Academics

The kindergarten language arts program helps each child develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills beginning with each child’s level of readiness. Many different experiences are offered to meet varied learning styles and include:

• sight word recognition
• phonetic skills
• modelling
• shared and guided reading
• learning games
• individual writing

Children are given explicit instruction as well as many opportunities to practice their new skills. Reading and writing skills are integrated throughout every subject area.

Kindergarten mathematics builds on the range of knowledge each student brings to the classroom. Manipulatives are an integral part of the program. Every concept is introduced and reinforced using hands-on materials. Students practice each concept using a game, a math tub, or a play situation. Concepts include:

• number sense
• addition and subtraction
• measuring
• telling time to the hour and half-hour
• identifying patterns
• recognizing coins
• working with fractions
• counting tally marks
• solving everyday problems

Each concept is continually revisited in a spiral format. Individual instruction is provided in small ability groups.

Kindergarten science is presented through a hands-on approach. Each child is encouraged to:

• question
• observe
• experiment
• compare
• record
• come to a conclusion

Many of the investigations are woven into the thematic content of the curriculum. Planting seeds, investigating the properties of a pumpkin, and experimenting with magnets are a few of the activities that the children will experience.

In addition, open-ended engineering challenges are presented that require students to stretch their thinking skills in order to solve a problem.

The social studies program introduces students to their environment by broadening their awareness of differences and similarities in cultures and people. Students discover their world by studying unique aspects of themselves, their families, their communities, their nation, and their world. The children gain a better understanding of history by studying individual contributions of famous Americans.

Kindergarten students continue to build strong art awareness by studying different art styles around the globe and using a variety of tools and materials. Units include:

• American children’s book illustrators
• Chinese brush painting
• Japanese printmaking
• American Indian symbolism
• European artists such as Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh
• collage quilt patterns
• animals in art
• clay pinch pots
• carving into clay

Students visit our texture center frequently to build tactile awareness.

Kindergarten students are introduced to Spanish through a Comprehensible Input curriculum. Students learn the second language the same way they learned their first, through engaging activities they enjoy and understand.

Students participate in comprehensible stories, answer questions, make comparisons, recite poems, and play games. All activities are geared toward their interests, with many opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through acting and movement. 

All units are based on foods and things they like and include the most common verbs and phrases in Spanish; “hay” (there is/are), “tiene” (he/she/it has), “va” (he/she/it goes), le gusta (he, she, it likes), “está” (he/she/it is), “quiere” (he/she/it wants), and “es” (he/she/it is).

Comprehensible Spanish is used in class approximately 90 percent of the time, per recommendations by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Introductions to cultures and holidays of various Spanish-speaking countries are woven throughout the curriculum.

Kindergarten students grow their love for reading and books as they are exposed to different literature based on subjects taught in the classroom. The children also learn basic library skills such as book care, the proper way to hold a book, and parts of the book.

Students are excited to have the privilege of taking their books home and exchanging them each week. Students are also encouraged to exchange books as many times as they would like during the week, including before and after school.

While continuing to develop their singing voices, students will assist in the arranging process of their songs, helping to make instrument choices and deciding who will play what and where in their songs. In Kindergarten students will begin to learn the basis for accompanying themselves on barred melodic instruments like the xylophone. Three stage performances in the Reed theater will teach them all about being a performer! For the Kindergarten Program in March, students will pair original vocal and instrumental songs with a story and help with the instrumentation and arrangement.

Highlights:

• Group music making
• Pitch matching and ear training
• Steady beat and simple rhythm patterns
• Percussion instrument technique
• Accompanying singing on barred melodic instruments
• Choreographed and improvised movement
• Music listening examples from around the world
• Performance at the LS Holiday Program in December
• Performance at the Kindergarten Program in March
• Performance at Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring

Kindergartners stay active, refine their motor skills, and work on the importance of:

• following directions
• organization
• lines
• boundaries
• sharing

Students work on directional movements as well as starting and stopping movements. Classes emphasize working with partners and basic patterns of play and games. Students also complete a tumbling unit and use the scooters to enhance their loco-motor skills and strengthen their bodies.

