The St. Paul School curriculum gives students a solid foundation of skills to help them master each subject. Students are encouraged to be independent and take responsibility for their learning.

Religion

• The focus this year is on the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
• Special emphasis is placed on the lives of many saints and holy people.
• Students respond to God’s call and grace in their daily lives through prayer, Catholic devotions, and Bible reflections on their growing faith experiences.

Language Arts

• Good literature, silent reading, and group discussion are used to extend students’ love of reading.
• Course work includes grammar, vocabulary, mechanics, and word structure in both reading and writing.
• Students learn study skills and strategies to organize their work.
• Public speaking is emphasized as students gain maturity and confidence.
• Students learn to make connections from their own experiences, to analyze information in problem solving, and to express themselves through their choices of reading, writing, and speaking.

Math

• Students learn the concept of a variable as an unknown, using a letter or symbol.
• They work with decimals, including addition/subtraction with different decimal places, and multiplication/division of whole numbers by a decimal.
• Students add/subtract/multiply/divide fractions, and compare equivalent fractions.
• They learn the expanded form of numbers less than 1,000,000, standard form, & exponential notation.
• Students use coordinate systems to name locations and explain paths.
• They develop proficiency with multiplication/division, and apply these to story problems.

Science

• Students design scientific investigations, with consideration of fair tests, variables, and multiple trials.
• They study motion as related to a point of reference, distance, time, and direction and they perform in-depth explorations into friction.
• Students learn the functions of specialized animal systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, nervous, excretory, and reproductive). They distinguish between acquired and inherited traits.
• They learn the difference between vascular/nonvascular plants, and the importance of photosynthesis.
• Students explain seasons by the tilt of the earth on its axis and revolution around the sun.
• They explain eclipses based on the relative positions of the sun, moon, and earth.
• They study the universe and describe the position, motion, and relationship of the planets to the sun.

Social Studies

• Fifth Graders learn early United States history including the prehistoric land formations, the migration of the ancient Americans, and the resources needed to establish early communities.
• Students study the settlement of New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies and Southern colonies.
• They study the causes of the American Revolution, the birth of a new nation, the growing country, its ensuing problems/successes, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.
• Emphasis is placed on the use of timelines, charts, graphs, diagrams, and how fine art represents historical accuracy before cameras.
• They learn that core democratic values reflect the Christian values on which our country was founded.

Specials and Extracurricular Activities

• Fifth Graders attend weekly specials classes including art, library, music, Spanish, gym, and computers.
• St. Paul offers a wide variety of after school activities for Fifth Graders, including forensics, chess, scouts, choir, art, band, altar service, and a full range of CYO sports (soccer, volleyball, cheerleading, cross country, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and track).