Woodland ROAR Report

Header Images: Attendance Pizza Parties for students in Ms. Rosenblum and Ms. Outinen's classes. See more photos on Facebook and Instagram

Jan. 23, 2026

Dear Woodland Families,

I hope that you are staying warm on this extremely cold winter day. I recognize the challenge that eLearning presents for our staff, students, and families, and I appreciate your support in moving to this mode of instruction to help us ensure everyone’s safety in today’s potentially dangerous weather conditions. I know that our Wildcats are eager to learn and our teachers and staff are prepared to make today a meaningful school day. If you run into any technical problems with connectivity or your student’s device, please reach out to your child’s principal and refer to the eLearning Support page on the district website. We are here for you, even when winter weather keeps us apart! At the end of today’s eLearning session, please fill out the eLearning Survey in Skyward Family Access so we can capture your feedback. We use this information to help guide future revisions to Woodland’s eLearning Plan and to better understand where gaps may exist in our plan communication or implementation.

Today’s weather won’t do anything to temper the exciting news that we 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. You can learn more about Dr. Tate, Ms. Strobehn, and Dr. Harmon in the Board of Education Highlights below.

Hang in there; warmer weather is right around the corner - pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 15!

Wishing you all a safe and happy weekend,

Dr. Robert Machak, Superintendent

Woodland D50

• 1/23 - eLearning Day Due to Winter Weather
• 1/23 - Winter Fest: POSTPONED, New Date is Feb. 20, 2026 (updated flyer)
• 1/23 & 24 - WMS Play: When Robots Rule Us All, 6 p.m. at Woodland Middle School
• 1/26 - Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee, 5:30 p.m. (see story block below)
• 1/26 - Teacher and Staff Member of the Year Nomination Form Closes
• 1/30 - Friday Early Dismissal Schedule

Primary - 12:40 p.m., Elementary - 1:00 p.m., Middle School - 1:45 p.m., Intermediate - 2:30 p.m.

• 1/30 - FREE Family Game Night "Escape Room" Edition! 6 - 8 p.m. at Woodland INT Cafeteria. This is not a drop off event. Parents are required to stay and supervise their children throughout the entire time. REGISTRATION is REQUIRED and space is limited. Click HERE for more details.
• The Dance Committee Needs Your Help! The very popular PTA Dance event will be coming up in March. The planning committee is looking for a few more helpers to bring this event to life. If you are interested in learning more, email dist50ptatreasurer@gmail.com - Thank you!

Year round fundraiser - RAISERIGHT gift card sales. Purchase gift cards you already use through RaiseRight and a portion of each sale goes back to the PTA! More Information.

The Woodland School Board of Education Governing meeting was held on Jan. 22, 2026. Please see below for a summary of highlights from the meeting, or we welcome you to watch the meeting HERE.

Thank you for your continued support of Woodland District 50!

Thank you to the Woodland D50 Technology Integration Specialists for leading meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Board of Education appointed Dr. Virginia Tate and Ms. Gabriela Valverde Strobehn to fill two vacancies on the Board. The newly appointed members took the Oath of Office and officially started their service to the Woodland Learning Community on Jan. 22, 2026. We will be adding portraits and bios for Dr. Tate and Ms. Strobehn to the district website soon!

A. Presentation by Dr. Machak and Woodland's Family Coordinators - Dr. Machak introduced Woodland's five Family Coordinators who provided a presentation detailing the impact they have made with families and students since the Board approved these positions last Spring.

Under Consent Agenda is where you will find approval of Board Meeting minutes, Policy Revisions, and approval of the monthly Financial Reports, Treasurer Reports, and Board Payables for the month. These reports are posted to the website after the meeting.

A. Approval of Donations - The Board of Education appreciates the donations from generous supporters to help enhance programming in the district.

• Primary - Tacos el Norte donated $50 to be used for the Latino Literacy Project.
• Elementary - Box Tops for Education donated $57.80 to be used for student supplies.

The total donations accepted for January 2026 is $107.80. This brings the total donation amount for the 2025-2026 school year to 18,559.38

B. Approval of Non-Resident Per Capita Tuition Charge - The Board approved the non-resident per capita tuition fee for the 2026-27 school year. The school code limits the amount that can be charged to 110% of the audited per capita cost. Woodland's FY26 tuition charge for non-resident students is calculated as “Tuition cost per pupil from FY25 Audit $18,482 x 110% = $20,330.”

C. Approval of District Fees (Registration and Summer Programs) - The Board approved the district fees for registration, summer programming, and copy fees. There will be NO increase in fees for the 2026-27 school year.

