Elementary AcademicsOur elementary school is characterized by devoted Christian teachers with bachelor's and/or master's degrees and experience teaching and molding young students. The teachers love Jesus, their students, and their careers that focus on teaching a Christian curriculum. The results are classes that score well ahead of the national average on their standardized test results and a well-rounded education. Students are taught Music, PE, Spanish, and Computers by specialized teachers and art and library by the classroom teacher. Smaller class sizes allow for individualized attention. Some classes have wait lists, but at other times spaces are available throughout the year.
“They have the best most caring teachers! We feel like family here! The Bible based curriculum is excellent! We hope our son can attend here all the way through high school!” 
Elementary ProgramStandardized Testing Scores
Below are our K-6th grade scores listed as Grade Equivalents and National Percentile Rankings. Grade Equivalents means the average score the examiners would expect from a student at that particular grade level. For example, an “average” third-grade student taking the exam in April, which is the 9th month of the school year, should score a 3.9. For example, our third graders received a score of 5.0, which means they tested at a fifth-grade level. A National Percentile Ranking of 77 indicates our third graders scored higher than 76 out of 100 classes taking the Iowa test. We are pleased to report that our students and teachers are well above average. 
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a very important and exciting time in your child’s formal education. HCS offers a creative approach to an exceptional Kindergarten program. Our program instills the love of learning and rigorous academics and our students have proven to be above national norms.
While our emphasis at HCS will always be on spiritual development and academic excellence, our Kindergarten teachers also work tirelessly on developing your child’s social and emotional intelligence with a focus on conflict resolution and independence. Some of the activities throughout the year include: Grandparents’ Day, Christmas Program, Dr. Seuss Day, 100 Days of School Celebration, International Day, and Graduation Ceremony.
First Grade
Hillcrest Christian School is the ideal environment for your child to achieve and exceed the numerous milestones that come with first grade. Our school is renowned for its exceptional academic standards, ensuring that your child's educational needs are met and surpassed. Our primary focus is on providing a comprehensive whole Language Arts program that establishes a strong foundation. Additionally, we are dedicated to ensuring solid groundwork in Mathematics and Science by incorporating hands-on learning activities and assessments.
Most importantly, first grade is presented through a Christian worldview so that your child may begin to develop an understanding of the God of the Bible and learn that His desire is to have a meaningful, loving relationship with them through Jesus Christ. As we study the Bible, we will be learning about God’s character and what it means to walk with Him and live in fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit. Activities throughout the year include: a visit from the K-9 Police, Grandparent’s Day, Dr. Seuss Week, International Day, and class parties celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, 100th day of School, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.
Second Grade
The Second Grade is an exciting time in your child’s learning experience. The learning environment becomes more rigorous than they initially encountered in first grade, and students are ready to take on the challenge of expanding their skills and knowledge. Children at this age continue to develop their literacy skills and are able to read more complex stories. Second graders practice expressing themselves in writing with greater proficiency and complete research projects. Students will learn more about the concepts behind certain math skills. They will work towards mastering their addition and subtraction facts and be introduced to multiplication. The second graders will use technology to review concepts, take assessments, and complete research projects that incorporate concepts covered in all academic areas. Inquiry-based activities and STEM projects enhance a student’s understanding of science. Most importantly, children begin to develop a greater understanding of the God of the Bible and learn that His desire is to have a meaningful, loving relationship with them through Jesus Christ. As they study the Bible, they learn what it means to walk with God and live in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Third Grade
Third grade is often considered a pivotal year in your child's educational journey. Instruction in phonics is phased out and an increased emphasis is placed on oral reading fluency, vocabulary acquisition, comprehension strategies, text analysis, language conventions, and writing, including cursive. Hillcrest Christian third grade students will learn to use context as an independent vocabulary strategy. They are learning to refer to information in the text when asking and answering questions about texts they have read. They will also apply analysis strategies to determine the theme or central message of text.
In mathematics, students will deepen their understanding of place value and their knowledge of and skill with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers. Students will also develop an understanding of fractions as numbers, concepts of area and perimeter of plane figures, and attributes of various shapes. In Social Studies, they will be studying various world regions, analyzing different cultures, languages, religions, government styles, and comparing/contrasting them to students’ lives in the United States of America. Students will study their own heritage/history to discover which regions their family came from and how their family has been affected since then. They will also be learning about our local region as they visit the Leonis Adobe Museum in Calabasas. For Science, this year is filled with the exploration of God’s creation through the study of the life cycle and variety of plants, motion, force, and simple machines, and an overview of the earth and weather systems. Students will conduct an experiment on a topic of their choice related to the list above and present their findings to the class and complete and present a project about weather systems. Most importantly, third grade will also be the year for students to develop a strong Biblical worldview. We will begin to explore what God and the Bible have to say about every aspect of our lives in a personal and meaningful way. We will do this through Bible stories, lessons, devotions, Bible studies, and daily Bible reading, prayer, and discussion to foster discipleship amongst students and families.