Technology instruction enables kindergartners to become safe and competent technology users, and it expands and supports all learning. Students:

• use our computer lab, classroom and interactive projectors, and iPads
• develop basic computer skills and learn keyboarding
• pick up beginning computer programming skills

First-graders become active members of a literate society through reading, writing, speaking, researching, and presenting information to a wide audience. Lessons and activities are designed to:

• build phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency
• build on previous skills
• embrace and explore learning styles
• tap into student interests
• meet individual needs

Guided and balanced groups based on on-going assessments allow students to practice their skills and knowledge in reading. Individual writing conferences serve to stretch students as they develop as writers and large group presentations allow students to share their knowledge and interests and further their communication skills and confidence.

First-graders build conceptual understanding and mastery of math skills and concepts through:

• informal exposure and concrete experiences
• formal and directed instruction
• various types of practice through games, explorations, and projects by working in cooperative groups

Concepts and skills are revisited throughout the year through a spiral approach using assessment to guide grouping and instruction.

First-graders explore science topics by using:

• experiments
• technology and text resources
• guided discovery
• projects
• guest speakers
• field trips
• exploration in nature

During the study of force and motion, each student designs, builds, and tests a rocket. Students delve into topics of their choice in the owl and space units. They become experts as they research, write, illustrate, and present their knowledge to their classmates.

Forest Fridays create and support natural learning opportunities through exploration in nature. By following the children's interests, we will learn through discovery, observation, and play.

First grade cultivates and nurtures a sense of worth in students and helps them know who they are emotionally, physically, intellectually, and culturally as individuals and as vital members of families, communities, and a diverse world. Students:

• learn to recognize and respect different life experiences and perceptions through shared reading, writing, art, singing, and performances
• explore geography, landmarks, customs, music, art, literature, traditions, and the daily life of children in other countries
• connect and develop unique friendships with an Upper School senior and a member of a sports team

By studying art styles from around the world, students gain knowledge of the vast richness of art in our world. Students explore different periods of art on a large art timeline.

Materials, both dry and wet media, are combined to create visual solutions to critical art questions. Units include:

• stamp and collage design
• watercolor techniques
• clay and bead work
• European artists of the Impressionism and Post-Impressionism periods
• African folktales and American illustrators as inspiration
• nocturnal animals on fabric panels
• American pop art
• Chinese culture
• the use of wooden tools to scratch into the surface of a layered design

First-grade students are introduced to Spanish through a Comprehensible Input curriculum. With this approach, students learn the second language the same way they learned their first, through engaging activities they enjoy and understand.

Students hear and read comprehensible stories, answer questions, make comparisons, recite poems, and play games. All activities are geared toward their interests, with many opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through acting and movement. 

All units are based on parts of the body and actions and include the most common verbs and phrases in Spanish; “hay” (there is/are), “tiene” (he/she/it has), “va” (he/she/it goes), le gusta (he, she, it likes), “está” (he/she/it is), “quiere” (he/she/it wants), and “es” (he/she/it is). As they become more familiar with these verbs, students may begin to express original thoughts and feelings. 

Comprehensible Spanish is used in class approximately 90 percent of the time, per recommendations by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Introductions to cultures and holidays of various Spanish-speaking countries are woven throughout the curriculum.

This program equips students with the skills to become researchers and independent learners. The librarian shares literature with students to enrich their classroom learning. Students are encouraged to exchange books as many times as they would like during the week, including before and after school.

Students will learn all about putting on a community celebration with food and music for the annual First Grade Harvest Celebration in November. In addition to learning songs related to the harvest season, they will help to write and arrange one of the songs and perform it without any adults on accompanying instruments. First graders will also learn about rhythm notation and singing with the assistance of sol feg syllables and hand signs, all as a basis for music literacy.  They will perform two more times for a total of three stage performances in the Reed theater.

