Grade Five

Your fifth grade child has arrived at the mid-point between childhood and adolescence. It’s a time of harmony and balance as the children are comfortable with themselves and how they relate to the world. This represents a wonderful opportunity for learning.

The fifth grade student often presents as a balanced picture of physical development and academic ability.  Sometimes referred to as the ‘golden year’, grade five is a plateau year  preceding the approaching changes that come with adolescence. Most students have developed good learning habits and are able to begin more detailed independent work.

• The study of ancient cultures leverages the students’ expanding academic capacities. Students experience the contributions of India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece to our understanding of the world. This year marks the change from pre-history and mythic representations to formal Western History (classical Greeks).
• Study of Ancient Greece is enhanced by re-enactment of the Greek Olympic Games. A day of competitions in pentathlon, discus, javelin, wrestling, long jump and running are all conducted with a mood of reverence and striving for beauty. This event brings together students from a number of Waldorf schools, and is very significant in the Grade Five calendar. Preparation of a tunic, the traditional Greek dress for competition, is enhanced by each student’s personal design and handwork.
• Geography of the North American continent, freehand geometry, factoring and decimals. In science they study botany, comprehending the inter-relatedness of life and environment.

Your fifth grader will learn