Our elementary school is under the direction of Principal Kathy Horan, who leads a team of excellent, Christian teachers who are experienced and professionally prepared to support the needs of each student. With an average class size of 16 students, teachers can minister to the whole child, seeking to enrich him spiritually, intellectually and socially, helping each child establish his unique identity in Christ.
tudents receive daily Bible instruction, and every opportunity is taken during the course of the day to share and apply Biblical Truth. The elementary curriculum incorporates a well-balanced range of academic subjects, featuring phonics and systematic reading instruction, hands-on math experiences, and a discovery approach to science. Enrichment opportunities include art, music, physical education, library science and computers.
Also featured are musical presentations, student council, awards chapels, spelling bees, speech meets, an annual science fair, community speakers, and field trips. New for the 2007-2008 school year are 5th and 6th grade sports opportunities which include flag football, basketball, and volleyball..
Elementary Classes begin at 8:25 A.M. School is dismissed at 3:00 P.M.
For a student to be eligible for admission, at least one parent or guardian must be a Christian who desires a Christ-centered education and who agrees with and actively supports our statement of faith, guiding principles, and policies. A Christian student who desires to be here but whose parents are not Christians will also be considered if they understand and support our school philosophy and mission statement.
All families seeking admission to HCS must submit an application packet which includes the following: pre-interview questionnaire, student application, report cards, standardized test results, any special education assessments, a completed church reference form from a Bible-based Christian church, and a $100 application fee. All forms can be downloaded from the “school division” link on this website. Families will be provided with a statement of faith and student standards of conduct to review prior to the interview.
Students will be tested and interviewed by a faculty member, and a separate parent interview will be conducted by an administrator. During the interview, HCS will try to make certain that parents understand and are supportive of the school’s mission and policies, and answer any questions that parents may have.
Other fees apply.
For complete tuition and fee information download the Financial Policy and Agreement PDF
Hillcrest Christian School admits students of any race, color, nationality, or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Hillcrest Christian School does not discriminate on the basis of race in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
Our elementary school features a team of Christian, ACSI-certified teachers who are experienced and professionally prepared to support the needs of each student.
Phonics and systematic reading instruction are key elements of the academic curriculum, which incorporates rich, literature-based integrated units to develop reading, thinking, and writing skills. Hands-on math experiences enable the student to foster math concept development and advanced computation skills.
A discovery approach to science leads students to experience the complexity of God’s creation. All students receive daily Bible instruction, and every opportunity is taken to share and apply Biblical Truth in all subject areas. . Art, music, physical education, library science, and computers round out the full academic experience.
Download the ELEMENTARY SUPPLIES LIST
Students can explore their gifts and talents through a diverse and enriching range of activities. Student Council, student musical presentations, awards chapels, Spelling Bee, Speech Meet, and Science Fair provide so many alternatives for the children to shine! Other special events include Carnival, Spirit Week, International Day, Open House, and educational field trips into our community.
Each fall, students in grades one through eight participate in the statewide Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) Spelling Bee. The top five spellers from each class bee compete in the annual school bee held each December. The school winners from each class go on to the district bee to compete against the top spellers from schools in the district. A top speller at this bee may have a chance to go onto a regional and a state bee. It is an exciting leaning experience for all the students involved.
In the spring, Hillcrest elementary students compete in a school wide speech meet. Students may choose to give a patriotic speech, recite poetry or a passage from Scripture, or even deliver an original speech. The winner in each speech category within a grade level advances to the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) annual speech meet to compete with other top students within the district. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop and practice the skill of public speaking with their peers.
Students in grades 6-8 are required to enter the February school science fair held by the science department at HCS. Each project is a result of a long-term study of the scientific method in the science class curriculum, and the students are challenged to develop their own experimental projects, providing hypothesis, procedures, biblical applications and conclusions. The top blue ribbon winning projects are then sent to the annual Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) science fair competition at Biola University where they are judged against the finest science projects in the ACSI southern school district.