Highlights:

• Singing with sol feg syllables
• Reading rhythm notation for simple rhythm patterns
• Percussion instrument technique
• Singing and playing pentatonic folk songs
• Accompanying singing on barred melodic instruments
• Choreographed and improvised movement
• Performance at the First Grade Harvest Celebration in November
• Performance at the LS Holiday Program in December
• Performance at Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring

The first-grade curriculum focuses on helping students develop a positive self-image about their physical abilities. Students continue to start each class with stretches and exercises as well as warm-up running activities. Classes emphasize:

• the ability to work cooperatively
• following directions
• comprehension of basic strategies in play and games
• ways to solve more complex tasks, such as dodging and evading

Students continue to use more equipment, from tumbling mats to exercise balls to scooters, to strengthen their bodies and improve their balance skills. The principles of good sportsmanship are an overall focus of the year.

Technology instruction enables first-graders to become safe and competent technology users, and it expands and supports all learning. Students:

• use our computer lab, classroom and interactive projectors, and iPads
• develop basic computer skills and learn keyboarding
• begin to blog to communicate their ideas to an audience and receive responses
• pick up beginning computer programming skills

Students become confident readers, writers, listeners, and speakers by participating in a variety of instructional activities throughout the day.

Reading instruction is literature-based; the students are taught reading through a variety of literature experiences:

• chapter books, poems, and story books
• selections from basal readers
• literature from the Junior Great Book series, A to Z Readers, short stories, fairy tales, and folk tales

Each student writes and publishes an autobiography highlighting important events in their lives. Students have a wide variety of writing experiences to build fluency and proficiency. Second-graders write:

• poetry
• short stories with a beginning, middle and end
• paragraphs, nonfiction research pieces, and journals

Students become competent communicators by sharing presentations with their classmates and being active audience members for others.

Second-graders develop an understanding of math skills and concepts through rich experiences in mathematics. The students work with concrete materials, such as pattern blocks, counters, money, and clocks, to explore:

• number patterns
• geometry
• time
• money
• place value
• decimal concepts

Problem solving is an integral part of the entire mathematics curriculum, with activities that encourage the students to work collaboratively, as well as independently, to find solutions to a variety of problems.

The goal of the second-grade science curriculum is to respond to a child’s natural curiosity, while teaching scientific content through exploration and investigation. The curriculum covers:

• scientific investigation through reasoning and logic
• earth science
• physical science
• life science

As the students work through the scientific process, they record and reflect on their observations and conclusions in journals. They develop critical thinking skills through reflective discussions and oral communication.

Students develop an understanding of themselves and their place in the world and a sense of history through studies of geography and historical events and people. They:

• learn about maps and their uses, and landforms and their impact on people
• discover the nature of exploration and how it influenced American history
• connect with forbearers through a study of a pioneer family
• compare and contrast life on the frontier with modern life in a specific states

Students increase their art vocabulary by learning the elements of design. Each element is incorporated into a different unit of study. By examining a variety of art by specific artists and time periods, each unit provides new ways students can express themselves with personal creation. Units include:

• positive/negative space
• sculpture in the round
• layering shapes and colors to create depth in a picture
• Dragonology (the study of the history and creation of dragons in art throughout the world)
• American artist Edward Hopper, Edgar Degas, and pastel
• Van Gogh and lines to create variation
• papier-mâché sculpture
• monochromatic painting
• picture quilts from American artist Faith Ringgold
• local landmarks and artists (including Gari Melchers)
• Japanese culture and clothing
• mixed media techniques

Second-grade students are introduced to Spanish through a Comprehensible Input curriculum. With this approach, students learn the second language the same way they learned their first, through engaging activities they enjoy and understand.

Students hear and read comprehensible stories, answer questions, make comparisons, recite poems, and play games. All activities are geared toward their interests, with many opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through acting and movement. 

All units in second grade are based around parts of the body and actions and include the most common verbs and phrases in Spanish; “hay” (there is/are), “tiene” (he/she/it has), “va” (he/she/it goes), le gusta (he, she, it likes), “está” (he/she/it is), “quiere” (he/she/it wants), and “es” (he/she/it is). As they become more familiar with these verbs, students may begin to express original thoughts and feelings. Other verbs are added as students’ proficiency increases.

