Intermediate School Students Describe ‘How to be a Fifth-Grader’

Dr. Joseph Waters, principal of the recognized two of his fifth-grade students at the recent Regular Meeting of the Upper Moreland School Board.

“It gives me great pleasure in introducing to you this evening two of our outstanding Upper Moreland Intermediate School fifth-graders,” Waters told the board.

He had asked the students, Caleb Mead and Grace Farrell, to provide a presentation for the school board on what life is like in the fifth-grade.

“These two fifth-graders had a very difficult task,” Waters said. “I asked them to write and present to the board meeting tonight, smack dab in the middle of the PSSA writing assessments.”

Waters said that the students based their presentation off of a mentor text they were learning in class. He explained that UMIS teachers often use mentor text in their lessons, to familiarize them with great writers and to be used as a scaffold with the students’ own writing.

The students’ presentation based their presentation off of the picture book, “How To Be,” by Lisa Brown.

“This author has readers think about all the characteristics of certain animals. For example, a snake is charming and a spider is creative,” Waters said. “The book is written in the format of advice offered to the reader about each of the animals mentioned in the book.”

He said that Caleb and Grace’s presentation would provide a unique look into and advice on “How to be a Fifth-Grader.”

Caleb took the first portion of the presentation:

• Show the teachers you can finish your work on time
• Have as much fun possible during our remarkable activities
• Make sure you put some supreme effort into any subject
• At all times be sincere and honest
• Make sure you learn the best strategies from the finest teachers in the world
• Sing your heart out when you’re on stage in the winter and spring performances
• Be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide
• Solve word problems, fractions, decimals and probability, too.
• Put as much skill and perseverance as you can in your PSSAs
• Dress up as Patrick Henry for the Wax Museum
• And shout out, ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’
• Design your cover for the egg drop contest so that your egg is secured
• Be the smartest kid in the entire school, maybe the entire universe
• Never disregard anyone who works on the Upper Moreland staff
• Pay attention and listen carefully
• Always remember shaking hands with your principal and teacher on graduation day
• You did it
• Be thankful your parents helped you when you needed it
• Be inspired to reach your sixth-grade goals

Grace proceeded with some advice of her own:

• Participate in Reading Olympics and read, read, read
• Work as hard as you can and never stop learning
• Bump those grades up and become a National Elementary Honors Society member
• Perform as a role model for younger students
• Dance, dance, dance the night away with your dad at the Father/Daughter Dance
• Help out your school activities and organizations by becoming a K-Kid
• Shed those tears, because this is your final year at Upper Moreland Intermediate School
• Become an historical person for the Wax Museum
• Have fun with the end-of-the-school-year activities your generous teachers make happen
• Rest your brain after taking the time-consuming PSSAs: Reading, Math and Writing
• Accomplish all your homework and projects and turn them in on the day they are due
• Don’t stress out, just think everything through
• Recognize that your teachers are always there to help you
• Know your parents will shed a tear on graduation day
• Tuck away all your supportive teachers and friends in your memory bank
• You will never forget them
• Dream about becoming a part of the play in Middle School
• Be proud to be a fifth-grader at UMIS

At the end of their presentation, Caleb and Grace helped open the school board meeting by leading those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.