With a goal of building students who can communicate clear thoughts, images and procedures, Hillcrest teachers focus on real-world applications for student writing. In addition, teachers at Hillcrest have committed to the New Jersey Writers Project that puts teachers in the learners seat for three weeks while they learn the writing process from the student perspective. Understanding that hands-on science skills, including observation, presentation, and prediction, boost and reinforce abilities in all content areas, Hillcrest teachers participate in the Math and Science Education Collaborative. This program has on lead teacher from each grade level and a key teacher committing to four years of university instruction in math and science concepts and teaching methods. The teachers share the lessons and material with their grade level teams who, in turn, present the lessons to their students.
Hillcrest teachers are in their second year of the program.
As with all content areas, social studies lessons do not rely heavily on textbook learning. Students build models, research historical eras, and present performances tied to the past and present and the parallels found within. Sixth grade students, for more than 20 years, have undergone three weeks of authentic study of archaeology and methods for retrieving artifacts before engaging in a dig on school property overlooking the river. After an exhaustive day of marking off and carefully excavating a pit, students have returned with artifacts dating back as many as 4,000 years. Fulfilling a committment to prepare students for careers in the world of tomorrow, Hillcrest teachers include computer learning in daily lessons.