We are excited to announce the Woodland finalists in the annual Village of Gurnee Teacher and Staff Member of the Year program. From approximately 280 nominations, we have selected five teachers and five staff members to be recognized as finalists. One person from each category will ultimately be selected as the District winners, but first we want to celebrate our finalists!
💚 Teacher of the Year Finalists: 🤩
Mary Wagner, Early Childhood Teacher
Nicole Balogh, First Grade Teacher
Esperanza Rubio, Spanish Intervention Teacher
Amy Bautista, 6th Grade Advanced and 7th Grade Challenge Math Teacher
Jess Pierson, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist/Hearing Itinerant Teacher
🤩 Staff Member of the Year Finalists: 💚
Holly Yunker, Paraprofessional
Karen Hoppel, Paraprofessional
Gabriela Navarro Diaz, Family Coordinator
Brandi Smith, Hall Monitor
Natalie Monzo, Operations + Facilities
Thank you to our staff, families, students, and community members for submitting nominations and helping us recognize amazing educators and team members. Stay tuned to find out who will be Woodland's 2025-2026 Teacher and Staff Member of the Year for the Village of Gurnee!
💚 Teacher of the Year Finalists: 🤩
Mary Wagner, Early Childhood Teacher
Nicole Balogh, First Grade Teacher
Esperanza Rubio, Spanish Intervention Teacher
Amy Bautista, 6th Grade Advanced and 7th Grade Challenge Math Teacher
Jess Pierson, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist/Hearing Itinerant Teacher
🤩 Staff Member of the Year Finalists: 💚
Holly Yunker, Paraprofessional
Karen Hoppel, Paraprofessional
Gabriela Navarro Diaz, Family Coordinator
Brandi Smith, Hall Monitor
Natalie Monzo, Operations + Facilities
Thank you to our staff, families, students, and community members for submitting nominations and helping us recognize amazing educators and team members. Stay tuned to find out who will be Woodland's 2025-2026 Teacher and Staff Member of the Year for the Village of Gurnee!
Cool Club Alert!
Spanish Musical Club is one of Intermediate's newer clubs. This exciting group gives students the chance to combine their love of performing and musical theater with the Spanish language, no matter their experience level.
This club is for everyone–new performers or seasoned pros–interested in performing in Spanish.
They’ve just begun working on their production and are learning songs and diving into the script together. We can't wait to see what's next for this cool club!
Spanish Musical Club is one of Intermediate's newer clubs. This exciting group gives students the chance to combine their love of performing and musical theater with the Spanish language, no matter their experience level.
This club is for everyone–new performers or seasoned pros–interested in performing in Spanish.
They’ve just begun working on their production and are learning songs and diving into the script together. We can't wait to see what's next for this cool club!
Mystery Reader at Elementary! Mr. Trivelin brought a pet turtle for the students to observe during his recent visit to Ms. Chandrasekar's class. The students were excited to see it up close.
Following the visit, students participated in an observation-based writing activity, where they recorded details about the turtle and what they learned. This experience supported the development of their sentence writing skills, descriptive language, and ability to share ideas through discussion and writing.
Mr. Trivelin is a retired biology/life sciences teacher. He taught at Warren High School for many years. Thank you for joining us! #LifeintheW
Following the visit, students participated in an observation-based writing activity, where they recorded details about the turtle and what they learned. This experience supported the development of their sentence writing skills, descriptive language, and ability to share ideas through discussion and writing.
Mr. Trivelin is a retired biology/life sciences teacher. He taught at Warren High School for many years. Thank you for joining us! #LifeintheW
April 15th is ASL Awareness Day!! Celebrate with us by watching our very own Woodland students sign the music video, “A Million Dreams”. So proud of them! Learn more about American Sign Language in an interview with Dr. Machak and Woodland's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Itinerant teacher, Jess Pierson afterwards!
Watch the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmqgvGFNtyw
Watch the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmqgvGFNtyw
The WMS Scholastic Bowl Team takes on Round Lake! #LifeintheW
Register now for the #LifeintheW Career Fair!
Join us on Saturday, April 25 from 8-11 a.m. at the Educational Support Center to learn more about career opportunities throughout our district and working in the W.
