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Homework and Assignments
In fourth grade, students continue to move along the continuum of responsibility, effort, and effectiveness. While the child benefits from the support of his or her teachers and parents, the responsibility for learning is ultimately the student’s. Classroom routines, including the use of the assignment notebook, are meant to allow the child to “own” his or her own work responsibilities. The listing of assignments on the school website or through emails is not meant to put that responsibility upon the parent. Indeed, we believe it is to the child’s advantage that he or she be allowed to maintain and follow through with the assignment notebook. Parents can check the website listing of assignments if it appears the child is faltering in responsibility or in clarity.
We understand that students in the intermediate grades often have full schedules outside of school. But we do believe that homework plays an important part in each student’s educational experience. Students are expected to learn (with support from teachers and parents) to budget their time appropriately in order to keep up and complete homework, projects, and other assignments by the due dates.
Variations in the amount of homework students have depend on many factors including how well the child uses the time given during the day. No work sent home is totally new to the child. Directions and necessary instruction are given during the day. Homework will be work remaining to be done on assignments or practice of skills taught. It can also include nightly reading, spelling words and math facts practice, missed work and long term projects.
1. Each fourth grade student will purchase an Elmwood Assignment Notebook.
2. Students will copy all homework assignments into their notebooks daily.
3. Students will use their notebooks to do homework and to share their assignments with parents.
4. Teachers will communicate with parents using the assignment notebooks.
5. Parents may communicate with teachers using the assignment notebook.
6. Any missing work will be noted in the assignment notebook, reflection log, or email.
Homework is expected to be ready at the beginning of the day. It is the child’s responsibility to hand in his or her homework. If a child is absent, a one-day grace period will be given for each day of absence. Students are responsible for finding out what was missed.
Late work will affect students’ effort grades and possibly the ‘uses time wisely’ and ‘taking responsibility’ columns on the report card.
VACATIONS: Please keep in mind that when a vacation is planned during the school week, it is impossible for your child to make up all the work that is missed. Most hands-on experiments, demonstrations, and discussions cannot be replicated. It is also extremely important that your child be in school for state testing which is done in November. It is difficult and possibly not a true representation of your child’s abilities when tests must be made up after the scheduled times.
**** The WKCE testing window Oct. 27-Nov. 27. If tests arrive sooner, we will begin earlier.
It may seem natural to think the second to the last week of school is unimportant since the year is winding down, but all fourth quarter work needs to be turned in before the last week of school. Therefore work turned in during the last week is not included on the report card and credit cannot be given. If you and your child are going to be gone, it is better to plan your vacation for the last week of school.
We stress to the students that packing and unpacking their backpacks is their responsibility. Late or missing work is not excused by saying that one’s parent didn’t pack it or threw work away thinking it was no longer needed. While each teacher will try to make it clear which work is not needed by school anymore, please make sure you and your child unpack together so ongoing work isn’t thrown away by accident. Also, please be aware that no writing piece should EVER be thrown away, especially if it has a rubric attached. These pieces are filed in the classroom throughout the year.
A high quality piece of work is the result of one’s personal best effort. We expect that written class work, as well as projects and other assignments will be thoughtfully done, complete, neat and accurate. Besides the high quality thinking required, each assignment should be:
Ø handed in on time,
Ø neat and readable,
Ø proofread for spelling, grammar and punctuation,
Ø properly labeled and/or titled, and
Ø completed as directed.
Grading System
Because this is the first year that students receive letter grades, it is important to understand how grades are determined. Keep in mind that it is what is learned that is important and not just the reporting grade. For this reason, most assignments that are below a ‘C’ level will be returned to the student for “redo”. This means that an assignment needs more work in order for the student to be considered proficient. All children will understand what it takes in order to be proficient on various assignments.
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A+
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Teacher discretion
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C
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73-77
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A
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93-100
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C-
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70-72
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A-
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92-90
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D+
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B+
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88-89
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D
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60-69
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B
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83-87
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D-
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B-
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80-82
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F
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Below 60
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C+
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78-79
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Miscellaneous
The district is implementing a wellness policy. This will provide guidelines for school nutrition and exercise as well as a healthy life style. We are aware that snacks are an important part of everyone’s day and we will continue to provide time for them. However, only healthy snacks will be allowed – no candy, cookies, or other sugary treats. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are best. We are encouraging you to think ‘healthy’ for birthday treats and other treats sent to the classroom. Water bottles are permitted, but no other drinks. (This has more to do with the carpets than with health.) Children are expected to clean up after snack.
Study Trip Behavior
Since we wish for every study trip to be effective for students and to have an impact on their understanding of the topic, we cannot tolerate poor behavior on study trips. Inappropriate behaviors include disrespectful comments to adults, not following directions, not paying attention to speakers, and not participating in the learning experience to an effective degree. Behaviors which may affect safety, such as inappropriate bus behavior, also cannot be tolerated. In order to make it possible for the teachers to teach, the students to learn, and everyone to be safe in this unusual learning environment, students who indulge in poor behaviors will be sent home. Parents will be called and will need to come to pick up their child.
Internet Access
Elmwood students use the Internet regularly at school under supervision. We also encourage its use at home also, if available. As a beginning point for research, students can access from the district website at www.nbexcellence.org.
There are many valuable resources on websites. As the year progresses, we will direct you and your child to other sites that we are using in our classrooms. We do discuss plagiarism with the fourth graders and copyright laws, as well as the integrity of certain sites.
Friday Folder Information
Friday Folder information will come home in the student Take Home/Parent folders in 2009-10.
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