Children in grades 5 and 6 enter that period of growth between childhood and adulthood, called adolescence. Students are ready to apply foundational skills learned earlier and develop abstract thinking ability. Prior to fifth and sixth grade students learned to read – now they read to learn. Study skills are paramount during this period. Teachers guide students in how to conduct research, take notes, write paragraphs, organize time, study for tests, and answer essay questions. With increased maturity comes more opportunities for leadership. We encourage young men and woman to look beyond themselves in service to others. A change in uniform is symbol of this new growth and development. Please also review our new curriculum for grade 6.
Religion
Students deepen their relationship with God through Scripture, study of the life of Jesus, sacraments and prayer. They assume leadership roles, enhancing the liturgical celebration of the mass through the ministries of breadbaking, dance, decorating, drama, hospitality, lectors, music, servers and sacristans. Through interviews with Holocaust survivors, our students learn the effects of prejudice and the need for tolerance and respect. We encourage our students to live their faith through service to others. Students make lunches for the Bridges program and sixth graders prepare a monthly meal at homeless shelter.
Reading/Language Arts
Good literature is the core of the reading/language arts program. We develop students’ abilities to think critically and clearly express their thoughts in writing. “Literature Circles” encourage higher level thinking skills as students read, share, question and summarize. The writing process of drafting, revising, editing and proofreading improves student writing. Vocabulary development and advanced grammar skills continue to be an essential component of the curriculum. A highlight for our sixth graders is their performance in scenes from a Shakespearean play the final week of school.
Mathematics
Students follow a math texbook a grade above their current grade. Math skills continue to develop systematically. Strong computational skills are the foundation for more abstract algebraic concepts. We develop students’ ability to explain how they arrive at an answer, stressing the process is as important as the product. Children learn strategies for deconstructing and solving word problems.
Science
Science students learn by observing, hypothesizing and drawing conclusions. Our young scientists use microscopes, triple beam balances, probes and magnets. They write research papers, simulate a moon landing at the Buehler Challenger Science Center and participate in a multi-disciplinary science fair.
Social Studies
Social studies encompasses history, geography, economics, citizenship, culture and current events. Students visit the U.S. Constitution Center in Philadelphia, simulate a wagon train on the westward expansion, electronically communicate with students on a different continent, and create a virtual Egyptian Museum. Weekly discussions of current events help create knowledgeable citizens of the world. Along the way the students gain skills in oral presentations, decision-making, print and internet research, PowerPoint and HyperStudio.
Physical Education
All students participate in Physical Education. Instruction develops muscular coordination, physical fitness and a lifelong enjoyment of sports and games. The Intermediate Program marks the transition from a focus on efficient body movement to sports skill emphasis at a time when interest in team sports in keen. Activities include soccer, deck hockey, volleyball, softball and an obstacle course. Competitive varsity sports for boys’ and girls’ teams include soccer, field hockey, baseball and softball. The purpose of the interscholastic athletic program at Oak Knoll is to provide opportunities for a challenging and rewarding athletic experience for those students in grades 5 and 6 who commit themselves to an appropriate level of competition.
Art
In the visual arts, the children are given a variety of experiences in many different media in order to strengthen their skills and abilities. As the child’s confidence and skills grow, new materials and challenges are introduced. The curriculum goes from a formalist approach in the lower primaries to cross-discipline integration in the older grades. Aesthetics and art appreciation are also extremely important in the total development of the student’s creative process.
Music
Lower School students participate in a general music class of active music making and an age-appropriate chorus. Classroom music uses the Orff Schulwerk approach, in which children sing, move, play pitched and unpitched percussion instruments and recorders; as well as listen, analyze, improvise and compose. Aspects of theory and music literacy are part of the instruction. All students in Grades 1 to 6 participate in the Christmas Concert and at least one other performance during the year incorporating music, movement and drama. Often these performances represent a cross-discipline experience. In addition, students prepare and sing liturgical music for school liturgies.
An instrumental program is optional for children in Grades 4 to 6. Strings, woodwinds and brass instruments are taught in small groups by a private music instructor. A fee is charged for these lessons and for instrumental rental.
Drama
In creative drama classes, the children explore, enjoy and share new ways of self-expression through movement, pantomime, storytelling, puppetry, improvisation, and small and large group performances. Intermediate students learn the art of storytelling as they work to develop their public speaking skills. All grades participate in creative dramatics throughout the year and are involved in the creation of their own videotaped commercial which is self-developed, written, directed and produced! In the winter and spring, the students celebrate their talents in both our Christmas and spring concerts.
World Language
The World Language program at Oak Knoll is designed to enable students to communicate meaningfully in another language at an age-appropriate level. We seek to broaden our students’ understanding of and appreciation for other cultures and nationalities. Lively games, activities and songs reinforce the acquisition of oral and visual vocabulary and encourage students to speak in French or Spanish. Students continue to broaden their vocabulary with an emphasis on speaking and pronunciation. Simulations of real life experiences encourage conversational skills. With the confidence gained from several years of world language instruction, students broaden their skills to include writing using proper syntax. Children develop practical communication skills through real life simulations.
Computer
Children of this age begin to move beyond the concrete to the abstract. Challenging students to think critically, especially in the area of technology, becomes an essential part of the curriculum. Students study and discuss media literacy and the power of images in their lives. Videos, multi-tracked sound recordings, mp3 files, podcasts and a Web radio program based on research work in social studies peeks student interest. By grade 6 students are ready to create a virtual Egyptian museum as a coordinated effort between computer class and social studies. The museum incorporates skills in Google Sketchup to design; SmartRecorder and Audacity to record their voices; and digital cameras and scanners to upload and edit images and movies using PhotoShop and Permiere Elements 3.
Library
The Bonaventura Library program focuses on two main objectives: the development of information literacy skills necessary for learning in the 21st century and a lifelong love of reading. Children in kindergarten to grade 6 attend regularly-scheduled library classes and visit the library for class projects, for group or independent research or to check out books at any time during the school day.
In grades 5 and 6, the emphasis is on critical evaluation of Web resources and proper citation. Students must put together all the steps of the research process and construct bibliographies for all projects requiring research.
Health
Students in grade 4 to 6 study the body, growth and development, nutrition, disease prevention, substance abuse and first aid in a formal class setting. Many topics are taught in conjunction with units in science.