Woodland D50 News and Information

Header Image: Woodland Elementary Students arrive at school.

Sept.1, 2023

Dear Woodland Families,

At a recent meeting with the district office staff, we talked about New Year’s Resolutions in the spirit of celebrating a new school year. As part of this discussion, we reflected on creating a culture of belonging across our school district, an idea which shows up throughout the District’s new Five-Year Strategic Plan. I want to extend the invitation to our Woodland families to find new ways to get involved this year to enhance our school community with your voices, talents, and expertise.

There are numerous ways to belong here at #LifeintheW; your involvement builds connections to our schools, and I am sharing some important participation opportunities this week. You may have many other ideas of how you might want to get involved at the school and District level: a club you’d like to start, a talent you’d like to share, an activity you’d like to facilitate to bring District families together…if you’ve ever thought “I could make a positive impact at Woodland if someone would just give me a chance”, we are looking for you! Please reach out to your child’s principal or me if you’d like to contribute to the positive climate and culture we are working hard to foster across the District. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

Woodland Educational Foundation - The Woodland Educational Foundation is back! The Foundation helps support Woodland teachers and students by providing funding to bring innovative projects, programs, and supplemental learning materials to the classroom. They are a 501C (3) organization made up of dedicated volunteers looking to enhance the educational opportunities available to the Woodland learning community. If you have an interest in serving on the Board or volunteering as a Friend of the Foundation, fill out this Foundation Interest Form. The Foundation is also accepting donations HERE.

Woodland PTA – The Woodland PTA held its first meeting of the 2023-2024 school year on Monday night and had a great turnout. They approved their annual budget, and shared exciting news and events planned throughout the school year. They are currently seeking new members and this is the perfect time to get involved. Whether you attend monthly meetings, sign-up to volunteer at events, or simply donate to the PTA with your $15 membership dues, participation in the PTA directly impacts Woodland students in a positive way. JOIN HERE.

You can also follow them on social media: Woodland PTA Facebook and Instagram

Parent Mentoring Program - The Parent Mentoring Program (PMP) is a joint effort between Woodland and the Lake County Regional Office of Education. This program is the only one of its kind in Lake County. The goal of the PMP is to help cultivate a strong cohort of parent leaders at each partner school. Our parent mentors are specifically trained in the use of holistic strategies to address equity gaps through supporting our students’ academic growth, fostering meaningful parent-teacher relationships, and eventually leveraging community resources and support for fully funded and culturally responsive schools. Last year we piloted the PMP at our Primary and Elementary Schools; the pilot was so successful that we have added it at Intermediate School this year. Sound good? It is! You can learn more about our award-winning Parent Mentoring Program here.

Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) – BPAC consists of parents, teachers, and community members who speak another language other than English in the home. The purpose of BPAC is to strengthen connections and build a network among our bilingual families, to advocate for and support language-learning programs, and to connect with resources and community partners. BPAC’s first meeting of the year will be Oct. 18, learn more HERE.

Research shows that strong home-to-school connections can have a tremendous impact on a child’s education and school experience; I’d love to see you at one of our upcoming events or to hear from you with a suggestion for making #LifeintheW more engaging for all of our students and families.

As a reminder, today is a School Improvement Planning (SIP) Day with an early release for students; the District is closed on Monday for Labor Day weekend.

Wishing you all a great long, last weekend of summer!

Dr. Robert Machak, Superintendent

Woodland D50

• Sept. 1 - School Improvement Planning (SIP) Day, Early Release
• Sept. 4 - No School, Labor Day
• Sept. 5 - Register for FREE Adult Education Classes (story block below)
• Sept. 6 - 4th Grade Parent Orientation Night
• Sept. 7 - 5th Grade Parent Orientation Night
• Sept. 19 - Kindergarten Curriculum Night
• Sept. 20 - EC/WELE Curriculum Night
• Sept. 28 - Woodland D50 Board of Education Meeting
• Sept. 29 - School Improvement Planning (SIP) Day, Early Release

• Sept. 5 - 8 - Intermediate Book Fair, Volunteers Needed!
• Sept. 12 - Wendy's Fundraiser from 5 - 8 p.m. 30% of sales donated back to the PTA! Must show the flyer at the 6568 Grand Ave, Gurnee location. (picture on your phone will be accepted)

Renew your membership for the 2023-2024 school year today! Even if you are not able to volunteer at events or attend meetings, you can still the join the PTA to stay connected throughout the year. Your $15 membership fee is basically a donation to the PTA which goes directly back to our schools.

