Curriculum Overview

5th Grade Curriculum Overview

Ms. Eager: Physical Education

Mrs. Santos: Art 

Senora Anna: Español 

Ms. Varon: Orchestra

Mrs. Creech: Band

Dr. Mabalot: Choir

Welcome to Fifth Grade! 

Fifth grade is such a pivotal year, the last year of elementary school before students enter middle school.  I will do my best to prepare your children by teaching them critical thinking skills (What is this problem and how do I solve it?), executive functioning skills (I have an essay due in three weeks; how should I plan this?), and life skills (My friends say this, but what is best for me?).  It is my hope and prayer that we will work together to make this a wonderful academic year in Christ.   

Communication    

I am looking forward to working with you and your child.  If you have anything that you would like to share with me about your child, concerns regarding classroom lessons, homework, or other issues, please contact me via email, phone, or we can hold a conference. 

Classroom Management    

  • Students are expected to follow the classroom rules.  When a rule is broken, I will give a verbal warning.  And if the behavior continues, I will send a progress report home along with a phone call to discuss details.   We can hold a follow-up conference to remedy the issue if necessary.   
  • In serious cases of bullying or violence, I will skip the verbal warnings and send students to the principal’s office with a behavior report.   
  • Bullying is NOT tolerated.  Stopbullying.gov defines bullying as:  

unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated over time. 

Technology  

  • Students and parents will be expected to read the technology agreement in the school handbook. 
  • Internet safety and etiquette will be taught by Mr. Anderson to all students in 5-8th grades. 
  • 5th graders will NOT be allowed to play video games in class (even during rainy day recess). 
  • We use Office 365.  All students will have an email account and an IXL account.   
  • Students should practice tech typing skills if they are not familiar with them.  I found www.typing.com/student/lessons to be helpful. 
  • All final writing drafts should be done using Word. 
  • Students will be taught the Current Reliable Authority Purpose (C.R.A.P.) Test to choose websites wisely.  However, when doing research reports, students will NOT be allowed to simply “surf the web” without permission and supervision.   
  • Students who are caught surfing the web, playing video  games, or sending messages/gifs/emails that are not school related will have their one-to-one device turned off, put away for the remainder of the day, and a progress report sent home.   Computers at school are for educational purposes only.

Homework Policy    

  • Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday.  Parents should typically expect homework in math, writing, and reading.  Occasionally, homework will be assigned in religion, English Language Arts, science and social studies.  As noted in the handbook, your child should spend 30-60 minutes per night on homework.  Homework should always be review/practice and never materials that students have not covered in class.  If your child cannot finish the homework within 30-60 minutes, please have him or her STOP!  Then please put your signature on the homework with a brief note indicating the reason for stopping- that it was too much work, he or she ran out of time, there was too much frustration, etc.  Homework that has been modified by parents WITH a parent signature, is perfectly acceptable.  Also note that if a child asks for help and a parent teaches a child how to do it differently than “how the teacher teaches it,” that is perfectly acceptable as well.

 

Missing Homework 

  • If a student is absent from school, he or she will have extra time to complete assignments and the grade will not be affected.   
  • Late homework or missing assignments should be turned in the next day.  Work that students do not turn in will be graded as a 1. 
  • Students can be given extra time to finish homework or projects if they have a written excuse from parents. 
  • I will email parents and students when work is missing.

 

Grading Policy 

  • Students will be assessed using tests and individual/group work observations based on rubrics, and teacher’s notes.  They will be graded on participationgroup work, homework, projects, tests, quizzes, note taking, and classwork.  Not all work is graded because some work is done for the purpose of practice/review.  Grades will be given as follows: 4: exceeds standards, 3: meeting standards, 2.5: beginning to meet expectations, 2: working towards standards, 1: below standards.   

MAP Assessment 

The Northwest Education Association’s (NWEA) computerized MAP test provides teachers, students, and parents with an assessment of the student’s ability,  measuring what a child knows and needs to learn.  When administered at regular intervals over time, it is possible to find out whether an individual student is making satisfactory progress in basic skills areas.  We will use the assessment information for instructional planning for individual students or the entire class.  The MAP test will be administered three times year.   

