Woodland School District 50

Help us give a warm Wildcat Welcome on this very cold day!
Woodland welcomed three new #LifeintheW team members at last night’s Board of Education meeting: two new Board of Education members, Dr. Virginia Tate and Ms. Gabriela Valverde Strobehn, were sworn in at the meeting; the Board also appointed a new Elementary School Principal, Dr. Christopher Harmon, to start July 1, 2026 when Mr. Reardon moves into his new District-level Human Resources position.
See the rest of ROAR Report here: https://app.smore.com/n/4qk6y

Woodland Intermediate Spelling Bee Semifinals!
Each classroom sent their top speller to the grade level semifinals. A first and second place winner from 4th grade and a first and second place winner from 5th grade will compete in the final round next week to determine who will be the Intermediate Spelling Bee Champion for the 2025-2026 School Year. All of the spellers did a great job and it was a huge accomplishment to make it this far.
Congratulations to the following grade level winners moving on to the finals:
4th grade, 1st Place - Shrita
4th grade, 2nd Place - Beckham
5th grade, 1st Place - Vikram
5th grade, 2nd Place - Jaysen
Way to go Wildcats! #LifeintheW 🤩

WINTER FEST POSTPONED!
The Parent Mentor Winter Fest event has been rescheduled due to the extreme winter weather impacting our area tomorrow. The new date is Feb. 20, 2026. We hope to see you there! 🤩❄️
Event Flyer: https://aptg.co/zy4qVQ

Woodland D50 is closely monitoring the weather forecast for Friday, Jan. 23, which currently calls for extremely cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills. Please read this Winter Weather Update for more information - https://app.smore.com/n/2zx36

Wrestling season is here, and our Wildcats hit the mat ready to compete. 💚🐯
JV and Varsity faced off against Magee last night, showing determination and Woodland pride!
Great work, Wildcats!

Recently, two classes at Woodland Intermediate earned pizza parties to celebrate their classroom’s outstanding attendance!
Congratulations to Ms. Rosenblum’s class and Ms. Outinen’s class for their excellent attendance in December! We are so proud of your hard work, consistency, commitment, and dedication to learning.
Celebrations like these are a great reminder that being present every day makes a difference, and it’s worth celebrating! Other classes can earn fun rewards too, so keep showing up, Wildcats, and keep making every day count in the W!

Congratulations to Rohan (8th grade) for winning the Woodland Middle School Spelling Bee, and to Rameen (6th grade) for coming in 2nd Place! Here are a few photos from the final rounds. Great job to all the competitors! Very impressive 🤩

Congratulations to Ms. Wilinski and Ms. Hunt and their incredibly talented art students on your show opening last night in Gurnee! Muller Honda of Gurnee is currently featuring 89 pieces of Woodland Elementary student artwork throughout their showroom. The artists toured the art gallery opening last night with their families and celebrated with classmates on the success of the show. The students were so excited when they found their artwork and couldn't wait to show their supporters!
Thank you to Muller Honda for supporting the arts and celebrating student talent in our community! #LifeintheW

Tonight: Student Art Gallery Opening at Muller Honda of Gurnee!
Muller Honda of Gurnee
Wednesday, January 14, 2026,
6:00–7:30 p.m.
Woodland Elementary Student artwork will be displayed throughout the dealership, giving our young artists the opportunity to showcase their talents in a real-world gallery setting.
Please join us for an evening of art, community, and celebration as we recognize the creativity and accomplishments of our students. Families are welcome, and we hope you will take time to view the artwork, support our artists, and enjoy this memorable experience together.

Learning about students in Morocco through a Global Pen Pals activity in Mr. Aablouche’s class! This activity is a virtual cross-cultural exchange that connects 8th grade students from Woodland Middle School with high school students in Morocco. The students take turns asking and answering questions about school life, traditions, daily routines, and future goals with their pen pal.
The activity aims to promote cultural awareness and global citizenship while strengthening language skills. It also supports the development of digital skills, encourages respectful online communication, and fosters creativity through meaningful international interaction. Thank you to Mr. Aablouche and Mr. Bouhou from Morocco for creating this meaningful experience for your students! #LifeintheW

Did you see that sunrise this morning? WOW!
Thank you to Mrs. Wilinski for sending in this beautiful picture from Elementary as she arrived for a great day in the W 🤩

WMS 8th Grade Students had a unique opportunity to participate in mock interviews with district and school leaders, community partners, local businesses, and parent volunteers. This part of the Junior Achievement program simulates real job interviews for students. Volunteers asked questions about skills, interests, and teamwork, helping students learn career readiness skills through hands-on practice.
The students spent time preparing for this experience in the classroom with their teachers and peers, and they showed up ready to impress for their interviews!
Here are a few sample interview questions:
💚 What is your greatest strength? Give me an example.
💚 What is your greatest weakness? How have you worked to overcome it?
💚 How are you at working with others?
💚 Things can change quickly. How are you at adapting to change?
💚 Who is someone you admire? Why?
💚 What's the hardest thing you've ever had to do?
💚 What job or career are you interested in?
Your future is bright Wildcat! #LifeintheW

January 9 is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Gurnee Police Department for all they do to support and protect our community.

We would also like to recognize and thank our incredible Woodland School Resource Officers (SRO) for the many ways they support our schools, staff, and students each and every day. Thank you for your dedication, partnership, and commitment to keeping our learning community safe. 💙

If you see Dets. Hansen, Tazzioli, or Gullifor make sure to say thank you and give them a high-five!

Thank you to our awesome Technology Team and the Tech Integration Specialists for creating this exciting EDTECH Camp for Woodland staff to kick off the January 2026 Teacher Institute Day! #LifeintheW

Count down to Winter Break! Part 2 of 2
Students at Intermediate celebrated the last day of school before winter break with fun and festive classroom parties. It was the perfect way to kick off winter break!
A huge thank you to our amazing parent volunteers for helping make these celebrations so special! #LifeintheW

Count down to Winter Break! Part 1 of 2
Students celebrated the last day of school before winter break with fun and festive classroom parties! Marshmallows sailed through the air, reindeer antlers were spotted throughout the halls, and there were lots of laughs as students enjoyed games, treats, and crafts.
It was the perfect way to kick off winter break!
A huge thank you to our amazing parent volunteers for helping make these celebrations so special!

Woodland Primary Winter Parties! Snow much fun with the little ones! #LifeintheW

Advanced 8th Grade Spanish Language Arts students held court this week! Students were assigned roles such as defense lawyer, defendant, judge, and more, and acted out a mock trial centered on a case of spilled hot coffee.

After hearing the arguments, the judges deliberated and determined the outcome, explaining their reasoning and how they arrived at their decision.

Thank you to Ms. Somarriba and Ms. Castrejon for bringing hands-on learning experiences to our students!

Giving in the W! – Donation to Lurie Children's Hospital 💚🤍
Students at Woodland Intermediate had the opportunity to give back in a meaningful way. Instead of using the ROAR cash they earned for showing ROAR behaviors to buys little toys and rewards for themselves, they purchased items from the ROARazon store to donate to patients at Lurie Children's Hospital! The giving campaign was a huge success and the students donated nearly 500 items to children currently in the hospital.
In these pictures, 4th and 5th grade PBIS Student Leaders skipped recess to help pack the boxes, assemble activity booklets, and make cheerful cards to brighten a stranger's day. WAY TO GO WILDCATS!