Spotlight on Wauconda Middle School
Wauconda Middle School
Address: 215 Slocum Lake Road, Wauconda
Phone: (847) 526-2122
Web site: www.cusd118.lake.k12.il.us/middle/
District's name and/or Web site: Wauconda Community Unit District 118, www.cusd118.lake.k12.il.us
Number of students/grade levels offered: 452 students in grades 6 to 8
Number of staff: 60
School mascot: Wolverine
When was school built: The only part of the building that is a part of the original structure (which was originally the high school) is the gymnasium. Additions have been made over the years: the west end in the 1950s, the east end in the 1960s, the office and library in 1988, and the fitness center in April 2007.
An interesting tidbit: The University of Illinois punter, Anthony Santella, attended Wauconda Middle School. The original high school locker rooms are located under the gym floor for storage, a.k.a."The Dungeon."
Principal: Cameron Willis
• This Willis' first year in the district and at the middle school.
• What is your favorite memory from Wauconda Middle School? "I would have to say there are a couple, but the one that truly sticks out is my very first day on the job as the new building principal with all the staff and students present. It was a great feeling to see all the hard work and planning that took place from everyone over the summer finally in action with everyone present … and it went great!"
• What do you think is an unique aspect of your school? "The fitness center. Not too many middle schools, or even high schools for that matter, have a fitness facility like ours. Our fitness center has 23 cardiovascular machines and 14 strength training machines."
• What are you most proud of? "The staff. This year was a little different due to the reconfiguration of the district and buildings, everyone experienced change. Many of our staff came to WMS from different buildings and to see everyone work together as a team and remain focused from day one, was really something that I am truly quite proud of."
• If all school enrollments were determined by choice, what would you say to potential parents to convince them to choose the middle school for their children? "I would recommend not just Wauconda Middle School, but any school in the Wauconda school district. Having the opportunity to send your child to an unit district is extremely valuable. The district has a common philosophy about your child's education, the curriculum flows from K-12, which means less gaps in your child's education, and you don't have the communication barriers you typically have between elementary and high school district staff and administration that aren't in unit districts."
• How has technology changed the way students learn over the past five years? Has that been a good change? "Schools are constantly trying to keep up with technology and continually looking at ways in which to incorporate it into the classroom. It has changed the way in which students and staff present and share with each other. Technology has been beneficial to our schools in the fact that students are able to gather information that is current and up to date much quicker and easier and it can be a valuable instructional and motivational tool in the classroom."
• If you can get one thing accomplished between now and the end of May in your school, what would it be? "Our goal that we set as a building at the beginning of the year was to improve upon the number of students that meet or exceeds state standards in the areas of reading, writing, extended response and math. That will continue to be our goal until the end of the year."