5th Grade

Katlyn Steffen
kroobian@st-ignatius-edu.org

The fifth-grade year is the bridge to middle school at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School. Our middle school students are challenged by a rigorous core curriculum that prepares them for success in high school. Students move from class to class and are given opportunities to practice independence and responsibility in an encouraging atmosphere. The theme of collaboration and cross-curricular studies define fifth-grade with the highlight being Starbase and various school projects.

Starbase is a five day STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program aimed at introducing 5th graders to various STEM related careers. Students engage in hands on activities that strengthen their knowledge of each of the areas of STEM. They also work together in groups to strengthen their communication and team building skills. Starbase is located on the Camp Mabry military base here in Austin. This allows students to be surrounded by members of the Texas National Guard and give them insight into what life on a Military base is like.

Our goal is for our fifth grade students to develop strong leadership skills which they will eventually be able to apply as they become active members of the community. We infuse daily learning opportunities with activities designed to develop higher order thinking skills, intended to challenge students to perform to the best of their abilities, and focused on a growing understanding of their individual responsibilities within a Catholic community. Fifth graders begin their responsibilities in our school buddy program by accompanying the Pre-K3 students to our weekly school Mass while modeling good church manners. These buddies also work together throughout the year on other projects, including two class plays.