Woodlands Academy holds second Service Day of 2025-26 school year

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Community service is an integral part of 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 second of its two 2025-26 Service Days on March 4. Sophomores and seniors 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, freshmen and juniors participated in retreat activities.

The sophomores’ day began at Woodlands Academy, where they did various service projects for some local organizations. Meanwhile, seniors gathered to learn more about the upcoming Senior Service Fair.

Members of the sophomore class spent the rest of the morning packing food at Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville. This Christian non-profit provides food to children hungry in body and spirit by working with organizations and ministries across the globe to end hunger. During the afternoon, Woodlands’ sophomores sorted diapers and period products at Keeping Families Covered in Waukegan. This non-profit organization, with offices in Lake and McHenry counties, provides diapers and other basic needs to individuals and families, believing that clean diapers are a basic need of every baby and toddler.

Woodlands’ seniors spent their day of community service at the Mother's Trust Foundation prom dress storage facility at the University Center of Lake County in Grayslake. There, they helped sort and organize dresses for the foundation’s annual prom dress giveaway and donated any unusable dresses to the Salvation Army. Based in Lake Forest, Mothers Trust Foundation provides immediate assistance during crises to low-income children in Lake County.

“I’m so very proud of our sophomores and seniors who did truly awesome work during this year’s final Service Day,” said Erin Brysiewicz, Woodlands Academy’s service coordinator. “We do this twice each school year with the hope that the girls gain a greater understanding of themselves and see the difference they can make in the lives of others,”

Meanwhile, Woodlands' freshmen took part in a day-long retreat on the school's campus. They learned about how the life, charism, spirituality and mission of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, connect with their experience as students at Woodlands within the worldwide Network of Sacred Heart Schools.

Junior class retreat activities occurred at the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat Center in Barrington. During this extended three-day, two-night Kairos XXXI retreat, participants were invited to leave their busy, everyday schedules behind and enter a special time to rest, build community, pray and reflect on their relationships with themselves, others and God. Kairos is a Greek word for time that means the right or opportune moment.

The school's service program requires freshmen to perform 10 hours of service during their first year at Woodlands. Sophomores, juniors and seniors must do 20 hours of service per year. In addition, students annually complete a written reflection for each of their service sites. 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.