The Hilldale Motto, “Rising to the Challenge,“ represents the school’s philosophy. As in the movie, Mr. Holland’s Opus, we believe that each student must view education as a compass which equips him or her with positive directions for life. While it is available to all, each student is free to choose whether or not to follow these directions and what kind of effort he or she wishes to put into the project of becoming educated.

We believe that, for the majority of students, there is no reason in the world why they must learn at the slow pace normally found in public schools, no reason why ethnic minorities should not be able to accomplish what others do, and no reason why any average to above average student should exit from school after twelve years, only to find that they need remedial training in order to succeed in college or on the job. We believe that there is no reason that nineteenth century farmers, educated at home or in one room schoolhouses, would frequently read literature considered far too challenging by today’s standards. (Fifth graders, for example, were challenged by the popular Appleton School Reader to read excerpts from the Bible, Thoreau, Emerson, Jefferson, Walter Scott, and Shakespeare.) We believe that there is no reason for college-bound students from other parts of the world to regularly be two years or more ahead of ours by the time they finish high school. We believe that there is no reason that only a third of California high school students should rank as “proficient” (i.e. barely adequate) in reading and that half should be below the U.S. average in reading, math, science, and social studies.

Most importantly, we believe that all children can succeed, no matter what their background, as long as they are taught a coherent sequence of specific knowledge and skills which build year by year, as long as they are supported by qualified teachers and caring parents, and as long as they put out their best efforts. Hilldale School aims to provide the best possible education for its students and to encourage high expectations among teachers and parents. Academic achievement is valued and recognized, and academic excellence is our common goal. As long as students “Rise to the Challenge,” they will be able to explore and maximize their academic abilities and interests and will lead the way toward better statistics.

Of course, in order to do this, both children and their parents must expect to be challenged by high expectations and more than the substandard norm of homework. Our curriculum guidelines specify the following:

Kindergarten:   

20-30 minutes hands-on homework plus 20 minutes of parent-directed or choice

reading + flashcards = 40 minutes

1st Grade:

30 minutes plus 30 minutes of choice reading and math flashcards = 60 minutes

2nd & 3rd Grades:

45 minutes plus 30 minutes of choice reading and math flashcards = 1 hr. 15 mins.

4th & 5th Grades:

60 minutes plus 30 minutes of choice reading and math flashcards = 1 hr. 30 mins.

6th - 8th Grades:

90-120 minutes plus 30 minutes of choice reading = up to 2 hrs. 30 mins.

It is our experience that a positive parent attitude toward these guidelines from the beginning quickly builds a positive student attitude toward successful accomplishment of the expectations throughout a student's school years.