Woodland D50 Board of Education Highlights!
Check out the highlights from the April Board Meeting in the ROAR Report. https://app.smore.com/n/82ku9
The Board of Education welcomed Jay Wiltshire as a new member. Mr. Wiltshire was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting and he began his service on the Board immediately after taking the Oath of Office.
We also welcomed two new Assistant Principals, Heather Weideman (Intermediate) and Stephanie Reuter (Middle School), to our administrative team. Heather and Stephanie are already very busy serving the Woodland community in a number of important ways, Heather as a veteran teacher at Intermediate School and Stephanie serving as an active parent volunteer; both will begin their new roles on July 1, 2026.
To help us recognize April 19 - 25, 2026 as National Volunteer Week, the Wildcat Music Boosters led meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
And the Parent Mentor Program shared an update on the success of the program and highlights from this school year.
Check out the highlights from the April Board Meeting in the ROAR Report. https://app.smore.com/n/82ku9
The Board of Education welcomed Jay Wiltshire as a new member. Mr. Wiltshire was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting and he began his service on the Board immediately after taking the Oath of Office.
We also welcomed two new Assistant Principals, Heather Weideman (Intermediate) and Stephanie Reuter (Middle School), to our administrative team. Heather and Stephanie are already very busy serving the Woodland community in a number of important ways, Heather as a veteran teacher at Intermediate School and Stephanie serving as an active parent volunteer; both will begin their new roles on July 1, 2026.
To help us recognize April 19 - 25, 2026 as National Volunteer Week, the Wildcat Music Boosters led meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
And the Parent Mentor Program shared an update on the success of the program and highlights from this school year.






The Flag Football season is off to a great start! With several games still ahead, we are looking forward to cheering you on.
GO WILDCATS!
GO WILDCATS!






Congratulations Wildcats!
This week, eight students were recognized at the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) annual Student Leadership awards breakfast. Two student recipients from the highest grades at each school (Grades K, 3rd, 5th, and 8th) were honored for going above and beyond both inside and outside of the classroom.
Congratulations to Woodland's IPA Student Leadership Award recipients:
Primary - Elise and Nathaniel
Elementary - Scarlett and Gabriel
Intermediate - Vivienne and Vikram
Middle - Erin and Caylan
⭐️ #LifeintheW
This week, eight students were recognized at the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) annual Student Leadership awards breakfast. Two student recipients from the highest grades at each school (Grades K, 3rd, 5th, and 8th) were honored for going above and beyond both inside and outside of the classroom.
Congratulations to Woodland's IPA Student Leadership Award recipients:
Primary - Elise and Nathaniel
Elementary - Scarlett and Gabriel
Intermediate - Vivienne and Vikram
Middle - Erin and Caylan
⭐️ #LifeintheW





Opportunity is knocking!!!
Woodland's Annual Career Fair is THIS SATURDAY (4/25/26) and we are looking forward to meeting you.
Stop by our Career Fair to explore open positions and see what makes Woodland a great place to work. (Photos from last year so you know what to expect)
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
Time: 8 - 11 a.m.
Location: Educational Support Center, 1105 N. Hunt Club Road, Gurnee
Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHcRZsZPJIARNtGy6aUhV1qazpB0snJIa88COX0Cmb8fzgPw/viewform
Now Hiring For All Positions:
Early Childhood - 8th Grade Teachers, Special Education, Student Support Services (OT/PT/Speech/Social Work), Maintenance & Custodial Staff, Bus Drivers, Playground Supervisors, Substitute Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Dual Language Teachers.
Woodland's Annual Career Fair is THIS SATURDAY (4/25/26) and we are looking forward to meeting you.
Stop by our Career Fair to explore open positions and see what makes Woodland a great place to work. (Photos from last year so you know what to expect)
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
Time: 8 - 11 a.m.
Location: Educational Support Center, 1105 N. Hunt Club Road, Gurnee
Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHcRZsZPJIARNtGy6aUhV1qazpB0snJIa88COX0Cmb8fzgPw/viewform
Now Hiring For All Positions:
Early Childhood - 8th Grade Teachers, Special Education, Student Support Services (OT/PT/Speech/Social Work), Maintenance & Custodial Staff, Bus Drivers, Playground Supervisors, Substitute Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Dual Language Teachers.








