Mrs. Potvin – 5th Grade
Email: dpotvin@saintstansschool.org
Office Hours: Tuesday 7:45-8:10am (ELA Grades 4 and 5)
2nd Quarter- 2025/2026
The school year is moving along quickly. I can’t believe Christmas is right around the corner and a half of year is done already.
Reading– The students will be working on comprehension and fluency skills, phonics and oral reading. They will be reading informational text, realistic fiction and learn more about poetry.
Religion– Unit 3 we will be learning about Through Jesus, God’s People are Born from Water and the Spirit. God Prepares the Water for Grace of Baptism, and How God Gives us Power and Strength.
Language– We will continue to study the parts of speech; verb tenses, irregular verbs, pronouns, prepositions and direct objects. We will also be diagramming sentences is a visual way to show how a sentence is organized.
Writing– We will be writing a personal narrative story including an introduction, body and a conclusion. We will focus on point of view, voice and audience. We will incorporate time order words to signal the events in the story.
Mrs. Renner – 5th Grade
Email: erenner@saintstansschool.org
Office Hours: Thursday 7:45-8:10am (Social Studies Grades 4 and 5)
Social Studies 5th– This quarter, our 5th graders are diving into the story of the Early American Colonies. Students will explore the unique characteristics of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies, comparing their geography, economy, and culture. As we move forward, we’ll trace the growth of the colonies and begin to uncover the events that set the stage for the American Revolution.
Reading– This quarter, our 5th graders are strengthening their skills with both informational texts and historical fiction. Building on our earlier work with nonfiction, students are learning how to gather important details, analyze text features, and use evidence to support their understanding. In historical fiction, we are focusing on point of view—exploring how authors bring the past to life through characters’ perspectives and experiences. By connecting what they learn in informational texts to the stories they read, students gain a richer, more thoughtful understanding of history and literature.
Religion– This quarter, our 5th graders are growing in faith through the Word of Life curriculum. We are deepening our understanding of Scripture, the Sacraments, and how we live as followers of Christ in our daily lives. Students are also practicing our prayers in Spanish each day, supporting Friar Edgar’s work in Spanish class and helping us experience the universality of the Church. Through reflection, prayer, and classroom discussions, students are building both knowledge of the faith and habits of prayer that will guide them throughout their lives.
Social Studies 4th– This quarter, our 4th graders are exploring the Regions of the United States. Students will learn how geography, climate, natural resources, and culture shape each region and influence the people who live there. From mountains to plains, coasts to deserts, we’ll compare how communities adapt to their environment and celebrate the diversity across our nation. Through maps, activities, and projects, students will gain a deeper understanding of the unique characteristics that make each region of the United States special.
About Me- My name is Ms. Elizabeth Renner and I’m so excited to be your child’s Social Studies teacher this year. I’ve been teaching for only a couple of years in a classroom setting, but I have also worked with students in other roles. These include leading school group tours of Charleston, South Carolina, participating in the National Endowment for the Humanities Civil War Battlefield Augmented Reality program for elementary and middle school field trips to battlefields in Richmond, Virginia, and guiding school groups as they explored archaeological work in Virginia. History has always been my passion. I believe that understanding our past helps students become more thoughtful, informed, and engaged citizens. In our classroom, we will explore U.S. history by making it come alive through hands-on activities, primary sources, historical thinking skills, and student-led discussions.