Woodlands Academy holds first Service Day of 2026-27 year

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – A Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart education emphasizes community service. 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 2026-27 Service Days on Sept. 15. Freshmen and juniors from the all-girls, college-preparatory, day-and-boarding high school in Lake Forest lent a helping hand to area service organizations. At the same time, sophomores and seniors participated in retreat activities.

The day began with some reflections and service activities at Woodlands Academy during which some juniors shared their past service experiences with the freshmen.

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With that insight, Woodlands' freshmen headed tohelp sort books at Bernie's Book Bank. This Lake Bluff-based organization sources, processes and distributes free quality children's books throughout Chicagoland to empower children to explore new ideas, gain knowledge and strengthen reading skills through book ownership. Freshmen class members next helped pack food at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) in Libertyville. This Christian non-profit provides food to hungry children by working with organizations and ministries worldwide to end hunger. While there, the freshmen learned about hunger and food scarcity through the story of a refugee who relied on the food packs assembled by FMSC.

Woodlands' juniors began their day of community service by also helping out at Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Bluff. Members of the junior class then spent the afternoon playing games and visiting with residents at Sunrise of Highland Park, which offers assisted living and memory care. Woodlands' juniors relished their time with two residents who were 103 and 104 years old. The students learned so much about these residents' lives, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"I'm so very proud of our freshmen and juniors," said Susan Sands, Woodlands Academy's service coordinator. "They did wonderful work helping at Bernie's Book Bank, addressing global hunger at Feed My Starving Children and visiting a residence at a local senior living home. They're wonderful ambassadors of Woodlands Academy and are living the Sacred Heart goals."

Woodlands Academy's final Service Day of the 2026-27 school year will take place in March. Sophomores and seniors will volunteer at local service organizations, while freshmen and juniors will participate in retreats.

The school's service program requires freshmen to perform 10 hours of service during their first year at Woodlands. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are required to complete 20 hours of service per year. Additionally, students submit a written reflection for each of their service sites annually. Many Woodlands Academy students become passionate about service and far exceed the required minimum of 70 hours.

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Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.