The Elwood School District was recognized by the NAMM Foundation as a Best Community for Music Education. The sought-after Best Communities designation, now in its 25th year recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders in making music education part of a well-rounded education. In 2024, only 975 districts across the nation earned this honor. The award is based on many factors including student access to music education, teacher-student ratio, student participation rates in music education, graduation requirements, music facilities and budget allocation to the district’s music program.

Date Added: 4/8/2024

James H. Boyd Intermediate School held the XIV Potato Olympics on March 11, featuring different STEM activities based around potatoes. Two regular education third grade classes and one special education second grade class participated in the event, organized by teacher Liz Held. The student coaches and their potatoes were divided into nine different colored teams, competing in nine events including bowling, high jump, curling, taste test, luge, measurement, slalom, high dive and ringle. All potatoes and coaches received medals at the end of the event.

“The Potato Olympics really reinforces the math and science concepts that the children are learning this year,” Held said. “It’s a ‘spudtacular’ day!”

Date Added: 3/21/2024

Thirty students from grades 4 and 5 recently participated in James H. Boyd Intermediate School’s annual Invention Convention, held in the school’s cafeteria. Hosted by the Boyd PTA, the event challenges students to use their imagination, creativity and basic science and mathematical skills to identify a need or solve a problem. Students spent a month working on their projects independently at home, then brought in their prototypes. During the showcase, the community had the opportunity to view and interact with the projects, as well as meet Boyd’s student innovators, who spoke about their inspiration for the inventions and the challenges that arose during the design process.

Date Added: 3/19/2024