Primary School

Spreading Kindness and Filling Buckets in Ms. Wagner's Classroom! The students gave examples of how they were kind at home:
💚 "I filled my mom's bucket by going to sleep without any trouble"
💚 "I was nice and played with my sister"
💚 "I gave my dad a high five and a hug"
💚 "I cleaned up my toys and my room"
The Great Kindness Challenge - #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_

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

January 9 is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Gurnee Police Department for all they do to support and protect our community.

We would also like to recognize and thank our incredible Woodland School Resource Officers (SRO) for the many ways they support our schools, staff, and students each and every day. Thank you for your dedication, partnership, and commitment to keeping our learning community safe. 💙

If you see Dets. Hansen, Tazzioli, or Gullifor make sure to say thank you and give them a high-five!

Thank you to our awesome Technology Team and the Tech Integration Specialists for creating this exciting EDTECH Camp for Woodland staff to kick off the January 2026 Teacher Institute Day! #LifeintheW

Woodland Primary Winter Parties! Snow much fun with the little ones! #LifeintheW

Giving in the W! Thank you to our many volunteers for lending a helping hand to support the Woodland learning community on a chilly evening. We received so many generous donations over the past few weeks that helped make the Annual Food Drive event a success. Thank you to all who brought in non-perishable foods during the various donation drives and contests at each school, attended one of the food drive events in the community, donated online, or offered your time in support of this effort. We couldn't have done it without you! #LifeintheW

Ms. McCafferty's class spent the afternoon working on their letters, spelling, and writing sentences. They had to write out a sentence and draw a matching picture, then add some fun details and colors!

Woodland is currently accepting letters of interest and applications to fill two vacancies on the Board of Education resulting from the resignations of Board Members Amy Sabor and Michael Senol.

Please read the announcement to learn more about the opportunity and the application process:
https://app.smore.com/n/mzyns

This is a big week for the FOOD DRIVE! Please join us at one of these events to help boost donations. Or you can bring your donations to any of the schools throughout the week. Deadline - Dec. 10, 2025.
Dec. 1 - Elementary Shop with an Educator, 4 - 7 p.m. at Target
Dec. 3 - Stuff the Bus, 4:30 - 7 p.m. (Jewel, Marianos, Aldi, Butera)
Dec. 4 - Primary Shop with an Educator, 4 - 7 p.m. at Walmart
BONUS! If you join the Woodland PTA 50 Raise Right effort, you can support two things at once.
Learn more: https://www.dist50.net/page/annual-holiday-food-drive

Did you see the news about Mr. Reardon moving to a new position in the District Office? The Board of Education appointed Mr. Reardon to Assistant Director of Human Resources starting July 1, 2026. That means we are currently searching for a new Elementary Principal in the 2026-2027 school year. Woodland is seeking a dedicated, passionate, and student-centered educator to join the #LifeintheW team! Please help us spread the word.

Explore this position and more on our Careers Page:
https://www.applitrack.com/dist50/OnlineApp/default.aspx

REMINDER: Schedule for the Week!
🍂November 24 and 25 will be half-days of student attendance for Parent-Teacher Conferences.
🍁The district will be closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (November 26-28) for Thanksgiving Break.
Conferences Half Day Schedule - Student Dismissal Times:
🍂 Primary - 10:40 a.m.
🍁 Elementary - 10:50 a.m.
🍂 Middle School - 11:35 a.m.
🍁 Intermediate - 12:20 p.m.

Please welcome Det. Brittany Tazzioli to the School Resource Officer (SRO) Team! Brittany will be working with Det. Hansen to support our learning community.

Det. Tazzioli has been an officer with the Gurnee Police Department for more than eight years, and has served in law enforcement for 10 years. She is excited to work with our Wildcats and help support our district with compassion, care, and connection!

If you see Brittany around, make sure to welcome her to #LifeintheW!

The Heart of Local Education

November 15 is School Board Members Day in Illinois. We would like to take a moment to recognize and thank our Woodland Board of Education Members for their outstanding efforts and dedication to our Woodland learning community.

⭐ Thank you ⭐
President Brianna Powvens, Vice-President Amy Sabor, Secretary Joel Zwiefelhofer, Dr. Carla Little, Julia Plescia, Keri Rasmussen, and Michael Senol.

We are grateful for the time, care, and commitment you invest in our schools. Your leadership and dedication make Woodland a great place to learn, grow, and thrive!

Classroom Visit: Heeres Hawks!
These little learners at Woodland Primary work hard each morning on learning letter sounds, practicing writing letters, counting by 5's and 10's, finding patterns, and so much more. Then they got up for a movement break as they practiced counting to 100 along with a silly video to get their wiggles out. #LifeintheW

Now Hiring! We have an opportunity to join the #LifeintheW team. Check out this position, and others on our Careers page: https://www.applitrack.com/dist50/OnlineApp/default.aspx

Today we honor and celebrate Veterans in our schools, community, and across our country.

Thank you for you service and dedication.

Woodland is celebrating Veterans Day across the district with special events and recognition for staff and family members who served our country. We started off the day with a special breakfast at Primary for students to invite their special veteran to come to school and spend time together. Stay tuned for more pictures throughout the day! #LifeintheW ❤️🤍💙