Comprehensible Spanish is used in class approximately 90 percent of the time, per recommendations by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Introductions to cultures and holidays of various Spanish-speaking countries are woven throughout the curriculum.

This program equips second-graders with the skills to become researchers and independent learners. The librarian shares literature with students to support classroom learning. Students learn about the Dewey Decimal System during their weekly library visit.

Students are encouraged to exchange books as many times as they would like during the week, including before and after school. The teacher will often suggest that the students check out books to supplement classroom units of study.

Students will learn about larger arrangements with multiple instruments layered together at the same time as they prepare for three stage performances in the Reed Theater. For the second and third grade program each class will arrange one large scale instrumental and vocal piece that will fit together with the pieces arranged by the other classes for a truly student created musical program that supports a story. All of these student-arranged pieces will be accompanied only by those students. 

Highlights:

• Singing with sol feg syllables
• Reading rhythm notation for simple rhythm patterns
• Percussion instrument technique
• Sing and play songs in the five pentatonic modes
• Accompanying singing on barred melodic instruments
• Adding rhythmic ostinati to song arrangements
• Performance at the LS Holiday Program in December
• Performance at the second and third grade program in March
• Performance at Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring

Second-graders' motor skills continue to develop through refinement and mastery of complex forms of movement and body control. Students:

• improve skills in kicking, throwing, catching, and hitting through a variety of games
• practice working cooperatively in both small and large groups
• use a variety of equipment
• follow directions
• strengthen their bodies
• improve their balance skills
• continue to learn and practice principles of good sportsmanship

Technology instruction expands and supports all classroom learning, and enables second-graders to become safe and competent technology users. Students:

• use our computer lab, classroom and interactive projectors, and iPads
• develop basic computer skills and learn keyboarding
• blog to practice writing, express ideas for an audience, and receive responses
• learn beginning computer programming skills

Third-grade students have multiple opportunities to become more confident, skillful readers who enjoy reading for a variety of purposes. Students:

• better comprehend their reading through predicting, summarizing, sequencing, and drawing inferences
• read independently and write responses to their readings
• share their interpretations and theories with their peers
• read and discuss a variety of genres

Students develop a love of writing through many and varied opportunities. Writing Workshop enhances their skill development and provides academic choice. All students write in many genres, across all subject areas and on a daily basis.

Students become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and see math concepts in their daily life. Third-graders:

• manipulate numbers through a million and beyond
• estimate and determine the reasonableness of an answer
• refine their knowledge of multiple‐digit addition and subtraction with regrouping
• master foundational concepts before formal instruction in multiplication and division
• learn multiple algorithms for solving math problems
• practice math using manipulatives and games

Students become problem solvers and productive world citizens by understanding the scientific and technological world. Third-graders:

• study the impact forces have on objects and their motion
• experiment with simple machines
• think critically about machine inventions and their uses
• investigate matter and its physical properties
• learn about animal life cycles, simple food chains, and the effects of environmental changes on animals

Their year concludes with a comprehensive study of endangered species. This culminating, interdisciplinary unit includes a presentation of their research on an endangered animal.

Students develop geographical and historical perspective of their world as they study people's journeys over many centuries and across many places. They learn the impact of the past, the importance of knowing our history, and the skills needed for such study. Third‐graders:

• study Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
• compare and contrast cultures
• examine the first explorers of the Americas
• learn about U.S. presidents
• study influential African Americans throughout history

As students develop their appreciation of art, they experiment with many materials in the third grade:

• fabric
• wood
• coils in clay
• four different types of paint
• pastels

They continue to use the elements of design with increased art vocabulary. With our art library, students build an awareness of art history and become familiar with certain styles and artists. Units include:

• house design
• Mexican design in wood sculpture
• watercolor workshops
• Monarch butterfly design
• migration
• map skills
• compass roses
• paper as sculpture
• symmetry
• European artists as inspiration for foreign language collaboration paintings
• Leonardo da Vinci’s art and inventions
• nature-inspired American artists of the 20^th century
• fiber arts

Third-grade students continue to improve their Spanish language skills through Comprehensible Input as well as other proficiency-oriented activities. A portion of each class is used to keep a class journal, where students practice writing the date, weather, and special class or school events. They also read and translate what they write.

