October Newsletter 2021

CEDAR HILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

October Newsletter

Trunk or Treat!

Preschool - Grade 8 students exhibited a fabulous display of costumes and much excitement as they joined in a parade of trunk or treat festivities. Our Trunk or Treat families helped enhance the excitement of the day! Happy Halloween to all!

Preschool - Kindergarten Images

Grades 1 - 8 Images

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On October 15th, 2021 the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools awarded Cedar Hill Prep accreditation. This accredited status signifies that CHP, as an educational organization, meets all MSA Standards for Accreditation, as well as the requirements of the selfstudy protocol. We are delighted to share the honor of this recognition of our school as an accredited member of the MSA with all our families. We at CHP acknowledge this award as an indication of the promise of excellence we make to each of our students.

Contestants and Winners of the 2021-2022 House Contest!

The House System held its annual Banner, Song & Cheer contest on Friday morning, the first day of October, gathered in the gym from Grade 3 and up. Principal Seeley praised all the houses for raising the bar this year and elevating the competition to a whole new level of friendly rivalry.

Each House unveiled their original handdesigned and decorated banners, celebrating the animal which symbolizes each house as well as the core values of the school which are embodied in the actions of that House’s members. They showcased the banner to the judges, with a House representative explaining what each element of the banner symbolizes and how the imagery depicted was chosen and why.

As the Houses took turns, the banner presentation was followed by a song and cheer combination. The choreography and effort that went into each of the songs and their accompanying movement kept the other Houses excited and made it easy for everyone to cheer each other on, even in the name of vying good-naturedly for the most overall House points.

The contest was judged by CHP’s bookkeeper Donna Pizappi and nurse Loretta Koleser, who did not have an easy decision to make. Ultimately, the winner of both best song and best banner went to the Cherokee Bears, while the Lenape Owls took the prize for best cheer. Congratulations to the winners and huge applause for the efforts that all of the Houses put into the competition!

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PRESCHOOL - KINDERGARTEN NEWS Rhyming Show ‘n Tell The children in preschool at Cedar Hill Prep School are learning about rhyming words through nursery rhymes, songs and stories. They are listening for words that sound alike in the middle and final sounds. For our show ‘n tell, the children were asked to bring in two items from home that rhymed. Some of the things they presented to their class were a phone and cone, train and plane, and duck and truck.

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Von Thun’s Farm Our trip to Von Thun Farms was perfect. For many of the children, this was their first time going on a field trip and riding on a school bus! They were very excited. The bus ride was awesome and when we arrived at the farm we saw goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, and donkeys. We also went on a hayride that took us all over the farm. During the hayride, we were able to stop at the pumpkin patch to pick our very own pumpkin!

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Firefighters Visit In addition to a very busy morning that included Pajama Day and the Hispanic Heritage Month festival, last Thursday, October 14th, Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students had a visit from our friends, the firefighters! Firefighter Frank, along with Firefighters Eric and George from the Franklin Township Fire Department, told us all about the equipment they need to wear. They also told us how to prevent a fire from happening and made sure we all know that we should never touch matches or a lighter! We even got to hear the siren! It was so much fun!

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PRESCHOOL - KINDERGARTEN NEWS Preschool - Kindergarten Trunk or Treat The Preschool through Kindergarten children at Cedar Hill Prep exhibited a fabulous display of costumes and much excitement as they joined in a parade of trunk or treat festivities. Our Trunk or Treat families helped enhance the excitement of the day! Happy Halloween to all!

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS 1st and 7th - 8th Graders Celebrate Columbus Day CHP 1st graders and 7th-8th graders collaboratively completed an exciting Columbus activity! Initially, our students filled in a letter to ask for help as they pretended to be sailors on the Santa Maria. They rolled up their letter and placed it into a plastic bottle.

Then our students stepped outside and measured the length of The Santa Maria. Then our students tossed their “bottles” out onto the pavement. Shortly afterward, CHP 7th and 8th graders picked up the bottles and will write back to the 1st graders. Our 1st graders were thrilled to discover that a 7th or 8th grader was writing back to them!

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Halloween Math Second graders went on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt to solve addition and subtraction word problems.

These are skills we have been working on but students were able to practice in a fun way.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS All About Me Bag Second graders celebrated the new school year by sharing an All About Me Bag. Each child filled their bag with a baby picture along with pictures of their family, favorite food, and something that is very special to them. It was a great way for the children to learn about each other and help build our classroom community for the new school year.

