The township park adjacent to the school still holds the name of Beechwood. 2 and was one of five elementary schools inherited into West Ottawa when the district was formed from 13 small rural districts in 1958. At its peak enrollment, it held about 300 students.īuilt in 1954 at the corner of Lakewood Boulevard and Beech Street in Holland Charter Township, the school was first named Beechwood No. Glerum is the second-smallest of West Ottawa’s elementary buildings, second only to Sheldon Woods Elementary. Hanko said the emotional nature of her last year at Glerum hasn’t sunk in yet - but as the days wind down, she said it will hit her soon. You get to know all the names of all the kids.” “It’s a small school … I feel you get a little extra love. Rutten said the staff has been “fantastic”, as they work to “keep school, school” throughout the the transition, standardized testing and end-of-year process.Įducational assistant and librarian Carol Hanko started her career at Glerum 26 years ago, first working in food service. “It’s sad to watch as they come in and take our things away,” Evans said. The nearly 10,000 children’s books in the school’s library are also being sorted for redistribution between West Ottawa’s other eight elementary buildings.
This year, two of five unused classrooms have been dedicated to sorting books and classroom materials for redistribution. Kindergarten wasn’t offered at Glerum for 2014-15, and Principal Gregory Rutten entered the building on a one-year contract. The building has been in a partial state of transition for the past year. “We know all the families, and I’ve had children of former students in class.” I love the families and the students,” Evans said of her 24 years at the school. Last spring, officials made the announcement, and several months ago announced the building would be partially repurposed into the district’s transportation office. The 61-year-old elementary school is closing to students, as its older age and expensive repairs caused the district to look for a different purpose for the building.
When Glerum’s 135 students in grades first through fifth walk out of its doors at the end of this school year, it will be the last time. For longtime Glerum Elementary School teacher Pam Evans, every fire drill and story night with her third-grade students this school year has had an extra emotional attachment.
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