CEDAR HILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL
October Newsletter Halloween Celebration!
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This school year, Cedar Hill Prep School partners with the New Jersey Institute of Nature (NJIN) to provide more real-life experiences for our students. NJIN has created a series of nature education programs that will encourage experiential learning about nature, sustainability, and environmental healing. These programs will be held on NJIN’s beautiful 50-acre farm in Fredon, NJ which has rolling hills, horses, myriad wildlife, and multiple ponds. Starting this month, Cedar Hill Prep students will take monthly trips to NJIN to explore and learn about the environment in a truly hands-on way. Please see this newsletter and read how our students start to experience learning through this amazing opportunity.
2 | October Newsletter
HALL WEEN
Trunk or Treat On October 31st, the Preschool through Grade 2 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. Everybody was very excited and completely delighted to see so many phenomenally decorated trunks displayed for our Trunk or Treat Festivity. Later that day, the Third grade through Eighth Grade students at Cedar Hill Prep School enjoyed Trunk or Treat Festivities as they joined in a fabulous display of costumes going trick or treating from trunk to trunk. The trunks were beautifully decorated and exhibited amazing works of Halloween themed art! Great fun was had by all!
Scarecrow House Competition This is a very proud competition for our CHP House System. All of the scarecrows that were created and submitted for our scarecrow contest were outstanding! Great job and thank you to everyone who participated! With so many incredible scarecrow creations, it was a difficult decision for our judges to make! Here are the winners of our “House Scarecrow Contest.” Congratulations to all of our winners! In 1st place In 2nd place Tied in 3rd place -
Ariana Jalloh in 2B and Ariel Jalloh in Prek-A both Lenape Owls Nico Garofalo in 5A Shawnee Beavers Snigdha Saggam in 3B Lenape Owls Arsh Dandona in 6th grade Lenape Owls -
75 points. 50 points. 25 points. 25 points.
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PRESCHOOL - KINDERGARTEN NEWS Fire Prevention Week Preschoolers learned the importance of knowing the emergency number 911. After reading the book, “911 What is Your Emergency?” each child had the chance to press those numbers on the book. When the operator came on, the children explained the pretend emergency. Preschoolers role-played situations where they would need to use this information. Stop, Drop, and Roll was also introduced to the children through our fire safety books – a common safety procedure if clothing catches on fire. Each child got to learn and practice stopping, dropping, and rolling.
Fall and Farm Week Fall is in the air! The leaves are changing colors, the weather is getting cooler, and Preschoolers are learning about the season of Autumn. As a craft, we colored a tree brown and added the changing Autumn colored leaves by mixing red, orange, and yellow paint. The children used a bundle of Q-tips to dab the colors of the leaves. They made beautiful fall trees with the leaves blowing in the wind. We continued our Fall and Farm week talking about farms and what we can find on the farm. We read farm stories, sang Old Macdonald Had a Farm, and talked about the sounds animals make. Then the class made their own red barn with farm animals colored by the children.
Von Thun’s Pumpkin/Farm Trip
The Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten classes had a great time on their trip to Von Thun’s Farm. After an exciting bus ride, we arrived at the farm and saw some animals eating and playing in their pens. There were chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, and a donkey. After listening to the singing chickens – yes, there were singing chickens – we hopped on to the hayride for a bumpy ride to the pumpkin patch. The hayride gave us a beautiful tour of the farm. We saw apple orchards and corn fields. Our hayride dropped us off at the pumpkin patch which we had so much fun walking through in search of the perfect pumpkin!
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Grade 1 Diwali Party First grade had a very special treat this year for Diwali. Three fabulous moms came to the school with colorful and traditional Diwali clothing and decorations, a Diwali book/Presentation, and a Diwali gift bag for each child. These moms took the time to educate students about the history and traditions behind Diwali while also organizing a fun photo shoot, book reading, and gift exchange with Diwali-themed activities in each bag. The students had a wonderful time, and it helped 1st grade understand the true spirit of Diwali. We appreciate the incredible group of parents we have in first grade.