Fourth Grade
The fourth grade is an exciting year as students officially move into “upper elementary.” During this
year, students learn how to become organized and independent workers. They get the opportunity to be entrusted with more freedom and responsibility as they learn independent study skills and how to record their own work in daily planners. In fourth grade, we will focus on mastering the skills from previous years followed by beginning more complex academic content like basic algebra, five paragraph writing, fractions, and in-depth literature analysis. Another major focus in fourth grade is learning California history which will include a trip to the Santa Barbara Mission. Lastly, and most importantly, fourth grade is a great year for students to begin developing a strong Biblical worldview. At this age we can begin to explore what God and the Bible have to say about every aspect of our lives in a deeper way and will do a focused study on servanthood and what it means to be a servant in every area of our life.
Fifth Grade
Fifth grade is a transitional year for our students as they apply executive function skills to their
learning experience. During this year, students will utilize information learned in their lives using higher level thinking processes. Our fifth grade program is designed to allow students to apply the Biblical principles they have learned to their lives on a daily basis across all subject matter. During the fifth grade year students are gaining awareness of what their identity is in Christ. Students strive for academic excellence in all subjects in addition to expanding their spiritual development. Project-based learning is an integral part of the fifth grade curriculum. Fifth grade field trips include an all day boat excursion to Santa Cruz island, a visit to the Reagan Library, and a Scientific Presentation from Sub Zero. Students culminate the year with an overnight field trip to Riley’s Farm for an American Revolutionary War experience. These trips integrate the Social Studies and Science curriculum covered throughout the year. These opportunities are a wonderful transition as the fifth grade prepares students for more independence in their academic and spiritual growth.
Sixth Grade
Sixth grade is an important time of change and transition in the life of a child. During this time children
begin the slow process of understanding what it means to be an adult. Our sixth grade program is designed to help our students understand the growth process and look to God for His plan and purpose in their lives. It is during this year that many students transition from the faith of their parents to making Christianity their own. During the sixth grade year, we will focus on academic excellence in all subjects as well as age-appropriate spiritual development. Our students will attend a one-week science and spiritual-focused camp at Hume Lake Christian Camps in the Sequoia National Forest. For many of our students, this trip is the highlight of elementary school. We also get the incredible opportunity of giving back to our school community and local community by participating in service projects throughout the year to help encourage a servant's heart in our students.
Elementary ElectivesStudents take all these courses each year kindergarten through sixth grade with specialized teachers.
Physical Education
Physical Education is such an important part of a child’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development In the physical education classes at Hillcrest Christian, students will learn through sports, competition, cooperative games, physical fitness, creativity, and dance they are engaging in to improve their growth and total body development. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Physical Education helps our students to learn perseverance and endurance in our daily life challenges. Activities such as the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge. teamwork and cooperation help meet those needs. The goal is not to find the best athlete, but instead for each individual student to learn how to take care of themselves physically, develop skills, and improve their fitness throughout the course of the year. This course promises to be fun and informative for each student! Computer
Students in 3rd grade through 6th grade will go to computer class once a week. Students will use a keyboarding program during each class to help them gain accuracy and speed. To help ensure the students' success in and out of school, they will develop their application skills by using Google (Docs, Sheets, and Slides). Students will also build their own websites using Google Sites and will show their skills by adding their projects to this website. Knowing how computers work, the internal components, their history as well as the evolution of the computer system will round out their skills and core knowledge in computer science. Spanish
Getting kids started with a second language at a young age is critical in the formation of deep rooted language skills that will carry on throughout their lives! Learning about different cultures and languages enables our students to appreciate and better understand the world around them. Spanish is a fun, dynamic, and interactive class that uses games, songs, videos, and other fun activities to keep students engaged while they are learning a new language. Some exciting highlights that our elementary Spanish students enjoy are: *Guest Musicians in 2nd-6th Grades *Learning about Latin Artists *Special Guest Readers- Kinder and 1st Grade Music
Kindergarten through 6th grade have music class once a week. During class, students study music theory, practice reading notes, vocal training and learn how to lead worship. In the second semester of the school year, students begin to learn how to play on the ukulele, guitar, and keyboard. Each grade leads worship at our weekly chapels on a scheduled rotation. Annual performances include First Responder Chapel, Grandparent’s Day, Veteran’s Day, and Christmas Program. |
FEATURING
- Above National Norms
- High Academic Standards - Very Safe & Secure - Bible Buddies Program - Academic Competitions - Fun & Educational Field Trips - Christian Character Development - Weekly Chapels and Guest Speakers - Sensitive to student's needs and their abilities - Well qualified teachers who are dedicated Christians - Community Service: Opportunities provided for students to think globally and serve those in need ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
- Art - Computer - Spanish - Library - Speech Meet - Robotics - Chromebooks - Music - Competitive Sports - Physical Education - Science Fair - Spelling Bee |
