Homework Expectations

Dear Students and Families,

I believe homework is important because it is a valuable aid in helping students make the most of their experience in school. I give homework because it is useful in:

            -reinforcing what has been learning in class,                   

            -preparing students for upcoming lessons,

            -extending and generalizing concepts,

            -teaching responsibility, and

            -helping students develop positive study habits.

I will assign homework Monday through Thursday nights and students will write down their homework on their assignment sheet. I expect homework to take approximately 45 minutes per night with 25 of those minutes spent on independent reading. Generally, students and parents report that their students are assigned less than 45 minutes of homework as I really do want students free to play, enjoy their families and friends, and adventure outside. Once in a while projects or big assessments require extra time studying or building stuff at home. A student should not spend more than an hour on homework, unless he or she has procrastinated on a large project.

Check out this Love and Logic tip for hassle-free homework tips!

A special note on independent reading: Reading recordkeeping will be made on the basis of minutes not pages this year. To empower students to direct their own learning and enjoyment of reading, I will be allowing students to read newspapers, magazines, internet articles etc. for their minutes though they must bring in written accountability (this will be discussed in class) if they choose to not read a book.

I am asking all parents/caregivers to initial their students' logs daily.  Students will not get to count their minutes without caregiver initials.  Students may earn an A and set themselves up for success by reading at least 100 minutes per week. Research shows that reading 20-25 minutes per day helps build reading. Therefore, students should be reading at least four times a week (i.e. a student may not earn an A by doing all 100 minutes of reading on Saturday). Because I understand busy lives, if students are unable to read four times during the school week they may log minutes on the weekend without any penalty. For example, a student could read 25 minutes Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday or 20 minutes per day Tuesday through Saturday, or 15 minutes per day, every day of the week. 

I understand that extracurricular activities, family time and rural commutes often cut into homework time, and I do take this into account, especially during sports seasons, often giving students time in class to get homework finished.

I expect students to do their best job on their homework. I expect homework to be neat, not sloppy. I expect students to do the work on their own and only ask for help after they have given it their best effort.

I will check all homework daily. I strongly believe in the value positive support plays in motivating children to develop good study habits. I will give students praise and other incentives when they do their homework.

If students choose not to have their homework complete by the beginning of class on the day it's due, they will have an extra day to complete it for a one-grade reduction on that assignment.  By the second day of a missed assignment, students will call or write a note home and be asked to finish the work during recess or lunchtime. If they are unable to do so during that time, they will be asked to finish it at home with an additional one-grade reduction. 

If there is a legitimate reason why a student is not able to finish homework, the parent must send a note to me on the day the homework is due stating the reason it was not completed. The note must be signed by the parent or caregiver.

I feel that parents and caregivers are the key to making homework a positive experience for their children. Therefore, I ask that parents make homework a top priority, provide necessary supplies and a quiet homework environment, set a daily homework time, provide praise and support, not let children avoid homework and contact me if they notice a problem.

Parents should help their children with homework if a problem arises, but only after children have tried their best to solve it on their own. In no case, however, should parents do homework for their children.

Please consider the after-school program we offer as a way to get homework finished right away. This can be a great way to ensure that time at home can be spent playing outside or enjoying family time.

I will be sending home lessons to help students learn how to do homework. I ask that students and parents go over these lessons together.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Maggie Orion