Middle School

Proud Parents at WMS participating in Decision Day in support of their kids! These staff members have graduating seniors heading off on grand adventures in the fall. Congratulations to your kiddos!

Thank you to the Grayslake Central Rambassadors for visiting with WMS 8th graders that will be attending Central next year! They did some fun icebreaker activities, discussed students' questions/concerns and highlighted the awesome things that are available at Central. The Rambassadors even brought some Central swag for the students!

The Village of Gurnee Teacher of the Year/Staff of the Year Winners from Woodland are... 👏👏👏 Announcement: https://secure.smore.com/n/j5sydb 💚 Woodland's Teacher of the Year: Ricardo Gómez Pimentel, 4th Grade Dual Language Teacher at Woodland Intermediate 💚 Woodland's Staff Member of the Year: Amanda Medina, Dispatcher, Woodland Transportation Thank you to all who submitted nominations as part of the annual contest. This is something we look forward to every year. NEXT STEPS: The two district winners (along with the winners from Warren D121 & Gurnee D56) will be recognized at the Village of Gurnee Board Meeting on May 5. The Woodland winners and finalists will then be recognized by the Woodland D50 Board of Education at the May 22 meeting. Read the full announcement for photos and additional information about the winners and the other finalists.

Middle School is ready to tackle an all-new intramural program this spring: Girls Flag Football! This is a very exciting addition to WMS intramural lineup and has generated a lot of buzz throughout the school. The roster is full, enthusiasm is running high, and students and coaches are excited for this season. Flag Football is a great way for these Wildcats to have fun, stay active, and make new friends in the W. We can’t wait to see how this season goes and how Flag Football will continue to grow at WMS.

It was fun seeing all the amazing photos from Warren Township High School Live Arts Festival over the weekend. Here are a few photos from the event featuring Woodland artists. Such talented young artists in our community - WOW 🤩 We heard of at least two special recognitions from the event. Congrats to Emma for her 2nd place overall finish in the 1 -3 grade category, and to Zoe for winning the Mayor's Choice Award!

Technology Volunteers Needed This Summer! Did you know that a school district is a busy place in the summer? While teachers and students are on summer break, many district employees will be on site to get ready for the 2025-2026 school year! From technology updates and facility improvements, to planning for new initiatives, summer is an important time to make sure everything is ready to support students and staff when they return. This is where you come in! The Tech Team is looking for volunteers to help with the following: 🤩 Unboxing Chromebooks - a fleet of 1,000 Chromebooks need unboxing 🤩 Enrolling & Updating - All Chromebooks, new and already in use, will need to be enrolled and updated 🤩 Building Charging Carts - Chromebook charging carts need to be built for our schools No experience is necessary. Service hours available upon request. https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScNHaoktLJ9ba.../viewform Questions? Please email Mrs. Reyes at mreyes@dist50.net or call her at 847-596-5676.

Celebrating 12 Years of Woodland’s Dual Language Immersion Program! This year marks an incredible milestone: Woodland’s first Dual Language students are graduating from high school! We are thrilled to have been part of these students’ academic and bilingual journeys—from their first steps in the program to this amazing achievement. This celebration is a tribute to the dedication, perseverance, and passion of everyone involved—our students, families, teachers, and staff. From the program’s humble beginnings to now, in 110 classrooms and serving more that 1,300 students, the Dual Language Immersion Program stands as one of Woodland’s proudest accomplishments. Today we honor the past, celebrate the present, and look ahead with excitement as we continue to support and grow this transformative program for current and future Woodland students. Watch our Dual Language Celebration Video NOW! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMfG2rSzprw

Woodland Board of Education News! On Thursday, April 24, 2025 the Woodland Board of Education held its April Governing Board Meeting and a Special Organizational Meeting to welcome new board members after the April 1 Election. The Board welcomes three new members, Julia Plescia, Keri Rasmussen, and Joel Zwiefelhofer who were elected to the Board in April. Dr. Carla Little was also sworn in after being re-elected to the Board to serve another term. Brianna Powvens, Amy Sabor, and Gari Matsey were not up for re-election this year and their service to our learning community continues. At the special reorganization meeting, the Board of Education selected new officers to leadership positions. Woodland D50 Board of Education Officers: • Brianna Powvens, President • Amy Sabor, Vice President • Joel Zwiefelhofer, Secretary Best Wishes to Members Leaving the Board: • Anna Bennett • Corey Holmer • Renea Amen Thank you for your service to our learning community! The Board also celebrated the WMS Science Olympiad Team, the annual Illinois Principals Association Student Leadership award winners, and Woodland’s Dual Language Immersion Program. Finally, Mrs. Katie Satterlee joins the WMS team to fill an Assistant Principal vacancy. For full details, see the weekly newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/80vkz

Woodland’s Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) visited the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods for a nature hike. While they were there, members created custom painted umbrellas! The next BPAC Meeting is May 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. #LifeintheW https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac

Today, our amazing 8th Grade Lynx team at Middle School stepped up to make an impact in our community. Students volunteered their time to assemble emotional first aid kits for A Safe Place, designed to bring a moment of comfort and a little joy to individuals during an extremely difficult time. Together Middle School staff and students–with lightning fast teamwork–created as many kits as possible and used every available item. Thank you to these awesome Wildcats for taking the time to help others in our community. This is #LifeintheW!