Today is our first SIP Day of the 2023-2024 School Year, and an early release for students. Woodland educators and staff spend the afternoon in professional development sessions, and team meetings to work on curriculum, data assessment, team building, collective efficacy, and other areas directly related to supporting your students and improving the school environment. We know that early dismissal days can be a challenge for parents, so we publish the schedule in the spring of the previous school year to give parents time to plan.

The Board of Education approved the revised district calendar at the March 2023 meeting. As a reminder, the revised calendar moves five of the nine scheduled SIP days from Friday to Wednesday in an effort to increase attendance. Review the calendar HERE.

Early release times are as follows:

• Primary: 10:40 a.m.
• Elementary: 10:50 a.m.
• Middle: 11:35 a.m.
• Intermediate: 12:20 p.m.

September is Attendance Awareness Month and this year's theme is "Showing Up Together!" Absences add up, and missing more than 10% of the school year is disruptive to academic growth for children of all ages. That's just 18 days, or 2-3 days per month. Watch for more information throughout the month. Together we can make sure that all kids are in school, on time, every day.

DID YOU KNOW? Several grade levels require an updated physical and vaccination record for the 2023-2024 school year! The two main checkpoints for vaccines during the Elementary school years are Kindergarten and 6th Grade. Learn more here.

To help make sure Woodland 6th Grade students are in compliance with the required immunizations prior to the October 15 deadline and exclusion date, we are offering a vaccine clinic at Woodland Middle School. All immunizations will be administered by a licensed registered nurse. Each student will receive proof of their immunization record. A copy of the record will be placed in each student's school file.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 13
Time: 4 - 6 p.m.
Location: Woodland Middle School
Services Offered: Meningitis (First Dose), Tdap Immunization

Learn More and Register Here: English / Spanish

Woodland will be offering Free Online Spanish Classes for District 50 Parents, Staff, and Educators.

Two levels based on your skill level:

• Level 1 - Beginner, no prior knowledge necessary.
  Class will be on Tuesdays Sept. 12 - Nov. 21 (no class Sept. 19)
  6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
  
  
• Level 2 - Some prior knowledge of grammar and vocabulary needed, or successful completion of Level 1.
  Class will be on Wednesdays, Sept. 13 - Nov. 22 (no class Sept. 20)
  6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Space is Limited to 25 participants for each level. Register HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: The first 25 registrants will be added to the class, and additional registrants will be added to a waiting list. You will receive a confirmation email letting you know your status once registration closes.

Spanish classes will be taught by Rai Salazar, Professor Emeritus, College of Lake County. Mr. Salazar has been teaching Spanish for 33 years. Questions: MBalsamo@dist50.net

Are you interested in taking a ceramics class? You can take "Introduction to Hand Building in Ceramics" through CLC’s Personal Enrichment Program at the Middle School! In this course, you will learn the three main techniques to hand build ceramics, the process for firing clay, and glazing techniques.

• Who: This course is for adults, so the invitation is specifically for Woodland staff and adults with students in Woodland D50.
• Class Dates: Oct. 13, 20, 27
• Time: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• Location: Room F105, Woodland Middle School, 7000 Washington St., Gurnee

Learn more and register HERE. (Space is limited!)

Coupon Code: WMS2023 valid until Sept. 9

Did you know that Woodland offers free tutoring and academic support on Saturday mornings during the school year? This is open to ALL Woodland students, and support is offered in English or Spanish from certified D50 teachers!

Does your child need:

• Additional support in Reading, Math, or another subject area?
• A quiet place to finish homework, or work on a project?
• Help with researching or writing a paper?
• Help studying for a test?

Our certified teaching staff is ready to help!

Learn more about dates and times HERE.

Registration is Required. The green button below will take you to the sign-up form.

The Wildcat Music Boosters are excited to announce that their Woodland Music spirit wear is on sale now! Check out the online store today. Orders must be placed by Sept. 6.

All spirit wear will be ready the week of Sept. 18. in time for you to wear it to our upcoming Marching Wildcat events. Thank you for supporting the Music Boosters!

Please visit Woodland's Virtual Backpack to learn about other events and resources in the community. New events are added all the time, so check back often.

New in Virtual Backpack:

• Warren Devilettes Pom Clinic, Sept. 9
• Gurnee Park District Future of Fun
• Lake County Broadband Access Community Meeting, Sept. 13
• Join Gurnee Cub Scouts! Cub Scout Carnival, Sept. 19 at Elementary
• Warren Township Youth & Family Services
• Programa para padres con hijos adolescentes - Crianza con Cariño
  
• Equestrian Connection Program

Download the Woodland D50 app from the iOS App Store or Android Play Store