St. Paul on the Lake Catholic School
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
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Fifth Grade
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Meet the Teachers
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meliasstpaulonthelake.orgFifth Grade
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So many opportunities open up to St. Paul Fifth Graders -- all full slate of CYO sports, forensics, and band. 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.
Study Skills
- St. Paul School students learn the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum. The system includes standardized binders, planners, and folders. It teaches students to set goals, establish priorities, manage time, and organize their work.
Specials and Extracurricular Activities
- Fifth Graders attend weekly specials classes in art, library, music, Spanish, gym, and technology.
- St. Paul offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities for Fifth Graders, including forensics, chess, scouts, musical theatre, band, altar service, and a full range of CYO sports (soccer, volleyball, cheerleading, cross country, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and track).
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Next Steps:
Please contact St. Paul Principal Tina Forsythe if you have any questions.
Schedule a tour and a shadow day for your child.