5th Grade

updated 11/20/2025

5th Grade GATE – Fall Highlights

Our 5th grade GATE students began the year with a strong focus on collaboration, creativity and problem solving. Through early STEAM challenges, technology tasks and teamwork activities, students strengthened their design thinking skills and built a supportive classroom community.

Fall STEAM Challenges

To kick off the year, students participated in hands on STEAM challenges that required them to brainstorm, build, test and revise under time limits. These tasks helped students reconnect with the engineering design process and practice the communication skills needed for more advanced projects.

Students also created Virtual Lockers, which allowed them to share their interests, personalities, goals and creative flair through digital design. This activity helped me learn more about each student while giving them space to express themselves as learners and thinkers.

Our Fall Projects and Competitions

As the fall progressed, students had the opportunity to choose the project or competition that best matched their interests and strengths. This approach allowed students to challenge themselves in meaningful ways and take ownership of their learning.

Many students are working on entries for the NJCGTP annual STEAM Challenge, Do You Want to Build a Snowman. These students are designing and building three dimensional snow people or snow animals that follow specific height, width and depth guidelines and must include at least half recycled or repurposed materials. Students also selected one of the Seven Pillars of Character and are designing their snow person to represent that pillar. After Thanksgiving, they will begin writing their scripts and recording their videos for the judges. Below is the Google Form that must be completed in order for students to submit their videos for judging for the NJCGTP.

Other students chose to participate in the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC) statewide competitions, centered around this year’s theme: The Science and Art of Gifted Education: Where Creativity Meets Curiosity

These students are preparing submissions in visual art, writing or mixed-media formats that blend imagination, inquiry and personal passion. Their early drafts show originality, depth and creative expression.

A third group of students is developing NJ STEAM Tank pitches. These students are identifying real-world problems, brainstorming innovations and learning how to clearly communicate their ideas. They are practicing entrepreneurial thinking, persuasive communication and collaborative problem solving as they refine their pitch concepts.

Each student is engaged in meaningful, challenging work that reflects their interests, talents and personal goals. It has been inspiring to watch their ideas grow and take shape throughout the fall.