I am grateful to be a part of the St. Frances Cabrini School community and to serve as the Fifth Grade Homeroom and Religion Teacher. I also teach Fifth- and Sixth-grade Math, Science, and Geometry. My entire teaching career has been devoted to Catholic education, and I consider it a blessing to help students grow academically, spiritually, and personally.
Fifth grade is an exciting and important year as students approach the transition to middle school. During this time, they become more aware of the world around them while developing greater independence, responsibility, and confidence. They are also navigating new social and emotional experiences that help shape who they are becoming.
One of the greatest strengths of St. Frances Cabrini School is our close-knit community. With one class per grade, I have the privilege of getting to know each student as an individual. This allows me to create a classroom where every child feels safe, supported, challenged, and encouraged to reach their full potential. I strive to ensure that each student demonstrates growth academically, socially, spiritually, and personally throughout the school year.
I look forward to partnering with families to provide every student with a faith-filled, challenging, and enriching educational experience.
My Philosophy
I believe that every child is a unique gift from God and deserves to learn in a Christ-centered environment where they feel valued, respected, and encouraged. My goal is to inspire students to become curious learners, critical thinkers, compassionate leaders, and faithful disciples of Christ. By integrating Catholic values into every aspect of the curriculum, I strive to help students develop strong character, deepen their relationship with God, and build the confidence and skills they need to succeed in middle school and beyond. I believe that when students feel known, supported, and challenged, they are empowered to reach their fullest potential both inside and outside the classroom.
The best part of 5th grade is that through the generosity of our parents, our classroom (and all grades K-8) has an interactive smart board! My class loves using it to learn. Fifth grade also has Learner Response Systems (some call them “clickers”), which are used to enhance our learning – it’s very up-to-date technology, and we are fortunate to be able to have it.
Religion: The main focus in Religion is on Jesus’ life and the Sacraments. We also study the liturgy and prayers and learn from Mary and the Saints how to live lives of faith. With the school, we practice Education in Virtue.
Literature and Vocab: The focus in Literature and Vocab is comprehension, vocabulary, and reading fluency. We analyze narratives, such as the novel Holes, and learn the difference between fact and opinion, cause and effect, and word relationships. We also learn about the author’s purpose and perspective. The vocabulary is included in the materials that we read.
Language Arts (Writing and Grammar): We focus on grammar (parts of speech) and writing effective sentences and paragraphs. The grammar exercises come from the “Voyages in English” workbook. The students also have weekly spelling words. We do several types of writing, including personal narratives, opinion pieces, research, how-to, formal and informal letters, and short stories.
Social Studies: We learn about American history from the early colonies through the Constitution, the 50 states, map skills, and citizenship. This includes a unit on geography and comprehending and comparing.
Science: 5th grade is about living things and how they adapt to their surroundings; ecology, the earth – its resources and climate; astronomy. We also learn about life science, including learning about living things, reproduction, adaptations, and ecology.
Technology:
Our fifth graders are 1:1 with technology, and each student has their own Google Chromebook. Throughout each school week, they use it to conduct research, practice note-taking skills, and create presentations that allow them to combine their writing and oral presentation skills with a creative technology component. We reinforce digital citizenship through student collaboration on projects, and they use Google Classroom to allow for effective communication on mini-projects and class assignments.
We are learning to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel programs to:
• Generate ideas and create original works using a variety of digital tools
• Locate and organize information
• Practice personal safety and ethical behavior
• Use a variety of hardware to support learning
• Select and use common and online applications
Enrichment: Students attend weekly enrichment classes for library, music, PE, and Art.
Standardized Testing
Students in Kindergarten through 8th grade participate in NWEA MAP Growth assessments three times each school year. MAP Growth is a nationally recognized, computer-adaptive assessment that measures each student’s academic achievement and growth in reading, mathematics, and language usage. The results provide valuable information that helps teachers personalize instruction, monitor student progress, and ensure every child is challenged and supported throughout the year. Families receive detailed reports after each testing period to better understand their child’s progress and academic growth over time. Additional information about MAP Growth and how to interpret student reports can be found on the NWEA website.
