Ms. Gretchen Pfeiffer
Teacher
Teacher
Fifth Grade
Hello! My name is Gretchen Pfeiffer and I have been teaching at St. Ignatius School since 2012. I have worked as a preschool teacher, a first grade assistant, and began as the fifth grade teacher in 2021.
Fifth Grade is a self-contained classroom, where students study English language arts, math, science, social studies, and religion throughout the week. Students enjoy traveling to other locations in the school for music, PE, and library.
Some highlights of the 5th grade curriculum are:
English Language Arts
In fifth grade, ELA covers reading, writing, listening, and speaking in a variety of ways. Specific areas that we focus on are:
Math
Fifth grade math includes workbook practice and technology-based programs which align with the skills being studied. The topics include:
Science
In fifth grade, we enjoy the hands-on activities from Mystery Science, along with our textbook studies in life science, physical science, and Earth science. The Mystery Science units include:
Social Studies
Some fifth grade social studies areas of focus are:
Religion
In fifth grade, students explore the Catholic faith through weekly Venture magazines that align with the church calendar. They deepen their relationship with God through prayer and writing about moral topics informed by church teachings. They continue to learn about and participate in liturgical celebrations and sacraments of the church.
Fifth Grade is a self-contained classroom, where students study English language arts, math, science, social studies, and religion throughout the week. Students enjoy traveling to other locations in the school for music, PE, and library.
Some highlights of the 5th grade curriculum are:
English Language Arts
In fifth grade, ELA covers reading, writing, listening, and speaking in a variety of ways. Specific areas that we focus on are:
- reading comprehension Sskills
- vocabulary skills
- spelling
- grammar
- writing and revising
Math
Fifth grade math includes workbook practice and technology-based programs which align with the skills being studied. The topics include:
- decimals and place value
- operations with fractions
- measurement and conversion
- geometry
Science
In fifth grade, we enjoy the hands-on activities from Mystery Science, along with our textbook studies in life science, physical science, and Earth science. The Mystery Science units include:
- ecosystems
- the water cycle
- stars and planets
- chemical reactions
Social Studies
Some fifth grade social studies areas of focus are:
- exploration and the first Americans
- fife in the colonies
- the American Revolution
- moving west
- government
Religion
In fifth grade, students explore the Catholic faith through weekly Venture magazines that align with the church calendar. They deepen their relationship with God through prayer and writing about moral topics informed by church teachings. They continue to learn about and participate in liturgical celebrations and sacraments of the church.