D. Approval of Board of Education Meeting Minutes: Closed and Regular Minutes 12-16-25; Special Minutes 1-7-26 and 1-13-26

E. Approval of Monthly Financial Reports, Treasurer Reports for the month of December 2025 and Board Payable list for the month of January 2026

The business that takes place under "Action Items" is first reviewed by the Board of Education at the previous monthly governing meeting under "Reports/Discussion Items". An item will first be presented as a Report or Discussion item for the Board of Education members to be introduced to the topic and allow time for questions, review, and revisions before that item is moved to the Action Items portion of the agenda for a vote the following month.

A. Approval of Elementary School Principal - The Board approved the appointment of Dr. Christopher Harmon as the new Elementary School Principal beginning July 1, 2026. Dr. Harmon will be filling the vacancy created by Mr. Reardon moving into a district level position. He has 10 years of Elementary School principal experience, most recently serving as the principal of Todd Hall School in Lincolnwood, IL. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Harmon to the #LifeintheW Team!

B. Approval of Human Resources Report/Information - The Board of Education approved eight appointments, 11 resignations, and two retirements.

• Visiting International Teacher - Third Grade Dual Language Spanish
• Visiting International Teacher - Language Arts Spanish Interventionist
• Bus Driver (3)
• Guest Teacher (3)

C. Approval of Revised Board Policies - The Board approved the revised Board policies and exhibit as presented.

• 4:30 Revenue and Investments
• 5:10 Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment
• 5:100 Staff Development Program
• 5:200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal
• 5:280 Duties and Qualifications
• 6:20 The School Year Calendar and Day
• 6:185 Remote Educational Program

Reports and Discussion Items are placed on the agenda as an introduction to a topic. If the topic will require a vote, it will be brought back under "Action Items" at the next regularly scheduled meeting. This allows Board Members to familiarize themselves with the topic and ask questions, or request additional information and modifications before voting on the matter. The following topics were introduced as a Report/Discussion Item at this month's meeting:

A. Written Report and Presentation on 2026-27 Staffing Plan - A written report on the 2026-27 staffing plan created by Dr. Machak, Superintendent, Chris Bobek, Associate Superintendent/CSBO and Martha Gutierrez, Executive Director of Human Resources was shared with the Board. Dr. Machak provided a presentation during the meeting detailing the plan.

B. Written Report on Strategic Plan – Education - Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Trisha Shrode provided the Board with a written update on the Education portion of the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.

C. Written Report on Citywide Contract Extension - The contract with Citywide for night cleaning service expires on June 30, 2026. Citywide has partnered with Woodland to provide cleaning services for over 30-years. Woodland administration and Citywide ownership have met on multiple occasions to discuss the potential terms of a contract extension.

D. Written Report on Intermediate/ESC Asphalt Replacement - Asphalt replacement across the district is in its 3rd and final phase. The remaining properties consist of Intermediate School and the Educational Support Center (ESC). Chris Bobek, Associate Superintendent/CSBO provided a detailed report on the asphalt replacement project to the Board.

E. Written Report on ESC HVAC Replacement - The HVAC system at the Educational Support Center (ESC) has reached the end of its service life. Administration has been working with Wold Architects to design and create bid specifications for a replacement system. Administration will recommend a lowest responsible vendor bid approval at the February Governing Board Meeting. Mr Bobek shared a report discussing the need and estimated costs associated with a replacement system.

F. Receipt of any Freedom of Information Act Requests - There are eight Freedom of Information Act Requests for the month of January.

A. Announcements and Committee Reports

1. Consideration of Election of Board Secretary - The Board elected Keri Rasmussen to serve as Board Secretary. Joel Zwiefelhofer was recently elected to serve as Vice President during a Special Meeting on January 7, 2026 to fill the vacancy that was created when Amy Sabor resigned. Mr. Zwiefelhofer previously held the position of Board Secretary creating a vacancy in that position which will now be filled by Ms. Rasmussen.
2. District Committee Updates - President Powvens shared an update from the PTA meeting held virtually on January 14, 2026.

B. Board Improvements/Status Requests and Future Board Item

1. Discussion of SuperEval Superintendent Evaluation Tool
2. Review of Sessions attended at the Joint Annual Conference
3. Discussion of Dates and Format for IAR/5Essentials COW Meeting.
4. Safe Haven School District Status

You are always welcome to go back and review meeting materials, presentations, Board Payables, Finance Reports and the video recording from a regularly scheduled Board Meeting on the district website HERE (select the meeting date to view supporting materials). These items are typically posted within 24-48 hours after the meeting.

Dr. Machak, in conjunction with the Woodland CCSD 50 Board of Education, is looking for parents, teachers/staff, and community members to provide feedback on Woodland’s Parent Student Handbook. This committee will assist and support school and District administration in making recommendations to the Board of Education in several important areas, including:

• Development of student behavior policies and procedures
• Administration of medication in the school
• Reciprocal reporting between the School District and local law enforcement agencies
• Student discipline and misconduct
• School bus safety procedures
• Use of behavioral interventions and strategies

Dr. Machak will host a committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Educational Support Center. The district will provide an overview of the current policies and procedures that inform our decision-making in the six areas listed above. Then attendees will break into smaller groups to discuss your feedback and any suggested edits, revisions, or other changes to these policies and procedures you would like to see.