April 22 is Administrative Professionals Day and we want to give a big thank you to all of our amazing Woodland Admin!
Thank you for everything you do for our students, staff, and learning community.
Thank you for everything you do for our students, staff, and learning community.

The results are in! Congratulations to the Woodland Middle School Bowling teams on a great performance at the State Tournament!
Girls - 6th Place
Boys - 7th Place
Special shoutouts to our individual medalists:
Erin C placed 4th overall
Mathew M placed 6th overall
Girls - 6th Place
Boys - 7th Place
Special shoutouts to our individual medalists:
Erin C placed 4th overall
Mathew M placed 6th overall


We are excited to announce the Woodland finalists in the annual Village of Gurnee Teacher and Staff Member of the Year program. From approximately 280 nominations, we have selected five teachers and five staff members to be recognized as finalists. One person from each category will ultimately be selected as the District winners, but first we want to celebrate our finalists!
💚 Teacher of the Year Finalists: 🤩
Mary Wagner, Early Childhood Teacher
Nicole Balogh, First Grade Teacher
Esperanza Rubio, Spanish Intervention Teacher
Amy Bautista, 6th Grade Advanced and 7th Grade Challenge Math Teacher
Jess Pierson, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist/Hearing Itinerant Teacher
🤩 Staff Member of the Year Finalists: 💚
Holly Yunker, Paraprofessional
Karen Hoppel, Paraprofessional
Gabriela Navarro Diaz, Family Coordinator
Brandi Smith, Hall Monitor
Natalie Monzo, Operations + Facilities
Thank you to our staff, families, students, and community members for submitting nominations and helping us recognize amazing educators and team members. Stay tuned to find out who will be Woodland's 2025-2026 Teacher and Staff Member of the Year for the Village of Gurnee!
💚 Teacher of the Year Finalists: 🤩
Mary Wagner, Early Childhood Teacher
Nicole Balogh, First Grade Teacher
Esperanza Rubio, Spanish Intervention Teacher
Amy Bautista, 6th Grade Advanced and 7th Grade Challenge Math Teacher
Jess Pierson, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist/Hearing Itinerant Teacher
🤩 Staff Member of the Year Finalists: 💚
Holly Yunker, Paraprofessional
Karen Hoppel, Paraprofessional
Gabriela Navarro Diaz, Family Coordinator
Brandi Smith, Hall Monitor
Natalie Monzo, Operations + Facilities
Thank you to our staff, families, students, and community members for submitting nominations and helping us recognize amazing educators and team members. Stay tuned to find out who will be Woodland's 2025-2026 Teacher and Staff Member of the Year for the Village of Gurnee!


April 15th is ASL Awareness Day!! Celebrate with us by watching our very own Woodland students sign the music video, “A Million Dreams”. So proud of them! Learn more about American Sign Language in an interview with Dr. Machak and Woodland's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Itinerant teacher, Jess Pierson afterwards!
Watch the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmqgvGFNtyw
Watch the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmqgvGFNtyw


The WMS Scholastic Bowl Team takes on Round Lake! #LifeintheW





Register now for the #LifeintheW Career Fair!
Join us on Saturday, April 25 from 8-11 a.m. at the Educational Support Center to learn more about career opportunities throughout our district and working in the W.
We hope to see you there!
https://forms.gle/crxbb16Cj1ycc9u87
Join us on Saturday, April 25 from 8-11 a.m. at the Educational Support Center to learn more about career opportunities throughout our district and working in the W.
We hope to see you there!
https://forms.gle/crxbb16Cj1ycc9u87


Congratulations to Isabella and Yasmeen for being recognized with a Young Citizenship Award from The Exchange Club of Gurnee! These amazing students were recognized this morning for the many ways they show leadership in our schools. From academic success, to involvement in clubs and activities outside of the classroom, and the way they show kindness to peers - these students make a positive impact on the #LifeintheW community and beyond. Way to go! ⭐️
Congratulations to our boys and girls bowling teams for winning Sectionals and advancing to the State Meet this Friday and Saturday!🎳🤩 #LifeintheW


⭐️ Congratulations to the cast and crew of Beetlejuice Jr. for putting on two great performances! ⭐️
The energy you brought to the stage made it a night to remember. We are so proud of you! #LifeintheW
Did you see the show?
The energy you brought to the stage made it a night to remember. We are so proud of you! #LifeintheW
Did you see the show?

