Elementary School

REMINDER: Schedule for the Week!
🍂November 24 and 25 will be half-days of student attendance for Parent-Teacher Conferences.
🍁The district will be closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (November 26-28) for Thanksgiving Break.
Conferences Half Day Schedule - Student Dismissal Times:
🍂 Primary - 10:40 a.m.
🍁 Elementary - 10:50 a.m.
🍂 Middle School - 11:35 a.m.
🍁 Intermediate - 12:20 p.m.

Please welcome Det. Brittany Tazzioli to the School Resource Officer (SRO) Team! Brittany will be working with Det. Hansen to support our learning community.

Det. Tazzioli has been an officer with the Gurnee Police Department for more than eight years, and has served in law enforcement for 10 years. She is excited to work with our Wildcats and help support our district with compassion, care, and connection!

If you see Brittany around, make sure to welcome her to #LifeintheW!

The Heart of Local Education

November 15 is School Board Members Day in Illinois. We would like to take a moment to recognize and thank our Woodland Board of Education Members for their outstanding efforts and dedication to our Woodland learning community.

⭐ Thank you ⭐
President Brianna Powvens, Vice-President Amy Sabor, Secretary Joel Zwiefelhofer, Dr. Carla Little, Julia Plescia, Keri Rasmussen, and Michael Senol.

We are grateful for the time, care, and commitment you invest in our schools. Your leadership and dedication make Woodland a great place to learn, grow, and thrive!

Now Hiring! We have an opportunity to join the #LifeintheW team. Check out this position, and others on our Careers page: https://www.applitrack.com/dist50/OnlineApp/default.aspx

Ms. Benjamin's 2nd grade class made a new friend on Veterans Day. Say "hi" to Buddy! 👋
Buddy is Ms. Benjamin's 94-year old grandfather, and he served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He explained that he recently had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. as part of the Lake County Honor Flight and showed the students photos of his trip. The students at Elementary are collecting coins this week to donate to the Honor Flight! (Last year we raised almost $3,000 and were able to send two veterans on their honor flight.)
Thank you for your service, Buddy. ❤️🤍💙 #LifeintheW

Woodland is celebrating Veterans Day across the district with special events and recognition for staff and family members who served our country. We stopped by Elementary, where veterans and active service members spoke to our students about their roles and experiences in the military. Our Wildcats also learned how to deliver a sharp and respectful salute!❤️🤍💙#LifeintheW

Today we honor and celebrate Veterans in our schools, community, and across our country.

Thank you for you service and dedication.

Microtia Awareness Day was Nov. 9! Learn more in this video from Ms. Pierson and a few of our Woodland Students. Ms. Pierson is Woodland's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist/Hearing Itinerant Teacher. Great tips from our students by how to be a good friend. https://youtu.be/_l-P8wI4R9Q?si=BUWMk8Jkvp4_8KlE

National School Psychology Week is here and at Woodland we want to celebrate our hard working school psychologists. The work they do is instrumental in helping our students navigate their own unique paths and grow, succeed, and thrive. Thank you for all the work you do for our students and learning community!

#LifeintheW #SchoolPsychWeek #FindingYourPath

Take a look behind the scenes as the Wildcat Media Group puts together the Woodland Elementary Morning Announcements! The students are responsible for recording, creating, and editing the school’s morning announcements with Ms. Brooks & Ms. Watt. Club members participate in on-camera segments, read scripts, and assist with technology as part of the production process. It was so fun watching the creation process in action as the students helped each other adjust mics, practice lines, and edit their scripts on the fly! #LifeintheW

We asked Woodland teachers and staff members, "What does belonging look like in your classroom, school, or workspace?"
Daisy Quiñones, a Paraprofessional at Woodland Elementary said:
"I feel incredibly grateful to be surrounded by an amazing team that uplifts and inspires me every day! A team that provides unwavering support when I need guidance. They make me feel seen and valued, and they have shown me what it means to be part of a community that truly cares." #LifeintheW

Happy Halloween from our Intermediate Wildcats! 🎃
Today, our students celebrated with their Fall Parties, playing games, making crafts, showing off their costumes, and having a spook-tacular time together!
A big thank you to our amazing Parent Volunteers for helping make today’s parties such a fun and memorable time!
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Fall STEM fun in Ms. McGinn's Challenge Math Class. Students completed the Pumpkin Tower Stem Challenge. Students worked in small groups to plan, build, and adjust their plans to build the tallest structure out of pumpkins and popsicle sticks. The competition was "Wicked!" #LifeintheW

Thank you to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile for partnering with the Woodland Health Office to make sure our students have everything they need for a safe and healthy school year! #LifeintheW

Thank you to 62nd District State Representative Laura Faver Dias and Fremont SD 79 Superintendent Dr. Trish Kocanda for meeting with us to discuss possible solutions to the inequalities in Woodland’s Evidence-Based Funding formula. #LifeintheW

Hidden Gem Alert! 💎📣🚨
Have you heard of Woodland's Saturday Study Hall and Homework Help program? On Saturday mornings, all Wildcats have access to FREE tutoring and mentorship. Students can work one-on-one with Woodland teachers, or in small groups with their peers to complete homework, study for a test, get help on a project, have someone proofread their paper, practice speaking Spanish, work through a math concept that is giving them trouble, play educational games, and whatever else your Wildcat needs!
Some students come every week because this has become such a beneficial part of their routine, and some Wildcats only come when they need a quiet place to work on extra homework or study. Some of our students sign up when their parents can't help them with a certain subject, and some have joined us on Saturday morning when they are trying to catch up after missing a few days of school. Whatever the reason, everyone is welcome!
Program Details: https://www.dist50.net/page/saturday-study-hall
Register HERE: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfoXLXsW-pgbU.../viewform
Join us next Saturday for a relaxed, no stress, supportive environment! #LifeintheW

The halls of Woodland Elementary were buzzing with fall fun! From spooky witches and mighty superheroes to cute critters and K-Pop demon hunters, our students and staff went all out for the Fall Parties!

Students played games, made slime, wrapped mummies, and got creative with fun fall-themed projects. It was a perfect way to spend a chilly Friday in the W!

We want to thank our awesome Parent Volunteers for taking time out of their busy schedules to help make today extra special!

Community Partners make excellent Mystery Readers!
Thank you to Lt. Celada and Firefighter Stadie with the Gurnee Fire Department for spending time with Ms. Muldowney's 2nd grade dual language students. The students were so excited to learn from them, and make real-world connections between reading and our community. #LifeintheW 🚒🔥

We asked Woodland teachers and staff members, "What does belonging look like in your classroom, school, or workspace?"

Mrs. Coda sent this photo and caption:
"Matching outfits, matching smiles — we all belong in The W!"

Way to go Wildcats! #LifeintheW

REMINDER: The Woodland D50 Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025!
View the Agenda: https://5il.co/3ratj
Watch Live: https://www.youtube.com/@woodlandlive9671
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.