Registration for Wildcat Summer Adventures closes on Friday, April 18! There is still time to register for Wildcat Summer Adventures! Our dynamic summer enrichment program offers students a wide variety of hands-on activities, learning opportunities, and outdoor fun. Learn more, see photos from last year, register - https://secure.smore.com/n/x3d0u We hope you will join us for a fantastic Summer in the W!

Please Join Us - The final WISE Meeting of the 2024-2025 School Year is happening this Wednesday! WISE stands for Woodland Inclusion and Special Education Empowerment. This is a Special Education Resource Group for parents. Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 Time: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Topic: Academic Transitions at Woodland District 50 This session will outline what our Woodland teams do to help students adjust to new school environments, schedules, and expectations! Learn more & RSVP: https://secure.smore.com/n/aug5nr

The results are in... This past Saturday, our fabulous WMS students competed at the Illinois Science Olympiad State Tournament. They won 4th place out of 46 middle school teams across the state! We are so proud of you! Beyond the tremendous success of the team overall, 14 individual team members won at least one medal in a total of eight events, including build events, lab events and content knowledge events. Students who won Medals: 1st place gold medals - Sharon V., Raashi M., Ashwin C. and Rohan R. 2nd place medals - Ansh P., Mukilan P., Shane W., Issac M., Eli B., and Chase A. 3rd place- Rushan M., Raashi M., Ansh P. 4th place-Brendan V., Sharon V., Thenilla P., and Aisha H. A special thank you to many of the proud parents who shared photos with us so that we can share them with you! Let's hear it for our Science Olympiad Wildcats! #LifeintheW 🤩

Happy Assistant Principal Appreciation Week! We want to give a huge THANK YOU to our incredible Woodland APs for everything they do for our schools, students, and staff. Every day, these passionate educational leaders go above and beyond; advocating, problem-solving, supporting, and showing how much they care. It’s an honor to celebrate them this week and every week. Thank you for all that you do!

STRIKE while the excitement is high and do not SPARE any effort in congratulating our Woodland bowlers! 🎳 Congratulations to the boys and girls bowling teams who competed at Sectionals this past Saturday at Lakeside Recreational Center in Mundelein. The girls finished in 4th place and the boys took 3rd place. Both teams qualified and will be competing at the State tournament this weekend in Joliet. * Notable performance - Mathew M had a score of 755 and finished in 8th place on the leader board. This is how we roll at #LifeintheW

Woodland is honored to be featured in the Lake County Regional Office of Education #34 April Newsletter! Thank you to our followers for being part of our Belonging and Inclusion story. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Lake-County-ROE-April-2025-Newsletter.html?soid=1141969542112&aid=_TiGn0AkIAY

Hi there! My name is Truett, and I am a very good boy. I am a service dog and my job is to help students at Woodland District 50. This is Wildcat territory, so I need help working on my ROAR. Will you cheer me on for my birthday? Thank you #LifeintheW friends! 🥳

Happy Paraprofessional Appreciation Day! We are incredibly grateful for our paraprofessional educators for their dedication and support for our students, teachers, and staff. You are champions, mentors, leaders, advocates, and heroes—you make a difference every single day. Thank you for all that you do! 💚

Angelo White is a real Woodland Superhero!!! 👏 👏 👏 Woodland is proud to partner with the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center in support of the Blue Kids campaign again this year! The Blue Kids campaign is an annual event to raise awareness and share resources in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. The campaign kicked off last night with an awards ceremony to acknowledge valuable partners in law enforcement, healthcare, and the community. During the ceremony, a beloved Woodland crossing guard was honored. Read the description of the award and you will instantly think of ANGELO WHITE!!! Community Superhero Award The Community Superhero Award is a heartfelt way to honor those who make their neighborhoods, towns, or cities a better place to live through their acts of kindness, bravery, and leadership. This award celebrates someone who consistently demonstrates dedication, compassion, and action in serving others, often in ways that are not publicly acknowledged but make a significant difference in the lives of those around them. They may not wear a cape, but their efforts are often superhuman in terms of their selflessness, courage, and determination to bring about positive change. Please join us in congratulating Mr. White for the love and joy he is spreading to the Woodland learning community, and all those who drive by his little corner of positivity at the Washington and Almond intersection in Gurnee!!! Thank you for keeping children safe, and being a positive light in our community.

Join Us for Parent University – April 5! Woodland District 50 invites you to our free, in-person Parent University event focused on Keeping Kids Learning Over Summer! ✅ Sessions for families & students ✅ Spanish sessions available ✅ Community resources ✅ Childcare, snacks, and raffle prizes! - April 5, 2025 - Woodland District 50 - Register now! Don’t miss this great opportunity! See the flyer for details.