Religion

Fifth-grade religion focuses on the Catholic faith including traditional prayers and the lives of the saints.  A strong emphasis is placed on the Sacraments and how we live them in our lives.  Students focus on the Creed and how they show their faith.  Friendship and teambuilding skills occur throughout the year with the Steps to Respect program and a variety of class activities.  Through their religion classes, prayer and their experiences in this strong faith community, students have the opportunity to develop a relationship with God.

Literacy

Students go from learning to read to reading to learn. Students use a variety of nonfiction materials to gain knowledge for a specific purpose.  Students work on increasing their word fluency and comprehension all year long.  Students participate in literature discussions and gain insight into classmates’ points of view.  Students read several class novels and participate in weekly spelling assessments.  The culminating project is the National Park Report where students learn how to research, write and edit a report.

Math

Fifth-grade has an excellent math program that focuses on problem solving, mastery of operations and critical thinking skills.  Fifth-grade math places a strong emphasis on adding and subtracting decimals and fractions, concepts of volume and surface area, multi-digit division, and algebraic concepts.

Science

The fifth-grade science program is an inquiry-based approach that introduces the children to the steps of the scientific method: observation, hypothesis-formation, prediction, data gathering, and experimentation.  FOSS science kits are used to teach these science skills.   Many of the classroom themes integrate science topics as well.  Fifth grade places a strong emphasis on the environment and respect for the earth is woven throughout all curriculum.  Many outdoor field trips reinforce these concepts including the week long experience at Islandwood.

Social Studies

Fifth-grade social studies focus on American history.  This begins with Native American culture study and evolves into the exploration and settlement of the United States .  Historical fiction novels are read throughout the year to enrich the history curriculum.  The park report allows students to research a specific natural and historical area of the United States .

Drama

Drama uses a variety of artistic skills in the creative process including:  mime, improvisation, voice, movement, character development, directing and performance. These skills are learned and developed in a variety of ways including drama games, activities and various performances. Drama is also integrated into other areas of the fifth grade classroom learning through our study of Native American celebrations.

Music

In fifth-grade music all of the elements of music (rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, timbre and form) are explored in more complex ways than in grades K-4.  There is an emphasis on singing (and playing) in harmony and on improving music reading skills.

Physical Education

In fifth grade, physical education instruction focuses on solidifying basic loco-motor movements, hand/foot/ eye coordination, and providing an introduction to basic team sports.  Students have PE twice a week and are evaluated based on their attitude, effort, and sportsmanship during class.