ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS

Grade 1 Red Mill Museum Field Trip

On May 1, Grade 1 had an exciting time on our Red Mill Museum Field Trip. We visited an old mill, a blacksmith, and an historic schoolhouse and office. We also enjoyed seeing antiquated modes of transportation in the garage and sitting at the desks in the old schoolhouse. The kids were bewildered by the outhouse, where we learned people used ears of corn for toilet paper. Students also had the privilege of watching a real blacksmith make a coat hook – he even let us take it back to school for our classroom.

The staff at The Red Mill Museum were kind, friendly, and patient, even offering discounts to students that didn’t have the exact amount of money for their souvenirs. It was an enjoyable time and we enjoyed having our lunch on a calm grassy hill overlooking the water.

Grade 1 and 2 Trip to NJIN

On May 4th, the students were buzzing with excitement as middle school classmates built two new bee houses to keep at NJIN. The bees moved in immediately and have already started setting up their home to make honey. Mr. Seeley taught the students a few things about bees during their nature walk in the morning portion of the trip. Before lunch, the students tried a team-building exercise that challenged their communication and problem-solving skills. After lunch, we read “The Great Kapok Tree” and discussed animal habitats and how human behavior can affect animal habitats. Students were then given the assignment of role-playing and writing a letter to humankind as an animal pleading with humans to change some of their behaviors. The students came up with some incredible ideas and were given the chance to read their letters to the rest of the group.

We have really enjoyed our trips to the NJIN farm this year. This was a beautiful trip to close out the 2022-2023 school year!

1st Grade’s Release of the Butterflies

Grade 1 watched as five of their butterflies emerged from their chrysalises. The students enjoyed setting them free out into nature for the first time. They cheered them on and watched in wonder as they flew off. It was truly a sweet moment to watch.

This month, Grades 3 and 4 had another opportunity to visit the NJIN Farm. It was truly a perfect day to spend outdoors! The warm sunshine and cool breeze were delightful as Ms. Nan led the entire group on a hike up the hill. At the top, we enjoyed an incredible vista of the horses grazing in the pasture against the backdrop of lush green foliage and rolling hills.

The day ended with the students’ favorite activity – sitting along the shoreline of the pond, reflecting on their varied farm experiences throughout this school year. A very special thank you to Ms. Nan for providing us with such an amazing experience!

Grade 3 Budget

3rd Graders are learning about budgeting money in our Social Studies Economics Unit. They worked in groups and were given a certain amount of money to spend. Going through 6 different categories – savings, entertainment, food, clothing, school supplies, and charity donations – they had to come up with a budget within their group. In the first round, they were given 15 “tokens” to budget, and in the second round, they were given 10. It was interesting to see how different groups spent their money. In the first round, all groups had tokens left over, but not as many did in the second round. They learned a true life lesson about spending money wisely!

Grade 3 Final Mystery Reader

Third Graders welcomed our last mystery reader of the year – Tori’s dad! He read Cinco De Mayo by Sharon Katz Cooper. The book details what Cinco De Mayo is and why it is important in Mexico. It describes the traditional celebrations in Mexico which include reenactments of the Battle of Puebla, parades, and the preparation and enjoyment of traditional foods. It also discusses how this holiday is celebrated in the United States, specifically in Los Angeles and New York City. The students discovered how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways. They loved the animated reading by Tori’s dad. Thank you for reading to us! We have loved having parents in our classrooms as mystery readers.

Grade 3 Surprise Mystery Reader

On Friday, May 12th, 3rd Graders were treated to a surprise mystery reader – it was Ms. Duncan! She read a story entitled Mr. Forgetful by Roger Hargreaves. The students hung on every word as Ms. Duncan performed a dramatic reading of the hilarious story about a man who has an important message to deliver and can’t remember what it is!

Thank you, Ms. Duncan, for making us laugh first thing on a Friday morning.

4th Grade’s Busy Month of May!

May found Grade 4 pulling out their craft supplies as they created their Mother’s Day gifts – keepsake boxes and cards. We hope all of our Grade 4 moms enjoyed a wonderful celebration of their special day!

Grade 4 had a chance to celebrate two more double-digit birthdays this month! Happy Birthday to Kyle and Yajur!!! With summer quickly approaching, we wish our two July birthdays, Anya and Miraya, a very Happy Birthday!!!

May would not be complete without our annual Spring Concert. Congratulations to our Grade 4 students, the Middle School students, and Ms. Joyce for entertaining us with such a delightful array of songs from around the world!

Congratulations and thank you to our 4th Graders who decided to run two different stands during Jr. Olympics. One group sold lemonade and various goodies, earning about $200 for the CHP Drama Department. The second group sold floats, soda, and ice cream, earning about $137 for the sound system in the gym. We are so proud of their efforts! Grade 4, you rock!

Along with the flowers that bloom in May, Grade 4 students have been blooming as well! It was during this month, as the students were taking their graduation photos and completing each day’s classwork, that they began reflecting on all that they have accomplished since September. The feeling they all share is how aware they are of all that they can now successfully accomplish in one day and how much more independent and confident they have become since September!