Curriculum 

Religion:  

Texts: “Word of Life” by Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press

Christian values are integrated throughout the day with morning prayers, scripture readings, meal blessings, weekly mass, daily religion lessons, and an afternoon closing prayer.   

The Archdiocese of Seattle has an outline of each grade level expectation: http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/CFF/RE and 

http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Assets/CFF/5254_Grade5Nov2015.pdf 

Over the course of the year, fifth grade students are expected to memorize and be tested on the following prayers:  

Prayers for the Faithful Departed:  

Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord.

R. And let perpetual light shine upon him/her.

V. May he/she rest in peace.

R. Amen.

V. May his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

 

The Joyful Mysteries 

The Annunciation

The Visitation 

The Nativity

The Presentation in the Temple

The Finding of the Child Jesus After Three Days in the Temple

 

Act of Faith    

O my God, I firmly believe that you are the one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins and that He will come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches because you have revealed them who are eternal truth and wisdom, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.  In this faith, I intend to live and die.  Amen. 

 

Jesus Prayer   

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.   

 

 Second Step: Social Emotional Learning

Social Studies:  

Text:

OSPI’s Since Time Immemorial Lessons and Project-Based Learning based on OSPI social studies standards.

Spelling:    

Text: “Spelling Connections” by Zaner-Bloser  

At the beginning of each new week, students will receive a new spelling list with a test on the spelling words at the end of the week.  There will be spelling assignments from the book as well as supplementary bonus words taken from other curriculum areas, particularly from their religion text.  

English-Language Arts:       

  • Proper grammar 
  • Proper verb tenses 
  • Standard capitalization and punctuation 
  • Understanding of figurative language 

 

Writing: 

Writing Skills:  

Six + One Trait Writing: ideas and content, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions (mechanics) 

Writing Program: 

  • Descriptive Paragraph 
  • Character Sketch 
  • Literature Responses 
  • Compare and Contrast 
  • Friendly Letter 
  • Business Letter 
  • Poetry  
  • Research Paper 
  • Summary 

 

Literacy 

  • Students will be divided into small groups and given books to read nightly (except for Fridays).
  • All the assigned literacy books are fiction, but some of them have controversial or sensitive subjects.  Among the Hidden, Old Yeller, and The Great Gilly Hopkins are some of the books that deal with death or other types of tragedies.  If you would like to discuss any of the topics, please email me.   I will email parents before certain books are assigned in order to give students choices (and ask for parent approval).
  • Literacy grades are based on participation during classroom discussions, grades earned on literacy papers, and final projects.   
  • Students will discuss the setting, answer inferential and literal questions, discuss the point of view of characters, discuss the story structureetc.  

 

Mathematics:       

Text: “Go Math!” by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

The following will be covered this year:  

  • Place Value, Multiplication, Expressions 
  • Dividing Whole Numbers 
  • Adding and Subtracting Decimals 
  • Multiplying Decimals 
  • Dividing Decimals 
  • Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators 
  • Multiplying Fractions 
  • Dividing Fractions 
  • Patterns and Graphing 
  • Converting Units of Measure 
  • Geometry and Volume 
  • Problem solving 

   

Memorization of multiplication tables is a must in fifth grade and beyond.   

 

Please remember that if you have any questions or concerns, email me immediately and I will respond the same day or the next day.  We can talk over the phone or schedule a conference. Thank you for choosing Assumption Catholic School.  I hope that your child will have a wonderful year in fifth grade! 

 

OrchestraLiza Varonlizavaron@assumption.school
SpanishAnna Wittmerhausawittmershaus@assumption.school
ArtCarolina Santoscsantos@school.assumption.school
 

Physical Education

Band

Choir

 

Kristi Eager

Caitlin Creech

Dr. Frederick Mabalot

 

keager@assumption.school

ccreech@assumption.school

drmabalot@assumption.org