Third & Fourth Grades

Fifth & Sixth Grades

Seventh & Eighth Grades

Student Support Services

Nurse

Specials

Meal Program

Co-Curriculars

Fifth & Sixth Grades

Becoming a Thoughtful Self-Starter

In 5th and 6th grade, students learn how to work both on their own and as thoughtful members of their classroom community.

Pillars of the Fifth and Sixth Grade

Learning to Work Independently

In 5th and 6th grade, students begin to learn what it means to be in charge of their academic journey, something essential when they reach 7th and 8th grade. At CJA, this means learning habits that prepare students for the school day, such as having the necessary materials for class, learning to study for tests on their own and staying on task.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Fifth and sixth graders learn the importance of healthy relationships and how they act when in relation with each other. Our main focus is naming emotions and problem solving using coping mechanisms. There is also a strong emphasis on establishing a growth mindset. For example, we work with students to reframe thoughts like “I am not good enough” to “I did my best. That is enough.

Building a Classroom Community

Many students enter CJA for the first time in 5th or 6th grade. To help ensure these students feel welcome, we focus on community building during morning advisory meetings and dive deeper into student understanding of the Responsive Classroom tenets: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control.

Around the Fifth & Sixth Grades

5th- and 6th-grade boys and girls learned how quilts were used to send messages to people traveling to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

5th- and 6th- grade boys exploring and learning at the Field Museum.

5th and 6th grade boys warming up for the Christmas concert.

5th grade girls visited the Field Museum to participate in the Women in STEM series. They learned from lead paleontologist, Dr. Jingmai O'Conner, and participated in an excavation activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Arrival begins at 7:30am each day, where students will be given a sit-down breakfast. At 7:50am, students will transition to their first class. Throughout the school day, students will have academic courses (Math, Science, Language Arts/Reading and Social Studies) along with Art, Music and PE. Students will also eat lunch and have an afternoon snack before ending their day with their chosen co-curricular activity. Dismissal is at 4:05pm on Mondays-Thursdays and 2pm on Fridays.

CJA students choose one co-curricular activity per quarter from a wide variety of physical and creative offerings.  There are typically 8-10 options per quarter.  Past offerings included:  Robotics, Culinary Club, Boxing, Basketball, Jazz Band and Girls on the Run. 

CJA’ s programming is 11 months vs. the 10 month schedule typical in public schools. The summer session, which consists of three weeks of academic learning in July, is considered the beginning of our school year for all students. The school year resumes again in mid-August, and then ends the first week of June of the following year.

 

Each day, students can arrive starting at 7:00am and are offered a full breakfast at 7:30am before transitioning to their first class at 7:50am. During the summer session, dismissal is at 2:00pm every day. During the August-May session, dismissal is at 4:05pm, Monday – Thursday, and at 2:00pm on Fridays.

CJA teachers are continually assessing student progress.   If a student would benefit from added learning support, we tailor a plan to meet their unique needs and help them reach their potential.  Plans can include receiving added math or language arts support during a designated small group instruction time or during class, working with a volunteer tutor, or meeting with one of our Learning Resource Center faculty members.  CJA also works with students with IEPs and 504 plans.  

CJA believes in caring for the whole student and mental wellness is a key piece of this care. All students participate in grade-level programming led by our social work team, including SEL (Social Emotional Learning) class. When a student would benefit from added support, our team works with that student individually or in small groups to help them navigate a specific issue or an on-going need.

Chicago Jesuit Academy admits students of all faiths and there is no religious requirement for admission.   Students attend chapel each Friday and Formation classes throughout the week. Formation classes do not follow a religious text but rather teach students how to become people for others, understanding that each person is made in the image and likeness of God.