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Encino Park Fifth Grade Team
| Emily Mayes |
| Anna Nicolai |
Teachers, students, administrators, families, and community members work together to create a positive and safe environment for all fifth grade students. Individual needs are met through collaborative efforts. Learning styles are addressed through developmentally appropriate, yet challenging curriculum. Student potential is maximized through a standards based program that reinforces the highest of educational values. Students have continual opportunities to develop and apply the skills required to become self directed, life-long learners. Fifth grade teachers promote the acquisition and application of critical thinking skills and creative problem solving. The fifth grade curriculum is integrated and well balanced, providing students with opportunities to explore, discover, develop and practice essential content and process skills. Students are encouraged to connect new learning with past experiences, thus building a solid foundation of essential knowledge and skills.
Throughout this most important transitional year, the Encino Park fifth grade teachers focus on the whole child, guiding students as they develop emotionally, socially, and academically. Students develop self-confidence as they learn to work both independently and cooperatively with their peers. Students benefit from regularly scheduled guidance lessons with the school counselors, and participation in Second Step, a character development program taught in the classroom. Developmentally appropriate maturation classes presented by the school nurse. Various programs designed to help adolescents handle peer pressure, and learn about the hazards of substance abuse are presented. Fifth grade students learn the importance of making wise choices and developing productive lifestyles. Fifth grade students with special needs benefit from various Special Education services. The Extended Learning Program provides enrichment for qualifying students.
Assessment is an integral part of
the fifth grade program. Assessment is authentic and ongoing.
Formal and informal assessment guides the development of curriculum and
programs. Fifth grade students participate in standardized testing
such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and the Texas Assessment of Academic
Skills (II). Fifth graders at Encino Park thrive in this proactive
program, developing the skills, attitudes, and habits that will help them
become productive, responsible, and successful members of society.
Fifth Grade Curriculum
| MATH | SCIENCE | LANGUAGE ARTS | READING | SOCIAL STUDIES | ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS |
| EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES |
Math
Through a rich blend of skills development
and content reinforcement, "hands-on" activities featuring the use of manipulatives,
and inquiry based "real world" investigations, the fifth grade math program
addresses the needs of all students. With a focus on problem solving
and critical thinking, math is integrated into all content areas. Students
attain mastery through a process that balances skills practice with practical
application and extension. Instruction is standards based, guided by the
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the National Standards
of Mathematics. The fifth grade teachers develop individualized curriculum
to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners. Primary resources
include Investigations in Number, Data, and Space (TERC), Math
Advantage (Harcourt Brace), Great Experiences in Math and Science
(GEMS), and AIMS Activities. To promote the understanding that math
is the language that quantifies all other subjects, fifth grade teachers
take advantage of every opportunity to integrate math across the curriculum,
in all content areas.
Science
Taking full advantage of the new Encino Park Science Discovery Lab, fifth grade students enjoy a wide range of standards based activities. Lab activities are designed to promote higher order thinking through inquiry based science. Students learn through "minds-on" activities, developing content and process skills in the areas of Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Environmental Science. Students have the opportunity to become competent in the safe use of a variety of science tools, including microscopes, measurement tools, calculators, data collection devises, computers, in addition to a wide range of science manipulatives. Science instruction is standards based, guided by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the National Science Standards and Science Benchmarks (AAAS). Primary resources include a complete set of Full Option Science Systems Kits (FOSS), Science and Technology for Children Kits (STC), Great Experiences in Math and Science (GEMS), AIMS Activities, and Science (Harcourt Brace), and Being Healthy (Harcourt Brace). All fifth grade students are encouraged to participate in the Encino Park Science Fair.Language Arts
The enriched fifth grade language arts program emphasizes developing listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, and critical thinking skills and their applications. Teachers design innovative lessons to help students make the reading/writing connection. Students enjoy creative theater arts activities, and are encouraged to participate in poetry, essay, and story writing competitions throughout the year. Language Arts instruction is standards based, guided by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Primary resources include English (Houghton Mifflin), Spelling and Vocabulary (Houghton Mifflin), and a variety of integrated activities and applications from across the curriculum.Reading
Students develop their love of reading through a variety of authentic literature, meaning-based activities, integrated curriculum, and interactive Internet programs. Teachers offer students ongoing opportunities to participate in popular incentive reading programs, including Accelerated Reader. Students are encouraged to read from an extensive collection of multicultural trade books, and then participate in comprehension assessment projects from Book Festival (Scott Foresman). The concept of sharing a love for reading through Literature Circles is widely used at the fifth grade level. Students enjoy the collection of stories and activities in two volumes of Treasury of Literature (HBJ). Content areas reading skills are a priority, as fifth grade teachers help students to make critical connections to all subject areas, through reading. Students enjoy theater arts throughout the year as they practice and apply their developing reading skills.Social Studies
Encino Park students explore the geography, history, and political structure of the United States in fifth grade. Teachers provide opportunities for their students to create charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, maps, and other graphic organizers as they learn about their country. The Social Studies textbook, United States: Adventures in Time and Place (Macmillan/McGraw Hill), is a rich resource for teaching content area reading skills. Our young citizens Through the creation of various individual and group projects, our young citizens demonstrate an appreciation for cultural diversity. The fifth grade curriculum is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the NEISD Social Studies Standards.Additional Subjects
Encino Park Fifth Graders participate in daily Physical Education Classes. The alternate Music, Art and Spanish Classes. All students participate in the Second Step Character Education Program.