What is Christian Education?

 

Christian education is distinctive in that it presents all subject areas in the context of God’s view of the world. When a student is taught from a Biblical worldview, by a teacher with a personal relationship with Jesus, the result is Christian Education. The student develops higher level thinking skills, character qualities, and a work/study ethic based on an understanding of what the Bible has to say about life. All of his life choices are made based on his understanding of the Bible and the plan God has for his life. Students are encouraged to develop their intellect to its fullest potential through cultivating the habits of mind that enable them to become lifelong learners. It is our desire that students who leave CCS will encounter and impact today’s culture with the ability to think Biblically, defend their faith and manage their personal and professional lives in a way that will bring honor to God.

 

What are the characteristics of a typical fifth grader?

 

The average fifth grader is on the cusp of adolescence. Due to the individual developmental timelines for this age group, a fifth grade class may have a wide variety of developmental stages represented in it. A fifth grader can be highly sensitive and emotionally vulnerable. He wants to be trusted and given more responsibility. He is learning the new rules for “hanging out” with friends, as opposed to the active play that took place in earlier years. He is very concerned with fairness, but wants this defined on his own terms. At times, he can be obedient, good natured and fun. At other times, he can be difficult and unpredictable.

 

During this year, you can expect your fifth grader to:

 

· develop an awareness of peer and adult expectations

· become more truthful and dependable

· improve in his listening and responding skills
· increase his problem solving abilities

· form a positive relationship with his teacher

· be capable of increasing independence

 

SPIRITUAL FORMATION
  

At CCS, our spiritual formation program is the most important thing we do.  Through daily chapel and classroom Bible instruction, we want to teach our students to know His Word, praise His name and grow daily as young believers.

 
CHAPEL
  

Fifth grade students participate in daily praise and worship time, as well as small prayer groups with their peers.  They also attend weekly Chapel with the Secondary students.

  
BIBLE
  

Fifth graders experience two components of instruction:  an overview of the Old Testament and an in-depth study of the lives of several Bible characters and the choices they made. Bible characters include:


Cain & Abel, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Achan, Judges, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson. Ruth. Samuel, Saul, David, Absalom, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah. Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah.

 
SERVICE PROJECTS
  

Fifth grade students participate in class-specific and school-wide service projects designed to help them follow Biblical principles to serve others and benefit the community. Some examples of previous service projects include care packages to soldiers in Iraq, Christmas shoeboxes for needy children, and collecting food for a local food bank.  Fifth graders are also given the opportunity to serve our school community by participating in safety patrol and daily flag duty.

  
MATH
  

Through the study of our number system with its exact, precise, reliable and logical nature, children are provided a glimpse of our Creator. The Saxon Fifth Grade Math program provides a system of daily instruction, practice and assessments which  actively engage students in the learning process.  Concepts are developed through hands-on math experiences and concrete examples that help the children develop    abstract and higher-order thinking skills.  Topics include:

  

· Multiplying/dividing fractions and decimals

· Addition/subtraction of 2-5 digit whole numbers

· Multiplying by 1-3 digit factors

· Dividing by 1, 2 and 3 digits

· Factors and multiples

· Converting decimals, fractions, and percents

· Estimation, ratios, proportion, graphing, and probability

· Algebraic concepts		  
Resources and Textbooks
  

· Open Court Reading & Writing
· Shurley English
· Saxon Math
· ABEKA Spelling
· Geography, the World and Its People (McGraw-Hill)
· Discovery Works, Concordia Ed.

 
LANGUAGE ARTS

The goal of the Language Arts program in Fifth Grade is to teach students to enjoy the many avenues of communication available to them through reading, writing, speaking and listening. The students will understand that the ability to communicate with others and with God is part of the plan God has for them.

Highlights of the fifth Grade Language Arts program are:

 

· Continued use of strategies taught in fourth grade
· Developing strong comprehension skills
· Systematic instruction in grammar using the Shurley English program
· Exposure to a variety of quality children’s literature through reading texts, daily read-alouds and independent reading time
· Spelling is taught using word families and spelling patterns and tested via weekly assessments
· Creative writing opportunities; writing effective narrative,  persuasive and expository paragraphs; book reports and simple research projects
· Evaluating stories using Biblical principles
· Reading and organizing information for a variety of purposes including use of research materials
· Developing listening and speaking skills through classroom presentations
· Students read and study novels in small groups 

 
SOCIAL STUDIES

Analyzing past and present events in history and identifying God’s purposes through them provides a perspective that will enable students to better affect their community and world as the Lord directs them through life.

Some of the units of study in fifth grade include:

· Map Skills

· Water, Climate, and Vegetation

· Canada
· Latin America

· Europe

SCIENCE

The teaching of science at CCS is designed to reveal the glory of the Creator.  Students are taught that God is in all of science and all that takes place in nature is directly under the control of a sovereign God.

The fifth grade curriculum includes some of these areas of study:

· Seeds and Plants

· Geology

· Space
Field Trips and Special Events

· DARE Program
· Leon Sink Holes
· Marianna Caverns
· Challenger Center
· Space Camp
· Latin American Festival