Middle School

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! Thank you to our many volunteers for lending a helping hand to support the Woodland learning community on a chilly evening. We received so many generous donations over the past few weeks that helped make the Annual Food Drive event a success. Thank you to all who brought in non-perishable foods during the various donation drives and contests at each school, attended one of the food drive events in the community, donated online, or offered your time in support of this effort. We couldn't have done it without you! #LifeintheW

WMS students had fun participating in Hour of Code/Hour of AI with Mrs. Walker. Some students became music producers to create an AI jam session or dance party, while others completed lines of code through Code.org, Tynker, and Scratch. Computer Science will continue at WMS this week. GO WILDCATS! #LifeintheW

Congratulations to the WMS 8th Grade Boys Basketball Team for winning the conference tournament! Way to Go Wildcats! 🤩🏀

Woodland is currently accepting letters of interest and applications to fill two vacancies on the Board of Education resulting from the resignations of Board Members Amy Sabor and Michael Senol.

Please read the announcement to learn more about the opportunity and the application process:
https://app.smore.com/n/mzyns

Students in Ms. Wakefield's English Language Arts class work on finalizing their essays and work with peers to review and provide feedback for each other before turning in their final drafts. Ms. Rath jumped in to help as well. Great teamwork Wildcats! #LifeintheW

This is a big week for the FOOD DRIVE! Please join us at one of these events to help boost donations. Or you can bring your donations to any of the schools throughout the week. Deadline - Dec. 10, 2025.
Dec. 1 - Elementary Shop with an Educator, 4 - 7 p.m. at Target
Dec. 3 - Stuff the Bus, 4:30 - 7 p.m. (Jewel, Marianos, Aldi, Butera)
Dec. 4 - Primary Shop with an Educator, 4 - 7 p.m. at Walmart
BONUS! If you join the Woodland PTA 50 Raise Right effort, you can support two things at once.
Learn more: https://www.dist50.net/page/annual-holiday-food-drive

Did you see the news about Mr. Reardon moving to a new position in the District Office? The Board of Education appointed Mr. Reardon to Assistant Director of Human Resources starting July 1, 2026. That means we are currently searching for a new Elementary Principal in the 2026-2027 school year. Woodland is seeking a dedicated, passionate, and student-centered educator to join the #LifeintheW team! Please help us spread the word.

Explore this position and more on our Careers Page:
https://www.applitrack.com/dist50/OnlineApp/default.aspx

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.

Jayla and Isabella asked Det. Gullifor to match their jeans and cowboy boot look on Friday. They reminded him throughout the week so he wouldn't forget. Not only did he show up wearing his cowboy boots today, but he brought a friend! Det. Parsell joined in on the challenge too. Fun Fact - Det. Parsell is a former Woodland student! We are so lucky to have such a great partnership with the Gurnee Police Department. #LifeintheW

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!

Day Two of Junior Achievement Town at WMS! Students were given the opportunity to learn budgeting and the value of investing in their futures in this hands-on learning experience. Thank you to all of our volunteers for taking time out of your day to help our students learn and grow!
8th Grade JA Town - COMING SOON!
Keep an eye out for Volunteer Sign-Up details.

The Voice and Vibe Club made friendship bracelets at a recent meeting. This is a new club at WMS. The students select the types of activities they want to do, and Ms. Monterroso helps make it happen! #LifeintheW

Woodland Wildcats had a very special visitor today — Matt Eicheldinger! The author of Sticky Notes, storyteller, influencer, and former middle school teacher joined our 8th Grade Advanced Language Arts students via Zoom for an inspiring conversation. Our students were able to ask questions about writing, storytelling, and his journey as an author.
Thank you, Matt Eicheldinger - Author, for taking the time to connect with our students and share your story!
And a big shout-out to Mr. Golwitzer and Ms. Motley for bringing this meaningful experience to life for our Wildcats.

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

Woodland is celebrating Veterans Day across the district with special events and recognition for staff and family members who served our country. WMS hosted a breakfast for students and their special veteran to come to school and spend time together. Stay tuned for more pictures throughout the day! #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

Pictures from a recent Choir rehearsal: The WMS 6th grade choir students had fun learning to match pitch, sing solfège syllables (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, and do), and work together in this interactive balloon game! #LifeintheW