In fifth grade, the Wellness and Life Skills program contains two core elements. The first element is to teach developmentally appropriate health education. The second element is to provide students with the opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, so they can then make choices that promote wellness.

In this course, students build upon some of the issues touched upon in fourth grade, such as relational aggression and learning about empathy through group dialogue and role-playing activities. Students also learn about identifying and expressing emotions — from the perspective of self and other — and then identify and discuss the qualities of genuine friendship and healthy human relationships. Students also spend some time examining the dangers of tobacco use.