The Woodland Parent Mentor Program is so much more than classroom volunteers! The Parent Mentors have weekly training, enrichment and outreach opportunities where they are able to meet new people and learn new skills that they can take back to use with students in the classroom. Last week they had a special guest join them for their "Beyond the Classroom" work. Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood spent time with our mentors to help build the school to community connection. We love to see these partnerships in action.
Big News! Did you know that we have a Guinness World Record holder on the #LifeintheW team? Paul Durietz has been working at Woodland since 1970. He was recently recognized with a Guinness World Record for the longest social studies teaching career at 53 years and counting. Every day that he comes to teach our Wildcats, he is breaking his own record.
NBC 5 Chicago
Suburban middle school teacher sets remarkable world record
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/suburban-middle-school-teacher-sets-remarkable-world-record/3276805/
Veterans Day: Students at Woodland Middle School were invited to fill out a Heart for their Hero during lunch periods. In honor of Veterans Day, 6th graders wore RED, 7th graders wore WHITE, and 8th graders wore BLUE. In the photos, you can see several student volunteers decorating the main entryway with the hearts submitted by students. Mr. Nelson was also recognized for his continued service to our country.
Veterans Day: The students at Woodland Intermediate invited their special veteran(s) to the school for a Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony included a performance by the Veterans Day Choir and Guest Speakers from the community and the Gurnee Fire Department. There was also a Veterans Day Essay Contest, and the winners read their winning entries to the audience. Finally, the students presented their honored guest with a poppy and a cookie to thank them for their service.
We are now collecting donations for the Annual Holiday Food Drive. With the food and funds we collect as part of the Food Drive, we will set up a Woodland Food Pantry with hopes that ALL Woodland families enjoy this special time of year.
(Pictures: Volunteers setting up the Food Pantry in 2022)
Learn More: https://www.dist50.net/page/food-drive
See what items we are collecting, make a financial donation, or register to receive food at the food pantry! #LifeintheW
Group work in action!
The students in Mrs. Schumann’s class are creating community murals. Each community includes a neighborhood with "Fact Family Houses", and various buildings and other places typically found in a community.
Fun fact: In addition to things like schools and libraries, nearly every mural has an easily recognizable McDonald’s and Target. The students explained that even though some of them prefer other fast food places, McDonald’s is the easiest to draw.
Once the murals are complete, each group will name their community and then they will be displayed in the school.
The 1st Graders in Ms. Brooks class learned all about the life cycle of the plant. They also noticed some of the blending sounds they have been practicing - "SProut" "PLant" "FLower" and they were super excited to show each other all the extra details they added to their diagrams. Great job Wildcats #LifeintheW
Woodland D50 Celebrates National School Psychology Week to highlight the critical work school psychologists do to help students thrive. School psychologists support students' learning and mental and behavioral health, promote positive and inclusive school climates, serve on school safety and crisis teams, and collaborate with families, teachers, and administrators to help our Wildcats GROW! With your guidance, we grow as individuals, and we grow as a learning community. To Woodland’s dedicated School Psychologists, Happy #SchoolPsychWeek – Let’s Grow Together!
#LifeintheW
Woodland D50 is now hiring for two important positions as we prepare for upcoming retirements. We are looking for a new Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, and a Student Information Systems and Data Manager. Learn more about these positions (and others) at: https://www.applitrack.com/dist50/OnlineApp/default.aspx
Woodland Students and Staff have created beautiful ofrendas throughout the district in honor of Día de los Muertos. An ofrenda is an altar built to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed away by displaying photos, favorite food and drinks, memorabilia, flowers and more. #LifeintheW
More photos of the Woodland Intermediate Fall Fest parties to come, but let's all pause for a minute to giggle at this T-Rex getting wrapped like a mummy 🤣
Imagine turning the corner in the school hallway and seeing this!
#LifeintheW
REMINDER: Nov. 1 is the first SIP Day that falls on a Wednesday! There will be an early release for students today.
Primary - 10:40
Elementary - 10:50
Middle School - 11:35
Intermediate - 12:20
Here is a link to the district calendar - https://5il.co/1uc3z
Or you can see District Events in the app!
Thank you to our parent volunteers for helping out at the Halloween parties this afternoon! #LifeintheW
Introducing a new and improved experience for watching or attending Woodland D50 Board of Education Meetings! We have installed a new camera system for improved audio/visual quality for those watching from home. We have also switched to YouTube Live for our streaming service. Subscribe today. For those attending the Board meeting in-person, we have a new room layout to increase the amount of seating for audience members and guests. Thank you for tuning in! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoPwYawoj-1bYdnQ7hJQbUQ/live
Warren High School students have been paired up with Elementary students to spend time together reading, talking, playing games, and doing activities together. The concept is to give the Elementary student one-on-one attention, and to build a relationship with someone they can look up to. The younger students look forward to spending time with their mentors, and their faces light up when their high school mentor arrives each week.
This morning, the mentors planned a special Halloween event for the students and they worked together to complete a series of challenges and activities. #LifeintheW
Join the #LifeintheW team - #NowHiring
The Woodland D50 Business Office has an opening for a Payroll Assistant!
Learn more about the position HERE: https://www.applitrack.com/dist50/OnlineApp/default.aspx?Category=Secretarial%2fClerical
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the Warren Newport Public Library this weekend! Music, Artwork, Singing, Dancing - great job to all the Woodland participants (staff and students).
The students in Mr. Whiteaker's 7th Grade Science Class are experts in the field of Lab Safety. They recently opened their Lab Safety Training Facility to guests in an effort to share their extensive knowledge and experience with others. The students prepared slide presentations, posters, oral presentations, quiz games, and other materials to train their guests on this most import topic. One key component to the success of these safety lessons was all the extra fun they had. Great job Scientists! #LifeintheW
Thank you to everyone who attended the first Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) of the 2023-2024 school year! We had a great turnout, and it was wonderful to see our families getting to know each other and making connections. The adults heard presentations about Mental Health, and Community Resources, and learned new tips for getting involved in their child's school. The kids spent time working on a craft with Woodland teachers and Warren Township High School student volunteers from Avanza. Starbucks, Jewel, and Tacos el Norte donated food and raffle prizes (look how cute those owl cake pops were in the photos).
Learn more and JOIN BPAC here: https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac
Another Wildcat Weather Sketcher featured on the morning news! Well done Brendon, seeing your artwork on ABC7 brightened up our morning. #LifeintheW