1st Grade’s First NJIN Farm Experience
On October 20th, the first graders had the incredible opportunity to visit local experiential learning farm, New Jersey Institute of Nature. They loved all the colorful trees and hills on the ride to the farm and, upon arrival, were eager to learn about the farm and the horses. Students had a snack and read a book called “Wild Horses,” discussing what it means to be wild and learning about horse traits. After lunch, the students got to meet the farm horses – Harriet, Ginger, and Titan. Our 1st graders learned about what kind of needs horses have, how they need to be groomed, and how they communicate through ear movements. Everyone got the chance to pet and feed the horses, and NJIN’s equine expert, Caitlyn, had each student share something they learned about horses. Students closed out the day with free time to explore nature and collect samples of what they found interesting. What a lovely time at NJIN!
Grade 2 Visit’s NJIN Second graders took the first of many upcoming field trips to New Jersey Institute of Nature on October 20th. Students learned about how horses communicate with humans and each other, their diet, and the variety of colors and patterns on horses’ coats. After learning about horses, we explored our surroundings. Students worked with a partner to identify various objects in nature, then described the objects they found to the rest of the class. We look forward to future farm trips!
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Grade 3 October Mystery Readers Each week for the month of October, the CHP Third Graders have a mystery reader visit their classroom. They first welcomed Mrs. Dhvani Shukla, Viraj’s mom, who read “When I Grow Up” by Al Yankovic. In the book, eight-year-old Billy has an active imagination and a host of interests. So, when it’s time for show-and-tell, he can barely contain himself as he vividly describes what he’d like to be when he grows up. His career choices include chef, snail trainer, lathe operator, gorilla masseuse, an artist whose preferred medium is chocolate mousse, sumo wrestler, pickle inspector...and on and on! Billy is still pondering vocational choices at lunchtime when he comes up with one more possibility — becoming a great teacher like his teacher, Mrs. Krupp. The CHP third graders loved Mrs. Shukla’s animated reading. Thank you for reading to us! Third graders were treated to another mystery reader on the morning of the 21st. It was Snigdha’s mom! She read a very important book entitled “Why Do You Always Have To Say Please?” This story taught the children all about having nice manners and why they are so needed in this world. The students listened attentively to how they should treat others. Later in the day, third graders were treated to another mystery reader – Laila’s mom! She read an informational text entitled, “Not for Me, Please! I Choose to Act Green.” This is a book about a boy on his journey to protect the earth and “act green” after he sees the damage caused to the environment. It provided some examples of how to be more sustainable. Students could not believe some of the interesting facts the book told them about how long garbage takes to decompose and how it continues to hurt the environment. It certainly motivated all of us to pay more attention to items that we use and to reuse and recycle when we can! On Friday, October 28th, our Third Graders were treated to another mystery reader – it was Siyana’s mom! She read a book entitled “If Kids Ran The World.” In a colorful tree house, children determine the most important needs in our complex world and how they can help others. Kids bring abundant food to the hungry, medicine and cheer to the sick, safe housing, education, and religious tolerance to all, and our planet is treated with care. Forgiveness and generosity are seen as essential because kids know how to share and they understand the power of love. The book closes with examples of fun ways to help others. A tribute to peace and a celebration of diverse cultures, this book captures the joy of all people and the unique beauty within each one of us. The students were enamored with the illustrations and the thought of what the world would be like if they got to run it!
Grade 3 Halloween Fun Third Graders had a fun filled Halloween. They started off their day with Halloween music. It was followed by an awesome party! After their party, they got creative decorating their pumpkins for the house competition. This was followed by making Halloween bracelets, 3D bats, and spider craft kits. The grand finale was Halloween bingo! The students also had fun trunk and treating in the school parking lot. Happy Halloween!
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Grade 3 Super Students for October 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 Super Students for the month of October were Alexa, Arnav, Risa, and Allison. Alexa described herself as a mighty mathematician, a ravenous reader, and a marvelous musician! She wishes there would be no hungry children in the world and she hopes to win the class Spelling Bee in a few months! Arnav described himself as a mighty mathematician! He loves to draw in his spare time and wishes he could fix pollution in the world. Additionally, Arnav is a fierce competitor in swimming and balances this demanding sport with his studies. Risa described herself as a mighty mathematician, an amazing artist, a harmonious helper, and a marvelous musician! She wishes there would be no violence in the world and she loves to play Roblox in her spare time! Allison described herself as a mighty mathematician, a ravenous reader, and a marvelous musician! She wishes there would be no hungry people in the world and she pictures herself winning a blood drive poster contest!