We hope to see you there!
https://forms.gle/crxbb16Cj1ycc9u87
Join us on Saturday, April 25 from 8-11 a.m. at the Educational Support Center to learn more about career opportunities throughout our district and working in the W.
We hope to see you there!
https://forms.gle/crxbb16Cj1ycc9u87
Woodland Intermediate Student Leadership Summit, April 2026
The PBIS Student Leaders from Woodland Intermediate participated in a Student Leadership Summit in recognition of their hard work and numerous accomplishments throughout the school year. The students were invited to submit essays on leadership and questions for the panelists about what challenges they face and what lessons they have learned. 10 essays and 10 questions were selected for the event. Students read their essays to kick off the assembly, and then a distinguished panel of leaders answered their questions one by one. This was an inspiring event and it is clear that these students will be great community leaders one day.
Panelists: (Left to Right in Photos)
⭐️ Carrie Flanigan, Lake County Children's Advocacy Center Director
⭐️ Robert Machak, Woodland D50 Superintendent of Schools
⭐️ Chief Jeremy Gaughan, Gurnee Police Department
⭐️ Thomas Hood, Village of Gurnee Mayor
Special Thanks to the Event Organizers:
⭐️ Tim Sheldon, Principal of Woodland Intermediate
⭐️ Det. Kelly Hanson, Woodland SRO/Gurnee Police Department
⭐️ Heather Weidemann, P.E. Teacher and PBIS Leader
⭐️ Gabriela Navarro Diaz, Woodland Intermediate Family Coordinator
The PBIS Student Leaders from Woodland Intermediate participated in a Student Leadership Summit in recognition of their hard work and numerous accomplishments throughout the school year. The students were invited to submit essays on leadership and questions for the panelists about what challenges they face and what lessons they have learned. 10 essays and 10 questions were selected for the event. Students read their essays to kick off the assembly, and then a distinguished panel of leaders answered their questions one by one. This was an inspiring event and it is clear that these students will be great community leaders one day.
Panelists: (Left to Right in Photos)
⭐️ Carrie Flanigan, Lake County Children's Advocacy Center Director
⭐️ Robert Machak, Woodland D50 Superintendent of Schools
⭐️ Chief Jeremy Gaughan, Gurnee Police Department
⭐️ Thomas Hood, Village of Gurnee Mayor
Special Thanks to the Event Organizers:
⭐️ Tim Sheldon, Principal of Woodland Intermediate
⭐️ Det. Kelly Hanson, Woodland SRO/Gurnee Police Department
⭐️ Heather Weidemann, P.E. Teacher and PBIS Leader
⭐️ Gabriela Navarro Diaz, Woodland Intermediate Family Coordinator
Congratulations to Isabella and Yasmeen for being recognized with a Young Citizenship Award from The Exchange Club of Gurnee! These amazing students were recognized this morning for the many ways they show leadership in our schools. From academic success, to involvement in clubs and activities outside of the classroom, and the way they show kindness to peers - these students make a positive impact on the #LifeintheW community and beyond. Way to go! ⭐️
Congratulations to our boys and girls bowling teams for winning Sectionals and advancing to the State Meet this Friday and Saturday!🎳🤩 #LifeintheW
⭐️ Congratulations to the cast and crew of Beetlejuice Jr. for putting on two great performances! ⭐️
The energy you brought to the stage made it a night to remember. We are so proud of you! #LifeintheW
Did you see the show?
The energy you brought to the stage made it a night to remember. We are so proud of you! #LifeintheW
Did you see the show?
The final Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) Meeting of the school year took place on Thursday, April 2.
Thank you to all the families who attended with their children. Ashley Camara and Cindy Gwaltney from Warren Township Youth & Family Services provide a presentation on Mental Health, focusing on depression and anxiety. The children enjoyed making crafts with Dual Language teachers and volunteers from the Avanza Club from Warren High School. Thank you to Starbucks, Tacos el Norte, 211 United Way, and Big Brothers Big Sisters for donating raffle prizes.