Throughout the school year, various special projects include:

• Acting in short plays
• Narrating and modeling in a Spanish “fashion show”
• Writing and presenting weather reports about South American countries 

Several websites are used for fun practice and review. Comprehensible Spanish is used in class approximately 90 percent of the time, per recommendations by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Introductions to cultures and holidays of various Spanish-speaking countries are woven throughout the curriculum.

Students gain library competencies through practice with the Dewey Decimal system and using the library catalog. They:

• develop reference skills that support classroom research
• appreciate award-winning literature
• listen to books read aloud to the group, and connect themes to their personal lives through discussion

Students are encouraged to come and exchange books at any time during the school day, including before and after school.

Students will continue to expand their arranging skills as they prepare for three stage performances in the Reed Theater. In third grade they will be able to layer more instruments with complex and unique parts. For the second and third grade program each class will arrange one large scale instrumental and vocal piece that will fit together with the pieces arranged by the other classes for a truly student created musical program that supports a story. All of these student-arranged pieces will be accompanied only by those students. After their program third grade students will learn about staff notation.

Highlights:

• Singing with sol feg syllables
• Reading rhythm notation for simple rhythm patterns
• Percussion instrument technique
• Sing and play songs in the five pentatonic modes
• Accompanying singing on barred melodic instruments
• Adding rhythmic ostinati to song arrangements
• Beginning to read treble clef staff notation
• Performance at the LS Holiday Program in December
• Performance at the second and third grade program in March
• Performance at Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring

Third-graders start to see why movement and activities are important to their physical well-being. Students:

• master the fundamentals of throwing, catching, hitting, and kicking through a variety of games and skill work
• learn high-strategy games to develop motor skills, hand-eye coordination, teamwork skills, and their understanding of the rules and strategies of games

Students use technology to assist them in their everyday learning activities. They:

• use our computer lab, classroom and interactive projectors, and iPads to enhance research and reporting
• develop computer skills that help them become proactive learners
• blog to express their thinking in writing and for an audience and learn from peer responses
• research and create multimedia presentations
• learn about digital citizenship through group projects using Google Docs, Google Classroom, and Google Slides
• learn beginning computer programming skill

Fourth graders become competent, interested readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. They explore reading, writing, and world topics as individuals, and in small and large guided and interest groups. Students:

• discuss text across all content areas
• read class novels in guided groups and self-selected titles for their independent reading experiences
• use the writing process to develop proficiency, fluency, and mechanics
• ask and answer questions in reading and writing logs
• collaborate and work independently on multi-media projects and presentations

Fourth-graders think about math in the real world on a daily basis. They continue to develop an understanding of concrete and abstract concepts and improve math fluency to be confident and competent critical thinkers and problem-solvers.

Students explore all concepts using:

• math games, projects, and investigations
• manipulatives to make math a hands-on experience
• literature that connects with mathematics
• Discovery Channel math videos
• formal and directed instruction

Students develop an interest in STEM through an integrated, engaging, and hands-on approach. Inquiry-based instructional and learning strategies in a student-centered class generate interest, success, and a love for science.

Using the scientific method, students explore:

• force and motion
• the structure and interaction of land and water, creating stream boxes to observe these interactions
• forecasting and observing the weather using numerous instruments
• electrical currents and the design and function of electric circuits

Students end the year studying inventions and inventors. They look at real-world, everyday problems and develop an invention to help solve their chosen problem. Students share their original inventions and the learning process with the school community at their annual Invention Convention.

Through purposeful and meaningful learning experiences, students gain independent and cooperative problem solving skills to address social and personal concerns. Fourth-graders develop these skills while studying an in-depth, high-quality, and challenging journey through the history of Virginia.

