My view on homework (especially in elementary school!) is that students should be free to have fun and be a kid after school. I also know full well the stress that too much homework can cause. Still, independent practice at home with concepts learned at school helps solidify that learning so students are prepared to move to new concepts. This is the primary reason that the 4th grade team generally only expects students to complete 20 minutes of math and 20 minutes of language arts homework per day. The homework that is expected can be done on the computer by the student without a lot of parental involvement.
I give students adequate time in class to complete worksheets and math pages. Most math lessons will end with students working independently on practice problems. I will give students adequate time to work on this in class, but assigned work will become homework if a student wastes his or her time in class. There may also be students who struggle with a particular concept, and need extra help. In those situations, I will keep in contact with you to work together on getting them caught up. There will be occasional projects assigned during the school year that will be completed at home. I will try to make these as fun and engaging as possible so that students will be motivated to complete it themselves. Please contact me if you have any questions about this.
With all of this in mind, please note that I expect students to turn in their homework by the due date given. Each time I give any worksheet or assignment, I have students write the due date along with their name and the day's date at the top of the page. Accountability is important, and I need to spend my time prepping for the entire class, rather than chasing and grading missing homework. In the case of illness, the student will have as many days as they were absent to turn in their work. Of course, if there are unusual circumstances, please contact me and we can work out a solution.