This January, Elwood Middle School launched its first Spare a Pair Sock Drive, with the goal of collecting 400 pairs of socks for those in need. Organized by student leadership, and guided by advisers Jill Locascio and Scott Mikelbank, the drive encouraged donors to participate by adding a paper sock to the school’s “sock-o-meter” display for each donation. 

To spread the word about the drive, student leadership distributed weekly community flyers, organized a Socks & Sandals spirit day and hosted a buildingwide Simon Says Socks game, in which three winners were awarded prizes. The drive concluded in mid-February with over 500 pairs of socks collected, which were then delivered to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.
 
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Elwood staff and the community, we far surpassed our goal,” Locascio said. “We are deeply grateful for every contribution, and this sock drive is a powerful reminder of how a community can come together to support a meaningful cause.”

Date Added: 3/5/2025

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School’s World Language Honor Society recently volunteered to help fellow student Ellie Crowley complete her Girl Scout Gold Award project. Crowley is creating a kindness rock garden at the Harry Chapin Food Pantry to provide mental health resources to its recipients. After a brief presentation from Crowley, students gathered to paint the rocks for the garden.  

“I was inspired by my sister and brother who volunteered within Long Island Cares, which is the organization that runs the food pantry,” Crowley said. “I wanted to advocate for mental health because it has been an increasingly important issue in our generation and has been often overlooked in select communities.”

Date Added: 3/4/2025

Seventh graders at Elwood Middle School participated in the second annual Middle of the Middle Day on Feb. 3, celebrating reaching the middle of their middle school career. 

During the day, planned by teachers Jenine Harris and Danielle Whitcomb, students rotated in groups between three stations. American Backyard games celebrated our nation’s pastimes, with students playing cornhole and Spike Ball. Origami was taught at the second station by the school’s principal, Dr. Christina Moran. Students watched a reading of Eleanor Coerr’s “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, then created their own paper cranes. Lastly, the seventh graders were challenged during Minute to Win It competitions, where they tried to create the most words with toothpicks and became a human ring toss. 

Students were treated to pizza and ice cream during lunch, donated by the EMS PTA, followed by a virtual book talk with author Kwame Alexander. The seventh graders ended the day guessing the name of their classmates using their kindergarten pictures. 

“It was a great celebration of our seventh grade,” Whitcomb said.

Date Added: 2/27/2025

Reflecting the excellence of the Elwood School District’s music education program, 11 exemplary student musicians from Elwood-John H. Glenn High School were recently chosen for the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Festival. 

Accepted for SCMEA were freshmen Mia Cruz (voice), Daniella Joffe (voice), Jewel Li (cello), Ryan Myers (trumpet) and Camille Zreik (violin), and sophomores Margarita Agrawal (viola), Semere Bitew (trombone), Kaylee Mossey (voice), Bella Ronai (viola), Lucas Tast (percussion) and Irena Yeung (violin).

Date Added: 2/26/2025

Elwood Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society organized a celebration of P.S. I Love You Day on Feb. 14 with the hope of spreading positivity, kindness and support. During all three lunch periods, students were able to stop by the P.S. I Love You Day table and fill out a heart with inspiring and motivational messages. The hearts were used to create a mural in the school.

“The mission of P.S. I Love You Day is to end stigma and create hope for those affected by mental illness,” Glenn school counselor Laurie Oriolo said. “The goal is to foster an environment where affected individuals are supported and create a community where everyone feels welcomed, valued and loved.

Date Added: 2/26/2025