We believe that elementary students should live balanced lives -- we value education, learning, family, and play time. With the hours devoted to learning curriculum at school, it is our hope that homework practices will promote equity and balance in students’ lives.

Starting in Kindergarten, and then throughout elementary school, some time should be dedicated each day in three areas that are important for success: responsibility, reading, and family time. To build responsibility, we recommend daily chores that support the family (cleaning, organizing, preparing, etc.). Reading is a skill that is best developed with daily practice. In the primary grades it should be done with an adult, and then can transition to independent reading. We all live busy lives, but we believe daily family time is important for emotional and social growth.

Homework practices guidelines:

  • Student learning is assessed based on proficiency demonstrated in class.

  • Unfinished classwork can be completed at home, but students are only graded on the portion completed at school.

  • Teachers have the discretion to recommend supplemental resources based on individual student needs. For example, teachers can recommend outside activities to prepare for tests, presentations, or projects.

  • There are online grade level resource banks available with supplemental activities to support student learning.

  • To prepare for the transition to middle school, 4th and 5th-grade students are expected to dedicate 30 to 45 minutes of daily after-school time in order to foster behaviors that support learning. The intent is to provide students with increased opportunities to set and reflect upon their individual goals. Teachers will communicate the specifics of these practices at the beginning of the school year.

What this could look like in a classroom:

  • Students are given time each day to reflect on and discuss what they learned, and then, set next steps to meet their goals.

  • Students will track their learning and suggested homework in their planners each day.

  • Students may be provided differentiated resources to support learning, based on teacher discretion.

With that being said, learning, just like anything else, requires practice. Just as great athletes and musicians dedicate focused time to perfecting their craft, students also need to practice reading, writing, and mathematics daily in order to succeed. Research indicates that 30 minutes of daily additional reading, writing, and math practice are crucial for maintaining and progressing student learning. Please support your child's long-term success by fostering an environment that values daily time devoted to furthering literacy and mathematics thinking.

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Scoring and Grading:

All scoring and grading will follow the district’s rubric, as explained below:

4 – Exemplary: The student demonstrates an exemplary and deeper understanding of, and ability to consistently apply, the knowledge and skills beyond what is specified in the standards. Student communicates understanding of content with extraordinary clarity and depth. Student work is accurate, complete, and thorough.

3 – Proficient: The student demonstrates a proficient understanding of, and ability to apply, the knowledge and skills specified in the standards. Student sufficiently communicates understanding of content. The overall quality of completed work is relatively error-free and generally accurate and complete.

2 – Developing: The student demonstrates a developing understanding of, and ability to apply, the knowledge and skills specified in the standards. Student inconsistently communicates understanding of content. Student work shows some inaccuracies that affect the overall quality.

1 – Beginning: The student demonstrates a beginning understanding of, and ability to apply, the knowledge and skills specified in the standards. Student struggles to communicate understanding of content. Work may not reflect the lesson objective.

For daily work, number grades (IE: 9/10 = nine out of ten possible are correct) and symbol grades ( + Excellent, ✔ Average, - Below Standard) are also given.

* Please understand that while we would like all children to receive 4's, a score of 3 means the child is at grade level.

* Curriculum is developed following the State and District Standards. These standards will be discussed in class and will be addressed in the comments section of the Report Card.

* All assignments will be checked for completion, but some work may not be scored nor commented on. More information about the new report card may be found here: https://sites.google.com/a/cusdk8.org/cusd-common-core-report-card/

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Ways to Extend Learning at Home

Every day your child is learning new information and skills in school. The home environment can be one more place the child can apply and demonstrate their new knowledge.

  • Expose your child to good literature.

    • This will provide them with rich vocabulary, new concepts, and a model of good writing. A book on tape is a tool for accessing literatures that is beyond the reading level of your child.

    • Reading Lists are available at your local libraries

  • Writing for a Purpose

    • Write a letter to a friend or family member

    • Write shopping lists, directions, and recipe

    • Keep a journal or diary

  • Math in the Real World

    • Cook with measuring tools and fractional equivalents

    • Measuring distances, heights, and weight

    • Mapping

    • Build and incorporate a variety of shapes

    • Logic Puzzles to develop problem-solving skills

  • Social Studies and Science

    • Read books to extend background knowledge

    • Discuss current events and new discoveries

    • Care for a pet or garden

    • Talk about how things interact and change when mix together in the kitchen

  • Other

    • Play a musical instrument; participate in team sports, arts and crafts.