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Pumpkin Decoration Second graders had a great kick off to Halloween by decorating pumpkins. Each student had a chance to add a personal touch and took it home to display for Halloween. Here they show off their handiwork.

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Rounded Pumpkins Third graders have been enjoying several activities that highlight Fall.

One of the activities was ‘Rounding Pumpkins.’ The students chose a 3-digit, 4-digit or 5-digit number and rounded that number to the nearest ten and nearest hundred. The pumpkins were then displayed in a pyramid fashion on the wall outside the third grade classroom.

The students loved the activity and took pride in their work.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Grade 3 October Mystery Readers

Every year in third grade, parents and other family members are welcomed to join us as a mystery reader. Students do not know who it is going to be until the reveal. Three clues are given to all students, to see if they can guess who it is going to be!

On Friday, October 1st, third graders welcomed our first mystery reader of the year, it was Armaan’s mom! She joined us on Zoom and read “The Invisible Boy” by Tracy Ludwig. A simple act of kindness can transform an invisible boy into a friend... The students really enjoyed this story of friendship!

On Friday, October 8th, our second mystery reader of the year was... Kyle’s mom! She read a book entitled Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes. Third graders enjoyed this light-hearted story on a Friday afternoon. The storyline was enjoyable and very relatable to our third graders.

On Friday, October 22nd, our third mystery reader of the year was... Vihaan’s mom! She read a book entitled One Halloween Night by Mark Teague. The third graders enjoyed this Halloween-themed book.

It got them very excited for the holiday! We look forward to hearing from our next mystery reader!

Grade 3 Super Students Every month, third grade students are selected as Super Students. They exhibit the qualities of exceptional behavior in and outside of the classroom.

They complete a poster that showcases who they are, including their “super student power” and what they would do to make the world a better place. The students take this honor very seriously and are able to showcase their artistic talent through this activity.

The following are our Super Students for the month of October: Samarth - a tip-top team player, a marvelous mathematician, a stunning scientist and an honorable helper, Colton - a great geographer and an awesome artist, Shivad - an amazing athlete and a wonderful writer, and Daanyal - a stunning scientist and a magnificent musician! Great job third graders! Click to See Larger Image Click Here to See More Images 6 | September Newsletter

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Halloween Fun Third graders had a fun-filled day celebrating Halloween. The day started with spooky music as they entered their classrooms. The students then used their creativity to decorate faces on their pumpkins.

The decorated pumpkins were then judged by Mrs. Iyengar and Coach Tierney. Stay tuned for the results!

The students then moved on to their next craft, a very Halloweeny necklace. The students spent the next hour playing games like pin the nose on the pumpkin, trying their luck on the Wheel of Fate, bowling with candy corn for the pins and a small pumpkin for the bowling ball, and last but not least Bingo!!! The students loved shouting “Bingo” and earning prizes.

What a wonderful day in third grade!

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House Meetings for Grades 3 and 4 Each Friday, Grades 3 and 4 have lunch with their respective House members. Each House has its own table where the students have an opportunity to socialize and discuss upcoming events. During the middle of October, the students met in the classrooms of their respective Houses to work on their House posters. As you walk down the hallway of the 3rd and 4th grade classrooms, you will see each House represented. Great camaraderie and a terrific team effort! Go Grades 3 & 4!!!

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Grade 4 Celebrates October Birthdays!

October was a busy month for birthdays as Grade 4 celebrated the birthdays of Anabi Faisal on October 6th, Sofia Vera on October 8th, and Mahesh Kethineni on October 9th.

Best wishes to all! We hope your birthdays were filled with joy!

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Grade 4 Begins Research of New Jersey Grade 4 launched its study of New Jersey history with a collaborative research project of the earliest people to inhabit the state. Their research introduced them to the Lenape people as they learned how the people who resided here over 10,000 years ago survived in this northeastern climate. Their research will continue throughout the year as they investigate different aspects of New Jersey’s history and development.

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What Would You Do With an Idea?

Grade 4 students gathered around to listen to the award-winning story written by Kobi Yamada, What Do You Do With an Idea? This is a story of an idea that came to a child who at first wasn’t quite sure what to do with it, then rejected it, and finally accepted and nurtured it, giving it space to develop… in order to see what would happen next. This inspirational tale prompted our 4th graders to narrate their own experiences with ideas of their own. As their stories reveal, one never knows what ideas may “pop” into our heads. While we ignore some ideas, others continue to germinate until we are ready to develop them. The 4th graders’ interesting ideas included creating a booklet of U.S. regions, designing an original Pokémon, making a treasure map in a bottle, and creating original toys for cats!

