Upper Grade Highlights

Fun times in the upper grades include the following:

• Living History Museum: Third graders get a chance to research an individual from history that made a significant impact on the world, and then portray that individual in a Living History Museum. The rest of the school then visits the museum, and the characters come to life at the press of a button to talk about their life and contributions.

• Student Store: Third grade students apply and interview for classroom jobs, get paid in Cornerstone Cash, and have the opportunity to spend that cash at the Student Store. The store is organized, run, and financed by the TPs, and allows students to learn budgeting and real-world job skills.

• Poetry Café: Fourth graders do an entire unit learning about various forms of poetry including haiku, cinquain, diamante, limerick and free verse. The unit culminates in students and parents participating in their very own Poetry Café, and participants dress up like beatniks to recite their favorite (or original) poetry.

• Archaeological Dig: Fourth graders get their hands dirty in a large scale archaeological dig set up by TPs.

• Colonial Museum: Fifth graders do an in-depth study of colonial times in America, and design costumes, props and backdrops for a chosen trade/craft. They become apothecaries, silversmiths, seamstresses, and run taverns and inns, then bring the era to life for the entire school at the Colonial Museum.

• Hobbit Project: After reading The Hobbit, 5th grade students bring an aspect of the story to life, based on character and plot analyses. Project choices include writing an original song, catering a celebratory feast, choreographing & performing a dance, or creating a papier-mâché figure.

• Performing Arts: additionally, all grades participate in performing arts, such as plays and hip-hop dance.

• Seasonal and holiday shows are performed several times a year for family and friends.

• Students travel on overnight field trips with their class, along with a select number of parents.