Experience Our Academic Program

Grade 5

Welcome to Grade 5

Fifth grade is an exciting time of growth and transition as students begin their middle school journey. At Country School, our curriculum provides a strong foundation in core subjects — reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and Spanish — while encouraging independence, curiosity, and critical thinking.

We also focus on building executive function and essential student skills, such as organization, time management, and self-advocacy. Just as important, we emphasize social-emotional growth — helping students develop confidence, empathy, and leadership.

Students learn in a supportive environment where they’re encouraged to take risks, explore new ideas, and discover their individual strengths — both in and beyond the classroom.

Grade 5 Highlights

List of 3 items.

  • Student Choice

    Emerging autonomy requires a deep and wide variety of choices! Students find their individual passions by choosing which sports teams, arts electives, and clubs they participate in. WINN (What I Need Now) is another opportunity for Middle School students to consider how they utilize their choice time.

  • THRIVE

    THRIVE offers a class time focused on community life and skill-building for healthy, human development and supports the social and emotional learning of our students. Examples of lessons: community connectedness, stress management, friendships, growth & development, inclusion & belonging, tech wellness, and positive thinking.

  • Middle School Shares

    Fifth and sixth graders showcase their considerable artistic talents in group and individual performances at “Middle School Shares,” a variety show featuring monologues, magicians, musicians and joke-telling emcees. Community-building is central to the school’s mission, and this event reiterates that this is a safe place where students are encouraged to take risks, unique, celebrate individual talents and passions, and show respect and support for others doing the same.

5th Grade Sample Schedule

List of 16 items.

  • 7:30 a.m.

    Early Birds: Before School Programming Available
    Learn More

  • 8:00 a.m.

    Arrival

  • 8:15 a.m.

    Morning Meeting

  • 8:30 a.m.

    Period 1: Math

  • 9:15 a.m.

    Period 2: Science

  • 10:00 a.m.

    Recess

  • 10:15 a.m.

    Period 3: Spanish

  • 11:00 a.m.

    Period 4: Enligh

  • 11:45 a.m.

    Community Time/Study Hall

  • 12:20 p.m.

    Lunch & Recess

  • 1:00 p.m.

    Period 5: Social Studies

  • 1:45 p.m.

    Sports

  • 2:45 p.m.

    Homeroom

  • 3:05 p.m.

    MS Arts

  • 4:00 p.m.

    Homeroom/Dismissal

  • 4–5:30 p.m.

    After School Programming Available
    Learn More

Our Grade 5 Curriculum

English

Fifth graders explore literature, writing, grammar, and public speaking through a mix of guided and independent work. They build comprehension and critical thinking skills while writing both narratives and research-based essays. Discussions and presentations help students find their voice and grow as confident communicators.

Social Studies

Students examine human migration, geography, and the rise and fall of civilizations. They connect past and present through research, nonfiction reading, and collaborative projects, while developing global awareness. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and empathy as students explore how people, places, and ideas shape the world.

Mathematics

Students strengthen core skills in fractions, decimals, volume, and place value, while deepening their understanding of multiplication, division, and coordinate graphing through hands-on problem solving. They practice explaining their thinking in writing and conversation, reinforcing both accuracy and reasoning.

Science

Using campus spaces and Middle School labs, students investigate space, the human body, and plant systems. They build scientific thinking through observation, data collection, experiments, and collaborative projects. Students are encouraged to ask questions, test ideas, and reflect on what they discover through inquiry-based learning.

World Languages

Fifth graders continue their study of Spanish, building foundational grammar and vocabulary through thematic units. Lessons combine textbook work, listening activities, games, and group projects to develop comprehension and writing skills, including sentence structure and basic verb usage. Students begin to express themselves more confidently in both written and spoken Spanish.

Performing Arts

Fifth graders take part in either Band or Chorus, where they build music theory knowledge, develop performance skills, and learn concert etiquette. Students have multiple opportunities to share their work with the larger community. During the Arts Electives term, they may also choose to participate in the Middle School Musical.

Visual Art

Middle School art encourages creative expression and hands-on exploration. Students work with both two- and three-dimensional media — drawing, painting, and clay sculpture — while learning new techniques and developing their own artistic voice. Art history provides inspiration and helps students connect their ideas to a broader, multicultural context.

Woodshop

Fifth graders continue their woodshop experience, honing skills like planning, measuring, sawing, and hammering. Projects such as banjos, clocks, and duck decoys give students the chance to build confidence — and something tangible — with their own two hands.

Maker

The Maker Lab is a hub for creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning. Fifth graders meet regularly to explore gadgetry, simple electronics, basic programming, and 3D printing. Along the way, they tinker, invent, and even build their own mini-bots.

Middle School Art Electives

3D Animation
3D Printing
Architecture
Boat Building
Cartooning
Ceramics
Choral Ensemble
Collage
Digital Photography
Dramatic Arts
Drawing
Garage Band
Graphic Novels
Guitar & Ukulele
Jewelry 
Mixed Media
 Muraling
Painting
Printmaking
Scratch Programming
Short Film
Theatre Tech
Woodworking

Physical Education & Athletics

In the Middle School, students transition to a combination of intramural and interscholastic programs. In the fall and spring seasons, students select a sport and play a competitive interscholastic schedule. Each team competes with peer schools from the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA). Playing time is evenly distributed, and the emphasis is on sport-specific skills, teamwork, sportsmanship, team pride and improvement over the course of a season. Usually, there is more than one team in a given sport. In these cases, teams are created to be equal, both by grade level and skill level. Frequently, the separate teams in a given sport will practice together daily, which helps promote a sense of community and strengthens the bonds between students. The winter season is intramural-based and is divided into two equal sessions. Students rank preferences from a variety of offerings and have the opportunity to participate in two sports. This intra-mural season adds to the students’ total athletic experience, while also providing a chance for sport-specific skill development and camaraderie among peers.

Middle School Athletic Offerings

FALL

Cross-Country
Field Hockey
Flag Football
Soccer
Volleyball

WINTER

Basketball
Dance
Fitness
Hockey
Pickleball
Skating
Squash
Volleyball
Yoga

SPRING

Baseball
Cross-Country
Lacrosse
Softball

Our Teachers Don’t Skip a Beat. Unless Of Course it’s Double Dutch.

New Canaan Country School

635 Frogtown Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (203) 972-0771

Links & Resources

Accreditations

New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.