Grade 3 Rounded Pumpkin 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 a 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 bulletin board. The students loved the activity and took pride in their work.
Grade 4 October Birthday Celebrations Grade 4 has been busy celebrating several birthdays this month. Happy Birthday to Ridham, Alayna, Isha, Shivad, and Kaleb (who got to celebrate his birthday on Halloween!) Thank you to their families for sharing their birthday celebrations with our class!
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS Happy Halloween from Grade 4! The Grade 4 classroom was the hub of bustling activity. Dressed in awesome costumes, the students began the day with a pumpkin-decorating contest; all winning points will go to the winners’ respective Houses! Thank you Ms. Iyengar for serving as the judge of the 3rd/4th Grade Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Next on the agenda was the annual Grade 4 Mummy Wrap where teams of 3 worked together to wrap one of their teammates while enjoying silly Halloween tunes. During lunch, 4th graders broke out into song as they wished Kaleb a very Happy Halloween Birthday! Thank you to Kaleb’s family for providing such yummy birthday treats! The day culminated with CHP’s traditional Trunk or Treat. Thank you to all of our families who helped to make this event so very special!
Grades 3 and 4 Visit the NJIN Farm October 27th was a beautiful fall day…perfect weather for a trip to the NJIN Farm! Before we even arrived at the farm, the students were in awe of the beautiful scenery on the way to the farm and the rolling hills framed in orange and gold trees. The timing was perfect as the fall leaves were at their peak. Once we arrived at the farm, students marveled at the vista and the horses in the pasture and were excited to start the activities. Our visit began with an introduction to horse care by Caitlin, the Veterinary Assistant who tends to the horses living on the farm. The students’ interest level was quite apparent as the presentation was followed by a plethora of related questions for Caitlin. A scavenger hunt followed, which was a great introduction to the ecosystem of the farm as the students searched for and identified various leaves and plants, found fresh water mussel shells, saw a giant carp racing across the lake, and learned that the lakes on the farm were actually created by the movement of glaciers over the land. Students then experienced a sensory awareness activity where each found a quiet spot along the lake, one where they could sit quietly, observe the nature around them, and draw/write that they saw. All of the students were enthralled with the feelings of calmness and peace that they experienced during this time….and no one wanted to leave! We are looking forward to our next farm trip in November!
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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Grades 5 and 6 Visit NJIN CHP students from grades 5 and 6 enjoyed a trip to the New Jersey Institute of Nature (NJIN) Horse Farm on October 18th. The adventure was an immersive experiential learning time. Students began their experience with a moment of meditation. They then branched out into mixed-age groups for a Scavenger Hunt, Horse Knowledge, and Expository Sensory Writing. Students were enriched during their lunch time with some history of the acreage from Ms. Nan who also shared the importance of experiential learning which so many schools leave to the wayside while memorizing facts in textbooks. The other fifth and sixth-grade teachers read from “The Hidden Life of Trees” to open up the minds of our students to see plants as social beings just as animals and people are. The day ended with a meditative moment and all bid farewell to the farm.....for now. We can’t wait to visit again this winter! We are experiential learners. We are CHP!
Mimic Farm Activity Such a wonderful afternoon at CHP reliving some of the events students enjoyed during their trip to the New Jersey Institute of Nature. 5th and 6th graders went on a “repeat” scavenger hunt looking for the same items they had to find at the farm. The students had to find an upside-down house somewhere on CHP’s campus (there was an upside-down birdhouse at the farm.) In the picture, the students are looking at the small blue house upside down – clever! Instead of the mussel shells students found in the pond at NJIN, the students found a turtle shell and the shell of a nut. Instead of an insect trap, they found a spider web. This was a very fun and enriching activity that allowed students to see how much nature they can discover right on their school campus. They also got to sit and listen to nature, as they did at the farm, and share comparisons from their findings.
Grades 7 and 8 Visit NJIN The 7th & 8th grade students of CHP made history on Oct 11, 2022, as the first class of students to attend New Jersey Institute of Nature’s Experiential Learning program. This was a true hands-on learning experience! Our CHP teachers, Mrs. Villafranca and Ms. DiMuccio, created some amazing interdisciplinary lessons for the students – teaching science and math lessons by learning about patterns and fractals in nature as well as activities on how to be an explorer. As part of observational and personal reflection practice, students sat quietly around NJIN’s 3 acre pond, listening to the sounds of the ecosystem. A highlight of the day was when NJIN’s equine specialist, Caitlin O’Neill, introduced students to Horses and their well-being. New Jersey Institute of Nature provided a space for profound experiential learning and interdisciplinary education for our students. We can’t wait for trip 2!