We greatly appreciate the families who attended the event despite the bad weather. We learned so much together! #LifeintheW
To learn more about BPAC, please visit our website - https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac
Thank you to all the families who attended with their children. Ashley Camara and Cindy Gwaltney from Warren Township Youth & Family Services provide a presentation on Mental Health, focusing on depression and anxiety. The children enjoyed making crafts with Dual Language teachers and volunteers from the Avanza Club from Warren High School. Thank you to Starbucks, Tacos el Norte, 211 United Way, and Big Brothers Big Sisters for donating raffle prizes.
We greatly appreciate the families who attended the event despite the bad weather. We learned so much together! #LifeintheW
To learn more about BPAC, please visit our website - https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac
Elementary Family Fun and Games Night! Plus the Woodland PTA50 Book Fair/Bake Sale & Spirit wear Sale. More fun in store tonight (4/9/26) starting at 5:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Potty Training the Natural Way, April 23 (Virtual)
Helping Kids Achieve Self-Initiated Toileting
Gain the knowledge needed to navigate this critical step in your child’s development, and specific, time-tested methods that address the learning differences of children with special needs from Alice Belgrade-Moss, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
Date: April 23, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
View Flyer in English and Spanish - https://aptg.co/T6nLsk
Helping Kids Achieve Self-Initiated Toileting
Gain the knowledge needed to navigate this critical step in your child’s development, and specific, time-tested methods that address the learning differences of children with special needs from Alice Belgrade-Moss, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
Date: April 23, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
View Flyer in English and Spanish - https://aptg.co/T6nLsk
Have a great day Wildcats! April is Child Abuse Prevention month, and April 6 - 10 is safety week at Woodland Primary. Throughout the week, community helpers that keep us safe will be greeting the students as they arrive at school. Thank you to the Gurnee Fire Department, the Gurnee Police Department, and the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center for joining us for tiny high fives! #LifeintheW
Please help us celebrate our amazing Assistant Principals! It is National Assistant Principal Week and we have a talented and dedicated group of professionals leading important work in our schools. They are always ready to jump in whenever and wherever they are needed. From supporting staff, to improving academic outcomes, to advocating for students and keeping students safe, Woodland AP's are simply the best! #LifeintheW #AssistantPrincipalsWeek
Saturday In-Person Parent University Event Rescheduled
Thank you for your interest in Woodland’s Parent University event. Due to lower than anticipated registration numbers for this Saturday’s in-person event, we have decided to reschedule the event and change the format. Instead of meeting in person, we will be offering virtual sessions of the topics over the next two months. Same speakers, same topics, but now from the comfort of your home! Stay tuned for an updated schedule once we coordinate with our speakers.
Thank you for your interest in Woodland’s Parent University event. Due to lower than anticipated registration numbers for this Saturday’s in-person event, we have decided to reschedule the event and change the format. Instead of meeting in person, we will be offering virtual sessions of the topics over the next two months. Same speakers, same topics, but now from the comfort of your home! Stay tuned for an updated schedule once we coordinate with our speakers.
Good morning Wildcats! April is Child Abuse Prevention month, and April 6 - 10 is safety week at Woodland Primary. Throughout the week, community helpers that keep us safe will be greeting the students as they arrive at school. Today's greeters were from the District Office, Operations & Facilities, and Transportation. #LifeintheW
April 4 is School Librarian Appreciation Day!
Thank you to our amazing Learning Resource Center Directors, Library Media Specialists, LRC Assistants, and Library Clerks for every thing you do for our staff, students, and schools! You help young people foster a love for reading, you help guide research and discovery, and you give students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of media resources and digital tools.
Thank you to our amazing Learning Resource Center Directors, Library Media Specialists, LRC Assistants, and Library Clerks for every thing you do for our staff, students, and schools! You help young people foster a love for reading, you help guide research and discovery, and you give students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of media resources and digital tools.
REMINDER: Woodland D50 is Closed on Friday, April 3 - No Staff or Student Attendance!
Follow the D50 Events Calendar to keep track of upcoming events and important dates - https://www.dist50.net/events
Follow the D50 Events Calendar to keep track of upcoming events and important dates - https://www.dist50.net/events
From Screen To Reality - 3D Printing in the W! Students at Woodland Intermediate learned how the magic happens, and how people are using 3D printing to solve important problems and even save lives. We are looking forward to seeing what the students will create! #LifeintheW