The student council at HCS is a vital part of the elementary school body. The officers are elected at the beginning of each school year through an election process, which involves campaigning, giving speeches, and a voting ballot procedure in grades four through six. Once elected, the student council leaders meet once a week at their lunchtime to plan various programs and activities for the entire elementary school. The student council has hosted such events as the Red Ribbon Drug Awareness week, bake sales, athletic intramurals, and "Operation Christmas Child" activities. Leadership is taken very seriously at HCS, and students are asked to behave as role models in class and on the playground.
Fourth grade curriculum covers the history of our state. That history, studied in books and videos, comes alive as students and parents walk in the historic footsteps of those who established California as a state of the union. Students will see many of the sights and wonders that have shaped California to be what it is today.
The trip includes a visit to the 125 year-old State Capitol, Sutter's Fort (built in 1839), and the exact spot where gold was discovered in 1848 at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers. Also included in the tour are Old Town Sacramento, California State Railroad Museum, Jelly Belly Factory, and a brief voyage around Alcatraz Island under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay. This trip is scheduled for late spring, 2008.
Fifth-grade students have the opportunity to study science as they travel to Santa Cruz Island. This trip coincides with their classroom instruction on oceanography. A naturalist will lead the class on a tour of the island and make learning fun by playing games using island foxes and eagles. Students will enjoy a picnic lunch and spectacular views of the ocean and mainland. Last year, dolphins were swimming in the wake of the tour boat and escorted the class to and from the island. The date for travel has not been set, but usually falls around March or April.
Outdoor Ed is one of the major highlights in sixth grade. Students travel as a group to the Hume Lake Christian Camp facilities in the mountains of central California. The educational focus of camp is science, and students learn about wilderness survival, insects, and flight, as well as about Native American life and leather crafts. During their free time, students have the use of the camp facilities which includes the roller skating rink, hiking trails, a skate park, and a lake for fishing. What makes this
Outdoor Ed camp special is the opportunity for morning and evening chapels where students can begin their day worshiping their God and end it hearing from His Word. Both students and teachers agree that this wonderful week outside the traditional classroom is a perfect blend of learning academics while growing in faith and learning to live in harmony with classmates.
| Ext | Name | Grade | Room No. | Send Email to User name @hillcrestcs.org |
| 227 | Kathy Horan | Principal | 101 | khoran |
| 224 | Carolyn Krause | Dean of Students | P-2 | ckrause |
| 214 | Diane MacLaury | Kindergarten | 104 | dmaclaury |
| 237 | Elizabeth Thompson | Kindergarten | 118 | ethompson |
| 241 | Meghan Brennan | 1st Grade | 124 | mbrennan |
| 233 | Misty Ochoa | 1st Grade | 126 | mochoa |
| 236 | Joann Gonzales | 2nd Grade | 112 | jgonzales |
| 262 | Michelle Brown | 2nd Grade | 111 | mbrown |
| 238 | Libby Madden | 3rd Grade | 114 | lmadden |
| 243 | Sylvia Hawisher | 3rd Grade | 121 | shawisher |
| 235 | Julie Dimas | 4th Grade | 113 | jdimas |
| 249 | Penny Hawkins | 4th Grade | 129 | phawkins |
| 232 | Joan Davis | 5th Grade | 134 | jdavis |
| 239 | Nicole Thomas | 5th Grade | 130 | nthomas |
| 247 | Amanda Zimmerman | 6th Grade | 132 | azimmerman |
| 234 | Rosa Brown | 6th Grade | 116 | rbrown |
| Ext | Name | Specialty | Room | Send Email to User name @hillcrestcs.org |
| 251 | Tim Dominguez | P.E. & Health | 115 | tdominguez |
| 225 | Heather Neuman | P.E. & Health | P-3 | hneuman |
| 211 | Donna Essick | Music | 101 | dessick |
| 250 | Debra Freeman | Art | 120 | dfreeman |
| 259 | James Kosako | Comp. Lab | 127 | jkosako |
| 250 | Joni Metcalfe | Daycare Coordinator | 03 | jmetcalfe |
| 309 | Anne Barbour | Chapel/Worship Band | P-1 | abarbour |
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