Katlyn Steffen
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The fifth-grade year is the bridge to middle school at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School. Our middle school students are challenged by a rigorous core curriculum that prepares them for success in high school. The theme of collaboration and cross-curricular studies define fifth grade, with the highlight being Starbase and various school projects.
Starbase is a five-day STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program that introduces 5th graders to various STEM-related careers. Students engage in hands-on activities that strengthen their knowledge of each STEM area. They also work in groups to improve their communication and team-building skills. Starbase is located on the Camp Mabry military base here in Austin. This allows students to be surrounded by members of the Texas National Guard and gives them insight into what life on a Military base is like.
Our goal is for our fifth-grade students to develop strong leadership skills, which they will eventually be able to apply as they become active community members. Therefore, we infuse daily learning opportunities with activities designed to develop higher-order thinking skills, challenge students to perform to the best of their abilities, and focus on a growing understanding of their responsibilities within a Catholic community. For example, fifth graders begin their responsibilities in our school buddy program by accompanying the Pre-K3 students to our weekly school Mass while modeling good church manners.