Community service is emphasized in a Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart education. Goal III of all Sacred Heart schools seeks to educate to a social awareness that impels action. With this in mind, Woodlands Academy held the first of its two 2022-23 service days on Nov. 1. Freshmen and juniors from the all-girls college-preparatory day-and-boarding high school in Lake Forest lent a helping hand to some area service organizations. At the same time, sophomores and seniors participated in retreat activities. Pictured: Woodlands Academy juniors and freshmen spent the first part of their day at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) in Libertyville. While there they helped prepare a total of 29,592 meals (enough to feed 81 kids for a year) for distribution. FMSC donates meals packaged in Libertyville and its other sites to food partners that feed hungry kids worldwide.

Larry Farmer experienced great collegiate success as a member of the three-time NCAA national champion UCLA Bruins basketball team coached by the legendary John Wooden in the early 1970s. He was then drafted by the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and the ABA (at the time) Denver Nuggets. Farmer’s coaching credentials include the NBA, where he was an assistant for the Golden State Warriors. At the collegiate level, his head coaching stints included UCLA and Loyola University/Chicago. But when Farmer decided to retire to spend more time with family, his lifelong dream to coach high school basketball remained unfulfilled. That dream has now come true as he assumes leadership of the Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart basketball program this season. “There is a level of enthusiasm and excitement surrounding Woodlands’ program that definitely got my attention, and I can’t wait to start the season,” Farmer said.

Parents and other guests joined the Woodlands Academy community on Oct. 19 for the Mater Liturgy, which celebrates the drawing of the sophomore class more deeply into the family of the Sacred Heart. This Woodlands Academy tradition marks a student's transition from a time as a child to an emergence as a young woman who recognizes that receiving a Sacred Heart education is a blessing in her life to be treasured. During the ceremony, each sophomore receives a medal depicting the image of Mater (another name for Mary, Mother of God). It symbolizes the student's transformation and calls on her to be a resilient, innovative young woman who bases her life on the values of the Sacred Heart. A statue of Mater graces the vestibule of Woodlands Academy's 400 wing. Its history can be traced to Sacred Heart Society founder St. Madeline Sophie Barat. (Pictured are some of the sophomore class participants.)