All four of our District's Schools held Back to School Nights over the last two weeks. Following presentations from building principals, nurses, and guidance counselors, parents/guardians were able to meet with their child's teacher as well as other instructors throughout the buildings. Listed below are some important notes.
A few reminders:
- Absences must be reported to the school nurse by the start of the school day. Leave your child's name, teacher, and reason for the absence.
- Immunizations must be up to date and a current physical is required.
- The school must be notified of any changes in pick-up.
- Update the Parent Portal with the contact information of those authorized to pick up your child at dismissal.
- Late arrivals must be walked into school to be signed in.
TECHNOLOGY:
- Students can access classrooms virtually via Google Suite.
- Parents are encouraged to check the Google classroom daily for all assignments.
- All are encouraged to check the District website and school webpages regularly for information.
- Cell phones/iPads/tablets/cameras/video cameras/etc. must be placed in cubbies or left at home during the school day.
- Electronic devices are not to be used inside the school or during class.
- Schools are not responsible for lost or stolen electronic devices.
COMMUNICATION:
- Parents/guardians must ensure that information on the Parent Portal is up to date. The profile can be found on the child's portal profile page under "contacts" on the left side. Always include an email address. For assistance with the portal, please contact the building principal.
HEALTH:
- Children should not come to school if sick.
- If your child has a fever of 100.0 or higher, diarrhea, or vomiting, they should not be sent to school. They must remain home until 24 hours without these symptoms.
- Children should report a COVID exposure or diagnosis to the school nurse.
- Any student who has asthma, allergies, or any chronic illness who do not have medications/permission forms filed with the school nurse should do so immediately.
- All medications, including over-the-counter, must have a signed permission slip on file, which can be found on the website under the nurse’s tab.
SAFETY:
- When exiting the vehicle at drop-off at CO, BG, and Memorial, students must exit the car promptly from the right side. Parents should not get out of their vehicle while on the drop-off line. Utilizing the drop-off line, especially at CO, is strongly encouraged.
GUIDANCE:
- The school guidance counselors are there to help promote and support the academic, personal, social, emotional, and career development of all students.
- They offer a wealth of programs to the students as well as resources to parents.
LIBRARY:
- The Alfred Baumann Library was present at each of our events letting parents/guardians know about their offerings to the community. Parents/guardians were encouraged to take advantage of all the library's resources and to sign up for a free library card.
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Essay Winner Honored
At its meeting on Sept. 26, 2022, The Board of Education recognized Beatrice Gilmore School student, Damian Casado, for winning first place at the state level in the American Legion’s Annual Americanism Essay Contest! Damian won at the unit level, county level, and in the state competition in the 3rd and 4th Grade group. Please join us in congratulating Damian!
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Crosswalk Safety
Woodland Park Police Chief John Uzzalino reminds both students and parents at drop off and pick up to always cross at a crosswalk that is staffed with a crossing guard. At Memorial School, please only use the crosswalk by the main entrance and not the one by the Boys & Girls Club, which is not staffed with a crossing guard. Always seek a crosswalk in town when you are near Borough Schools and walking anywhere in town.
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Hurricane Victims Collection
Jayden Perez, the founder of local non-profit organization From the Bottom Of My Heart, is asking residents to come together to help the people and pets in Puerto Rico who are in desperate need of help following Hurricane Fiona. A collection box is located at the Alfred Baumann Library, 7 Brophy Lane, where residents can drop off donations. Items being sought include solar lights, flashlights, non-perishable food, canned food, water, toiletries, hygiene items, baby food, diapers, pet food, and clothes. Items collected will be shipped to churches, shelters, and families in Puerto Rico for distribution.
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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, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. - Bouncing Babies story time program for ages one to 23 months and a caregiver. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. - Join in for a relaxing Yoga & Meditation session in the Community Room in Borough Hall. Register here.
Monday, Oct. 3, 6 p.m. - Dungeons & Dragons for sixth to 12th grade. New and experienced players are welcome. 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, 11 a.m. - "Coffee and ..." Looking for a friend or someone to chat with? Stop by the library, have a cup of coffee, and... Bring a friend or make some friends. 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, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales for ages 2 and up. Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs, a craft, and more. Register here.
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. 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, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Oct. 6, 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. 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.
Friday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. - Lunch & a Movie. We will be viewing "Where the Crawdads Sing" while enjoying lunch, which is provided by the Library. Register here.
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.
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.