Kindergarten and First grade students have been learning all about Las Mascotas or Pets! Can your child tell you the names of the some pets the like, and perhaps their colors too? Second graders are having fun with Los Deportes or Sports. They have done surveys, games and other fun activities to practice sharing their interests and talking about what sports they play. Soon they will be presenting to the class as an athlete of their choice!
Third grade students have moved onto La Familia or Family in Spanish class. Since they learned immediate family member vocabulary in Second grade, they are now onto extended family vocabulary! Can your child tell you how many aunts, uncles or cousins they have? We are also having fun interpreting family trees and creating our own. Finally, fourth grade students have begun their unit that starts with La Ropa or Clothing! This is a fun unit because students can also practice body parts, seasons and weather as well. It will end with a fun fashion show project next month… stay tuned :)
This winter, second graders have reviewed rhythm patterns and identified, wrote, and read these rhythms in Meter in 2. They have learned the following vocabulary: bar line, double bar line, and measure. Our focus has switched, now, to melody. Second graders are learning what the music staff is and how to write notes on it to create 2-pitch patterns from songs they know: Rain, Rain, Go Away; Cobbler, Cobbler; Snail, Snail; Here We Sit, etc. Right now, we are using a 3 line-2 space staff. We will be moving to full staff (5 Lines-4 Spaces) in the next month. 
February, Heart Month 
The focus is on keeping your Heart Healthy. The Third graders just did Jump rope for Heart. They were excited to jump. All grades learned what the word pulse means, and how to take it. For kindergarten, just understanding that you can feel your heart beat with you hand on your heart when you do lots of exercises fast.
The grades have enjoyed learning about Volleyball and the 3 key skills you need to know in order to play in a game of volleyball. Ask your Son or Daughter, I bet they can show you what the skills look like.
Stay Warm this February by speed walking down your street with your children.
Then hand in a Walked with a parent slip and maybe win a token.
DON’T FORGET KIDS WEAR YOUR SNEAKERS ON GYM DAYS 
March is Youth Art Month! As it’s done every year, a sampling of artworks by Hilltop students will be exhibited at the Mendham Public Library for the month of March. Come and show your support! Fourth grade classes will be showing their printmaking skills. Third grade classes will be displaying their dragon works and some other artworks from the fall and winter months. Second graders’ beautiful pastel works of birds will be exhibited. First graders grayscale winter landscape will be presented. And lastly, a selection from kindergarteners’ artworks will be presented.
Because of the limited space, not every student’s artwork can be exhibited. However, we will try to include all of the fourth grader’s artworks. And some of the artworks will be switched during the month to include more students’ works.
February has been a busy month! Students have been researching and learning about presidents, honoring African Americans in celebration of Black History Month, as well as discussing our character education pillar this month... COURAGE.
3rd and 4th Graders conducted mini presidential research using an assigned source. Students accessed information from non-fiction texts, www.whitehouse.gov, or our online subscription to Encyclopedia Brittanica. We then went on to explore various narrative nonfiction and historical fiction texts, including Henry’s Freedom Box, Dave the Potter:Artist, Poet, Slave, and Separate but Equal. 4th Graders interpreted many of Dave’s couplets, and then went on to write their own character-ed based couplet. In the technology lab students have continued to learn about the importance of being a great digital citizen, and have each created a page for our class book.
In 2nd Grade we have been honoring African Americans in celebration of Black History Month, as well as discussing our character education pillar this month... COURAGE. We have been reading various nonfiction and historical fiction books and discussing the meaning of equality. Students also spent time time reading nonfiction text passages in groups, recalling details and providing evidence from texts they have read to ensure understanding and further develop their reading and comprehension skills. In the technology lab students are extremely close to completing their very comprehensive State Research Project, and will soon be participating in a “Tech-Time Walk About” in order to celebrate their work.
In 1st Grade we have been learning about courage and equality, and what better individual to illustrate courage than RUBY BRIDGES! Students learned about Ruby Bridges, discussed the meaning of equality, and then went on to write about and illustrate what equality looks like to them. Students have spent time reading nonfiction text passages, recalling details and providing evidence from texts they have read to ensure understanding and further develop their reading and comprehension skills. In the technology lab students completed their biographical research. Students accessed our online subscription to PebbleGo, located an online article about a famous individual, and located and printed a photo and citation for their project. Students also participated in a “Tech-Time Walk About” giving them the opportunity to celebrate their learning, and practice reading and speaking for an authentic audience.