Montville hosts MTHS graduation Twitter contest

Vicki Klein, the mom of 2015 Montville Township High School (MTHS) graduating senior, Samantha Klein, snapped a picture of her husband, Rick Klein, giving Samantha a kiss following the MTHS graduation.

“I saw my husband standing there giving a smooch and I thought it was so cute,” Vicki Klein said. “So I took the picture.”

The proud mom then joined other Montville families as she posted the picture on @MontvilleTwpSch, the district’s Twitter feed, with the hashtag, #StangsGrad2015 (short for Mustangs Graduation 2015).

#StangsGrad2015 represents the Montville Township Public Schools’ first interactive social media contest since the district launched Twitter and Facebook pages in March 2014.

The photo contest was designed as a fun opportunity for students, parents, staff and community to share the MTHS graduation experience.

“It is a district goal that both our Twitter feed, @MontvilleTwpSch, and our Facebook page, Montville Township Public Schools, become even more interactive,” said District Communications Officer Susan Marinello. “Contests and other opportunities for the community to post photos to the district’s social media sites helps everyone in the community get a sense of the variety and non-stop educational activity taking place in Montville Township’s seven public schools. Additionally, all of the district news and announcements are posted there, so we encourage the entire community to Like and Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.”

The graduate, Samantha Klein, will attend Bergen Community College in the fall and wants to become a veterinary technician. She attended Cedar Hill Elementary School and the Robert R. Lazar Middle School. Her dad, Rick Klein, and her older brother, Ricky Klein, also graduated from MTHS.

Vicki Klein, her son, Ricky, and her mother-in-law are all volunteers for the Montville Township First Aid Squad. The contest winner was also very active with the MTHS Marching Band and Field Corps during her son and daughter’s time in high school.

“The teachers at MTHS were amazing,” said Vicki Klein. “So helpful in making sure my children succeeded.”

The prize for winning the #StangsGrad2015 photo contest was two free pizzas donated by Bill Iellimo, owner of Joe’s Pizza at 185 Changebridge Road in Montville.

“My kids come here all the time,” Vicki Klein said when she received her award. “And my husband works down the road.”

Rick Klein owns Klein Cabinets on Changebridge Road in Montville.

Volunteer, Janell Crispyn, a life-long resident of Montville, recently signed on to be part of the social media support for the district. With Crispyn on board, Montville had enough man-power to coordinate the graduation photo contest.

“Janell is amazing,” Marinello said. “The Communications department is very lucky to have her. She designed, organized and monitored the #StangsGrad2105 photo contest at @MontvilleTwpSch.”

In addition to social media, a few flyers to graduates, and word-of-mouth, promoted the contest and encouraged people to take pictures at MTHS graduation, tag them #StangsGrad2015 and submit them to @MontvilleTwpSch. The community had 24 hours to submit.

“About a dozen pictures were submitted. Our Twitter Followers had a chance to Favorite, Reply and Retweet,” Marinello explained. “Their responses helped the judges choose the winner, and the interaction surrounding the graduation photo contest increased our Following on Twitter by just over eight percent. The Facebook Likes also increased during the contest. This is great because more people now know about the district’s social media sites.”

Montville Township Public Schools is a district of 4,000 students. There are five elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. 380 people currently Follow the district’s Twitter account and 690 have Liked the Facebook page.

Thanks to Crispyn’s offer to volunteer, and with the success and excitement that surrounded #StangsGrad2015, Marinello hopes to initiate more interactive social media events for the district in the coming school year.

“Anyone interested in Montville Township Public Schools should Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter,” said Marinello. “Twitter and Facebook are where Montville Township Public Schools’ news and information are posted. There’s always something going on.”

People who are interested in viewing more #StangsGrad2015 photos should check out @MontvilleTwpSch on Twitter. The photos are also on Facebook at Montville Township Public Schools.

CAPTIONS

1:

Vicki Klein snapped a picture of her husband, Rick Klein, and their daughter Samantha Klein, following the Montville Township High School graduation on June 23, 2015. She then tagged it #StangsGrad2015 and entered it in the Montville Township Public Schools’ graduation photo contest on Twitter at @MontvilleTwpSch. About a dozen photos were submitted to the district. #StangsGrad2015 is Montville’s first social media contest. Joe’s Pizza on Changebridge Road donated two pizzas as prizes.

2:

Vicki Klein accepted her @MontvilleTwpSch social media photo contest prize at Joe’s Pizza on Changebridge Road in Montville. Bill Iellimo, owner of Joe’s Pizza, presented her with a certificate for the two pizzas he donated to Montville schools for the #StangsGrad2015 photo contest winner.