The Woodland D50 Board of Education will meet on October 15, 2026.

View the Meeting Notice & Agenda HERE:
https://app.smore.com/n/acfq7

Please note: The meeting starts at 6 p.m., but the first item on the agenda is a closed session. The public meeting will begin immediately following the closed session when the Board of Education returns to open session at approximately 7 p.m.

Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee Meeting, Oct. 14
Please join us for the first BPAC meeting of the year!
Emotional and Mental Wellness: What is Anxiety?
💚 Identify the signs of anxiety in your child.
💚 Practical techniques for calming the mind and preventing stress.
💚 When to seek help?
Presenter: Martha Lucía Aristizábal
Date: October 14, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Woodland Intermediate
RSVP: Register for this Meeting Here!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvboAjqhblOTJul_W3BWxhvR6LcX_4b9nIM6vT65mawQ9v-w/viewform

🚨 This is only a TEST 🚨
One week from today, on 10/20 at 10:20 a.m., Woodland will conduct a test of our emergency alert system. All district parents/guardians listed as contacts in Skyward Family Access will receive a TEST email, text, and robocall to make sure you are getting the emergency notifications you need. Staff will receive the TEST message too.
We are partnering with Gurnee School District 56 and Warren Township High School; all three districts will conduct the same test, on the same day, at the same time, to raise awareness about the importance of keeping your contact information up to date. Please do not unsubscribe from these alerts!
If you receive the TEST message, no further action is needed. If you do NOT receive the message, we can work together to make sure your contact information is correct in Skyward.
🚨 This is only a TEST 🚨

Congratulations to the Woodland Middle School Girls Cross Country Team for taking 2nd Place in Conference, and 5th Place at Sectionals!
Help us cheer on Ariana & Harper who qualified for the State competition in Bloomington-Normal this coming weekend! Let's go! #LifeintheW 💚🐯

The Operations & Facilities Team took advantage of the Teacher Institute Day to hold their preseason Snow and Ice Removal Operations meeting. They went over safety, operations, equipment, materials, techniques, strategies, resources and training.
We are sharing these photos to showcase the preparation and behind-the-scenes work our maintenance staff puts in to help keep our schools safe and operational throughout the winter season. Thank you O+F! #LifeintheW

REMINDER:
No Student Attendance on Friday, Oct. 9 for a Teacher Institute Day.
No Student Attendance/District Closed on Monday, Oct. 12 for the Holiday.
Have an enjoyable long weekend! #LifeintheW

This week, we are celebrating Fire Prevention Week! Our Elementary Wildcats had a special visit from members of the Gurnee Fire Department. They shared important fire and safety tips and reminders about what to do in an emergency.

Thank you to the Gurnee Fire Department for helping keep our students safe and prepared!

The WMS Girls Soccer Team took 2nd Place in the Conference Championships last night! #LifeintheW
Photo Credit 📸 : Kathleen Virginia Photography

Choir rehearsals are underway at Intermediate! Our students met bright and early to warm up their voices and practice for upcoming performances.
The Intermediate Choir will perform at the school’s Veterans Day celebration and has their fall concert, Songs of the ’70s, coming up on November 12. We can’t wait to hear them sing!

Truett is the center of attention during story time in Ms. Rose's class! #LifeintheW

Recently, Woodland’s Parent Mentor Program leaders presented to community and state leaders and discussed the value and impact of this amazing program. Along with District supporters and program participants, they shared program pathways, testimonials, and the many ways the Parent Mentors have strengthened our learning community.
Thank you to Lavonna Garner and Tanya Abbey for their leadership and dedication to growing this important program! Thank you as well to our community and state leaders for taking the time to support this program.

Special guest reader in 1st Grade today!
Gabriela Valverde Strobehn, one of the Woodland Board of Education Members, read a book in Spanish to the students in Ms. Peck & Ms. Garcia's Dual Language classes. #LifeintheW

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Woodland’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration!

It was so much fun seeing everyone enjoy the music, dancing, food, and art. We always have a wonderful time celebrating with our learning community!

A special thank you to our incredible volunteers, sponsors, and community partners for helping make this event such a success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Please help us welcome two new team members to Woodland!
• Ms. Angelina Gwinn - 2nd Grade Dual Language Teacher at Woodland Elementary
• Ms. Marveli Mateos - 3rd Grade Dual Language Teacher at Woodland Elementary
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW

Students in Ms. Wakefield’s class put their detective skills to the test!
With the help of Det. Hansen and Det. Parsell, students rotated through hands-on stations. They analyzed their own fingerprints, tested their memories, and practiced writing police reports using only the evidence they observed, and not what they thought happened.
What a cool way to see how police officers and detectives use evidence and their attention to detail to solve problems!

Students in Ms. Owen’s class took a closer look at their current read, The Amazing Generation. Working in teams, students discussed what they've read, explored the book’s metaphors, and connected its themes to their own lives. They also began planning for an exciting upcoming project: creating a podcast inspired by this book. We can't wait to tune in and see what they come up with!

Please help us welcome two new team members to Woodland!
• Ms. Caroline Branas - 2nd Grade Dual Language Teacher at Woodland Elementary
• Ms. Michelle Verley - ISEC Kindergarten Teacher at Woodland Primary
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW

Throughout September, Woodland has been celebrating Attendance Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month! Recently, our Intermediate students came together for special assemblies celebrating both.
Dr. Machak kicked things off with an exciting announcement, recognizing the 4th and 5th grade classes with the highest attendance rates in September.
Congratulations to Ms. Rodriguez’s 5th grade class and Ms. Syverud’s 4th grade class on this awesome accomplishment!
Students then went on to learn about Hispanic culture and storytelling from writer Vicky Weber, who shared her books featuring Taíno myths and legends and gave students a behind-the-scenes look at being a writer.
Keep showing up, Wildcats!

Wildcats came together today to complete 50 service projects in one day to benefit our schools and the surrounding community as part of our Districtwide Day of Service. Team members in the district office used their lunch break to pack 50 period kits for Keeping Families Covered and to sort food and clothing donations for the Family First Center of Lake County. #LifeintheW

Wildcats came together today to complete 50 service projects in one day to benefit our schools and the surrounding community as part of our Districtwide Day of Service. Here are photos of our Intermediate students giving back to our community! #LifeintheW