5th Grade is seen as a year of balance, flexibility and harmony. It is often called the “Golden Age of Childhood,” as it is a time when the children experience a special equilibrium with their dawning inner life, and a sense of lightness with their outward movement.

One might say that the mood of the 5th Graders is one of finding order and grace by actively seeking new ways to improve their habits, their work, and themselves. 5th Graders demonstrate a dynamic interest in the world and they require ennobled inspiration; they thrive on goodness and beauty, seeking truth and striving to imbue their entire world with these virtues.

The children are led from the world of folk traditions to history, a transition that reflects a growing interest and awareness of the world around them. Studies culminate in a Pentathlon where the children demonstrate skill in five athletic events of the original Olympic Games. In addition to becoming athletically able, the goal is likewise to demonstrate grace and beauty in each event. 

The 5th Grade curriculum traces one perspective of the evolution of human consciousness through the millennia and across the globe, especially with respect to views of life, death, and the afterlife. Students are introduced to a variety of cultural viewpoints while beginning  to take responsibility for their own learning and development.  Common threads of the creation stories and hero tales of several peoples, from floods and rainbows,  to initiations and quests, to the intervention of gods in human affairs, become evident; through these threads the children’s sense of themselves as individuals, yet still as part of the wider world, is nurtured.