Fifth Grade

5th grade

fifth grade teachers

Our responsibility is to create a safe environment in which we all feel comfortable communicating with and supporting each other. Our goal is to share ideas, encourage risk-taking, celebrate strengths, solve problems, and aid each other's professional growth and development while opening doors to new knowledge for ourselves and our students.

English Language Arts (ELA)

Reading in fifth grade is based on the content areas. Instead of “learning to read,” students are “reading to learn.” Guided reading in the classroom will reinforce these skills and strategies: increasing vocabulary, finding the main idea, cause and effect, fact and opinion, compare and contrast, and author’s purpose. Independent reading will focus on the child choosing books of interest. Reading daily at home at least 20-30 minutes is required by all fifth grade teachers. A reading log must be kept and a parent signature is necessary.

Many of the writing assignments in fifth grade will be integrated through our social studies and literary units. We will focus on ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions in our writing pieces. Please click the below link to view a parent video about what your child will be learning in ELA during the 4th quarter

Math

This year in fifth grade, students will explore the world of mathematics. They will encounter number sense concepts and operations which consist of whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percents. Next, students will use a variety of forms of measurement, such as, length, weight/mass, time, temperature, money, perimeter, area and volume/capacity. In the area of geometry, students will concentrate geometric characteristics, spatial relationships, coordinate systems and transformations. Students will also explore the area of algebraic thinking. They will be exposed to patterns, symbolic expressions, inequalities and problem solving. Students will concentrate on data analysis, range, mean, median, mode and probability. Finally, students are expected to know all of their basic multiplication facts by now. Quickness and accuracy is essential in order to go forward with the fifth grade skills mentioned above. Students who need extra support should be practicing daily at least 20- 30 minutes.

Science

This year in science your child will become a scientist! By taking part in a variety of experiments, fifth grade students will learn about scientific concepts ranging from the scientific method to ecosystems. Your fifth graders will be assessed on all science concepts and skills learned from kindergarten through fifth grade on the FSA in the spring. Please help your child prepare by reviewing concepts discussed in class.

Social Studies

In social studies, the fifth graders will be exploring the time period between 13,000 BC to the Civil War. Our social scientists will study the Beringia Land Bridge, World Explorers, the colonization of America, the Revolutionary War, the government and constitution and the Civil War. Students will incorporate these studies into science, reading comprehension and math. We encourage our families to read books together on these subjects and discuss with your students.

We value your input.  Please contact your child's teacher if you ever have any questions.

Sincerely,

5th Grade Teachers
Mrs. Briley
Ms. Cristofaro
Mrs. Pinkert
Mrs. Vrchota