Today marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. We remember and honor the lives lost in the tragic events of that day. We remember the heroism and courage of every day heroes who rushed to help others. We remember the kindness of strangers and our ability to come together and support each other through the worst of times. These memories reinforce the promise that many of us made that day to “Never Forget”.
Photo 1: This photo was taken early this morning at Woodland Middle School by Kenny Lohfink (Operations & Facilities) after lowering the flag to half-staff.
Photo 2: District employees gathered outside the Educational Support Center for a moment of silence and to share reflections and memories on the 25th anniversary of September 11.
Photo 1: This photo was taken early this morning at Woodland Middle School by Kenny Lohfink (Operations & Facilities) after lowering the flag to half-staff.
Photo 2: District employees gathered outside the Educational Support Center for a moment of silence and to share reflections and memories on the 25th anniversary of September 11.
Coffee & Conversation!
Dr. Machak invites you to stop by the district office for a casual conversation and a cup of coffee after you drop your student off at school. There is no formal agenda. This is an open house format designed to be social. Ask questions, share feedback, or simply visit with other Wildcat families.
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026
Time: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Location: Woodland's Educational Support Center, 1105 Hunt Club Road, Gurnee
Not Able To Attend? Share Your Voice Here!
Community Voice Suggestion Box - https://forms.gle/5FzYbRxddHZWDPch9
RSVP to Yuliana Yucus at yyucus@dist50.net
Dr. Machak invites you to stop by the district office for a casual conversation and a cup of coffee after you drop your student off at school. There is no formal agenda. This is an open house format designed to be social. Ask questions, share feedback, or simply visit with other Wildcat families.
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026
Time: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Location: Woodland's Educational Support Center, 1105 Hunt Club Road, Gurnee
Not Able To Attend? Share Your Voice Here!
Community Voice Suggestion Box - https://forms.gle/5FzYbRxddHZWDPch9
RSVP to Yuliana Yucus at yyucus@dist50.net
Please help us welcome two new team members to Woodland!
• Mr. Brian Todorovic - Data Analytics Manager
• Ms. Abby Dixon - Social Worker at Woodland Intermediate
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW
• Mr. Brian Todorovic - Data Analytics Manager
• Ms. Abby Dixon - Social Worker at Woodland Intermediate
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW
Please help us welcome two new team members to Woodland!
• Mr. Michael Brierton - Physical Education Teacher at Woodland Intermediate
• Mr. Quintin Fiala - Physical Education Teacher at Woodland Elementary
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW
• Mr. Michael Brierton - Physical Education Teacher at Woodland Intermediate
• Mr. Quintin Fiala - Physical Education Teacher at Woodland Elementary
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW
Thank you to the Gurnee Fire Department for being on site while our littlest Wildcats participated in a fire drill at Woodland Primary!
Practicing safety procedures is an important part of keeping everyone safe and helping students know what to do in the event of an emergency. For this drill, the students practiced stopping what they were doing, listening carefully to their teacher, walking quietly outside with their class, and waiting until it was safe to return to the building.
Everyone did a great job!
Practicing safety procedures is an important part of keeping everyone safe and helping students know what to do in the event of an emergency. For this drill, the students practiced stopping what they were doing, listening carefully to their teacher, walking quietly outside with their class, and waiting until it was safe to return to the building.
Everyone did a great job!
A huge thank you to our AMAZING bus drivers for keeping "cool" 😎 in these hot temperatures! We appreciate you! #LifeintheW
WEDNESDAY: Team Up for Good Attendance - Wear your favorite sports team shirt or colors!
Looks like a few of the students in Ms. Beaudry's class will be cheering for the Bears this football season.
This week we are kicking off Attendance Awareness Month with a districtwide spirit week. Increasing overall student daily attendance is one of the three main goals of the Woodland Board of Education.
It's not too late to participate!
