Grade 5 - Specials

The primary goal of the Music Program at West Woods is to help students become independent, lifelong musicians who understand how to use music for communication, cultural understanding, and personal enjoyment. Through active participation in a performing ensemble, students in grades five and six will deepen their understanding of the elements of music and the three musical processes: creating, performing, and responding. In addition to being challenged to meet high standards of musical achievement, students will also be asked to demonstrate their ability to think critically, collaborate, problem-solve, and be resourceful within the content area of music. Students may choose to participate in one or two of our music ensembles: band, chorus, and orchestra. Co-curricular music offerings extend the music curriculum in both grades. Please note that in addition to their music ensemble class, students participating in band and orchestra will receive a 30-minute instrumental lesson each week. 

Band: The Farmington Band Program begins in grade 5. At the end of fourth grade, students may choose to learn to play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument. In addition to their 30-minute lesson, students will learn how to rehearse and perform together as an ensemble during band class. 

Chorus: Students in chorus will focus on developing their singing voice, understanding the concept of singing in a choral ensemble, and strengthening their music reading skills. 

Orchestra: Orchestra at West Woods is a continuation of the orchestra program that started in each elementary school. Students will learn about music through participation in the orchestra and be challenged to meet high standards of both individual and ensemble performance. 

The mission of the Farmington Public Schools Fine and Applied Arts Department is to prepare students with skills and conceptual understanding that enable them to be innovative, confident thinkers, able to create personal art and design with highly competitive real-world applications, an awareness of contemporary visual culture and media and a deep appreciation of global art and design throughout time. The vision for our K-12 program is to offer classes where students are known well, nurtured by caring adults, and have choices about how and what they learn. Learning is experiential and active with time for explorations of interdisciplinary subjects through the arts. Within broad topics for exploration, the curriculum is goal-oriented, sequential, and developmentally appropriate. Beginning each unit of study with inquiry, students are taught to analyze art from a variety of perspectives and to be critical thinkers of the world around them. Students make connections with community partners and present their work annually to stakeholders. Through project-based learning, students learn to collaborate, take creative risks, and advocate for their work in front of an authentic audience. 

Physical Education: The Physical Education Program at West Woods offers a structured sequence of learning experiences in a safe environment for both grades, which supports the development of a healthy lifestyle and related attitudes and dispositions. In fifth grade, students consolidate skills learned in the elementary grades and apply those skills to a wide variety of physical activities. Fitness is a focus —understanding the importance of cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility in order to maintain optimal health. In both grades, students have physical education two days a week, and the intramural program is an extension of the physical education curriculum. Students are also encouraged to be self-motivated in staying physically active outside of the school day. All students are required to have proper footwear and attire for physical education classes and intramural programs. 

In fifth grade, students explore and improve personal fitness through increasingly complex games, group activities, and physical fitness testing. Students also use their accumulated knowledge of movement and basic skills to participate in a wide variety of team activities such as flag football, volleyball, badminton, basketball, Wiffle ball, lacrosse, track and field, and movement forms. Cooperative adventure activities are also included in the program. 

Health: The primary goal of health education at West Woods is to teach all students how to make smart choices to live a healthy life. Students assess their individual habits and behaviors in order to make informed choices that will positively affect their well-being. Students are exposed to a blend of scientific facts, current research, and resources. They participate in class discussions and tasks that help them develop the life skills necessary for a healthy, responsible, and productive future. Topics related to staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy are integrated into the curriculum. In fifth grade, students learn about nutrition, staying healthy, adolescent development, dental hygiene, and goal setting. 

The Library Media Program at Farmington Public Schools promotes reading and research as central to lifelong learning. The program teaches information and media literacy and prepares students to be independent users of ideas and information. A goal of the West Woods Library Program is to develop the skills of our students as global citizens: to be self-aware individuals, empowered learners, disciplined thinkers, engaged collaborators, and civic-minded contributors. The library program supports and enriches curriculum in all areas. Information and digital media literacy instruction is integrated into curriculum in social studies, science, and language arts through collaboration with the classroom teachers. The Library Program fosters the habit, appreciation and love of reading through scheduled book exchange times, book talks, book fairs, virtual and in-person author visits, and special reading programs such as Nutmeg Madness. 

The goal at West Woods is to develop 21st-century technology users who can select appropriate software tools for a given task, maintain and organize their files, and be responsible and ethical users regarding personal computers, networks, and the Internet. Technology skills are integrated into the curriculum across all content areas, and students in grades five and six are exposed to software applications that enhance their technology competence, knowledge, and academic skills. Students continue to develop and enhance their technology skills in information access, data analysis, and ethical and responsible use of technology services. For example, in language arts, students use word processing to improve process writing and to design brochures and newsletters. In mathematics and science, students use spreadsheets to graph data from surveys and research as well as use multimedia tools to create oral presentations. Digital citizenship is introduced in fifth grade with an emphasis on online safety. Fifth-grade students learn how to keep themselves and their personal information safe.