Elementary School

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.

We asked Woodland teachers and staff members, "What does belonging look like in your classroom, school, or workspace?"
Ms. Mills shared this picture and explained that her class earned extra recess so they made a sign together and took a class picture!
Way to go Wildcats! #LifeintheW

Thank you for joining us for Parent University this past Saturday! The speakers shared useful information and expert tips on how to support your Wildcat at home, Warren High School volunteers from National Honor Society helped with games and crafts, and families had the chance to network and win prizes in addition to attending sessions. It was a great morning! #LifeintheW
Learn more about Parent University and upcoming events: https://www.dist50.net/page/parent-university

AWS (Amazon Web Services) is currently experiencing an outage, which may be affecting the functionality of the app, BusWhere.
We recommend that students arrive at the bus stop at least 5–10 minutes before their scheduled time and not rely solely on the app for updates, as noted in the student handbook and Transportation's webpage.
Thank you!

Top 5 Reasons to Attend Parent University!
In addition to the incredible sessions we have planned for you, here are 5 other great reasons you should attend Parent University…
5. Complimentary Coffee & Snacks ☕🍿
4. Free Childcare with Crafts & Activities for children ages 3 - 12 🎨
3. Community Partners & Resources 🤝
2. Amazing Speakers - Dedicated & Passionate Educators 💚
1. Raffle Prizes! Top prize - $100 Gift Card 🎉
(Photos from Previous Parent University Events)
Learn more and register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeR1n9CSIZ4qjVNP8QPxXH8VUrlFrsZcYJ4uW7HY7pbmUkDRQ/viewform
Event Details & List of Topics: https://www.dist50.net/page/parent-university

Congratulations to James and Thomas for being recognized with a Young Citizenship Award from The Exchange Club of Gurnee! These students were selected for recognition based on the categories of Citizenship, Attitude, Academics, Service, and Leadership. Mr. Sheldon and Mrs. Drake spoke about how these students contribute to a positive learning environment at Woodland Intermediate and Woodland Middle School.
In addition to recognizing these amazing Woodland students, the Exchange Club presented Gurnee area schools with new American Flags. We appreciate this ongoing support from our wonderful community partners at the Exchange Club. #LifeintheW

Our Elementary Wildcats had a special visit from the Gurnee Fire Department today to learn all about fire safety! 🔥🚒

Some of our students impressed the firefighters (and their classmates) by showing off their fire safety knowledge with a Stop, Drop, and Roll demonstration.

The visit wrapped up with a look at the gear firefighters use to stay safe while protecting our community.

A big thank-you to the Gurnee Fire Department for stopping by and helping our Wildcats stay safe and prepared!

Ms. Graff's class had a great time playing an adjective game! They worked on describing pumpkins using different adjectives, then brought their pumpkins to life with a fun craft project.

Thank you Ms. Graff for sending in these awesome pics!

Thank you to Village of Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood, and Warren Township Supervisor Elmer Fallos for joining the Woodland and River Trail Parent Mentors for a "Beyond the Classroom" training today. AND Congratulations to Gurnee School District 56 for joining the Parent Mentor Network. We are so excited for you to see the impact that parent mentors have in the classroom!
Both Woodland and Gurnee 56 are currently looking for additional Parent Mentors. Fill out the interest form HERE:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjAwrBarPnAZTFRRFPKUYibYKS-VFx6rxBB9_6nbg3rsr96Q/viewform

Today is National Custodian Appreciation Day. Please join us in thanking our incredible Woodland custodians!
Our custodial team works tirelessly every single day to keep our schools clean, safe, and welcoming for students, staff, and families. From classrooms and hallways, to cafeterias and gyms, their hard work allows our Wildcats to learn and grow in a healthy, comfortable space. Please take a moment to show your appreciation for the custodians who help keep Woodland running! This is #LifeintheW

October is National Principals Month, where we have the opportunity to recognize dedicated school leaders for the important role they play in our Woodland learning community. The celebration will last all month long because in Illinois, Principal Appreciation Week is October 20–24, and Principal Appreciation Day is Friday, October 24.

This month, we are celebrating the hard work, leadership, and never-ending support our principals provide every single day. From guiding our staff, to inspiring our students, to connecting with families, our principals are key to success in #LifeintheW!

Please join us in showing your appreciation for the countless ways they make a difference in our schools and in the lives of our Wildcats. #ThankAPrincipal

The last day of September brings a close to Attendance Awareness Month! Our schools have been celebrating the importance of attendance during the month; however, even though the month is done, building strong attendance habits continues all year long!
Today, Wiley stopped by to celebrate our classrooms in Elementary that showed great attendance. Wiley’s visit was a way to recognize the teamwork between families, students, and staff in building strong habits that support learning and success, and to cheer on and encourage our Wildcats to keep showing up!
Thank you for working with us to make daily attendance a priority. When our Wildcats are “Here Today, they are Ready for Tomorrow!”

Woodland's districtwide Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration event is this Saturday! We hope to see you there #LifeintheW
Date: Saturday, Oct. 4
Time: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Woodland Middle School
Please join us for performances, music, arts & crafts, displays, and friendship!

The celebration of new Woodland teachers/staff continues. Please join us in giving a warm #LifeintheW welcome to Jaci Farstead! Recently, we visited Mrs. Farstead’s class at Woodland Elementary where she and her students were working hard on Geography and labeling maps with continents and countries. Teaching has been a dream of Mrs. Farstead her whole life and she is very excited to bring her passion and dedication to Woodland and our Wildcats!
We’ll continue highlighting our new staff members over the next few weeks, so keep those welcome wishes coming! 💚

The Woodland D50 Board of Education will meet on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. 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.
Watch on Woodland Live: https://www.youtube.com/@woodlandlive9671
Agenda: https://5il.co/3q5ua

This was a busy week of training for Woodland's Parent Mentors! They are ready to join their partner teacher in the classroom starting next week. This morning they had a meet and greet with the Principals and presented their versions of a "Perfect School" and explained how they will lead with their head, heart and feet.
It's not too late to join the program! If you are interested in supporting students and teachers in the classroom, please fill out this parent interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjAwrBarPnAZTFRRFPKUYibYKS-VFx6rxBB9_6nbg3rsr96Q/viewform