Drop Off Etiquette

It would be deemed a great service to those parents, grandparents and guardians that drive their children to school if we follow the rules of "Drop Off Etiquette"... This is an issue at all four Elwood school buildings. Parents should reach the drop off point and have their children exit the vehicle swiftly and safely and be on their way.

Drop Off Etiquette:

1. Do not block roads or sit in intersections while waiting on line to get to the drop off point.
2. Once at the drop off point children should exit the vehicle immediately from the side facing the building. This is not the time to chat about lunch money, or what the schedule is after school, or what's for dinner. If there are issues that need to be resolved at the last minute, simply pull over into the parking lot and take the time you need in a designated parking space.
3. There is no need to watch children walk into the building after they exit the vehicle hoping for the over the shoulder glance and wave, or the blowing of a kiss just before they walk through the doors. And, if it is a safety concern, the school staff have it covered. Each school has ample staff in front of the buildings ensuring that nothing will happen to the children as they walk the few feet from the vehicle to the building... In other words, drop them off and GO! There is a line of people behind you.

On behalf of everyone that sits on those lines... Thank you for your consideration.

First Hand Experience with VHS

Aly took a VHS course ("Virtual High School") over the summer and it was an amazing experience. Engaged her academically, enriched her educationally, but never conflicted with her social and athletic schedule. We were constantly kept in the loop on her progress and achievements, and enjoyed a regular dialogue with the instructor. I highly recommend the experience for your kids at least once before they graduate from JGHS.

A New Level of Distinction in Administrative Leadership

“To reach port, we must sail – sail, not tie an anchor – sail, not drift.”- Franklin Roosevelt

Peter Scordo, Elwood’s recently appointed interim Superintendent of Schools has taken the helm and is moving the District forward. It is truly inspiring to see how an experienced chief administrator, seasoned in managing curriculum and instruction, effortlessly takes command and begins to make enhancements that will help bring students and staff to even higher levels of enrichment and achievement than we have enjoyed in the past.

To help him accomplish some immediate goals in the area of curriculum and instruction, Mr. Scordo is bringing in a part-time assistant superintendent to tackle some of the workload of curriculum management and to help evaluate our immediate and long-term needs as we transition to a permanent model for managing our curriculum. While it is not yet official, we have focused on Maryann Llewellyn, a former deputy superintendent and long-time expert in curriculum management, pedagogy and using assessment data to make data-driven decisions that assist other administrators and teachers use data in a meaningful way. Ms. Llewellyn has also spent most of the last 30 years as an Adjunct Instructor at the University level in the field of Educational Administration.

It seems we are building new level of distinction in the Elwood School District on top of a very solid foundation of excellence.

Survey Results

Forty nine respondents took a survey asking them to name what they felt deserved a high-priority focus in the District’s strategic plan. Of the nine choices provided in the survey three received the overwhelming majority of the votes. The top three choices which received 70% of all votes are:
1. Providing our children with 21st Century Skills
2. Creating Curriculum Department Heads or Curriculum Associates
3. Guidance

Three Key Administrators To Take No Pay Raise in 2009 / 2010

We owe a debt of gratitude to three key Elwood central administrators for volunteering to take no increase in compensation for the fiscal year 2009 / 2010. Bob Annucci, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Bill Pastore, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Gene Tranchino, Executive Director of Instructional and Administrative Technology informed Superintendent Peter Scordo and the Board of Education that in light of these strained economic times they will refrain from taking a pay increase.

These gentlemen have made a gracious gesture to the taxpayers of the Elwood Community in addition to the dedication to our childrens' education and should be commended.

Meaningful Quote

"In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists." Eric Hoffer

"Let There Be No Doubt..."

“To reach port, we must sail – sail, not tie an anchor – sail, not drift.”
- Franklin Roosevelt

The traditional American values that we hold onto with great pride are not vestiges of another generation that can only be maintained by repeating past practice; rather, they are brought forward and celebrated through continuous innovation, sound planning and a willingness to embrace change. Indeed our ingenuity combined with determination, fairness and integrity will be what gets us through these most challenging times.

At the core of our Nation’s future and the future of our community is the care and education we provide to children. This commonly expressed sentiment is heard in political circles in every corner of the country. It is expressed so often that you wonder if the message is getting through effectively; nonetheless, truer words were never spoken. As Americans, neighbors, parents and educators, we must, to the best of our collective ability, ensure the health and safety of children; that is universally clear. We must also provide children with an abundance of educational opportunities and 21st Century skills that will prepare them to go on to college and successfully earn a baccalaureate and their place in tomorrow’s workforce. Education is paramount to their future and ours. In the words of our new President, “… let there be no doubt: The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens.”

Additionally, let there be no doubt, that in order to accomplish our short-term and long-term education objectives we must invest a tremendous amount of time, energy and ingenuity into a continuum of strategic planning cycles for the Elwood School District that will set the course for our schools over the next several years and beyond. It is also imperative that District leadership remain focused, accountable stewards of the strategic plan.

In 2004 I encouraged the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. William Swart, and fellow Board members to initiate an organized strategic planning process in Elwood. We assembled a team of Board of Education trustees, teachers, administrators and various members of the community who came together to form the Elwood School District’s first Strategic Planning Council. We brought forward plans that would strengthen our schools at every level and made a commitment to assure the theoretical becomes reality. And, while challenges arose as they always do, we remained persistent and accomplished our key objectives. We also accomplished our objectives while holding tax increases to an average of 4.1% over the period from 2006 through our newly established budget for 2010.

Collectively, the Council reflected on the mission of our schools and composed a statement. The text can be recited and written in various ways, but the spirit of the mission is steadfast and enduring: “Elwood Public Schools serve a diverse community and value the unique skills and qualities of all our students from kindergarten through senior year. Our mission is to provide an excellent educational experience that empowers and inspires each student to succeed academically, socially and emotionally in an evolving global society. We invite the entire Elwood community to join us on this journey”.

I believe everyone agrees that education is a Journey, but some choose to focus on where we have been while others focus on where we still need to go. Elwood schools have a proud legacy of educational distinction; nevertheless, I am with those who prefer to look into the horizon enthusiastically; with the knowledge that the best days in Elwood schools are ahead of us.