🦸♂️ THURSDAY: Favorite Character Day (Wear a shirt with your favorite character or colors)
💚🐯 FRIDAY: Be Present Be Proud Day (Wear green & white or Woodland spirit wear)
Looks like a few of the students in Ms. Beaudry's class will be cheering for the Bears this football season.
This week we are kicking off Attendance Awareness Month with a districtwide spirit week. Increasing overall student daily attendance is one of the three main goals of the Woodland Board of Education.
It's not too late to participate!
🦸♂️ THURSDAY: Favorite Character Day (Wear a shirt with your favorite character or colors)
💚🐯 FRIDAY: Be Present Be Proud Day (Wear green & white or Woodland spirit wear)
Please help us welcome two new team members to Woodland!
• Ms. Valerie James - 1st Grade Teacher at Woodland Elementary
• Ms. Danielle Dechter - 3rd Grade Teacher at Woodland Elementary
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW
• Ms. Valerie James - 1st Grade Teacher at Woodland Elementary
• Ms. Danielle Dechter - 3rd Grade Teacher at Woodland Elementary
We are so excited to have you both on the Woodland team! This is #LifeintheW
It’s Spirit Week at Woodland!
We are celebrating Attendance in the W all week long. Attendance matters and showing up every day makes a difference in out students’ learning, growth, and success.
If you need a little inspiration for what to wear each day, check out what our Family Coordinators would wear to show their spirit!
Keep showing up, Wildcats!
#AttendanceWorks #LifeintheW #YourPresenceMatters
We are celebrating Attendance in the W all week long. Attendance matters and showing up every day makes a difference in out students’ learning, growth, and success.
If you need a little inspiration for what to wear each day, check out what our Family Coordinators would wear to show their spirit!
Keep showing up, Wildcats!
#AttendanceWorks #LifeintheW #YourPresenceMatters
Our Primary Wildcats have arrived! The sun was shining and our students showed up ready to learn. There were some first day nerves, but our amazing Primary staff made everyone feel comfortable and excited about the new school year.
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year, Wildcats!
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year, Wildcats!
Happening Now: Primary Welcome Times!
Our littlest Wildcats are exploring Primary, visiting their classrooms, meeting their teachers, and getting excited for their first day of school tomorrow!
Our littlest Wildcats are exploring Primary, visiting their classrooms, meeting their teachers, and getting excited for their first day of school tomorrow!
Welcome back to our amazing staff and dedicated team members–both new and returning! Thank you for joining us this morning as we kicked off the new school year together. It was so exciting to see our staff back together, connecting with one another, and ready to celebrate the exciting year ahead!
We had so much fun at Primary’s Popsicles with the Principal yesterday! ☀️🐯
Our littlest Wildcats and their families stopped to enjoy a cool treat, play on the playground, make new friends, and meet their principal team. It was a great way to spend a toasty summer afternoon!
Don't forget about our other Back to School Events!
- Intermediate: Popsicles with the Principal, Aug. 11, 3-5 p.m.
- Elementary: Popsicles with the Principal, Aug. 12, 3-5 p.m.
- WMS: Back to School Bash, Aug. 13, 3-5 p.m.
Stay connected to District News, Events, Information, and Reminders with the Woodland ROAR Report. This is the weekly district newsletter. Look for it by email or text every Friday morning during the school year.
Here is the Aug. 7 edition - https://app.smore.com/n/mqnpy
Find a greeting from Dr. Machak, information about finding your child's teacher assignment in Skyward Family Access after 3 p.m. today, and transportation information for the first few days of school.
(If you did not receive the ROAR Report by text or email this morning, please reach out to Brooke Hagstrom at BHagstrom@dist50.net to make sure your contact information is correct in our system.)
#LifeintheW
Here is the Aug. 7 edition - https://app.smore.com/n/mqnpy
Find a greeting from Dr. Machak, information about finding your child's teacher assignment in Skyward Family Access after 3 p.m. today, and transportation information for the first few days of school.
(If you did not receive the ROAR Report by text or email this morning, please reach out to Brooke Hagstrom at BHagstrom@dist50.net to make sure your contact information is correct in our system.)