The final Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) Meeting of the school year took place on Thursday, April 2.
Thank you to all the families who attended with their children. Ashley Camara and Cindy Gwaltney from Warren Township Youth & Family Services provide a presentation on Mental Health, focusing on depression and anxiety. The children enjoyed making crafts with Dual Language teachers and volunteers from the Avanza Club from Warren High School. Thank you to Starbucks, Tacos el Norte, 211 United Way, and Big Brothers Big Sisters for donating raffle prizes.
We greatly appreciate the families who attended the event despite the bad weather. We learned so much together! #LifeintheW
To learn more about BPAC, please visit our website - https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac
Thank you to all the families who attended with their children. Ashley Camara and Cindy Gwaltney from Warren Township Youth & Family Services provide a presentation on Mental Health, focusing on depression and anxiety. The children enjoyed making crafts with Dual Language teachers and volunteers from the Avanza Club from Warren High School. Thank you to Starbucks, Tacos el Norte, 211 United Way, and Big Brothers Big Sisters for donating raffle prizes.
We greatly appreciate the families who attended the event despite the bad weather. We learned so much together! #LifeintheW
To learn more about BPAC, please visit our website - https://www.dist50.net/o/dist50/page/bpac









Please help us celebrate our amazing Assistant Principals! It is National Assistant Principal Week and we have a talented and dedicated group of professionals leading important work in our schools. They are always ready to jump in whenever and wherever they are needed. From supporting staff, to improving academic outcomes, to advocating for students and keeping students safe, Woodland AP's are simply the best! #LifeintheW #AssistantPrincipalsWeek

Saturday In-Person Parent University Event Rescheduled
Thank you for your interest in Woodland’s Parent University event. Due to lower than anticipated registration numbers for this Saturday’s in-person event, we have decided to reschedule the event and change the format. Instead of meeting in person, we will be offering virtual sessions of the topics over the next two months. Same speakers, same topics, but now from the comfort of your home! Stay tuned for an updated schedule once we coordinate with our speakers.
Thank you for your interest in Woodland’s Parent University event. Due to lower than anticipated registration numbers for this Saturday’s in-person event, we have decided to reschedule the event and change the format. Instead of meeting in person, we will be offering virtual sessions of the topics over the next two months. Same speakers, same topics, but now from the comfort of your home! Stay tuned for an updated schedule once we coordinate with our speakers.

April 4 is School Librarian Appreciation Day!
Thank you to our amazing Learning Resource Center Directors, Library Media Specialists, LRC Assistants, and Library Clerks for every thing you do for our staff, students, and schools! You help young people foster a love for reading, you help guide research and discovery, and you give students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of media resources and digital tools.
Thank you to our amazing Learning Resource Center Directors, Library Media Specialists, LRC Assistants, and Library Clerks for every thing you do for our staff, students, and schools! You help young people foster a love for reading, you help guide research and discovery, and you give students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of media resources and digital tools.

REMINDER: Woodland D50 is Closed on Friday, April 3 - No Staff or Student Attendance!
Follow the D50 Events Calendar to keep track of upcoming events and important dates - https://www.dist50.net/events
Follow the D50 Events Calendar to keep track of upcoming events and important dates - https://www.dist50.net/events

Thank you to our amazing Woodland Paraprofessionals for all they do to support our schools. Your work makes a big difference to our students and learning community! #LifeintheW

Join us for the final BPAC meeting of the 2025-2026 school year!
Ashley Camara and Cindy Gwaltney from Warren Township Youth & Family Services will lead a "Good Mental Health" Workshop.
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026
Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
Location: Woodland Intermediate
There will be raffles, door prizes, games and crafts, and snacks.
We hope to see you there!
Ashley Camara and Cindy Gwaltney from Warren Township Youth & Family Services will lead a "Good Mental Health" Workshop.
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026
Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
Location: Woodland Intermediate
There will be raffles, door prizes, games and crafts, and snacks.
We hope to see you there!


