Middle School

School Social Workers Week is March 1-7, 2026!

We want to say the biggest thank you to all of our amazing Woodland Social Workers. The work they do each and every day is so important and has a meaningful impact on our students, their families, and our staff. Their care, dedication, and support make a difference, and we are truly grateful to have them as a part of the Woodland learning community.

#LifeintheW

✨Sneak Peek!✨
Our Intermediate Wildcats gave their classmates a preview of their upcoming musical, Alice in Wonderland, Jr.!
With their colorful costumes, creative sets, and songs straight out of wonderland, this is definitely a show you won't want to miss.
Performance Dates: February 26 & 27, 2026
Times: 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5.00
Just follow the White Rabbit for an amazing journey to Alice in Wonderland, Jr. – We hope to see you there! 🐰✨

Tiffany Drake Recognized as NAUW Northshore Branch Educator of the Year
On Feb. 21, 2026, the National Association of University Women (NAUW) Northshore Branch held its 31st Annual African-American Educators Luncheon. The event was a celebration of excellence in education focused on “Moving Forward But Remembering Our Past”. Woodland Middle School (WMS) Principal Tiffany Drake received the Educator of the Year award for her role in educating students and serving as a leader and role model for the youth in our community.
Learn More: https://app.smore.com/n/dhve1z
Congratulations to Mrs. Drake! #LifeintheW

There are so many cool clubs at Woodland Middle School!
Did you know they have an ASL Club? Well, they do!
Students meet up to learn new vocabulary, practice having conversations in American Sign Language, and build communication skills. This club is a great way to build connections and learn something new.

We are looking for an amazing administrator to join the Woodland Middle School Team. Check out this opportunity for a Middle School Assistant Principal position! hashtag#LifeintheW

Students throughout the district have been making Valentines for seniors in the community. Today is the day! We are on our way to join the Village of Gurnee and the Gurnee Police Department to spread the love and deliver the Valentines. 💌

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the February Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting with special guest Dr. Mario Guzman Sescosse. Dr. Guzman Sescosse's presentation was "Parenting: A Relationship of Love and Discipline" and attendees found it to be very informative and interactive. We also raffled off copies of his book and he was gracious enough to sign copies for the winners.
While the adults were learning, the children in attendance created crafts with a few of Woodland's Dual Language teachers and volunteers from the “Avanza” student group at Warren Township High School. Our friend Tobias Comfort Dog was there too!
Thank you to Community Trust Credit Union and Starbucks Gurnee for donating additional prizes for the event! We appreciate your support. #LifeintheW

Check out the WMS Skateboarding Club in action! They have another trip scheduled in March. Club members teach each other new skills and encourage their friends to keep going. #LifeintheW
Club Motto:
"Be Relentless in What Matters! Fall, Get Up and Try Again!"
Club Sponsors:
Ms. Monterroso and Mr. Aablouche

Wow!!! Thank you for coming to Woodland's Black History Month Celebration this past Saturday! It was a great event full of music and togetherness, amazing performances, wonderful support from our community partners and volunteers, and beautiful artwork by our talented students. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. #LifeintheW

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday, Feb. 5, at Woodland Intermediate for a presentation by Dr. Sescosse (6:30 p.m.). We will be raffling off signed copies of his books, gift cards, and bilingual books and games. There will also be crafts for the children, refreshments, and many more surprises!
Topic - Parenting: A Relationship of Love & Discipline
Learn More & Register HERE: https://app.smore.com/n/3v2d4
Thank you from the Bilingual Parenting Advisory Committee!

Many thanks to State Representative Joyce Mason who met with us this week to review several pieces of legislation she is drafting to address our state authorized charter school funding issue. We are grateful for Representative Mason’s support and her unwavering commitment to the children of Woodland CCSD 50! #LifeintheW
To see more news and announcements, check out the Woodland ROAR Report for Friday, Jan. 30 - https://app.smore.com/n/sc8y0v

WMS Girls Volleyball Woodland Green vs. Woodland White!
The Boys volleyball teams are playing tonight too. The gym is packed. Go Wildcats 🏐💚

The WMS Science Olympiad Team is doing great! This past Saturday they competed in Rockford, and you can find them at another invitational in Arlington Heights this coming weekend.
Noteworthy stats from the Rockford event:
⭐️ All 29 Team Members won at least one medal
🤩 The team placed in 18 of the 23 events
🥇The Varsity Hovercraft Team won first place! Congrats to Isaac and Zayd!
#LifeintheW

Black Dads Rock! on CLC Lancer Radio
The Music That Made Us: Black Fathers, Culture, and Community with Black Dads Rock
In a powerful and uplifting episode of CLC’s Lancer Radio, Professor Jay Wiltshire and Dr. Brent Steffens sit down with members of Black Dads Rock, a Woodland District 50 initiative dedicated to celebrating Black culture and challenging harmful stereotypes about Black fatherhood. Blending conversation with a thoughtfully curated soundtrack, the guests share songs that have shaped their lives and communities, using music as a springboard to explore identity, fatherhood, resilience, and representation.
Episode on CLC Lancer Radio - http://www.lancerradioclc.com/Show_Archives/Black%20Dads%20Rock%202026.mp3
Spotify: Black Dads Rock! Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wq0RIv5T1cYU22ulWDUQK?si=a20c213b0c8f4c56&nd=1&dlsi=ffa2a44141a24d7e
Black History Month Celebration at Woodland, Feb. 7 - https://aptg.co/TV_3L_

WMS Students have talent!!!
Woodland Middle School hosted a talent show in December. Here are a few pictures of our creative, confident, and talented students.
3rd Place - Max, an 8th grader, who wowed the audience with his impressive card tricks and magic. Great job, Max!
2nd Place - Charlie, a 6th grader, for her powerful and heartfelt performance of “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. Way to shine, Charlie!
1st Place - GG (8th grade) and Violet (7th grade), for their outstanding duet performance of “Suffering” from Epic: The Musical. Their teamwork and talent truly stole the show!
Congratulations to all of our performers and thank you to everyone who participated and supported the Talent Show. 🤩

Help us give a warm Wildcat Welcome on this very cold day!
Woodland welcomed three new #LifeintheW team members at last night’s Board of Education meeting: two new Board of Education members, Dr. Virginia Tate and Ms. Gabriela Valverde Strobehn, were sworn in at the meeting; the Board also appointed a new Elementary School Principal, Dr. Christopher Harmon, to start July 1, 2026 when Mr. Reardon moves into his new District-level Human Resources position.
See the rest of ROAR Report here: https://app.smore.com/n/4qk6y

WINTER FEST POSTPONED!
The Parent Mentor Winter Fest event has been rescheduled due to the extreme winter weather impacting our area tomorrow. The new date is Feb. 20, 2026. We hope to see you there! 🤩❄️
Event Flyer: https://aptg.co/zy4qVQ

Woodland D50 is closely monitoring the weather forecast for Friday, Jan. 23, which currently calls for extremely cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills. Please read this Winter Weather Update for more information - https://app.smore.com/n/2zx36

Wrestling season is here, and our Wildcats hit the mat ready to compete. 💚🐯
JV and Varsity faced off against Magee last night, showing determination and Woodland pride!
Great work, Wildcats!

Congratulations to Rohan (8th grade) for winning the Woodland Middle School Spelling Bee, and to Rameen (6th grade) for coming in 2nd Place! Here are a few photos from the final rounds. Great job to all the competitors! Very impressive 🤩