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Athletics & Activities

Fifth Grade

Language Arts

Language Arts is composed of several interrelated areas: reading, writing, and spelling. At the elementary level, students are encouraged to learn to communicate clearly through development in these three areas:

Reading

SRA/Open Court Reading, a phonics-based program developing reading fluency while leading to greater comprehension and enjoyment of reading.

Use prefixes, suffixes, root words, synonyms, and antonyms to understand word meanings
Use context clues to determine meaning in text
Use etymologies to construct meaning of new words
Identify and interpret idioms, similes, analogies, and metaphors
Use skimming to preview text, and develop questions, predictions, and hypothesis based on evidence in text
Identify author’s main ideas and purposes
Make text-to-text connections through analysis, evaluation, inference, and comparison
Summarize ideas to make accurate inferences
Identify and describe various genres
Select and read books for recreation from various genre and authors
Ask and respond to open-ended questions
Recognize, identify, and compare theme, plot, characters, and setting
Transfer new vocabulary for literature into other context
Compare ways in which different kinds of literature are organized
Relate what they have read to prior knowledge, experience, and real world information
Discuss recurring themes and current events in media

Writing

The Shurley Method of Grammar uses rhythm and a set of specific questions to classify sentences orally, identifying each sentence part as well as the overall sentence structure. Students learn how to expand, improve, and edit their writing.

Develop multi-paragraph compositions that include an introduction, support, and conclusion
Use a variety of sentence structures and types
Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas
Establish and maintain focus, organization, elaboration, support, and integration within paragraphs, demonstrating coherence
Compose informational (expository), narrative, persuasive, and descriptive modes of writing that support a topic or thesis statement
Design a research paper, using research skills such as developing a question, evaluating data, searching (using a variety of sources), and creating a final product
Use appropriate language, details, format, and word choice for specific audience
Proofread, edit, and revise for content and conventions
Use available technology to design, produce, and present compositions and multimedia works

Spelling

Spelling Connections: Zaner-Bloser

Proofread one’s own work and the work of others; revise accordingly
Correctly spell appropriate high frequency words
Use phonemic clues, phonetic and/or developmental spelling to spell unfamiliar words

Religion

Silver Burdett Ginn: Blest Are We
The core curriculum focuses on the sacraments, reflecting on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The10 week long D.A.R.E. program, helps students build self-esteem, promotes wise decision making. The Family Life curriculum broadens students’ awareness of God’s gift of life, whole respecting others as well as ourselves.

Mathematics

Houghton Mifflin Math explores more of the spectrum of mathematical ideas through a deeper understanding of key mathematical concepts and an in-depth study of all the content strands of mathematics.
The curriculum allows students to construct an understanding of mathematics from their own experience and includes practical routines to build arithmetic skills that are essential for building number sense, estimation skills, and flexibility in a problem-rich environment. Important concepts or skills recur with variations throughout the curriculum, and concepts are introduced and revisited in a variety of formats providing considerable practice.
Content strands include:

Place value of whole numbers and decimals
Multiplication, division, and algebra
Measurement/Data and graphing
Addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals
Multiplication and division of fractions and decimals
Geometry and measurement
Ratio, proportion, percent, and probability
Algebra, integers and coordinate graphing

Social Studies

Harcourt Brace/United States
The purpose of Social Studies is to develop an awareness of the world around us.
Fifth Grade units include:

Landscapes, resources, and people
Trade routes
Early settlers
American Revolution
Representative government
Inventions
Civil War

Science

Harcourt Brace, Science
The purpose of science is to provide students with balanced, relevant, hands-on opportunities and experiences to better understand science and promote scientific literacy. (Life, Earth, and Physical)
Fifth Grade topics include:

Life – Small Life
Earth – Weather, Oceans, Rocks and Minerals
Physical – Energy, Motion, Electricity and Magnetism
Planetarium – Stars and Constellations

Enrichments

• Physical Education
Students learn, develop, and apply skills needed for participation in personal fitness and lifetime activities that contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

• Visual Arts
Students grow creatively, intellectually, and aesthetically through the application of media
techniques and processes as well as knowledge of art
elements and principles of design.

• Music
Students develop an understanding of the relationship of music to other disciplines and cultures through experiencing variations in rhythms, music styles, melodies, and performances.

• Library
Library lessons for PreK and Kindergarten often complement the topics and themes being taught in their classroom. These students practice listening skills and story comprehension while learning about a variety of literature.

General Information

Technology
The goal of technology education is to provide students with the opportunity for technological literacy starting with the elementary curriculum.
Our emphasis with students is the application of technology across all grade levels and curricular areas as well as the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Reporting to Parents
Classroom progress is reported through quarterly report cards and mid-quarter progress reports. Communications, such as “Week In A Peek” are also utilized.

Testing
Our achievement-testing program assesses the strengths/needs of our instructional programs and measures the achievement of individual students. Tests utilized annually by all schools of the Diocese of Lake Charles include Stanford Achievement Test for grades K - 8, Explore/ACT Test for 8th graders only. Otis Lennon School Ability Test is administered in odd numbered years.

Homework
Homework at the elementary level begins in an informal fashion but becomes more formal and requires more time and effort as the child progresses through each grade.
Parents are expected to be sufficiently interested in their child’s education to commit the time and energy needed to monitor/supervise the child’s home study and thereby insure that he/she makes a reasonable effort to complete homework assignments.

Promotion
Students must meet the following criteria:
~ Demonstrate competency in all areas of the
Stanford Achievement Test (SAT)
~ Attend the required number of instructional days
~ Attain adequate skills needed as determined by the
teacher and administration