PVC Fifth-Graders Bring Their Passion Project and Experiences to CET Fourth-Graders

Every spring, PVC Principal Michael Plotkin visits CET fourth-grade classrooms to speak with students about what the middle school, particularly fifth grade, experience looks like. This year, however, the visit looked a little different. Three PVC fifth-graders accompanied Mr. Plotkin and took the lead in sharing their experiences.

“This was an excellent opportunity for students to take their projects to the next level and share them with the community,” said Mr. Plotkin. “It’s a wonderful example of students turning their passions into purpose and action.”

As part of the PVC Passion Project initiative, the three fifth graders—Adelyn, Sylvia, and Maeve—worked together to develop a project that truly reflected their interests and asked Mr. Plotkin to be part of the visit. “We were in an advisory class together, and I wanted to do teaching for my passion project because I want to be a teacher when I grow up,” said Adelyn. “So I had this idea to talk to fourth graders about what it’s like to be in fifth grade.” Sylvia added, “I remember being in fourth grade and worrying that fifth grade would be so much harder, but it isn’t. And that’s something we wanted them to know.”

In each class, with their presentation displayed on the classroom screen, Adelyn and Sylvia led the discussion while Maeve documented the experience for the Passion Project Pageant. The fifth-graders walked the elementary students through various topics, including teacher teams, schedules, language options, the trimester system, clubs, and InDe. “InDe stands for Innovation and Design, one of the specials. You’ll get to make 3D models using 3D printing, work on coding, and do woodworking,” said Adelyn. “You’ll get to use a lot of hot glue.” As an April Fool’s joke, the fifth-graders shared a slide with a “typical” math problem, which prompted a discussion about what type of math to expect in middle school. “It’s going to be a continuation of what you’re learning about fractions,” said Adelyn. Mr. Plotkin added, “A math problem like this is algebra, which you will be studying in eighth grade.”

Not surprisingly, three of the topics most on the minds of fourth-graders were lunch, recess, and lockers. Sylvia was happy to field questions about recess and lunch and to dispel any worries about using lockers. “You’ll get to practice the locker combination several times until you are comfortable,” she assured them. “And if you can’t get it open, you can ask the office for help.” As for the number one question about lunch, Sylvia answered it the same way in every class. “The pizza is 10,000 times better,” she exclaimed.

The fifth-graders were also asked about the hardest part of leaving CET and what they love about PVC. “For me, the favorite parts of PVC are the specials, the teacher teams, and the classrooms—they are really comfortable and decorated with LED lights and have bean bag chairs,” said Adelyn. “The hardest part was leaving all the great teachers here at CET.”

Beyond providing useful information, this experience highlights the benefits of multi-grade learning. When older students mentor younger peers, it creates a supportive learning environment where knowledge is shared in a relatable way. Fourth-graders gain confidence about their transition, while fifth-graders build leadership and communication skills. These peer-to-peer interactions strengthen the school community and demonstrate the power of student-led learning.

At the end of the visit with Ms. More’s class, the fourth-grade students shared their enthusiasm and support for the fifth-grade leadership trio with a chant familiar to the former elementary students: “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, You Did this, Way To Go!”