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SPECIALS
French Honor Society On October 28th Cedar Hill Prep held its First Induction Ceremony of “Jeunes amis du Francais” which was established under the auspices of the American Association of Teachers of French and the Société Honoraire de Français (SHF). It is chartered by the American Association of Teachers of French and functions similarly to the French Honor Scociety. The aim of this organization is to stimulate interest in the study of French, to promote high standards of scholarship, to create enthusiasm and an understanding of Francophone cultures, and to encourage service to the school and community. In 2015, the American Association of Teachers of French inaugurated the Jeunes Amis du Français, as an honorary society for middle and elementary school students. According to the association, induction into this society is “the highest honor for students studying French in the country.” The local school chapter provides a vehicle to focus activities around the French language and Francophone cultures and to encourage students’ leadership skills by participating in age-appropriate service activities and leading chapter events.
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SPECIALS
National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration! This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration was an incredible event! Put on annually by CHP’s Spanish department, this event is one of the ways we enjoy celebrating the beautiful diversity inherent in our school community. It was incredible to see how the different grades expressed themselves in this celebration! Ms. Soto and her students led us in the Spanish Pledge of Allegiance and recited poems such as “Don’t Give Up” by Mario Benedetti as well as “Chile’s Land” by Gabriela Mistral’s. The second grade’s performance of Disney’s ”Encanto” had everybody moving to the rhythm! And Ms. Yollia’s 3rd – 8th graders’ performance of “El Marinero baila” (The Sailor Dance) had us all enthralled. Seventh graders had a wonderful time demonstrating how to make two popular Latino dishes and our eighth graders enjoyed instructing us in the steps for the “Mambo,” “Bachata,” and “Salsa” dances. The celebration ended with CHP students and staff dancing in a conga line! What an amazing celebration to add to the CHP memory bank!
ART Cork-Tempera Paintings Students in Kindergarten and 1st Grade B painted fall foliage using corks dipped into primary colors and black tempera paint. Students first mixed colors and then either stamped or pulled the corks across the paper to create trees and leaves. Pictured are just a few examples of paintings displaying the brilliant colors of autumn.
Complementary Colored Line Designs and Apples Preschool students created collages in a two-part art lesson utilizing complementary colored line designs and apple drawings. First, using orange oil pastels, students drew straight lines on blue paper. Then, using purple oil pastels, they drew zigzag or squiggly lines on yellow paper. Finally, students created red apples on green paper. After all this drawing, Mrs. K.B. cut paper into strips and rectangles and students glued the pieces onto red paper dotted with a green marker. The results were striking and colorful!
Grades 3 - 8 Landscape Drawing In art class Grades 3 - 8 went out to CHP’s beautiful wooded area to observe and sketch pencil landscapes. The concepts included: horizon and terrain lines, relative spatial measuring, negative space, and geometric shapes of composition, shading, and color theory. Some classes drew interior scenes when weather kept us indoors. Click Here to See Full Art Exhibit for Grades 3 - 8
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Welcome Back CHP Community!! Our Next PTO meeting will be on November 9h at 7:00pm. The meeting will be via Zoom and we will be discussing upcoming events and fundraisers for the year. Be on the lookout for an email with details regarding the meeting. If you have not signed up and wish to join one of the PTO Committees, please click the link below: CHP 2022-2023 Committee Sign Up
Storybook Pumpkin Challenge CHP celebrated the Halloween season with our pumpkin painting contest, based on students’ favorite fictional characters. The winners will be announced at the next PTO meeting. Good luck to all!!!
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Thank you for all the continued donations as we were able to refresh the inventory. Remember, all of your donations for the resale go back into the school to help pay for events for our children and teachers/staff. Click Here for Uniform Resale Link www.cedarhillprep.com | 13
WILDCATS SPORTS Lil’ Cats Sports Club
Lil’ Cats soccer and track are underway! Our young athletes have been enjoying soccer skills and drills with Coach Tierney. Their dribbling, passing, and shooting skills are already improving! In track, our athletes are learning proper running mechanics from Coach Yollia as well as how to improve their speed and conditioning. We’re proud of you, Lil’ Cats!
