Lower School
First Grade:
The teacher explains the homework to the students in the class but the parents may need to re-explain the directions. They can help the student with specific questions but should let the student do as much as he/she can independently. They can help the student by making sure the homework is completed and brought back to school in an acceptable condition. When the students are asked to read for 15 minutes at night, their teacher will help the student select appropriate materials. It should take between 15-30 minutes to complete the homework. No homework is assigned on the weekend.
Second Grade:
The teacher explains the work to the students in class. Parental help is welcomed but it is helpful to the teacher if the parent would make a note on the assignment if the child had difficulty with the assignment. Parental help might be needed to select appropriate reading materials for the 15 minutes of reading assignments. The teacher can help with this if needed. It should take between 15-30 minutes to complete this homework. No homework is assigned on the weekend.
Third Grade:
The teacher explains the work to the students. The parents can review the directions with the students when necessary. The parents can guide the students with their homework. They need to oversee the completion of homework and the packing up of materials so all of it comes back to school each morning. The teachers need to see the mistakes that the children make on their homework in order to know what needs to be re-taught. Assignments should take between 30-45 minutes to complete. No homework is assigned on the weekend.
Fourth Grade:
The students should engage in reading each night related to their journal writing. The teachers want to see the work that the students do. Parents should only check to be sure the work has been completed – not for its accuracy. Parents can help when it is needed but should write on the homework if the student was unable to do the assignment without parental involvement. In addition to the independent reading, it should take approximately 45 minutes to complete the homework. Homework is sometimes assigned on the weekend.
Upper School
Scheduling homework completion
Homework must be a priority and must have a definite place in your child’s schedule. There should be a pre-planned time set aside each day during which your child must do homework. During homework time, all other activities cease. Determine the length of time needed each day for homework.
Fifth graders should spend 45 minutes to 1 hour on homework each night and over the weekend. Sixth through eighth grade students are assigned approximately 20 minutes of homework each time a class meets.
If necessary, a daily schedule can help organize your child’s time. By filling in all scheduled activities for a given week, you and your child can see what time is available for homework. Post the daily schedule in a prominent location so that both you and your child will know exactly when homework will be done each day. Make sure that the homework times chosen are appropriate and don’t conflict with other scheduled activities or that it is not scheduled for too late in the evening.
Creating a proper study environment
It is important to establish a quiet place in which to work (no television, telephone, distractions). It should be a well-lit, comfortable, quiet location with all necessary supplies at hand. Parents should guide their child in choosing a good location. Talk together about which places in the home might be better than others for doing homework.
Gathering necessary materials
Assignment book, pencils, pens, erasers, markers, writing paper, tape, hole punch, white out, pencil sharpener, scissors, ruler, stapler, paper clips, index cards, dictionary, compass, protractor, calculator, atlas, thesaurus, almanac, and rubber bands are all materials which are helpful with homework. A computer is also helpful.
Fostering homework independence
Your goal as a parent is for your children to do their homework independently. Each day your child should carefully list all homework that must be completed during homework time. You may wish to check off each assignment as it is completed. It is helpful to have your child start with his or her least favorite subjects to make sure his or her mind is fresh when dealing with these. Emphasize your confidence in your child’s ability to do the work with a little boost from you. You may help your child break down an “overwhelming” assignment into simple steps you know your child can do successfully.
Some children race through their homework with little or no effort because they want to “get it done” and get back to more pleasurable activities as quickly as possible. As a result, their homework is messy, incomplete, or incorrectly done. Other children frequently fail to bring work home or “forget” they have homework at all. For these children, parents should explain that there will be a mandatory time set aside every night for homework. Speeding through homework or forgetting homework will still result in the expected amount of time set aside every night for homework. Students can read, study for tests, or review classwork. The time will not be spent watching television, playing computer games, “surfing the net,” or doing anything unrelated to school. Students will learn there is no advantage to rushing through work or forgetting it altogether. It is not going to buy them any more free time.
Incomplete and Absentee Assignments
Parents of children in first through fourth grades will be notified of incomplete work by a telephone call from the classroom teacher. Students in fifth through eighth grades are approached first concerning delinquent work, but if this does not prove effective, parents are also notified by the appropriate teacher. If a student misses a third assignment in the same course, the parents will be notified and the student will be assigned an after school detention. In the event a student misses a fourth assignment in the same term, the parents will be asked to come in for a conference with the Upper School Head.
In the event of an illness, please arrange to pick up assignments after 3:30pm or let the office know with whom to send the work. Parents should not expect the school to prepare special assignments when families take trips outside the regular school vacations.
When returning to school after being absent, make up work should be completed promptly. Upper School students have a day for each day that they are absent to make up work, i.e. if a student is absent for three days, all work should be made up by the end of the third day back in school. Exceptions should be discussed with the Head of the Upper School.