#LifeintheW
Welcome New Wildcats! 🐯💚
There is so much happening at Woodland as we make our way closer to the start of school. Our newest #LifeintheW team members officially kicked off the school year at New Teacher Orientation today. These Wildcats connected with district and school leaders, signed in to their district devices, met their mentors and new coworkers, and got excited for the new school year. We are so excited to have these educators as part of our learning community!
There is so much happening at Woodland as we make our way closer to the start of school. Our newest #LifeintheW team members officially kicked off the school year at New Teacher Orientation today. These Wildcats connected with district and school leaders, signed in to their district devices, met their mentors and new coworkers, and got excited for the new school year. We are so excited to have these educators as part of our learning community!
We are back in the Educational Support Center!
After a temporary relocation due to construction, parking lot and building projects, we are back in our permanent home. We had a great summer at the Middle School, but it feels good to be back in our offices again.
The move is currently underway so there may still be some delays in response as we unpack our boxes. There is also still a bit of work to complete and the parking lot isn't completely done yet, so we ask you to pardon our dust just a few more days!
Looking forward to the school year! In case you missed it, we launched Back to School Communication on Friday.
B2S newsletter - https://app.smore.com/n/1qk7v4
B2SHQ page - https://www.dist50.net/page/back-to-school-headquarters
After a temporary relocation due to construction, parking lot and building projects, we are back in our permanent home. We had a great summer at the Middle School, but it feels good to be back in our offices again.
The move is currently underway so there may still be some delays in response as we unpack our boxes. There is also still a bit of work to complete and the parking lot isn't completely done yet, so we ask you to pardon our dust just a few more days!
Looking forward to the school year! In case you missed it, we launched Back to School Communication on Friday.
B2S newsletter - https://app.smore.com/n/1qk7v4
B2SHQ page - https://www.dist50.net/page/back-to-school-headquarters
Back to School Communication Starts NOW!
Here is the welcome newsletter from the District: https://app.smore.com/n/1qk7v4
Visit the Back to School HQ page on the website for all the information you need in ONE spot: https://www.dist50.net/page/back-to-school-headquarters
We are looking forward to a fantastic school year with you and your Wildcats! #LifeintheW
You should have received an email and text alert this afternoon with a link to the welcome newsletter. If you did NOT receive this alert, please reach out to Brooke Hagstrom at BHagstrom@dist50.net so that we can verify that your contact information is showing up correctly in our messaging system and troubleshoot.
Here is the welcome newsletter from the District: https://app.smore.com/n/1qk7v4
Visit the Back to School HQ page on the website for all the information you need in ONE spot: https://www.dist50.net/page/back-to-school-headquarters
We are looking forward to a fantastic school year with you and your Wildcats! #LifeintheW
You should have received an email and text alert this afternoon with a link to the welcome newsletter. If you did NOT receive this alert, please reach out to Brooke Hagstrom at BHagstrom@dist50.net so that we can verify that your contact information is showing up correctly in our messaging system and troubleshoot.
This week some of our team members attended the STRIVE for Success Autism Training Series with Easterseals. Participants were excited to walk away with practical strategies and a personalized toolkit to take back the classroom. The energy in the room was fantastic!
Thank you for taking time during your summer break to engage in meaningful professional development on behalf of our students! #LifeintheW
Thank you for taking time during your summer break to engage in meaningful professional development on behalf of our students! #LifeintheW
Please join us in providing a warm Wildcat Welcome to several new Woodland bus drivers! Today the Transportation Team held an onsite orientation and training for new drivers. We are so excited to have you join the #LifeintheW team! 💚
Gurnee Days is just a few weeks away!
Woodland is excited to once again represent #LifeintheW at the annual Gurnee Days Festival Aug. 7 & 8, 2026! Team Woodland will be joining in the community celebration by marching in the parade on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
(Photo from Aug. 2025 Gurnee Days Parade)