Cross Country Track
CHP Cross Country Track wrapped up their season on October 20th, competing against two veteran teams – Rutgers Prep and Princeton Day School. CHP had 8 runners in a field of 80. All our runners completed a distance of 1 in 7 miles. Following are the season results: Nico finished ahead of 9 runners, Colin finished ahead of 13 runners, Ayan finished ahead of 15 runners, Jonathan finished ahead of 21 runners, Arjun finished ahead of 29 runners, Ethan finished ahead of 43 runners, and Ananya finished ahead of 49 runners. An inspiring moment in the final meet was when, after crossing the finish line, team captain Arjun went back along the path to check on teammates who had not yet finished. Similarly, at the Wilberforce meet last week, co-captain Jacob went back after finishing to cheer on teammates who were still in the race. It is an awesome experience watching our athletes develop talent, morale, and team spirit.
Soccer Our CHP Wildcats Coed Soccer Team finished our season with a hard fought 7-1 loss to Wilberforce last Thursday. Throughout our season, the players showed toughness, determination and teamwork! We finished with a record of 2 wins, one tie and one loss. Our Wildcats showed great improvement throughout the season and we look forward to next year! Go Wildcats!
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Girls Tennis The CHP Middle School Girls Tennis Team 2022-2023 had another successful season under the direction and guidance of Coach Frankie. They began their preseason practices in August and continued to develop skills, strategy, and performance throughout the season. The girls had team victories against Stuart Country Day and Rutgers Prep School. The team will be able to continue working together for next season, though they are sad to see teammate Ananya Mehta go as she graduates onto eighth grade. The girls will really miss her leadership and enthusiasm on the court!
AROUND THE SCHOOL The CHP Scholastic Book Fair Returns! CHP had another successful Book Fair! We sold $5,444.72 our largest total ever and raised $2580.19 in Scholastic Dollars to be used to purchase books and supplies for our classrooms. In addition, The All for Books Coin Donations totaled $94.78, which was used to purchase books for classroom libraries. Thank you all for supporting our Book Fair and fostering a climate of reading within our community. A special thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time in setting up, selling, and closing the Book Fair.
Pizza with the Principal On Friday, October 28th, our students enjoyed their Pizza with the Principal. Every month, each homeroom teacher nominates a young person at CHP who has shown themselves to be a kind, caring citizen of our school. Chosen students then get to have a private pizza lunch with Principal Seeley where they share about their school experiences, discuss any changes they would like to see in school, and generally let Principal Seeley hear what’s on their mind! Our Pizza with the Principal is one of many ways that we give students the opportunity to raise their voices and share their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. A big THANK YOU to this month’s chosen students who have been such giving members of our community!
Grades 1 -2
Grades 3 -4
Preschool- - Kindergarten
Grades 5 -8 www.cedarhillprep.com | 15
Teacher In-Service at NJIN
On a remarkable fall day, surrounded by the magnificent foliage, the Cedar Hill Prep School faculty embarked on a learning adventure. For some teachers, this was their first time experiencing the rolling hills and charismatic megafauna as well as the horses at the New Jersey Institute of Nature. The topic of the day was Experiential Learning, or “learning by doing.” The day started with a reading of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” to set the tone of immersing ourselves with the surrounding beauty. Faculty learned to look at the details of the biological world by observing patterns in nature in an activity called Fractal Bingo. Next, they learned to be still and quiet in a journaling activity called the Solo Sit Spot. Finally, the teachers toured the horse barn and walked around the property. The experience emphasized how, in experiential learning, the learning comes through reflection on your own experience. The day concluded with a short debrief and all the teachers left with ideas on how to incorporate experiential learning into their curriculum.
Staff Birthdays Join the Alumni Instagram and Facebook Page
Stay connected and network with the CHP Community. You will receive invitations to events as well as 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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Happy Birthday to Loretta Koleser, Karen Wright-Borkowski, Pranali Parab, Yasmeen Villafranca, Donald Seeley, Maszarine Richardson, Priya Menon, Marisela Turcios, and Arielle Warshawsky who celebrated their birthdays in October!
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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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18 | October Newsletter