Fifth Grade
Fifth grade is a pivotal year for students where they practice, refine, and grow their skills in preparation for Middle School.
Reading:
Students will learn to have a deeper understanding of the texts they read and to develop ideas from they have learned from their reading. They will apply this knowledge to support their ideas using evidence from the text, such as quotes, facts, and events from the text
Writing:
Students learn how to write clear, coherent, and focused essays. Essays contain formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions.
Math:
Students will focus on three critical areas: (1) developing fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, and developing understanding of the multiplication of fractions and of division of fractions in limited cases; (2) extending division to two-digit divisors, integrating decimal fractions into the place value system and developing understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and developing fluency with whole number and decimal operations; and (3) developing understanding of volume.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL):
Students will continue to incorporate SEL into their academic lives cultivating self regulation, self awareness, flexibility, and the ability to consider other perspectives.
Judaic Studies
The Study of formal Torah /Chumash text learning is a main subject in our Judaic class. Emphasis is made on students gaining a clear understanding of the fascinating narratives of the conclusion of Chumash Bereishis, starting from Parshas Toldos. Students will continue to build their Torah vocabulary base of high frequency words, prefixes, and suffixes and most common root words. The aim is for our students to become independent Torah scholars. The Loshon Hatorah skill builder series, is used to ensure reinforcement and mastery of these important skills. As important as the textual knowledge, is the moral and ethical values, as well as the personal association and relevancy that students deduce and apply to their day to day life, derived from this learning. The mastery of Rashi’s script and function of this commentary, is reinforced in this grade. The aim of Rashi learning is to better clarify the Torah verses with more in depth insight and analysis .This learning will stretch, expand and strengthen our students higher order thinking skills. Instruction is done in a variety of ways including, teacher led instruction, group level differentiated instruction and independent discovery learning.
Yahadus - Jewish Tradition and Culture
Our Jewish Holidays, traditions and culture come alive with energy and spirit ,as our students see, hear and feel first hand from their teachers all about the significance and uniqueness of every holiday.
Students of the Hebrew Academy receive a complete and comprehensive awareness and full understanding of Judaic culture and the timeless messages that are as relevant today as ever before. Hebrew Academy Students will learn and know the traditions and how to participate and often lead Jewish rituals, ceremony and celebrations.
Each week, special emphasis is given to the Torah Reading. Each week the story of each Parsha comes alive and becomes relevant, as our students learn and connect to the main Parsha themes. Our students take personal notes of their favorite Parsha themes and personal lessons and are very proud to share their extensive knowledge with family and friends around the Shabbat dinner table.
Tefillah / Prayer
Students broaden their knowledge and fluency of the traditional daily prayers from a Siddur (prayer book), as well as gain an appreciation for the meaning of the prayers they are reciting. Our goal is for our students to become familiar with the Jewish prayers in the Siddur and to appreciate and connect with their prayer experience.
“Power of Prayer” is a very beautiful scrapbooking project, exclusive to the Hebrew Academy, which follows our students from 3rd to 5th grade. Power of prayer is a fun and exciting way of giving our students an in depth look at the deeper meaning of the prayers beyond the literal translation of the words. With Power of Prayer, our students have an opportunity, in art form, to express what the prayers mean to them on a personal level.
Ivrit - Hebrew language
The acquisition of conversational Modern Hebrew is a main theme at the Hebrew Academy. Our aim is for our students to develop a love for the land and people of Israel thru the use of Hebrew language. In Ivrit, students develop their Hebrew oral skills. As they advance in their knowledge and accuracy of Hebrew, they become confident in their communication abilities. Lessons are built around and are based in our recently adopted Migdal Ohr workbook series. Ivrit classes include fun projects, exciting games and the use of technology to enhanse lessons.
In 5th grade, the emphasis is on more advanced sentence structure related to understanding the world of nature, and our role in its preservation. Strong Jewish Values are highly emphasized throughout the Ivrit curriculum.
Mishna and Navi
In 5th grade, students advance in their learning of early Jewish history, from the book of Joshua , in its original text. They are also introduced to the oral Torah. With our newly adapted Veshinantom series, they begin their study of Mishna, which is the basis and foundation of future Talmudic learning, Jewish law and practice.
Core Values
We are proud that learning and internalizing Jewish values are integral parts of the outstanding Hebrew Academy educational program, and look for opportunities to recognize students who embody these character traits. Each month our school highlights a different core value. Our teachers, both General Studies and Judaic, will be teaching lessons connected to the core value of the month. Students also reflect on the role that each core value plays with their families and friends extending beyond our campus. Every Rosh Chodesh, at our school community assembly, the children are recognized for their achievements and a Community Leader Award is chosen from every grade for exemplifying the core value(s) of the month.