Elwood School Notebook: Science Stars, Relay for Life and More

A Science Project Worth Its Weight
Diana Soehl, who teaches science research classes at the high school, was on hand to introduce the students involved in a special research project last fall called “How Much Do You Pack on Your Back?” This three-day project last November incorporated 180 students who weighed in with their backpacks in order to determine how many students were actually met the guidelines for a properly weighted backpack. Alexa Bombria, Christopher Conover, Dennis Foley, Angelina Gabrielli, Ryan Harrigan, Andrew Katz, Sebastion Morales, Stephen Orkiszewski, Nikoli Rinaldi, and Griffin Ryan received certificates of recognition for their participation in the project.

John Glenn Happenings
Gwen Rosen, High School Liaison, announced that a Volleyball-A-Thon will be held on March 4, with proceeds going to the ALS Association and Relay for Life. Food donations will also be collected for Helping Hands Mission in Huntington Station.

Also, the next Relay for Life meeting will take place on March 15 at 7:00 PM at John Glenn High School. For more information, click here.

Kudos to Lady Knights and Wrestlers
Lou Tuorto, Director of Athletics, was on hand to talk about the . The Knights had an amazing season, finishing 18-0, winning League VI, and securing the No. 1 seed in the Suffolk County Class A Small School Bracket. Their next game is Saturday, Feb. 26 at 3:30 PM.

Tuorto also commended . James Dekrone, Kenny Meinsen and Joe Giaramita all took home titles, and will compete in March at the New York State championships.

District Website Updated
Detailed budget information is available on the district website, and is generally up the day after a workshop or Board of Education meeting, according to Gene Tranchino, Executive Director for Administrative and Instructional Technology. He also noted that there is a form letter that residents can use as a guideline to send to local and state legislators regarding the devastating effects of a tax cap and suggestions on alternative ways to curb spending.

Elwood Education Endowment Corp
The Board accepted a donation of $40,000 from the Elwood Education Endowment Corp. Trustee Dan Ciccone thanked Julie Fried, President of the Endowment, and noted that in the past eight years, the private, not-for-profit corporation has donated over $300,000 in grants to the district, with most of the monies coming directly from residents.

Future Meetings
The next regular Board of Ed meeting will take place on March 17 at 7:30 PM in the Elwood Middle School auditorium. 

Budget Workshops will take place on March 3 and March 10 in the Elwood Middle School Library at 7:30 PM.