Elmwood Community Schools

121 days!

We are excited to announce Dick Taylor as our April Community Member of the Month for his outstanding service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the Elmwood community. When a devastating tornado struck Elmwood in 2010, Dick stepped forward without hesitation. Drawing on his background in construction and business, he became a vital part of the city’s recovery efforts. He played a key role in assessing the damage to our town, helped develop a comprehensive economic recovery plan, and supported the establishment of a TIF district that spurred critical improvements in our downtown—including streetscaping and façade enhancements that revitalized the heart of our community. Dick’s compassion extended beyond city limits as he offered guidance and support to the residents of Washington, Illinois, following their own tornado disaster. His insight and leadership served as a source of strength during a time of great uncertainty. As a longtime member of the Elmwood Community Foundation, Dick has been a tireless advocate for community enrichment. From helping secure Lorado Taft artifacts that celebrate our cultural heritage, to spearheading the creation of the Sweetwater walking path, his efforts have left a lasting legacy. Currently, Dick is leading efforts to bring a YMCA Wellness Center to Elmwood—working closely with surrounding communities and organizations to build support and raise the necessary funds for this transformative project. In addition, he has helped spearhead the new Industrial Arts Program at our school through his management of the Claude Keefer Memorial Account, including the purchase of a new car lift to expand our program next year. Through every initiative, Dick Taylor has demonstrated what it means to lead with vision, generosity, and heart. It is our honor to present him with this award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the community. Dick has demonstrated examples of The Trojan Way for decades in our community! Join me in congratulating Dick on being the recipient of the April Community Member of the Month! #TheTrojanWay

Congratulations to Mrs. Foster, our JH/HS staff award recipient for April. She is in her first year at Elmwood but has been positive, caring, and holding students accountable to our tradition of excellence. We all appreciate her demonstration of the characteristics of #TheTrojanWay.

Student You Should Know winner for April at Elmwood JH/HS: Lillian Battye. She was nominated by two of her teachers for exemplifying a great work ethic, showing kindness, and positively impacting her peers in English and Math classes. #TheTrojanWay

Section 5 Officer Election tonight. Cassie Case if great speaking and running for offices! It was also great to have Brooke Dawson being the guest Speaker!

Congratulations to our PERFECT Construction Trades program graduates. All spoke about their internship experiences and why hardworking is part of #TheTrojanWay.

Today was our E Day for experiment in our A to Z End of Year Countdown. 4th Grade hypothesized about how to make ice cream and the amount of time it would take for it to set up. Great fun, so today E also stood for an Engaging Experience for us!

5/6 performed at a new venue for Brown Bag It this year! We were happy to perform at the Caterpillar Visitor's Center Plaza! They rocked their TrojanWay t-shirts. 🧡🖤🧡🖤 They sang beautifully! #thetrojanway

We want to send a warm welcome to our new Elmwood #322 Board of Education. We appreciate your service, time, and commitment to our district! #TheTrojanWay President - Jessica Reyling (2nd Female President in Elmwood History) Vice President - Dustin Funk Secretary - Katie Vaughan Member - Angie Agan Member - Tori Goedeke Member - Grant Strom Member - Heather Windish

Congratulations Elmwood-Brimfield Boys track on winning the Trojan Invite Tonight!!

We want to take this opportunity and thank Mr. Mark Davis and Mr. Kevin Windish for their service to the Elmwood #322 Board of Education. Mark has served since April 22, 2013 (12 years) as a member, Secretary, Vice President and President; while Kevin has served since April 28, 2021 (4 years) as an Elmwood Board member. Please take a moment to acknowledge their service and recognize their efforts as they “retire” from our Board. Thank you to you both! We also want to welcome our newest two BOE Members to the Elmwood #322 BOE. Mrs. Angie Agan and Mr. Grant Strom are both beginning their first term. Thank you for your commitment to serve our district! #TheTrojanWay

Congratulations to M Hampton and Evan Patterson for being recognized at this morning's Illinois Principals Association breakfast. You both represent #TheTrojanWay!

Come out to our amazing facilities and support our Elmwood Trojans! We love having you at our events! #TheTrojanWay

Five of our 6th grade band musicians had a great day at the ILMEA District 2 EGM Festival on Saturday!

Chorus Trip: Community Tour for JH and HS choruses to Knox County Nursing home (Knoxville), Courtyard Estates (Knoxville), and Country Comfort (Elmwood) on April 11

Ms. Little's class finished our study of The Phantom Tollbooth with a Royal Banquet today! We enjoyed foods that were wordplay. We even had some characters from the story show up!

English III had a great Socratic Seminar today, discussing Fahrenheit 451. They discussed Montag's character, their society's government, and made "scary" connections to our world today.

Chemistry students met with Dr. Fracchia, forensic athropologist at Vanderbilt University, to discuss isotope analysis, how it helps in identifying missing persons. Also, the 'body farm' at UT-Knoxville was discussed and how the research done there furthers forensic science.

Mr. Vince Davis, an agronomist with BASF, spoke to our junior high science classes today about weed control and plant production in agriculture. Students learned how science can help improve crop yields and the types of careers they can pursue in this field!