Middle School

Catch the WMS Marching Wildcats at the Gurnee Days parade on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 12 p.m. These talented musicians have been practicing all week at Marching Band Camp in the evenings to prepare for a great performance. We can't wait to hear you play!

Join us for Gurnee Days this weekend!
We are excited to once again represent #LifeintheW at the annual Gurnee Days Festival Aug. 9 & 10, 2025! Team Woodland will be joining in the community celebration throughout the weekend.
We would love to see our Wildcats at Viking Park this weekend. Stop by and say hi, and maybe even get a photo with Wiley!
See the full schedule of events: https://www.gurneeparkdistrict.com/gurnee-days/

Back To School preparations are underway!
Today District and School Administrators worked on our "Wildly Important Goals" under the guidance of Maria Fleming from FranklinCovey Education. We worked through The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators to identify measurable and meaningful ways to support Woodland staff and students in the 2025-2026 school year. It was great to have the full team back together as we get ready for the year ahead! School starts in a little over two weeks!
#LifeintheW

New Board Member Michael Senol Takes Oath of Office
Michael Senol was appointed to the Woodland Board of Education in July 2025 to fill the vacancy created when Gari Matsey resigned. Mr. Senol took the Oath of Office at the July 24, 2025 Governing Meeting and then took his seat at the Board table. Congratulations to Board Member Senol, and welcome to the Board of Education!
For a summary of other highlights from the July Board Meeting, please review this report: https://secure.smore.com/n/anvzw

Calling all 7th and 8th grade Band Students!
🎷 Will you be attending Marching Band Camp Aug. 4 - 8?
🎺 Do you plan to participate in Middle School Band for the 2025-26 school year?
Please be sure to have a parent complete our band camp/fall band sign up form ASAP!
https://forms.gle/5E3SYLQvyV86FxVX9
Marching band camp begins August 4! Camp runs August 4 thru 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 each evening at WMS.
(PHOTO FROM AUG. 2024)

We know many of you are still in “Summer Mode”— but here at Woodland, we’re already buzzing with excitement as we prepare for the new school year! Official Back to School Communications will start in early August, but we wanted to do a quick check-in to let you know that we are thinking of you.
Please "Save the Date" for these upcoming Back to School and Community Events. We hope to see you there!
https://secure.smore.com/n/yrs2wv

This information was sent by Text and Email on July 23 at 3:30 p.m. If you are a current Woodland parent/guardian and you did NOT receive a text or email with this message, please reach out to Brooke Hagstrom by email at BHagstrom@dist50.net. I can try to help troubleshoot before the school year starts so that don't miss anything!

Don't miss this upcoming concert in the park featuring Woodland's very own Ms. Matusek!
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 7:30pm
Fred P. Hall Ampitheater, Palatine, IL

She will be a guest conductor for the Palatine Concert Band's last concert of the summer. Ms. Matusek has been with the Palatine Concert Band for more than 20 years. For this concert she will be conducting the following:
The Clapping Song by Randall Standridge
Until We Dream by David Samuel
They're Off! A Galop by Fred Jewell, arranged by Andrew Glover

You will also be able to find Ms. Awe playing percussion during the concert! #LifeintheW

📣 Make sure your child is ready for the school year!
Registration must be complete in order to access class schedules, teacher assignments, and transportation info (once we open this feature in Skyward).
✅ Already registered? You’re all set!
📝 Still need to register? Log in to your Skyward Family Access account to finish.
Need help? Step-by-step instructions:
📄 English: https://5il.co/2lr0d
📄 Spanish: https://5il.co/2lr0h
📞 Questions? Call us at 847-596-5682 or 847-596-5683.
Let’s get ready for an amazing year! #LifeInTheW

Woodland D50 Board of Education Appoints New Member to Fill Vacancy
Read the Announcement HERE: https://secure.smore.com/n/43s7n

If you stop by the Educational Support Center you’ll see a new smiling face! Help us give a warm welcome to Ms. Gallegos, our new ESC receptionist. We’re so excited to have her on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW

Reminder: Woodland will be closed on Friday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend! 🎇

Ms. Breezee’s class had a great day at Wildcat Summer Adventures working on their reading, writing, and drawing skills!

Math + Games = A Great Day in Ms. Bolinches’ Class!

Ms. Monaco’s class spent time working on a kindness project! Students created handmade bookmarks filled with positive messages and creative designs. They then shared them with friends, family members, and others in their lives to help spread joy and brighten someone’s day. It was a simple, everyday way to practice kindness!
#lifeinthew #wildcatsummeradventures

From fishing for math facts, to making Skittle rainbows, to flashlight reading during Camping Week, Ms Higgins’ Wildcats had a fun and learning-filled Wildcat Summer! #lifeinthew #wildcatsummeradventrues

Our summer school students learned about hurricanes this week and put their engineering skills to the test by building hurricane-resistant houses. They then tested them with wind and water simulations. These future engineers weathered the storm with creativity and fun! #lifeinthew

HAPPY NEW YEAR: July 1 is the official start of the 2025-2026 school year! While school doesn't start until August, the fiscal year runs July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026. As we embark on the new year together, we want to introduce you to new leaders joining our team, or stepping into a new role. Please join us in showing these new Wildcats a warm Woodland welcome.

Read the announcement HERE: https://secure.smore.com/n/41yzc

Would you rather go bowing or go running? Would you rather write poetry or write code? Would you rather work with legos or play eSports? These are a few of the questions we asked our future 6th grade Wildcats at 6th Grade Orientation at Middle. Students and their families stopped by WMS to get a first look at what it means to be a middle schooler at Woodland. Mrs. Drake, Mr. Taterka, Ms. Marrero, and Ms. Hristorafos welcomed families and shared important information about what to expect in the upcoming school year. Afterward, students toured the building with our team, checking out classrooms, seeing their future lockers, and getting a feel for just how big WMS really is. It was a fun and informative day that helped our students feel more comfortable and excited for this next big step in their journey!

The Woodland D50 Board of Education will be meeting tonight if you want to follow along! 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 at approximately 7 p.m. Woodland Live: https://www.youtube.com/@woodlandlive9671 Agenda: https://5il.co/3k861

These are the drones you’re looking for! 🤖⭐ Our Wildcats teamed up to pilot their mini starships (drone) through an obstacle course, showing off their skills in teamwork and navigation! #lifeinthew #wildcatsummeradventures