Curriculum Overviews?

1. What does a fifth grader study at St. Joseph?
2. What is the grading policy in fifth grade?
3. What are some of the field trip experiences for fifth grade?

What does a fifth grader study at St. Joseph?

Religion 
Walking by Faith and Gifts and Purposes
Learning how to use the Bible, art and writing projects on the Sacraments and various symbols of 
the 
Church and the life of Christ will be studied.
Human sexuality will be studied from a Biblical perspective.

Reading 
Literature anthology with themes on Challenges, Weather, American history, fantasy, plant and 
animal life 
and the solar system.
Novel studies: The Phantom Tollbooth, Who Stole the Wizard of Oz?, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. 
Basil E. 
Frankweiler, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Magician's Nephew, The Cabin Faced 
West, The 
Sign of the Beaver, The Rats of NIMH, Little House on the Prairie, and Bridge to Terabithia, the 
Journey 
(possible titles).

Caldecott and Newbery award books and their illustrators will be studied throughout the course 
of the 
year.

Science 
Harcourt Science (text)
Units: Human Body, Living Things, Weather, Solar system, Matter and Energy
Experiments and Foss kits will be used during the course of the year.
Science Weekly: newpaper events

Mathematics 
Progress in Mathematics (text)
Supplementary projects, various manipulatives (dominoes, buttons, tangrams, geometric shapes, 
etc.) will 
be used. A class store will be implemented to study percentage and taxes.

American History
America Will Be (text)
History newspaper for supplementary studies.
Current events: Time magazine for Kids

Vocabulary
Vocabulary Workshop Level Blue
This is used with the writing and spelling program. Greek and Latin root words will be studied as 
well.

Special days and Celebrations (if time allows)
Johnny Appleseed Day (September)
Popcorn Month (October)
Peanut Butter Lovers Month (November)
Oatmeal Month (January)
Cherry and Presidents Month (February)
National Poetry Month (April)
Wizard of Oz Days (May)

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What is the grading policy in fifth grade?

Each assignment is important in our community. After the first two weeks of school, all 
assignments must be signed by a parent. As well, if a student does not have a name/number on 
as assignment, the first trimester, it will be returned, and a lower grade will be issued. After the 
second trimester, an unlabeled paper results in a zero. Student planner books will be signed by a 
parent starting the second week of school. Below is the grading weights for categories. 

Grading Policy
Category Weights
Tests: 20%
Performance/Participation: 25%
Home Assignments: 25%
Class Work: 25%
Quizzes: 05%

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What are some of the field trip experiences for fifth grade?

Below is a list of some of the field trips that have been planned in the past years in fifth grade. 
Some experiences that will be considered are:
Exploratorium
Art Museum
Play
Newspaper 
Discovery Museum
In school trip: Revolutionary War or Native American
Author visit in the spring
Caritas in February, 2012

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