Students look at history through story and from a wide variety of perspectives, working to understand how "they" got to this point. The students explore, discuss, and debate:

• state geography and where they fit into the puzzle as well as how geographic dividers shaped history
• the cultures of the American Indians
• the struggles of colonization and the conflicts between European settlers and indigenous peoples
• plantations and the "need" for indenture and slavery
• conflicts over land with France and Britain
• the concept of “United” States and government
• the collapse of civility with the Civil War

Students develop their appreciation of art through working with materials as well as participating in a local visiting artists program. By meeting a variety of artists and experimenting with their materials, students see fine art personally, gain exposure to working artists, and understand the process behind their work. Fourth-grade art students use:

• paint
• clay
• book-making materials
• Chinese inks on rice paper
• tile
• watercolor, colored pencils, pastels
• Tyvek
• fabric, yarn and weaving materials, and tissue paper

Fourth-grade Spanish students review and expand upon previously introduced vocabulary and skills using Comprehensible Input and proficiency-oriented activities. The reviews also help acclimate students who are new to the Spanish program.

Students practice reading and writing skills and are introduced to grammatical topics through seeing and hearing the language. Some highlights include:

• discussions and writing in the language each class, using high-frequency words and expressions
• units on Hispanic Heritage Month (September15-October 15) and the Day of the Dead (November 1 and 2)
• reading a comprehensible book and studying not only the language, but the culture, geography, and history involved 
• various technology sites are used by students for creative projects in the language, checking comprehension, practice, and games 

Comprehensible Spanish is used in class approximately 90 percent of the time, per recommendations by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 

Students use library competencies to complete research and presentations. Read-aloud books are selected and shared based on subjects taught in the classroom.

Students are also taught how to help other students in the library. They assist the librarian in the morning by picking up library books in the classrooms, running books between the two libraries, checking in new books, and various other library tasks.

Students are encouraged to come and exchange books at any time during the school day, including before and after school.

Students will be fully immersed in preparation for three stage performances in the Reed Theater and all of their lessons will be learning by writing, arranging, and rehearsing their songs. The capstone of their year will be the fourth and fifth grade program in the spring, where together the two grade levels will perform a large-scale musical performance in which they’ve taken a folk tale or legend and arranged music to help tell the story. These students will perform all of their arrangements without adult musicians.

Highlights:

• Reading rhythm and treble clef staff notation
• Playing the soprano recorder
• Percussion instrument technique
• Sing and play songs in hexatonic and diatonic modes
• Adding multiple rhythmic and melodic ostinati to song arrangements
• Performance at the LS Holiday Program in December
• Performance at Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring
• Performance at the fourth and fifth grade program in April

Fourth-graders continue to develop an understanding of why movement and activities are important to their physical well-being. Students:

• participate in sports to work on team building, agility, mobility, and strategy
• develop their motor skills, hand-eye coordination, teamwork skills, and their grasp of rules and strategies through sports and games

Students use technology to assist them in everyday learning activities. They:

• use our computer lab, classroom and interactive projectors, and iPads to enhance research and reporting
• develop computer skills that help them become proactive learners
• blog to express their thinking in writing and for an audience, and learn from peer responses
• research and create multimedia presentations
• learn about digital citizenship through group projects using Google Docs, Google Classroom, and Google Slides
• learn beginning computer programming skills

• guided reading groups explore different genres by reading and discussing a variety of texts
• whole and small group instruction related to reading strategies and interdisciplinary themes.
• multiple opportunities to collaborate on critical thinking projects where they analyze and evaluate, write, research, create, and present

Students develop essential math and logic skills by connecting concepts to real-life events and other disciplines. Students make these connections through flexible small groups, which may change daily.

Students gain their knowledge through exploratory projects and whole-class instruction, all of which allows math to connect to other disciplines. Careful and thorough communication of their thinking is also stressed, with an emphasis on process as well as product.

Students develop a respect for and curiosity about their world through scientific investigations. They develop a sense that they can make a difference. Fifth-graders investigate topics in geology, light and sound, and living systems through the use of the scientific method and hands-on lab experiments. Throughout the year, students participate in weekly STEAM activities to further enhance the subject of study and help to foster a love for science.

