Special Events

On Thursday, March 22nd, the Holly Glen 4th Grade Chorus performed Hip Hip Hooray for the USA commemorating the 10th anniversary of 911.  The program celebrated our American Heroes with songs like Fifty Nifty United States by Ray Charles, Song for the Unsung Hero by Pamela and Joseph Martin and A Tribute to the Armed Forces arranged by Lloyd Larson.  In an emotional rendition of God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood, Holly Glen family members in the armed forces and first responders were featured in a slide show.  Chorus members also collected money from students, staff and family and friends to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project the day of our concert.  Over $600.00 was raised for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  We are proud of our Holly Glen family and would like to thank everyone for their support.

This January and February, students at the Holly Glen Elementary School and the Williamstown Middle School will launch their annual Penny Harvest Campaigns. Students will collect pennies and loose change to fund student-directed philanthropy programs and service learning projects.  The Penny Harvest kick-off will begin with student-led assemblies on January 12th, and the proceeds will fund programs which address student-identified concerns.  Students at Oak Knoll Elementary School are also participating in the program, and held their Penny Harvest in November-December 2011.  During the school year, the students identify social concerns that they are interested in supporting, and student leadership does research, including interviews and site visits, to identify strong community based organizations which address those concerns. Students will determine which programs receive grants from the Penny Harvest based upon the research.  In the spring, the students will also have the opportunity to participate in service learning projects related to the identified areas. 

“We are absolutely thrilled to enter our third year in this program”, stated Thomas Myers, Principal of Holly Glen Elementary School. “The program’s emphasis on helping children explore the issues and programs within their community is a strong component to our nationally recognized Caring Community character education program.”  Last year, Monroe Township students collected $8,000 through the Penny Harvests at the three schools, which was provided a 50% match by the Mildred Stiles Michael Fund at the Community Foundation of South Jersey, allowing the students to award a total of $12,000 to 20 community-based organizations.  Based upon last year’s success, the Mildred Stiles Michael Fund at the Community Foundation of South Jersey will again provide a 2:1 match, up to $5,000, for students to allocate to programs benefitting the residents of Gloucester County.  Sponsorship for the three schools to participate in the Penny Harvest has been donated by two local families and the Rotary Club of Williamstown Sunrise.

Founded in 1991, the Common Cents Penny Harvest grew from one child’s desire to feed the homeless.  For the past 20 years, children between the ages of four and 14 have been converting their natural compassion for others into action by collecting pennies and turning those pennies into grants for community organizations. $8.1 million in grants have been donated by children since 1991!  The Penny Harvest shows young people they have the ability to make the world a better place by introducing them to the power of philanthropy and service during their formative years. As children help others, they develop their generosity and moral character, and they learn through practice the skills and responsibilities of democratic participation.

Holly Glen’s Student Council’s Annual “Scare Away Hunger Campaign”
- Helping to scare away hunger in our community

Boo! We “scared away hunger” in our community. Holly Glen’s student council, staff and students collected non-perishable and canned food items for the community closet at the Pfeiffer Center during the month of November. We collected over 1,000 canned goods and non-perishables that helped families in Williamstown. The students enjoyed participating in our Turkey Trot based on their donations. Student Council Advisors, Mr. Joe Czbas and Mrs. Donna Gallagher and our 4th grade club members would like to thank our Holly Glen family for their continued support.

The Williamstown Rotary recently came to Holly Glen Elementary to give to each of the third graders their own copy of "The Best Dictionary for Students". Mrs. Vicky Beyerle, President, and Allison Munch, Sergeant of Arms and past president, spoke to the students about the value of reading and the many used of their new dictionaries.

Pictured are the Holly Glen third graders, Holly Glen and Rotary Staff proudly displaying their new dictionaries.

The students in Mrs. McCoy's and Mr. Snape's fourth grade class at Holly Glen Elementary  welcomed the Monroe Township Police Department with a presentation arranged by Monika Bucher, Rowan University, about law enforcement and government. The presenters, Lieutenant Branda and Officer Armstrong discussed police training, their daily routine, community policing, working for the government and much much more. The students had a great time and learned a tremendous amount about being a police officer. Special thanks to the Monroe Township Police Department for this great learning opportunity for the Holly Glen students.

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Eleven students from Holly Glen achieved a score of "300" on the NJASK test in the Spring of 2011. These boys and girls were honored at the October  20, 2011, Board of Education meeting. Principal Thomas Myers and Mr. Robert Graham, Holly Glen’s BOE liaison, had the pleasure of awarding them a certificate on behalf of the Board of Education. Teachers and staff couldn’t be more proud!

Holly Glen Elementary School celebrated National Respect Week on October 5, 2011.  Throughout the week, students learned the meaning of respect through classroom lessons and activities.  On Wednesday, the entire school participated in a Schoolwide Handshake.  Students had a blast listening to music, while also making their pledge to respect others and sealing the promise with a handshake.