St. Mary’s School Homework Guidelines

To promote consistency and fairness, these are guidelines for the amount of time; however, teachers
may vary in their beliefs and system for assigning work.

Kindergarten — 10 minutes per school weekday
First Grade — 20 minutes per school weekday
Second Grade — 30 minutes per school weekday
Third Grade — 40 minutes per school weekday
Fourth Grade — 50 minutes per school weekday
Fifth Grade — one hour per school weekday
Sixth through Eighth Grade — 5 to 8 hours per school week
Child reading book

Teacher’s Role and Responsibilities
Teachers are responsible for assigning meaningful homework to all students and for providing the necessary explanation and direction required, so that students can accomplish the work with reasonable success. Teachers will be mindful of students with limited resources, like internet access in the home, and will provide suggestions for how students might accomplish these assignments in school. Students receiving special education or related services will be given appropriate homework assignments on a regular basis. Homework will be checked and proper feedback given to students.

Teachers need to be cognizant that students’ illnesses may preclude them from completing and returning homework immediately following their sick days. Students may need an extended defined period of time established by the teacher to complete work that was assigned during their illness.

Teachers are not required to give assignments in advance for the benefit of a student who is taking a vacation during a regular school week. Each teacher is given the discretion to give advance assignments or not on an individual basis.

The teacher’s web site is designed to be a guideline for homework and activities for a given time. The web site should not take the place of the student’s responsibility for recording the appropriate homework assignment.

Student’s Role and Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the student to record their homework assignments. Students are encouraged to seek clarification about homework assignments they feel are unclear. It is their responsibility to complete homework and return at the time it is due. Students at all levels who are experiencing difficulty with their homework are encouraged to seek help from their teachers.

It is incumbent on parents in the early grades and students themselves as they mature to request homework assignments missed based on absences. Students who are ill may take it upon themselves to complete homework while staying home, depending upon the illness.

Parent’s Role and Responsibilities
It is the parent’s role to reinforce the importance of homework and encourage home completion in a timely manner. Parents need to monitor their child’s homework. If parents set rules within their home that define where, when and under what conditions their child needs to complete their work, the task becomes more routine and less cumbersome. It is essential that parents provide guidance for their child not answers. Parents are encouraged to find out more specifics about individual teachers procedures and requirements when a child is absent.

Homework Tips for Parents Child reading book

Express to your child the importance of a good education and the value of doing homework.
Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Make this location a permanent one.
Watch your child for signs of frustration. Suggest a short break and then return to the task.
If your child is struggling to complete an assignment, you may need to contact your child’s teacher.
At various times during the school year, positively reinforce how well your child is doing.

Reading — An Important Activity in Conjunction with Homework
Homework often involves a reading assignment with follow up questions related to the comprehension of the material assigned. How often do teachers and parents emphasize the need to read an entire passage before answering any questions? This logical procedure is often not the process followed by the student. Both teachers and parents need to reinforce the appropriate strategy for completing homework. It is a process students need to follow not only to better their comprehension skills, but also to prepare them for standardized testing.

Most importantly, reading for pleasure in itself, is an extremely important pastime that has great impact on a student’s success. Children are able to get public library cards at a very young age. The research is clear that students who read regularly are more successful in school. It is important for teachers and parents to continually encourage students to read more and often.