History is more than just dates and names. Students discover underlining themes related to topics in U.S. history from Reconstruction to the 1920s, and how these themes correlate to life today. Through collaborative groups and novel studies in their guided reading groups, students:

• look at the social and historical significance of the events
• take part in simulations, such as the Transcontinental Railroad development
• analyze artifacts from the time period in small groups to gain an empathetic view and truly understand the impact of the era
• hone their skills to find credible resources and synthesize research, culminating in a student-led field trip through Washington D.C.

In fifth grade, art students explore their world through books, websites, artists, and art journals. By having a variety of materials to learn from, students are encouraged to think about the world and their role as developing young people.

Students explore ways to incorporate art into their lives as an extension of themselves. The students create mixed media art in conjunction with their study of biomes. Students create art in many different media:

• print-making
• painting
• book-making
• carving
• sculpting
• graphing images with measuring devices
• drawing with pencil, chalk, charcoal, marker, and ink

Students continue to participate in a local visiting artists program monthly throughout the year. Each visiting artist conducts a presentation about life as an artist, what inspires them to create, and how they make each type of artwork. Students are then led through a process of creating a similar piece of work.

Spanish students review and expand upon previously introduced vocabulary and skills using Comprehensible Input and proficiency-oriented activities. The reviews also help acclimate students who are new to the Spanish program.

Students practice reading and writing skills, and are introduced to grammatical topics through seeing and hearing the language. Some highlights include:

• discussions and writing in the language each class, using high-frequency words and expressions
• Participation in a “Wax Museum,” where students portray well-known people of Hispanic descent
• reading a comprehensible book and studying not only the language, but the culture, geography, and history involved 
• various technology sites are used by students for creative projects in the language, checking comprehension, practice, and games 

Comprehensible Spanish is used in class approximately 90 percent of the time, per recommendations by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language.

Fifth-graders use the library as an extension of the classroom to research, develop, and create projects and presentations. Read-aloud books are selected and shared based on subjects taught in the classroom.

Students learn the many responsibilities of organizing and operating a library. They help other students in the library and assist the librarian in the morning by picking up library books in the classrooms, running books between the two libraries, checking in new books, and various other library tasks.

Students are encouraged to come and exchange books at any time during the school day, including before and after school.

Students will be fully immersed in preparation for three stage performances in the Reed Theater, and all of their lessons will be learning by writing, arranging, and rehearsing their songs. The capstone of their year will be the fourth and fifth grade program in the spring, where together the two grade levels will perform a large-scale musical performance in which they’ve taken a folk tale or legend and arranged music to help tell the story. Fifth grade students will perform all of their arrangements without adult musicians, and they will be responsible for guiding not only the arrangements of each song, but also the overall direction of the story and how the music is put together. 

Highlights:

• Reading rhythm and treble clef staff notation
• Playing the soprano recorder
• Percussion instrument technique
• Sing and play songs in hexatonic and diatonic modes
• Sing and play songs with functional harmony (chord changes)
• Adding multiple rhythmic and melodic ostinati to song arrangements
• Performance at the LS Holiday Program in December
• Performance at Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the spring
• Performance at the fourth and fifth grade program in April

Fifth-graders develop an understanding of that movement and activities are central to health and wellness in their daily lives. Students:

• participate in sports to work on team building, agility, mobility, and strategy
• develop their motor skills, hand-eye coordination, teamwork skills, and their grasp of rules and strategies through sports and games
• participate in a fitness challenge, earning the school's Golden Falcon at its successful completion

The fifth-grade program develops skills for and creates interest in the Middle School athletics program.

Fifth-graders integrate technology across the curriculum and throughout the day as they become responsible, independent digital citizens. They:

• use our computer lab, classroom and interactive projectors, iPads, and Chromebooks to complete research and reporting
• incorporate their computer skills as they engage in proactive learning
• blog to share their thoughts and reflections with an audience, and learn from community responses
• complete multimedia projects using Google Docs, Google Classroom, and Google Slides
• learn computer programming skills