Cedar Hill Elementary School, located in the Towaco section of Montville Township, serves approximately 400 students in grades Kindergarten through Five. The school’s mission statement indicates that every stakeholder in our learning community unites in an effort to engage children in the joy of learning. Cedar Hill is a “Positive Action School”, and to that end, we encourage our students to accept responsibility and to contribute their gifts and talents to realize their potential as citizens of a global society. Throughout the year, our students participate in a variety of activities that reinforce the theme of respect for themselves, each other, and the school community.
At Cedar Hill we provide our students with a strong academic foundation. From the earliest grades, they progress along the academic continuum, mastering age- and grade-appropriate skills. Our faculty is committed to planning and implementing a variety of instructional strategies and activities that facilitate the preparation of our students for the challenge of mastering the Core Curriculum Content Standards. At Cedar Hill, we recognize that children learn in a variety of ways, so we address all learning styles, utilizing cooperative learning, interdisciplinary connections, and multiple intelligences. Moreover, teachers practice differentiated instruction in order to move each child along the learning continuum according to his or her developmental readiness and ability. Similarly, our teachers support a balanced literacy program and continually seek to present students with opportunities to apply critical thinking. A majority of classrooms have Smart Board technology, which enables teachers to incorporate daily the technology that enhances lesson presentations and student learning. Our teachers place students at the center of the learning process and believe that a child’s foundational years should begin with delight, continue in discovery, and end in knowledge!
To further support the curriculum and the school’s initiatives, students participate in various school programs such as Student Council, Safety Patrol, Math 24, Geography Club, Peer Mediation, Science Club, and Tools for Schools for Kids. The Fine Arts program provides opportunities for choral and instrumental performances and exhibitions of student artwork both in the school and in the community.
Cedar Hill’s Home & School Association serves as a viable and valuable asset of the school community. Parent volunteers raise funds to support cultural arts and school-wide enrichment programs and to provide us with numerous Smart Boards, Classroom Performance Systems, and other items and services to enrich the learning environment. They also assist in the library, manage a hot lunch program, chaperone field trips, organize class celebrations, operate a publishing center, assist teachers with special curriculum projects, plant and maintain a school garden, and help with the school’s Environmental Committee. All of these efforts, and many others, inspire school spirit and pride in Cedar Hill.
Students learn from their parents and teachers the importance of contributing to the community as citizens by helping those in need. Student Council activities demonstrate Cedar Hill students' prominent role in the community. These endeavors include clothing and toy drives, Thanksgiving food basket collection, relief for disaster victims, and participation in the “Connect with Respect” and the district Anti-Vandalism Poster Contest. Students also recognize the importance of honoring senior citizens in the community and assume active roles in the annual Seniors Luncheon as well as the Memorial Day and Veterans Day assemblies.
The administration, faculty, support staff, and parents of Cedar Hill School are dedicated to fostering students who demonstrate high achievement, enjoy learning new concepts and skills in all curricular areas, contribute to their community in a variety of ways, and acquire skills for success. As a result, Cedar Hill’s students are afforded an excellent educational program that inspires lifetime learners and conscientious citizens.
Michael J. Raj, Ed.D.
Principal
973-331-7100 X1000