FOURTH & FIFTH GRADE
In the Fourth and Fifth Grades St. Therese Catholic School students continue to be provided abundant opportunities to read. We develop and foster the desire to read by engaging the students in daily reading for pleasure, information, and as a major tool for learning in all subject areas. This desire is enhanced by Renaissance Learning and Accelerated Reader.
Fourth and Fifth Grade students demonstrate mastery of listening skills and apply those skills within an academic environment during class presentations, lectures and projects. Students are challenged to use their listening skills for a variety of purposes, and in a variety of venues.
Fourth and Fifth Grade students demonstrate their understanding of the writing process; prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Students continue to utilize these skills for a variety of purposes, especially learning. Students create poetry, engage in essay writing, and produce several quarterly projects. Students maintain a portfolio of all writing samples to demonstrate growth and proficiency.
Spelling and vocabulary lists are obtained from the Houghton-Mifflin supporting text. Students receive an average of twenty five words weekly with a spelling rule. Students practice these words with their dictionaries, finding synonyms, and writing extended sentences. STCS Students look forward to participating in our annual “Spelling Bee” for grades three thru eight.
St. Therese Catholic School students learn science in three ways. Supported by the McGraw-Hill Science texts, we apply “hands-on, minds-on” activities in class presentations and experiments. All fourth and fifth grade students participate in enrichment activities such as the Science Olympiad, Science Fair. The program is supported by a full range of science equipment including microscopes, balance beams, models, pre-prepared slides, and full unit kits. Our inquiry science program is supplemented by an evolving collection of “Virtual Lab” experiences.
Mathematics in the fourth and fifth grades continues to develop procedural fluency with arithmetic computation, basic operations and estimation with expanded number sets. Students are also challenged to adapt their reasoning to different problem solving situations. Proportional logic is introduced at this time as well. Students continue to develop and apply their understanding of measurement, spatial reasoning, patterns, relations, data analysis, and algebraic reasoning in fourth and fifth grades.
The Social Studies program is designed for students to learn about the different regions, people, and landforms of the United States. Colorado History prepares students for a better understanding of Colorado’s history, cultures, symbols and landforms. Students discuss current events, read local newspapers, and complete historic journals. Fourth and Fifth graders also participate in a history play annually.