Woodland Park School District News
Feb. 3, 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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Top Spellers Battle It Out
Memorial Middle School has wrapped up its fourth annual Spelling Bee. Students first competed in class competitions during language arts. The top spellers from each class moved on to the finals, held Tuesday night at Beatrice Gilmore School with 24 competitors in attendance. The competitors went through four rounds. The top three spellers, from left to right in the photo above, were Jake Parkerton (first place), Jayda Blucher (second place), and Fouad Sada (third place). Jake now moves on to the regional Scripps Spelling Bee in Scranton, Pa.
Beatrice Gilmore School held its first ever Spelling Bee last night. Students first competed in class competitions during language arts. The top spellers from each class moved on to the finals, which had 45 competitors in attendance. The competitors went through 14 rounds. The top three spellers, from left to right in the photo above, were Yusra Gulam (third place), Memhet Aybar (first place), and Melina Figarella (second place). Memhet now moves on to the regional Scripps Spelling Bee in Scranton, Pa.
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Dibels Data Dive
This week, teachers in K-8 met with Ms. Socha, ELA Supervisor, to begin Phase 1 of analyzing Dibels results. Phase one requires the teachers to create a summary of effectiveness by class. Teachers used the newly added intervention manager resource on LinkIt. Phase two will require individual analysis to identify skill deficits at this time for every student. Teachers are recognizing that the most important thing is not the data itself, but the things we can do for our students because we have the data. Pictured are the first grade teachers conducting their data dive.
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Making Their Predictions
Mrs. D'Amico and Mrs. Davidson's first grade class at Charles Olbon School learned about predictions and used that skill for Groundhog Day. They learned about the history of Groundhog Day and what it means when the groundhog sees his shadow and when he doesn't. They used their predictions to write opinion stories, which included reasons why they either wanted or did not want the groundhog to see his shadow. They also took a class vote and counted them up. Students eagerly watched Punxsutawney Phil on a video yesterday morning and he saw his shadow! Six more weeks of winter!
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STEM Lab
Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Reisman's class at Beatrice Gilmore School is learning all about the brain and the nervous system. The students worked with their partners to see how fast their brains can help their bodies move through a fun Mystery Science STEM lab.
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Putting Together Patterns
Students in Ms. Casasnovas PreK-4 class at School 1 worked on creating patterns using colored counters. This math lesson helps to support problem-solving skills, classification skills, and fine motor skills!
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Static Electricity Fun
Ms. DiBona's third grade class at Beatrice Gilmore School learned a lot about static electricity by conducting some experiments last week. They constructed electroscopes, an instrument that detects the presence of an electric charge. They had a lot of fun testing out their hypotheses about which items had the greatest ability to hold the charge. Students also "rose" to the occasion with an experiment that made their hairs stand on end! They charged their balloons with electrons and transferred the charge to their hair to create static electricity.
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Puppy Pals
Mrs. Chiaravalloti’s class at Charles Olbon School made a Paws the PreK puppy craft while learning about pets in their pet study.
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Snow Much Fun
What do you do when there hasn’t been much snow to play in? You make your own. PreK-4 students at School 1 made snow in class. They learned that they have to read a recipe and follow the directions, which included measuring the ingredients in order for the product to be made properly. The students said, “This is so much fun!” Above are students in in Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Coffey’s class. Below are students from Mrs. LaSala's class.
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Memorial Mural Creation
The Memorial Middle School Art Club, under the direction of Ms. Farrell, is working on a new mural outside the cafeteria which will feature the school house logos and Memorial mustang. Students created the house logo designs, drawing them onto brown craft paper using Mrs. Green's overhead projector. Then, using carbon paper, they transferred the designs to the wall. The next step will be drafting one more house logo and the Mustang logos on both sides. After that, it will be paint time! Stay tuned for the reveal!
