News Around Woodlands

Area middle school girls compete in Woodlands' Mathalon

Nearly 50 girls in grades 6-8 from 11 schools in Lake and Cook counties competed in Woodlands Academy’s 12th annual Mathalon on Feb. 1. They put their math skills to the test in creative ways. Woodlands created the Mathalon event as a way of getting girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses and, possibly, careers at an early age.     

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Robotics Club members mentor K-4 students at local library workshop

A group of about 10 area K-4 students learned about building, programming and operating robots from members of the Woodlands Academy Robotics Club during a one-hour workshop at the Lake Forest Library on Jan. 25. The idea for this Drop-in Robot Showcase came from Maddie Wenc, the Lake Forest Library’s youth services librarian and a 2015 graduate of Woodlands Academy.

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Woodlands Academy team to compete in national academic event

Based on their performance at a recent preliminary round held at Evanston Township High School, a team from Woodlands Academy has advanced to the April 2025 Small School National Championship Tournament. Avery Drehkoff, Margaret Glunz, Claire Caserio and Juliette Hopman are among the qualifying small school quiz bowl teams from across the United States and beyond.      

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Quarterly Sacred Heart Awards presented Dec. 6

The second quarterly Sacred Heart Awards of the 2024-25 school year were announced during an all-school assembly on Dec. 6. Those recognized for living out Goal One were freshmen Cherynn Kim and Alyssa Mann, sophomores Luciana Regal and Nicole Waldman, juniors Janicel Otero and Lucy Petherbridge, seniors Yaya Cabrera and Jaela Lisbey, and theology teacher Christine Zapf. 

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‘Grands Day’ and Feast of St. Philippine celebrated together

These two special events took place on Nov. 22 at Woodlands Academy. “Grands Day” began by welcoming students’ grandparents and “grandfriends,” who then accompanied their students to a morning class. Next, they joined the Woodlands community for the annual Mass honoring the life of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, who established the first Sacred Heart school in North America.

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Tennis team and coaches receive league honors

Jim Franke, varsity tennis coach, and Chris Ohlwein, JV tennis coach, are co-recipients of this year’s Independent School League (ISL) Coach of the Year award following the 2024 fall season. In addition, Woodland’s varsity tennis team received the league’s Sportsmanship Award. ISL tennis coaches vote on which school demonstrates the best sportsmanship each season. 

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Woodlands Academy named to college-prep school honor roll

Woodlands Academy recently was notified that it has secured a place on the College Board's AP School Platinum Honor Roll for the 2023-24 school year. This honor recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP (Advanced Placement) courses and support them on the path to college success.

 

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A special day for Woodlands’ sophomores: Mater Mass

Parents and other guests joined the Woodlands Academy community on Oct. 17 for the Mater Mass, which celebrates the drawing of the sophomore class more deeply into the family of the Sacred Heart. This tradition marks a student's transition from a time as a child to an emergence as a young woman. Each sophomore receives a medal depicting the image of Mater (Mother of God).

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Two Woodlands seniors receive National Merit commendation

In addition to a recently announced semifinalist, two more Woodlands Academy of the Sacred students have distinguished themselves in the current National Merit Scholarship competition. Avery Drehkoff and Yue Pan have each received a Letter of Commendation from Woodlands and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in recognition of exceptional academic promise.

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