If you are interested in participating on this committee, please email Yuliana Yucus at yyucus@dist50.net or call (847) 596-5601.

There is still time to nominate Teacher and Staff Member of the Year. Help us celebrate our amazing Woodland teachers and staff! The Village of Gurnee is once again sponsoring the Teacher and Staff Member of the Year Award to recognize teachers from Woodland District 50, Gurnee District 56, and Warren Township High School.

Nominate a deserving Teacher and Staff Member today. Nominations will be accepted through Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.

For more information on the Teacher and Staff Member of the Year timeline, nomination process, and other helpful information, click here.

Help support the Woodland Educational Foundation by placing an order for pizza kits, breadsticks, and cookies between Jan. 16 - Feb. 6. Little Caesars will give back $6 from every order to support our schools. By participating in this fundraiser, you are helping invest in classrooms and giving teachers the resources they need to help students succeed!

Click to Raise Money for a Cause

MySchoolQuest is an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly resource for families to stay informed about their school dining programs and explore menus, nutrition information, and general program details.

Through this resource, parents and families can:

• View & Print Daily, Weekly & Monthly Menus
• Find Nutritional Information & Allergens
• Provide Feedback & Contact Quest Team
• Learn About Food Philosophy & Program Details

To view the site in Spanish or switch between languages, visit the homepage by going to MySchoolQuest.com, selecting the correct language at the bottom of the screen, and then searching for your school/district. After your selected school/district page opens, all site-specific pages should now be in the language selected.

Easily switch between languages at any time via the dropdown located at the top right of the page.

When Robots Rule Us All!

Join the fun on this journey to the future, in a dystopian comedy about the world after the robots take over.

Date: January 23 & 24, 2026

Time: 6 p.m.

Location: Woodland Middle School, Cafeteria A

Tickets: Students $3, General Public $5

Thank you to the cast and crew for creating promo videos! If you didn't see them on Woodland's social media this week, you can watch them here:

• Splash, Splash!
• Robesties
• When Robots Rule Us All

Topic: Parenting - A Relationship of Love and Discipline, Presented by Dr. Mario Guzmán Sescosse

Date: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2025

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Woodland Intermediate

For more information on BPAC, click here.

Woodland's Black History Month Districtwide Celebration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Woodland Middle School. All district families are welcome.

Black History Month Celebration - Art Contest This contest is designed to encourage students to reflect on the power of Black History celebrations in transforming lives and communities for the past 100 years. All Woodland Students are eligible to participate.

All submissions must be turned into the school office by January 30, 2026.

Rules and Submission Process - English

Rules and Submission Process - Spanish

NEW DATE: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026

Time: 5 - 8 p.m.
Location: Woodland Intermediate

Stop by WinterFest for an evening of family fun and engagement, including a DJ, crafts, games, family support services and programs, and a raffle with prizes, and MORE! We'll see you there!

All funds raised from the raffle will support Woodland's Parent Mentor Program.

Topic: Helping Kids Form Healthy Relationships and Social Skills

The development of social skills and healthy relationships during early childhood is vital to a child’s success in relationships, career and overall life satisfaction. Parents and caregivers have the power to nurture this area of growth, so that their children are able to develop strong bonds with others, express themselves clearly, and manage challenges presented by our ever-evolving social world. Understanding what contributes to successful “social development in early childhood”, as well as proven strategies for fostering it, will support your child or the children in your care on reaching their full potential. Presented by Adam Krieger, LCSW, and staff therapists with Warren Township Youth and Family Services.

Date: Monday, Feb. 23, 2026

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual

RSVP: Click Here to RSVP

For more information on Parent University, click here.

Register NEXT WEEK for Free Adult Education Classes through the College of Lake County (CLC). These are FREE classes offered at Woodland Intermediate School for adult learners.

In-Person Registration begins Jan. 29, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at Woodland Intermediate, 1115 N. Hunt Club Road, Gurnee. Testing and registration may take up to three hours, and childcare is available. Please bring a picture ID and your CLC student number. Call 847-543-2485 or 847-543-2872 with any questions.

Classes offered:

High School Diploma (HSD)/GED Class in Spanish

• Tuesday / Thursday, Feb. 10 – May 7, 6 – 8:50 p.m.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

• Monday / Wednesday, Feb. 9 - May 6, 6:00 – 8:50 p.m.
• Tuesday / Thursday, Feb. 10 – May 7, 6:00 – 8:50 p.m.
  
  

Learn More: Flyer in English and Spanish

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.

Featured this week:

• Cookies & Cocoa Indoor Swim Event
• WNPL: Library on the Go
• Summer Camp Registration - Gurnee Park District

Follow Woodland on our socials for school updates, celebrations, and job opportunities!