Elementary School

Photos from MATH & STEM lessons in the classroom at Elementary. These Wildcats had tons of hands on learning this year! In the photos you will see: Penny Spinners Force & Motion Marshmallow Challenge Index Card Challenge Paper Chain Challenge STEM Careers Thank you to Mrs. McGinn for sharing!

Woodland Phone and Internet Outage: 5/24/24 at 2:10 p.m. We are currently experiencing a temporary disruption in phone and internet service across the district. Our Tech Team is working to resolve the issue.

The baby chicks have hatched! Remember when the chickens visited Mrs. Hansen's 1st grade class? Now the students are so happy to introduce you to the chicks! The chicks will spend a little time at school, and then they will go back to Fleming Family Farm for the summer. #LifeintheW 🐣

The last Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) Meeting of the year was held on Wednesday night at Woodland Intermediate. This group has grown so much this year! The BPAC members are a great example of parent engagement in our district. While the adults participated in a presentation from Warren Township Youth and Family Services on the topic of Anxiety and services offered through United Way of Lake County, the kids had fun making crafts and hanging out with Tobias the Comfort Dog. Thank you to Alejandra Balsamo for your work throughout the year to bring our families together, and to the Dual Language teachers and other volunteers who help support the program. #LifeintheW

The fields at Elementary were transformed into a Hot Ground obstacle course for an outdoor adventure today and tomorrow. The students faced challenges and missions designed to promote hand-eye coordination, overcoming obstacles, teambuilding exercises and problem solving. These Wildcats can do anything! #LifeintheW

Take a bow! Mrs. Jakielski's class performed an amazing "Readers Theater" today for their families and special guests. #LifeintheW

REMINDER: Special Education Parent Resource Group Meeting, May 22! The topic for this next meeting will focus on school transitions, and what to expect as your child moves to the next school. We will also be providing childcare if needed. We look forward to seeing you! Date: May 22, 2024 - Time: 5 - 6 p.m. - Location: Intermediate School Library - RSVP: https://forms.gle/teDyNp7xZtcZtudD9

Congratulations to our Parent Mentors for a wildly successful year supporting our Wildcats in the classroom! In these photos, the Parent Mentors are receiving a certificate of completion, thank you cards, and artwork from the students they worked with over the past several months. They originally signed up to help students, but the program ended up helping them as well! The mentors talked about the relationships they have developed through the program, and all of the skills and confidence they gained through this experience. They had personal jokes, heart-warming stories from the year, and amazing testimonials about their time serving our learning community in this role. YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION AND ROLE MODEL!

The Woodland D50 Board of Education will meet on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Review Agenda & Meeting Information HERE: https://secure.smore.com/n/s0whzf

STEM Challenge Day in Mrs. Pitts third grade. Students made penny spinners, had a spaghetti tower challenge and saw who could build the longest paper chain. Lots of critical and creative thinking happening in this class!

Thank you to the Woodland Educational Foundation for hosting a Staff Appreciation BINGO Night on Friday. We had a great time! https://www.dist50.net/page/foundation

2nd grade students learned about Gyotaku, a Japanese art form and how fishermen recorded their catches before the invention of cameras. Students inked fish, then printed with them, a similar technique that has been used for hundreds of years in Japan. They mounted their prints on hand-painted paper. This was to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. IL.27. Arts and Civilization: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.

Ms. Rose and Mrs. Filipowicz took these lucky Elementary Students on a field trip to Lambs Farm today. Mini-golf, animals, sunshine, and FUN. Thank you for sharing your photos with us. #LifeintheW

Congratulations to Jeff Winiger - Bus Driver of the Year! Jeff Winiger was recently awarded the Bus Driver of the Year Award from the Transportation Department. His students know him as Mr. Jeff, and he has been part of the #LifeintheW team since 2021. To students and families, he is known for being kind, friendly and happy. To his friends in the Transportation department, he is known for his willingness to help and being a supportive coworker. Mr. Jeff has excellent attendance, and he strives to be a good role model for the Wildcats in his care. He has great student management skills and is always willing to lend a helping hand. Even though he has the largest Elementary route in over 12 years, he takes the time to get to know all of his students and their families. Learn more about Mr. Jeff and why he was selected as Bus Driver of the Year in the weekly newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/nbd6k Thank you for always going the extra mile Mr. Jeff!

It's a beautiful morning in Gurnee, and many of our Wildcats may be walking or riding bikes to school. Thankfully these amazing partners in safety get up early each morning to see our students safely through the crosswalks. Thank you to Angelo White and Joann Metzger for being one of the first friendly faces to greet our staff, students, and families as they walk, bike or drive by. We appreciate you and your big morning energy! Smile/Honk/Wave to show your appreciation today and help us spread the love to our crossing guards. 💚

An 8th Grade brother surprises his 3rd Grade sister as the "Mystery Reader" and their smiles might melt the internet! Thank you to Mrs. Estrada and Mrs. Bogdala for sharing this #LifeintheW moment with us 💚

Students in Ms. Behling and Maestra Jagla's class had fun learning about erosion with these hands on experiments! 2-ESS2-1 Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.

Introducing Ms. Joselyn, Woodland's Superintendent for the Day! She met with District Leaders and Board of Education Members for a breakfast meeting to start the day, and she has a busy schedule of important meetings, appointments and projects to get through before dismissal. Her bubbly personality and willingness to work hard will certainly help with the tasks ahead. Thank you for your service Joselyn. We know that you will make great decisions on behalf of the #LifeintheW team. Thank you to the Woodland Educational Foundation for offering this as a raffle prize at the recent Launch Fundraiser. Joselyn was excited to win the Superintendent for the Day experience.

Which teacher brings MAGIC to the classroom? Which educator cares about the whole family? Which teacher makes learning fun/has a great sense of humor? Which educator makes sure students and their families feel heard? Find out in Episode 3 of the Woodland Wildcast! https://woodlandwildcast.podbean.com/e/teacheroftheyear/

1st Graders sure know a LOT about chickens! A few feathered friends from Fleming Family Farms visited Elementary on Wednesday. Not only did the students get to meet several different breeds of chickens, but they also observed size, shape and color differences between the eggs they lay. Thank you to Mrs. Hansen and Mrs. Filipowicz for inviting us to join in the fun! #LifeintheW