Holy Spirit School Template

This is the age when academic strengths and weaknesses are fairly evident to students and teachers alike. Ten year olds have a wide range of abilities, but a desire and willingness to learn can make all the difference, especially in subject areas that may present more of a challenge.

Skills Acquired During 5th Grade
The sheer volume of new material introduced in the 5th grade can seem overwhelming, so the right outlook is patience, patience, patience. Please expect forty to sixty minutes of homework a night. This will include twenty minutes of reading to meet the New York state requirement of 25 independent books read during the school year.

Your child will be expected to accomplish the following over the course of the school year:

Pinpoint the five stages of plot in fiction: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution
Produce written or oral book reports, demonstrating knowledge of plot and character development
Explain the differences between genres — biographies, poetry, mysteries, plays, historical fiction — and read books in each category
Know how to use the library (card and computer catalogues, periodicals, the Dewey Decimal system)
Read more complex texts (textbooks and fiction) to build vocabulary and comprehension skills
Read at least 25 independent book

Generate flow between sentences and paragraphs, with a clear-cut introduction, body, and conclusion in both informative and creative writing assignments
Switch styles as appropriate for the audience or subject matter (for example, a casual voice when inventing character dialogue in creative writing; an objective tone for reports)
Participate in writing workshops in which students edit and critique each other's work
Use research and report-writing skills to complete assignments in other subjects such as science, social studies, math, art, and music

Compute with fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers
Understand place value to hundreds of billions
Interpret percents
Organize statistical information
Estimate probability (many teachers begin with a coin-flipping activity and increase difficulty with variables)
Learn the basic angles and formulas of geometry
Compare and use customary and metric measurements
Solve simple algebraic equations and expressions
Compute the volume and area of objects

Design basic experiments to test student’s hypothesis; after carrying out the experiment, record observations and draw concrete conclusions
Study life science (environments, kingdoms, adaptations, weather, water cycles, habitats, food chains, biomes)
Introduction to Earth science

Create timelines to understand the flow of historical events
Become proficient in map reading
Read historical fiction to enhance lessons about world history — for example, Lois Lowry's Number The Stars is often read while studying the Holocaust
Read accounts of individuals from past time periods in order to compare and contrast to the present
Study the formation of the United States, slavery and the Civil War, industrial revolution, immigration, and our Western Hemisphere neighbors

Religion is integrated into every part of our curriculum and taught as a subject everyday
Pray daily as part of our school and class community and participate in school liturgies and prayer service.
Continued study in Art and Music
Meet fitness requirements in Physical Education; expect more attention to the rules and regulations of organized sports
Continue study in a Foreign Language
Refine typing and technical skills in Computer class

The key to successfully completing homework in the 5th grade comes down to two factors: responsibility and organization. Your child should expect approximately an hour of homework each evening. Expect due dates to range from daily, weekly, and even monthly for some assignments. At the beginning of the year, talk with your child about time management so that the work doesn’t become overwhelming.

Remember that teachers highlight the importance of independence this year. While you always want your child to succeed, now is the time to let your child take increasing ownership of their schoolwork. Knowing they did it on their own will ultimately boost their confidence and self-reliance.

Requirements and general information:

All students must read at least 25 books
New York State Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Math will be taken
Nature’s Classroom 4 day field trip in the spring
Look for weekly spelling lists and reading logs every Monday
Scholastic Newspaper used for current events and vocabulary development