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Students showcase new 5th-grade science program and returning music classes at Coquille Valley Elementary
Summary
Teachers and students presented the newly established 5th-grade science class based on NGSS and celebrated a second year of band at Coquille Valley Elementary, with students demonstrating experiments and a short musical performance.
Coquille Valley Elementary teachers updated the board on new classroom offerings and student work, highlighting the first dedicated 5th-grade science class and renewed 5th-grade music. Science teacher Casey Peterson described a shift to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which centers student inquiry and experimentation rather than memorization.
"This is instead a very exploratory way to do science where the students pose the questions," Peterson said, explaining that students design experiments, revise them and draw conclusions. Three 5th graders spoke to the board about classroom projects: Abigail Westgard said her favorite was building balloon-powered cars, another student described weekly 'mystery science' projects and a third student explained changes in particle motion when substances are heated.
Music teacher Emma Rostegas told the board the band program is in its second year and has nearly doubled enrollment, noting a successful winter concert and more students taking choir. "The numbers in band have almost doubled," she said, adding that stronger enrollment enables more advanced performance opportunities and leadership from 6th-grade students. A small student ensemble performed a short clip for the board.
