A total of 29 terrific teams competed in Elwood-John H. Glenn High School’s annual Volleyball-a-Thon fundraiser on Feb. 27. The Fighting Gnomes – consisting of seniors Cole Madden, Christina Munch, Maya Shanerman, Matt Triolo and Tyler Ziminski – won the event. Coordinated by teacher Lisa Fusaro, the Volleyball-a-Thon raised over $3,000 for this year’s designated charities, which were the Sean Urda Memorial Soccer Foundation, which honors the memory of John Glenn student Sean Urda, and the Long Island Community Foundation, in memory of the late Class of 2013 alumnus Michael Gilmor.

Date Added: 3/13/2025

Sixty-nine determined Elwood-John H. Glenn High School students from Diane Locascio’s AP Psychology course embarked on an unforgettable journey on March 6 to test their wits, teamwork and cognitive skills in multiple escape rooms at Escape Game Long Island in Ronkonkoma. The highly successful trip, designed to complement their classroom studies, left the students with a sense of accomplishment and excitement. 
 
As the clock ticked down, the students worked together to decode clues, analyze patterns and navigate through mental challenges. Each group demonstrated resilience, collaboration and a determination to succeed. Representatives from Escape Game Long Island, formerly known as Padlocked Inc., noted that this was the first time ever that students under the age of 17 were able to escape each room at the company’s Ocean Avenue location, including The Cube, known to be the most difficult escape room on Long Island.

Date Added: 3/11/2025

This January, Elwood Middle School launched its first Spare a Pair Sock Drive, with the goal of collecting 400 pairs of socks for those in need. Organized by student leadership, and guided by advisers Jill Locascio and Scott Mikelbank, the drive encouraged donors to participate by adding a paper sock to the school’s “sock-o-meter” display for each donation. 

To spread the word about the drive, student leadership distributed weekly community flyers, organized a Socks & Sandals spirit day and hosted a buildingwide Simon Says Socks game, in which three winners were awarded prizes. The drive concluded in mid-February with over 500 pairs of socks collected, which were then delivered to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.
 
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Elwood staff and the community, we far surpassed our goal,” Locascio said. “We are deeply grateful for every contribution, and this sock drive is a powerful reminder of how a community can come together to support a meaningful cause.”

Date Added: 3/5/2025

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School’s World Language Honor Society recently volunteered to help fellow student Ellie Crowley complete her Girl Scout Gold Award project. Crowley is creating a kindness rock garden at the Harry Chapin Food Pantry to provide mental health resources to its recipients. After a brief presentation from Crowley, students gathered to paint the rocks for the garden.  

“I was inspired by my sister and brother who volunteered within Long Island Cares, which is the organization that runs the food pantry,” Crowley said. “I wanted to advocate for mental health because it has been an increasingly important issue in our generation and has been often overlooked in select communities.”

Date Added: 3/4/2025