Middle School

School Board Members Day, Nov. 15 In honor of School Board Members Day in Illinois, we invite you to meet your Woodland D50 Board of Education! These seven individuals dedicate hundreds of volunteer hours over the course of the year in service to our learning community. The Board of Education helps pave the way for our staff and students by setting policy, making sound financial decisions, advocating for important public education advancements, and evaluating policies, programs, and services through an Equity and Inclusion Lens to provide exceptional learning experiences for all learners. Thank you for your commitment to making #LifeintheW a welcoming, safe place for students to achieve their dreams. We will continue the celebration tomorrow at the November Board of Education Meeting. Thursday, Nov. 16, Meeting Information and Agenda - https://www.smore.com/9f2ve #ThankABoardMember Illinois Association of School Boards

Thank you to the WMS Students of Service for helping out in the community over the weekend. All those beautiful leaves are falling, and it can be a big job to clean up your yard. Luckily many hands make light work! Here are a few photos from the "Rake & Run" on Nov. 12. #LifeintheW

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.

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

The Middle School had a successful Yonder kickoff today. Thanks to everyone for making it a smooth transition and remaining positive about this initiative.

Congratulations to WMS's Vinitra L. (8th Grade) for winning the district's 2023/2024 Attendance Awareness Poster Contest.

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

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!

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

Oct. 30 is the deadline to place orders for the Wildcat Music Booster Fundraiser. Order Butter Braids and Cookie Dough to support music at WMS! https://5il.co/27t79

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

WMS Celebrates Red Ribbon Week! The week of Oct. 23 – 27 is Red Ribbon Week. Students at the Middle School will have opportunities to celebrate safe & healthy choices by showing their spirit with special spirit days throughout the week. • Monday – Wear your Woodland wear to show school spirit • Tuesday – Team Day. “Team up against drugs” by wearing your favorite sports team apparel • Wednesday – Neon Day. Show everyone your “futures so BRIGHT” by wearing neon colors • Thursday – Red Ribbon Day. Wear red to show you plan to “Be Kind to Your Mind and Live Drug Free” • Friday – Hero Day. Be a hero, have the power to say NO to drugs by wearing a superhero shirt To wrap up the week, students will attend a Red Ribbon Assembly on Friday during P.E. Class.

Join us on Oct. 18 for the Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC)! The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee. Learn More: https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac

The Woodland Middle School Cross Country Girls won Sectionals, and Brody and Tyler also qualified for State! The state meet will be this coming Saturday (10/14) in Normal, IL. Well done athletes, and best of luck at STATE THIS WEEKEND!!! #LifeintheW

The month of October is National Principals Month! At Woodland we are so fortunate to have four dedicated school leaders taking care of our learning community. Let's see how well you know our principals! Which principal is the biggest football fan? 🏈 Which principal has an identical twin? 🐯🐯 Which principal loves dogs almost as much as Wildcats? 🐕 Which principal was once lead singer in a rock band? 🎤 The answers can be found in the Weekly Newsletter HERE: https://www.smore.com/ct92fy We invite you to join us in showing our collective appreciation to these dedicated leaders and #ThankaPrinicpal with an email to your child’s principal or a kind word about them on social media. Throughout the year, our school leaders may only hear from stakeholders when there is a problem that needs solving or an issue that a parent/guardian feels needs attention. If you have positive feedback or a success story to share, this would be a great time to send it along and show a little “TLC” to four individuals who care for so many others each day.