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Halloween in Grade 4 Grade 4 celebrated Halloween in style. Well-dressed in their Halloween costumes, the 4th graders engaged in pumpkin and mask decorating, which was followed by a mummy-wrap, recess in the beautiful autumn sunshine, and then lunch that was enhanced by yummy treats from our Grade 4 parents. Trunk or Treat definitely was the perfect culmination to this fun-filled day! A very special thank you to our Grade 4 parents for their generous contributions to this festive event!

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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Grades 1 - 8 Trunk or Treat First through Eighth Grade students at Cedar Hill Prep School enjoyed Trunk or Treat Festivities.

Great costumes were worn by our students and our Trunk or Treat participants helped enhance the excitement in the air! A great parade! Happy Halloween!

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Body Systems Grade 5 is learning about animal systems. They used Curioscope Software and a coded t-shirt to see their simulated body parts placement and how each part looks in action. The circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and skeletal systems were isolated and shown. The images even bent with them and turned as they turned! This is an amazing technology and really gives the students better insight into their own bodies... literally!

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Sterling Hill Mine Trip On October 28, Cedar Hill Prep grade 5 students took a trip to Sterling Hill Mine and Museum. Science and Social Studies came together in this trip of explorations. Students from Mrs. Galiano and Mrs. DeVito’s classes learned about how humans change Earth’s structures in some ways that can never be replaced in this old zinc mine. And in Social Studies, students learned about the very hard life of miners and their families as well as how technology has changed through the years with tools and uniforms. The day ended with students collecting various ores (not rocks) from the stone area and they were all glowing with new adventures just like some of the minerals they discovered in the Rainbow Room! These mines gave their minds an impression to last a lifetime.

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AROUND THE SCHOOL Kids Kitchen Club In Cedar Hill Prep’s edible art club, Kids Kitchen, students use everyday foods and snacks to create scrumptious works of art. Recipe examples are strawberry mice, fruit and veggie flowers, banana snakes, a Graham cracker house, spider cupcakes, and dirt cups with oreo cookies, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms! You will taste and see our delicious creations at our grand edible art exhibition, TBD. On Oct 12, a 5th grader made her first edible art recipe, “Strawberry Mice.” To register, contact Ms. Yollia: ycameron@cedarhillprep.com or 973-932-7188.

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National Boss Day When a team feels inspired it is the result of fantastic leadership.

The inspiration which motivates all of the faculty members at CHP comes straight from the top. Our Founder, Nandini Menon, is plugged into the lives of everyone who works for her and every child who attends her school. Her energy and enthusiasm are unwavering and that positivity and ambition set the tone for each day at CHP, driving us all to be our very best. We do this not simply because we want to impress Nan, or solely to honor her requests, but because we are encouraged to go that extra mile just as she would. Nan is someone who truly leads by example and constantly has a new suggestion or perspective as to how the great things that make CHP stand out culturally and academically can become even better. We are honored to work in her service and celebrate her as a boss this and every day!

Teacher In-Service On Friday, October 15th, the CHP staff gathered for an in-service day of professional development. The day began with an icebreaker focused on strategizing without verbal communication. In celebration of National Boss Day, acknowledgment and applause were given to Nan for her leadership and all her contributions to the school. A number of faculty members had birthdays on and around Friday. The staff sang and cheered for Mr. Seeley, Mrs. Galiano, Miss Richardson, Mr. Walton, and Mrs. Villafranca before we honored all of them over some delicious cake! Later in the session, Nan and Mr. Seeley opened the floor to teachers from each grade, as well as the specialists, so that the faculty could reflect on the student dynamic across each grade and subject.

All in all, it was a highly constructive day which has been indicative of our school year to date!

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AROUND THE SCHOOL National Custodian Day A school is only as strong as its staff and a crucial part of the CHP staff are our custodial team. Our community’s backbone is provided by the team members whose day begins before any of ours and whose evening gets started as most of our day is wrapping up. We appreciate them every day of every week and would dedicate an entire national month to our team. Irma, Julie, Brian, and Mr. Mac, we simply wouldn’t be the same CHP without all that you do.

Thank you for being you and for all the ways that each of you contribute to the school!

SPECIALS DRAMA Lower School hasn’t missed a beat upon the expansion of the Theatre program here at Cedar Hill Prep! Preschool students enjoyed rehearsing how to be good audience members while each student shared about their favorite day in the “story chair.”