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Learning About Traditions
Nurse Roehrich came to visit Ms. Miranda and Ms. Byrnes' third grade classroom at Beatrice Gilmore School to talk about Chinese New Year. She shared her family traditions with the class and also read a book about the holiday. The students enjoyed having her as a guest reader!
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Superintendent Encourages Leadership At North Jersey Chamber Event
Members of the business community examined topics at the intersection of business and education during the North Jersey Chamber of Commerce Think TANK, held on Jan. 26 at Berkeley College. The event brought together leaders in education and business and allowed them to share the value of further education and how it directly affects business growth.
School District Superintendent Dr. Pillari served as the event's keynote speaker and she encouraged servant leadership to sustain an engaged workforce.
“If you believe in people, that’s where your sustainability will be,” Dr. Pillari said. “We must strive to raise one another up, we must support one another, we must listen to one another – especially our youth and the people coming into the workforce.”
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Author Acknowledged
The Board of Education Monday night acknowledged former resident Charles O’Donnell for writing a book entitled Read to Succeed: Great Readers Make Great Leaders. O’Donnell dedicated the book to his “wonderful Elementary School No. 4 teachers” with a list of the teachers who taught him during his years in Woodland Park.
O’Donnell was a student in Woodland Park from kindergarten to eighth grade, graduating from Memorial School in 1959. He then attended Passaic Valley High School where he graduated in 1963.
“As a former educator, it always makes you feel good to be recognized by one of your pupils or one of your former pupils,” Board of Education President Dr. Joseph Giammarella said to O’Donnell, who attended the meeting via Zoom, as he lives in Washington State. “What you have done in this book is memorialize your teachers and your mentors and I thank you.”
The District will be purchasing additional copies of the book so that there is one at each school library in town as well as at the Alfred Baumann Library.
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BG Book Fair Is Next Week
The Scholastic Book Fair is back at Beatrice Gilmore School! Students will be able to shop during the school day. Parents can shop Wednesday, Feb. 8 between 2 and 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. All families in town are welcome to shop. Anyone interested can also shop online here.
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Baseball, Softball Registration Open
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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, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. - Bouncing Babies for ages 1-23 months and a caregiver. Register here.
Monday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. - Weigh To Go weight loss support group. Register here.
Monday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m. - Chair Yoga. Come and find inner peace through chair yoga and meditation. Register here. Monday, Feb. 6, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Monday, Feb. 6, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Monday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. - Dungeons and Dragons club for teens in 6th to 12 grade. Register here.
Monday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. - Baumann Book Club. Register here.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 11 a.m. - Coffee and… Looking for a friend or someone to chat with? Stop by, have a cup of coffee, and bring a friend or make some friends. Register here.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 3:30 p.m. - DIY Sticker Workshop for grades 5 to 8. Learn how to make your own stickers. Draw your own or use an existing design. Register here.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. - Snails & Tales story time with Miss Sara for ages 2 and up. Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join in to work on a craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 10 a.m. - Wonder Babies for ages 6 to 24 months. This interactive program will help toddlers develop sensory skills through touch, sight, sound, and more. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m. - Unwind With Pat. Join Pat to unwind with the craft of your choice. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 12 p.m. - Sit & Fit chair exercise class. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 3 to 4 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 4 to 5 p.m. - Homework Helpers. AP students will assist students with test review and homework. Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m. - History of Hinchliffe Stadium, a National Historical Landmark. In mid-April, Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson will reopen. It will be the new home for the NJ Jackals baseball team. Author Jennifer Ranu will take us back in time for the history of the stadium. Register here.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 11 a.m. - Arts & Crafts for grades K-4. Register here.
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. - Pajama Story Time for all ages. Pajamas are encouraged! Register here.
Thursday, Feb. 16, 4:30 p.m. - Afternoon movie for all ages. Join in for a viewing of "Turning Red." Snacks and drinks will be available. Register here.
Saturday, Feb. 18, 12:30 p.m. - A Very STEAM-Y Winter for grades 3-8. This month's theme is ice age icons. Learn about the beasts of our last ice age. Register here.