Our Philosophy
At Antelope Trails, we encourage a lifelong love of learning. We aim to get to know each and every one of our students as a whole child. From their passions and interests, to their family and life beyond school, we understand that each child has needs and strengths to support and foster. Primary students experience across subject levels lessons through inquiry based learning with STEAM.
Fifth grade students participate in a yearlong project referred to as Exhibition. This is a project IB elementary students complete all over the world. Students align their passions with taking action to put together a service learning project with a small group. This project is intended to serve as a culminating activity. It allows students to use all the skills they have learned while in elementary school. At the end of the year students present to the school community and families. Through IB practice, students are encouraged to be caring, inquirers, and principled.
The Antelope Trails community holds many events throughout the year. We welcome volunteers and value family participation. We are excited to partner alongside you and your family to make your child's elementary experience the best it can be.
Fifth Grade Daily Schedule
Soft Entry/Morning Work
WIN Time (What I Need in Reading)
Math
Specials (Music, Art, P.E., or Spanish)
Lunch
Recess
Writing
Reading
Recess
Science/Social Studies
Pack Up/Dismissal
Curriculum
Classroom Management
We use the IB Learner Profiles to reinforce our behavioral expectations.
Technology in the Classroom
We use technology daily in the classroom in preparation for middle school. Each student is given a laptop for their personal use. Some of the apps we use in 5th grade are: Schoology - a learning platform, Google Docs, Google Forms, and Google Slides, SeeSaw-an online portfolio, Typing Pal, EPIC, SORA, and many others that are more specific to content and are listed below.
Math
We utilize the Reveal Math curriculum to instruct math. By encouraging curiosity, exploration, and a growth mindset, Reveal Math allows students to see math as a dynamic set of problem-solving strategies instead of the application of memorized algorithmic or computational procedures. At each grade level, math instruction is taught with the approach of both whole group and small group instruction. Math practice is supplemented with the online component of Redbird and fact fluency practice using Rocket Math.
Reading
In 5th grade, we don’t use a specific curriculum. Again, our focus is on the Colorado State Standards. In order to teach those standards, we use various supplementary materials. Some of those are Lexia-an adaptive reading program, ReadWorks-a comprehension program, and EPIC and SORA-online book sources. We also use DLI (Daily Language Instruction) for grammar practice, Comprehension Tool Kit, and Get to the Root of It to study word origins and affixes.
Writing
Our writing program is Write from the Beginning. Our focus in 5th grade is learning how to develop a solid plan to assist in expository and narrative essay writing. We focus on using text evidence in our expository writing. We also teach poetry.
Social Studies and Science are Embedded into our 6 IB Units
In addition to the following units, our 5th graders will be responsible for an Exhibition project. Exhibition is the culminating Primary Years’ Program action project. Our students are grouped by their passions, and they work together throughout the year to develop and implement an action project of their choice.
Unit 1-Sharing the Planet-An inquiry into the rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
Unit 2-How We Express Ourselves-An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
Unit 3-How the World Works-An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
Unit 4-Where We Are in Place and Time-An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
Unit 5-Who We Are-An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Unit 6-How We Organize Ourselves-An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
Homework Policy
We do not assign homework in 5th grade regularly as we feel their time at home is busy enough and we respect time spent with the family. However, we occasionally will have students bring home something that does need to be completed at home.
Communication
A weekly email will be sent home to parents regarding what’s going on in 5th grade. Students also will be bringing home a Friday folder with important papers and graded work.