Christin Anderson, Sujan Kilton, and Melissa Tkacs
 an k t     

Welcome to Fifth Grade!

Welcome to Lee Elementary Fifth Grade!

The theme for this year has definitely been “Change”, the good kind, of course! With two new fifth grade teachers to the crew, we have had such a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students.
We strive as a team not only to teach the academic aspect of school but to model for our students how to handle real world situations and do it with a positive, uplifting attitude.
Our goal at Lee this year has been to allow these students to grow in a positive, safe, and nurturing environment. We definitely have had our ups and downs, but we have had many blessings in the mix as well.
   

Here are a few words from each department:

Science
World

My name is Melissa Tkacs, and this is my first year to be a Lee Lion.
 
The science curriculum is full of fun activities in which the students have the opportunity to work in cooperative groups for projects and labs.
We have been known to take little trips outside to conduct investigations and/or to build models such as a human walking model of the solar system. We like to have fun while we learn.

There are times when we spend our fair share of time digging information out of text books or various other resources, but enjoying the practical side of science, the hands on part of science, and learning to think like a scientist is our goal.

We find we learn better if we can refer back to a lab or a practical example of the concepts we are learning. Science can be intriguing and it’s a joy to watch the students learn and grow.

Reasoning Mind
 
RM

Hello! My name is Christin Anderson,  and I am new to the Lee Lion family this year. 
We have a program called Reasoning Minds (the students know it as RM). Reasoning Minds is a computer based algebra preparation program for students in the 2nd-6th grades.
 
For fifth grade, the curriculum is very rigorous and challenging for all students no matter what level in math the may be on. The students are allowed to go at their own pace and are graded according to their accuracy of problems answered correctly.
 
As a teacher, I feel this program has begun to give my students confidence in their Math learning abilities. The program connects with the students individually by presenting visuals and scenarios that they can use in real world situations. It also supports independent learning, which is a skill that students can use the rest of their life.

 

English Language Arts

Boy Reading

My name is Sujan Kilton.

I am the English Language Arts teacher. I feel extremely privileged to be able to instill a great appreciation of literature to our fifth graders.
My goal for our students is to realize they can and will succeed with hard work and determination.
 
I want them to leave 5th grade knowing they have a say in our world!