I am excited and privileged to serve as the principal of Elmwood Elementary School. It is an honor to be part of this wonderful school and community that work together to carry out our mission, which is to provide a positive and supportive environment that vigorously develops the minds and character of 21st Century learners. Elmwood Elementary is a wonderful place full of amazing students who work hard to reach their goals and teachers who are dedicated to helping our students reach their fullest potential. 

Elmwood Elementary School’s enrollment is approximately 380 students. This includes grade levels Pre-K through 6th grade. Our staff works incredibly hard and dedicates themselves to provide our students with the best education possible. Our curriculum is aligned to the Illinois State Learning Standards. All grades K-6 also use standards based grading to measure the academic growth of our students. Our 6th grade classes rotate between content specific classrooms. Teachers differentiate instruction for the needs of all students and are supported by our special education teachers, reading interventionist, and math interventionist.  Our paraprofessionals also support student learning on a daily basis. Elmwood Elementary is fortunate to be a one-to-one school. All K-6 students are supplied with a chromebook to help foster the skills of a 21st century learner. 

Elmwood Elementary is committed to educating and supporting the whole child. Our Social Emotional Learning Specialist provides support through delivering whole class, small group, and one-on-one conferences. Elmwood Elementary promotes the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. We do so by acknowledging those students who go above and beyond the normal expectations set forth by our school-wide behavior expectations outlined by the “4 Be’s” (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, & Be Ready to Learn). Providing positive reinforcement aligned to these expectations encourages good behavior among our students. It also helps ensure that students work towards our goal of promoting healthy mental, social, and emotional growth for all of our students. 

The parents of Elmwood Elementary students play a critical role in their child’s education. Communication is a key component. Please be on the lookout for a monthly update via email from me. Our school district is also very active on Twitter. Please follow #elmwoodexcellence and #trojanforce322 to stay updated on all the great happenings around our district. Our teachers make regular contact with families as well. Parents may also get involved by attending our monthly Parents’ Club meetings. Meetings are at 6:00 PM on the first Tuesday of every month. I encourage you to attend meetings and become involved in our great school community.

Elmwood Elementary School believes that all students can achieve academic success. Our teachers will challenge and motivate every student to reach his or her highest potential. The Elmwood Elementary staff looks forward to helping our students grow throughout the upcoming school year.  It is truly an honor to serve as the principal of Elmwood Elementary School.  I look forward to working with everyone to meet the needs of our students, celebrate their successes, and foster a wonderful and supportive learning environment.  Together we will continue to build upon the tradition of excellence that the Elmwood School District has set in place.