Our foremost goal in fifth grade is preparing students for a successful middle school experience. While our program is very rigorous, the students have many opportunities for interactive learning as well. In social studies, for instance, the children learn to sing and sign the Preamble to the U.S Constitution and participate in a simulation to Ellis Island.

We also go on a variety to field trips throughout the year. We have an Ecocycle-sponsored hike to Chautauqua Park, attend the C.U Water Festival, the multicultural Festival of Cultures, and last, but not least, our three-day and two-night outdoor education field trip to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estas Park. On that trip, with the help of our awesome parent volunteers and the YMCA staff, we have classes on water ecology, orienteering, and applying teamwork to low ropes courses. There's also time for a night hike, putt-putt golf, swimming, and roller-skating. It's a wonderful culminating event for the elementary years.

In the fifth grade math classroom we study decimals, place value, division, fractions, and percents, along with measurement, geometry, problem solving, and statistics. As part of a K-8, accelerated fifth grade math students have the opportunity to take middle level math courses in sixth, seventh, and, occasionally, eighth grade at the same time as our fifth grade math classes.
During language arts we learn about six traits of good writing as we prepare multimedia PowerPoint presentations to supplement our state capital research papers and write persuasive essays, memories, news stories, and poetry.

Our reading frequently reinforces the social studies theme. For instance, we read a biography of Harriet Tubman and historical fiction about the Civil War. We read whole class novels and also have book clubs throughout the year.

Another way we prepare our students for middle school is we have one fifth grade teacher teach all of the social studies classes, and one fifth grade teacher teach all of the science classes. In social studies, with Mrs. Steward-Johnson, we study American History covering the Constitution, slavery, the Civil War, immigration, and the Industrial Revolution. In science and health, with Mrs. Cuttitta, the children learn about environments, variables, mixtures and solutions, and landforms. Health topics include cells, human growth development, the central nervous system, and the respiratory system.

In addition to the core subjects, children attend classes in vocal music, P.E and art. The fifth graders also get a chance to take instrumental music twice a week during the day for free!

At the end of the year, during fifth grade graduation, we enjoy a huge potluck lunch with our families, songs sung sweetly by the students, awards for every fifth grader and a slide show with photos taken throughout the year. It's a wonderful way to celebrate our accomplishments and activities throughout the year and send the students off to sixth grade.