Congratulations Grade 4 as you are heading towards Middle School!

On Monday, May 22nd, nine students from Cedar Hill Prep School were selected to participate in the Junior Solar Sprints regional competition. The students were Biryani Blastoff - Aarnaa Desai, Shray Chandwani, Aryan Cherkuri; Fiery CheesemobileKimaya Desai, Jwala Rajinikanth, Sophia Lai; Music - Nitara Barauha, Aarav Ashok, Yan Xu. These students were among the 60 teams selected out of 135 teams from various schools in the area based on their video submissions.

The teams were judged by real engineers on speed, engineering, craftsmanship, and use of upcycled materials. Although CHP did not place in the top three in any of the categories, our students learned a lot in the process and left with a determination to claim victory next year!

Middle School Composting

CHP’s Lead 4 Change group is a coalition of students dedicated to contributing to a solution within our school and wider community. This year, our leaders have decided to add a composting initiative to their mission. Their goal is to inform and motivate their peers to collect and compost food scraps, thereby minimizing our school’s carbon footprint and providing fertilizer for our school’s gardens. The goal is to create 100 lbs of compost this school year!

Since addressing the lower school about the composting initiative on March 22nd and creating posters, Lead 4 Change Middle School members have already collected 76.8 lbs of compostable material! We are so proud to continue growing our legacy of being a sustainable, earth-conscious school.

Grade 5 and 6 NJIN Trip

Grades 5 and 6 had an awesome session of experiential learning at NJIN. Our very own beekeeper, Denise Galiano, and her assistant Mr. Mack showed students and staff an up-close view of what a beekeeper does, using a display box to show a real working bee frame in action. Everyone enjoyed getting to taste the sweet honey from the bees’ choice of NJIN’s nectar! Later, one of the farmhands Kevin explained how dual breed heifers are bred for meat and milk. The heifer that was there was in the midst of being prepped for a show! Students also got to see a baby ram who was being weaned.

Students had a math lesson in circumference and they deducted reasons why it may not be consistent on items being measured. Finally, all students got to run in the field of dreams and enjoy a panoramic view of NJIN and the Poconos!

7th and 8th Grade NJIN Visit

The 7th and 8th grade students visited the New Jersey Institute of Nature on May 3rd. They were treated to Mrs. Galiano and Mr. Mac checking the beehives to make sure the bees acclimated to their new environment. Then, the budding young scientists undertook a study of mycology by inserting wine cap mushroom plugs into a wood chip substrate. They added these to the oyster and shiitake mushroom logs that were placed on the farm last month. In the fall, all these mushrooms will be ready for consumption!

After lunch, the students explored new territory by embarking on a hike up the mountain. One of the highlights was observing a wildflower called columbine that was growing in the crevices of rocks.

2023 All School Art Exhibit

Lower School Artwork (Preschool through Grade 2)

In addition to tempera painting and work composed of either marker washes or oil pastel resist, Lower School students explored a variety of printmaking techniques this year. Examples of artwork from students in Preschool through Grade 2 are as follows.

Preschool: Jungle Theme Pre-Kindergarten: Cork Painted Collage “City Snowscapes” Kindergarten and Grade 1: Stamp Art and Template Collages Grade 2: Collography Prints Over Winter Mittens

Opening Reception (Grades 3 - 8)

For the final project of the 2022-23 Art Department curriculum, students in grades 3-8 chose their own media and topic to represent artistically. They utilized the 6 Design Process Steps: Researching, Brainstorming, Sketching, Making, Communicating, Critiquing. Reference material included images from the MET Museum and MOMA as well as their own photos of scenes and vacations and drawings. Students were encouraged to come and have photos taken of themselves as models. They sketched various ideas and explored different media. Many chose to paint in acrylics on canvas. Several small canvases were connected into themes. Third grade students did still life and landscape paintings. Grades 4-8 assembled sculptures using mixed media and upcycled materials. Some used wire, paper mâché, cardboard, and wood. Others mixed 2D and 3D with cut paper and collage. Students plunged in quickly and learned from their mistakes – ultimately, the process really trumped the end result, but the end results were truly spectacular! Fourth graders drew illustrations for a huge Welcome to the Reception sign. Second Graders illustrated the CHP Art Gallery Sign. Mrs. KB and Ms Wallant, along with the enthusiastic support of Administration, hung all the work. The whole CHP Community celebrated our students’ art from every CHP grade (Preschool-8) that was on display in the gym turned CHP Art Gallery! Those who attended the exhibit got to enjoy the art with background music performed by students. Attendees sampled exotic cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. Upper school students got to answer questions about their work for the viewers’ pleasure. What an amazing event!

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Spring Concert

The annual CHP Spring Concert on Friday, May 19th was spectacular! All grades participated and our students transported the audience with their voices, musical dynamics, and energy. It was clear the students worked on these pieces with a lot of love and attentiveness.

It is amazing getting to see our students’ musical abilities flourishing every year!

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