Penguin visit brings Arctic chill to Hilltop School

Sparta - Pre-kindergarten students at Hilltop Country Day School experienced an especially chilly day recently in their celebration of Antarctica Day. “Piper the Penguin,” a stuffed animal, arrived at the school “packed in ice” several weeks ago to begin the study of penguins and their habitat in Antarctica. Each child had the opportunity to take Piper home for the evening and bring him back to school the next day, when they shared their overnight experiences with the rest of the class. As part of the unit the students made penguin eggs and costumes, including beaks and wings, shadow boxes depicting their environment and had special snacks including goldfish crackers, blue jello and penguin-shaped cupcakes. The hands-on activities are made possible through the support of parent volunteers, who assist the classroom teachers with the creative projects that are part of the curriculum at the school.