2025 5th Grade Release STAAR

On Time

Characters:

SHRUTI: An 11-year-old girl BEN: An 11-year-old boy, Shruti’s classmate

SCENE 1

1 [The setting is Wednesday morning on a school bus. Shruti is seated. Ben enters. He is out of breath and looks like he just rolled out of bed. He is holding a poster board. He sits next to Shruti.]

2 SHRUTI: Good morning!

3 BEN: Hi. [He does not look at her. He unrolls the poster board. He takes a marker out of his backpack and begins scribbling. He talks to himself as he writes.] The First Continental Congress met in Boston, Massachusetts—

4 SHRUTI: Philadelphia.

5 BEN: What?

6 SHRUTI: The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia.

7 BEN: Oh. [He looks at his poster board, where he has written “BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.” He flips the poster board over and starts writing again.]

8 SHRUTI: Maybe you should write in pencil first?

9 BEN: No time. I’ve got to finish this before—

10 [With a thud, the bus goes over a bump. Ben loses control of the marker and makes a big streak across the poster board.]

11 BEN: No! [He leans his head on the seat in front of him in despair.]

SCENE 2

12 [The setting is Wednesday afternoon in the school cafeteria. Shruti sits at a table eating her lunch. Ben approaches holding a water bottle and his backpack.]

13 SHRUTI: Hello again! I’m Shruti. I’m new. You are Ben, right? We’re in the same history class and—

14 BEN: I’m sorry. I have to finish my math assignment right now. [He sits across from Shruti. He pulls a worksheet from his backpack and starts answering math problems. He murmurs to himself.] Carry the one. Then seven times nine is fifty-four. Then add—

15 SHRUTI: Sixty-three.

16 BEN: What?

17 SHRUTI: Seven times nine is sixty-three.

18 BEN: Right. [He opens the water bottle and takes a sip.] Thanks. [He puts the water bottle down without putting the cap back on.]

19 SHRUTI: [Excitedly.] I know a trick for multiplying by nine. If you hold out your hands like this—[As she extends her arms out, she knocks over the water bottle. Water spills on the table, drenching the worksheet.] I’m so sorry! [She picks up the water bottle and begins soaking up the puddle with napkins.]

20 BEN: Oh man, Ms. Romano hates it when I turn in wet worksheets. [He carefully picks up the wet piece of paper and places it on a dry part of the table.]

21 SHRUTI: You do your math work at lunch that often?

22 BEN: [Shrugs.] I’m not very good at time management.

23 SHRUTI: [Laughing.] I noticed.

24 BEN: [Offended.] Hey! I don’t even know you.

25 SHRUTI: I’ve told you three times. I’m Shruti. My family just moved here.

26 BEN: You’re new? If today is your first day, how do you know I’m always rushing to finish my work?

27 SHRUTI: Today is not my first day. Monday was my first day.

28 BEN: It was?

29 SHRUTI: I introduced myself to you in the library on Monday morning, but you were busy gluing something together.

30 BEN: My solar system project! [He frowns.] Mr. Nodiff was not impressed.

31 SHRUTI: The asteroid belt was in the wrong place. I’m not sure what solar system you were trying to make, but it wasn’t the one we live in.

32 BEN: [Stammering.] I—

33 SHRUTI: I tried to introduce myself to you again on Tuesday during lunch, but you were filling out a list of state capitals. By the way, the capital of Washington is not Seattle.

34 BEN: It’s not?

35 SHRUTI: It’s Olympia! I told you yesterday that Olympia, Washington, is where I moved from.

36 BEN: [He looks down at the floor.] I’m sorry, Shruti.

37 SHRUTI: It’s OK. But you’ll remember me now, right?

38 BEN: Of course! Maybe you can give me some tips on how to manage my time. I want to do a good job. I really do.

39 SHRUTI: [Smiling.] Tongal, Esther, and I need a fourth person for our history project. Do you want to be in our group? We’re going to meet at my house on Saturday to start. My dad is going to make murgh makhani—butter chicken—for dinner. It’s so good.

40 BEN: Yes!

41 SHRUTI: [Seriously.] But you have to make sure you finish your part of the project on time.

42 BEN: I will! I promise! [Pauses.] Can you show me that trick for multiplying by nine?

43 SHRUTI: Sure! [She motions to the water on the table.] But first, let’s clean this up.

44 [Curtain.]