Pre-Kindergarten students began the introduction to Viewpoints while crafting a “Happy Birthday” music video for Ms. Richardson’s birthday! Meanwhile, both 2A and 2B ensembles diligently analyzed tv shows and movies with questions about what they saw, what they liked and what they would like to see more of. The students are enthusiastic to share their upcoming holiday projects as we continue to lay the foundation for the original work that we are creating all year long.

Click to See More Images In Drama class the Third through Eighth Grade students have learned about playwriting and adaptation through humorous versions of various fairy tales and novels, as well as fictitious court cases.

These have been a good way to introduce each class to an understanding of how a script works and an appreciation for how each member of the class, as either a cast or audience member, contributes to our group performances.

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SPECIALS National Hispanic Heritage Month Cedar Hill Prep talent was once again on display as preschool to grade 8 students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month through song, poetry, dance, and drama. Hopefully this marks the beginning of CHP’s annual Spanish Festival to be celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month each year. As we saw this year, it was an enjoyable and informative event that is a perfect occasion to harness unity in the school community, an appreciation for Hispanic culture and heritage, and to embrace diversity and global mindedness.

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Preparation for the National French Week In preparation for National French Week, the 7th grade French students are practicing a traditional dance and helping decorate the French cafe.

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National French Week Annual Festival Tuesday, November 9th at Cedar Hill Prep

ART Earth Architecture Students in art class from grades 4 - 8 create miniature homes built from mud, stones, and grass sticks.

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WILDCATS SPORTS First CHP Tennis Match

Our CHP Wildcats competed in the school’s first ever Girls Tennis Match yesterday. The game took place at our home court, Inman Park, against Pingry. Our girls competed hard throughout, showing lots of toughness.

We came up short, but everyone had a chance to play and a fun time was had by all! Go Wildcats!!

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CHP Tennis vs. Stuart

The Girls Tennis Team won their first ever match against Stuart on Tuesday, October 19th with a score of 4-1! The girls showed much improvement from their first contest with Stuart. Everyone gave their best effort and a fun time was had by all! Congratulations to our Wildcats Girls Tennis Team!

CHP Soccer vs. Pingry

The Soccer Team played a great game and beat Pingry 5-0 on Monday, October 18th! It was an all-around team effort and everyone played a part in the victory! Aidan scored 2 goals and Shameek scored 3 goals to lead the charge! Avi had a great game in goal for the Wildcats!

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CHP Soccer Final Game

The CHP Coed Soccer Team played their final game of the season yesterday against Metuchen Christian Academy.

The Wildcats won a hard fought victory 3-2 with goals from Shameek, Aidan, and Avi. Everyone played together and The Wildcats showed much improvement throughout the season. It was a fun-filled game to finish the season!

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Lil’ Cats Sports Club This week, we wrapped up our Fall Session of Lil’ Cats!

Preschool - 4th graders have participated in skill building sessions for all different sports, including Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Track, Softball and Football! Our little athletes learned fundamental skills necessary for sports from our wonderful coaches and showed much improvement throughout the season! Everyone had a blast!

We will see you in the Spring for our next session!

Go Lil’ Cats!

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Our Second PTO Meeting is November 10, 2021.

The meeting will be via Zoom and we will be discussing upcoming events and fundraisers.

Be on the lookout for an email with details regarding the meeting.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you all there.

SAVE THE DATE

Last year the PTO had started an initiative where we let our CHP Parents showcase their businesses. We are happy to announce that we will be bringing that back again. If you would like to be a part of this initiative please click the button below.

Thank you.

Join Today

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Use CHP’s PTO enrollment code: 78AL185371236 to Join Today!

CEDAR HILL PREP SPORTSWEAR All proceeds help support CHP PTO

Order Apparel

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Staff Birthdays Happy Birthday to Loretta Koleser, Karen Wright-Borkowski, Pranali Parab, Yasmeen Villafranca, Donald Seeley, Conor Walton, and Maszarine Richardson who celebrated their birthdays in October.

Hope they enjoyed their birthdays!

Join the Alumni Instagram and Facebook Page

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You will receive invitations to events and the latest CHP and academic news. This will also allow us to share news and acknowledge all your achievements. Be Part of the Alumni Community Today! Join and share with family and friends to follow and like!

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152 Cedar Grove Lane Somerset, NJ 08873 Phone: 732-356-5400 Fax: 732-356-5409 Email: admissions@cedarhillprep.com Web: www.cedarhillprep.com

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