Fifth Grade
The fifth-grade teachers at St. Louise School use a variety of instructional strategies and methods to positively affect student learning. By becoming familiar with each student’s specific and unique learning style, personality, strengths, and challenges, teachers are able to best meet their unique learning needs.
The aim is to teach to state standards while differentiating lessons to ensure that each student meets or exceeds standards. Opportunities are created for students to grow and learn both individually and cooperatively, in the class and in the community.
Fifth grade is an important year academically, socially, and developmentally. At St. Louise School, we have spent years refining a well-balanced program that enables students to grow academically while having ample learning opportunities.
Curriculum
Religion
Text: Sadlier, We Believe: Catholic Identity Parish Edition
Focus: Basic Catholic beliefs, sacraments, liturgical year, scripture, prayer.
Text: Benziger, Family Life
Focus: God’s gifts of family, self, life, love, and community.
Reading/Language Arts
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys.
Novels: Hatchet; Ella Enchanted; Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes; Hound Dog True presented in a literature circle format.
Focus: Comprehension strategies, fluency building, word analysis, vocabulary development, grammar usage and mechanics, integration of literature and writing, use of the 6+1 traits and five-step writing process, recreational reading.
Math
Text: Sadlier, We Believe: Catholic Identity Parish Edition
Focus: Basic Catholic beliefs, sacraments, liturgical year, scripture, prayer.
Text: Benziger, Family Life
Focus: God’s gifts of family, self, life, love, and community.
Reading/Language Arts
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys.
Novels: Hatchet; Ella Enchanted; Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes; Hound Dog True presented in a literature circle format.
Focus: Comprehension strategies, fluency building, word analysis, vocabulary development, grammar usage and mechanics, integration of literature and writing, use of the 6+1 traits and five-step writing process, recreational reading.
Math
Text: Big Ideas 2022 Edition
Focus: Review and reinforce multiplication, division, addition and subtraction of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, geometry, metric and customary measurement, problem solving, logical thinking skills, number sense.
Science
Text: Scott Foresman, Science. Delta Education, Foss Kit: Diversity of Life and Mixtures and Solutions.
Focus: Life science, earth science, physical science, taught through an inquiry approach.
Spelling
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys
Focus: Correct spelling in writing, frequently written words, spelling patterns and structural analysis.
Social Studies
Text: McGraw Hill, Sudden Impact Social Studies
Focus: U. S. history, geography, and politics from early civilizations of the western hemisphere through the ratification of the US Constitution.
StoryPath, Struggle for Independence in Colonial Boston
Additional Subjects
Physical Education, Computers, Library, Art, and Music.
Focus: Review and reinforce multiplication, division, addition and subtraction of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, geometry, metric and customary measurement, problem solving, logical thinking skills, number sense.
Science
Text: Scott Foresman, Science. Delta Education, Foss Kit: Diversity of Life and Mixtures and Solutions.
Focus: Life science, earth science, physical science, taught through an inquiry approach.
Spelling
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys
Focus: Correct spelling in writing, frequently written words, spelling patterns and structural analysis.
Social Studies
Text: McGraw Hill, Sudden Impact Social Studies
Focus: U. S. history, geography, and politics from early civilizations of the western hemisphere through the ratification of the US Constitution.
StoryPath, Struggle for Independence in Colonial Boston
Additional Subjects
Physical Education, Computers, Library, Art, and Music.
Service Projects
The fifth-grade classrooms sponsor two godchildren from Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), an organization which serves orphaned children in several countries. Each month students donate funds for the children’s sponsorship. They also will make cards for their “God Brother” and “God Sister” and keep them in their daily prayers. Once a year, a speaker comes to introduce students to the orphanage and show them what daily life is like for their pequeños (little ones).
In addition to their grade level service projects, the 3rd grade classes work together with the entire school on school-wide annual service projects.
- Our November Thanksgiving Food Drive teaches the importance of stewardship and giving to others. The entire student body creates about two dozen “baskets” that include non-perishable food items and gift cards to create a great Thanksgiving meal and help stock the family pantry. Together with the help of the Parish and St. Vincent de Paul, the baskets are distributed to families in need right here in the St. Louise Community.
- Throughout the year, students support New Bethlehem Programs – a part of Catholic Community Services. New Bethlehem Programs offer day center and shelter services for families that are experiencing homelessness. During Advent students and families support the program by collecting much needed supplies for them.
- During Lent, students learn the importance of fasting and almsgiving. This 40-day season of giving begins on Ash Wednesday with a school-wide “Rice and Beans Lunch,” when all the students and staff give up their usual lunch for rice and beans. The money they would have spent on an ample meal is donated to New Bethlehem Programs.
Field Trips/Special Projects
Every year the fifth-grade classes go to the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center for the Wetland Ecologist Program which enriches the fifth-grade science curriculum. This experience is made possible each year through a grant from the Parents’ Club.
The fifth graders attend various musicals and plays at the Village Theatre Pied Piper.
All fifth graders participate in safety patrol. The students get into teams and rotate each week for the important job of ensuring safety during school carpool.
All fifth graders participate in safety patrol. The students get into teams and rotate each week for the important job of ensuring safety during school carpool.
The fifth graders take part in a long-term project, “History- Makers Halls of Fame.” Each student researches a person of significance to America in science or politics. They write in-depth reports in the form of a scrapbook. Their work culminates in a showcase where each student dresses and acts in character as his/her historical figure, present to parents, teachers, and fellow students.
Students experience the Living Voices presentation “Our Revolution”. Living Voices combines dynamic solo professional performances with archival film and sound, turning history into a moving and personal journey. “Our Revolution” tells the story of a free young black boy who joins the Continental Army in hopes of freedom for all, a perfect tie-in with the fifth graders interactive unit study of The Struggle for Independence in Colonial Boston. This experience is made possible each year through a grant from the Parents’ Club.
