Dear Parents and Students,

One of the most important aspects of our mission as fifth grade teachers is to prepare students for middle school. We feel it is vital for each student to develop a high degree of personal responsibility and accountability for the completion of work in and out of school. Below are the guidelines that all fifth grade students should follow with regards to homework. Some parts of the homework routine may vary from teacher to teacher. You should plan on setting aside an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes for homework Monday through Thursday. This includes 20 to 30 minutes of reading time. Occasionally there may be homework, long term projects, or makeup work that will need to be done over the weekend or vacation periods.

• Students are responsible for writing homework in their assignment notebook and completing the work by the assigned date. Your teacher may require that your assignment notebook be signed on a regular basis. Students are also responsible for taking home whatever materials may be needed to complete a homework assignment.

Excuse: "I didn't write it down" or "I forgot my book at school."

Strategy for Success: Check what you have written in your assignment notebook with someone in your group or who sits close to you. Ask your teacher for clarification of anything you do not understand. Put your book in your back pack before the end of the day.

• Homework not completed or not passed in by its due date is considered to be late. All missed work must be made up unless your teacher tells you otherwise.

Excuse: "I left it at home." or "I didn't know when it was due." or "I had ____________ practice." or “My mother took it out and did not put it back.”

Strategy for Success: Use a calendar at home to plan exactly when, the day and the time, you are going to set aside time for nightly assignments and long-term projects. Establish a routine that ensures your schoolwork is in your backpack and will get to school. You, not your parents, are responsible for having all of your work when you walk out the door.

• If you are not able to complete your homework for some reason, you must have a note from home explaining the situation. You may be required to complete an assignment during recess. Teachers understand that there are extenuating circumstances that prevent a student from completing an assignment for which allowances may be made and a schedule for completing the work agreed upon.

• Phone calls home will not be allowed for homework, instruments, sneakers for PE, lunches, or lunch money left at home.

Excuse: "I forgot to bring it."

Strategy for Success: Make a checklist at home to look at before you leave the house.

• When you need help, call a classmate, ask an older sibling, or ask a parent for assistance. Your teacher may have given you a class list with everyone's phone number or assigned you a homework buddy. Not understanding what to do is never an excuse for not trying.

Excuse: "I didn't know what to do. I didn't understand it."

Strategy for Success: Look at your homework before you leave school. Ask your teacher to explain it to you. Who in class can you do homework with? Who is your homework buddy? Who will you call first if you need help? Be a problem solver!

• Homework may be a graded assignment and will count toward that subject's grade. All homework, even if ungraded, is considered to be a reflection of your effort and taken into consideration as a part of a subject's grade. Give your best effort and do your work neatly. It counts.

• Use an extra piece of paper when you do not have space to complete an answer. Do not jam answers in such a small space that even you cannot read them or they are written crookedly.

• Whether your answer is correct or incorrect is not as important as whether or not you did your best trying to answer every question, even when you may not understand something. You are not graded on the number of correct or incorrect answers on your homework (unless it is a graded assignment) so do not feel like your parents have to do your work or that you have to copy it from someone else.

• Most homework should be done in pencil, which makes corrections easier. Writing assignments may be done in pencil, blue or black erasable pen, or on a computer. Your teacher may have specific requirements for written assignments or final drafts. All written homework should be printed neatly or done in cursive if required by your teacher. Light colored pens or markers, such as gel pens, are not acceptable. Torn, crumpled, and poorly done work will not be accepted. You will be asked to do it over by your teacher.

• All homework should have your first and last name, personal number, and date written on it even if there are no spaces or lines on the homework sheets provided.

• All math should show how you arrived at your answers (except for mental math). Be prepared to explain to the class your thinking or reasoning of how you arrived at an answer. Do your math work neatly so you remember how you arrived at an answer. If someone helped you do the work, make sure you understand it well enough to explain how you arrived at an answer.

• When homework is corrected in class, please do not change your answers. It helps teachers to see what the class understands and what we may need to spend more time on.

• You should have a supply of paper at home. Perforated notebooks work well.

Following these guidelines will help insure a successful homework routine is established and that students will produce their best work possible. Please contact your child's teacher if you are experiencing problems surrounding homework.

Sincerely,

The Fifth Grade Team