The Elwood-John H. Glenn High School Marching Knights brought the festive spirit to the Boyd community today, heading over to perform at James H. Boyd Intermediate School’s annual Halloween parade. The band entertained the younger students with a lively set of Halloween-themed hits.

“It was a fun-filled performance for everyone, and our high school musicians truly enjoyed performing for the kids,” Assistant Principal Lindsay Fritch said.

Date Added: 10/31/2025

Students in Liz Held’s and Brianna LaFontaine’s third-grade classes at Elwood’s James H. Boyd Intermediate School recently spent the day making Halloween gift bags for children at Cohen Children's Medical Center. The students collected an assortment of Halloween treats and small surprises, then added handwritten notes filled with kind words and festive wishes.

“This project gave our students the opportunity to show empathy, creativity and community spirit while brightening the day of children who will spend Halloween in the hospital,” Held said. “Through their efforts, these third graders truly demonstrated the power of caring and giving back.”

Date Added: 10/29/2025

In honor of School Board Recognition Week, the Elwood School District Board of Education was celebrated at the Oct. 16 board meeting for its dedicated service to the community. Each of the district’s four school buildings presented a unique gift to express appreciation. Under the guidance of their art teachers, students at Harley Avenue Primary School created a large-scale collage featuring a heart drawn by every student, color-coded by class. James H. Boyd Intermediate School designed a blooming garden painting, using each student’s fingerprint as a petal, leaf, or blade of grass. Elwood Middle School presented a digital art project showcasing photos from the past school year, while Elwood-John H. Glenn High School offered a photo collage highlighting the many opportunities for students to learn and grow.

This extraordinary series of four framed artworks will be proudly displayed in the district office. In addition, Board members received personalized pens and cases, professional portfolios, and keychains designed by high school students – thoughtful tokens of gratitude for their continued commitment to the district.

“The students’ efforts to build and create are greatly appreciated,” Board President James Tomeo said. “This is why we are on the Board. We serve at the pleasure of our community, but most importantly, for the focus and enrichment of our students. We love being Board of Education members, and what we love most about it is seeing the fruits of the students’ labor. Tonight was a wonderful example of what our students can accomplish, and what we do to support them.”

“We want to acknowledge the members of our Board and thank them for their dedication to our schools,” Superintendent Dr. Gayle Steele said. “Public schools are the heartbeat of our community, and our board does an amazing job working alongside us to promote the success of every student. They develop a shared vision and goals for the district and ensure that strategies, resources, policies and programs are aligned with those goals. They assess and provide accountability measures, support a healthy school culture to work and learn, and give the residents of Elwood a voice in the education decision-making process. On behalf of the entire Elwood administrative team, faculty and staff, I want to say thank you for all that you do in making Elwood a special place.”

Date Added: 10/22/2025

Congratulations to Elwood for being ranked No. 6 in Niche's 2026 Best School Districts in Suffolk County. This annual assessment is based on rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data and user ratings. With an A+ overall grade from Niche, Elwood also ranked 44th in the state.

Date Added: 10/21/2025

James H. Boyd Intermediate School third graders in Liz Held’s class participated in a special “book tasting” on Oct. 3. For one day, the classroom was transformed into an elegant restaurant, complete with menus and a cozy atmosphere, where the young “diners” sampled different genres of literature. The goal of the event was to give students a chance to explore books they might not have chosen on their own. By “tasting” mysteries, historical fiction, informational texts and more, students discovered new favorites and left eager to keep reading.

“My hope is that the children develop a real appetite for exploring new kinds of stories,” Held said. “When they leave excited about reading, I know the event was a success.”

Date Added: 10/3/2025