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Home Access (HAC) Grades
Home Access (HAC) Grades
Third grade students will now earn "letter" grades for their academic work. Parents should have realistic expectations for their child. We ask that you encourage and support your child in a positive way when it comes to academics. The pressure of getting all A's can be extremely stressful for an 8 or 9 year old. We all want our students to do their personal best on assignments and assessments. For many students, personal best effort may not be earning a 100% on every assignment.
We strive to engage and challenge students with new concepts everyday. Thus, many students will not master a new concept right away. Be patient with your child. Encourage and support your child at home by providing time to go over missed concepts on assignments/assessments. Work with your child on difficult skills and concepts at home in a positive environment.
England's Values: Our focus is on mastery of the learning that corresponds to state standards. At the elementary level, grades are not part of any GPA, and therefore, are not competitive in nature. It may take some students longer with more assistance to gain mastery than it does for other students.
RRISD Grading Criteria:
Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade students earn numerical grades on a 0-100 scale.
A = 100 - 90
B = 89 - 80
C = 79 - 70
D = 69 - 60
F = 59 and below (not passing)
Redo/Retake:
According to District Policy (EIA Local), “a classroom teacher shall provide students a reasonable and fair opportunity to retake or redo failing work.” In our elementary school, the focus is on reteaching to provide the student an opportunity to learn the objective and demonstrate an understanding of the concept. This reteaching will occur within 10 school days, and corrections may be made to improve a grade up to a 70%. Any grade below a 70% does not demonstrate mastery, and the student will have a reasonable and fair opportunity to be retaught and to redo the assignment to further develop his/her understanding of the concept.
Number of Grades per Quarter:
District Policy (EIA Local) states that grading guidelines shall ensure that grades reflect a student’s relative mastery of an assignment and that a sufficient number of grades are taken to support the grade average assigned. For core subjects (RLA, Math, Science, and Social Studies), a minimum of nine grades per nine-week grading period will be taken. Grades will be posted in Home Access Center within 10 school days from the assignment.
Grading Categories (weighted):
Classwork/Daily Grades 70%
Assessments 30%
When calculating a nine-week average for a content area, no single grade will count more than 30% of the total average. No two grades will count more than 50% of the total average.
Late Work:
Our goal is for students to learn concepts being presented in class, as well as exhibiting responsibility, accountability and completing work in a timely manner. Students who turn in work beyond the expected time frame will not receive a grading penalty. The focus will be on finding ways to support students in being successful in work completion.
Makeup Work:
It is the joint responsibility of the teacher/student/parent to arrange for make-up work. Teachers should promote this practice with students. Under normal conditions, you should allow one day for make-up work to be turned in for each day of school missed. Makeup work is given to students with an "excused" absence. Vacations are NOT an "excused" absence.
Home Access: We encourage you to set up your Home Access account as soon as possible. This will allow you to track how your child is doing in class by subject. On Home Access, you can view your child's grades and see if he/she is missing any assignments. Click on this link to Home Access. We recommend checking your child's grades on Home Access at least once a week.
Progress Reports/Conferences:
A progress report will be sent home during the fourth week of each quarter. A teacher shall request a conference with a student’s parents at the end of a nine-week period if the student’s grades are not passing. Parents and teachers may request a conference at any other time for other academic or behavioral concerns. Parents are able to view grades at any time through the Home Access Center. Click below:
Thursday Folders: Each Thursday your child will also bring home a Thursday folder. This folder will contain your child's graded work and important notes from the school and PTA. Please take the information out of the folder on Thursday night and review it with your child. Any work that has received below a 70% can be redone and returned within the grading period for up to a 70% in the grade book. Thursday folders should be returned the next day on Friday of each week.
Homework
Homework
Your child works very hard all day at school-- Teachers ask a lot of them and expect them to be present and engaged from the time they walk into our classroom in the morning, to the time when they walk out to go home in the afternoon. Therefore, it is important for their mental and physical well-being that evenings and weekends are not bogged down with tons of homework.
Studies show that this is not an effective instructional method. It is important that students have this time to spend with families, try extracurricular activities, and just PLAY! Don't underestimate the value of free play to foster creativity!
That being said, learning DOES NOT stop when they leave the school building! There are many things that should be happening at home to practice skills and allow your child to learn while at home. Here are some suggestions that we believe would be the best use of your child's time:
READ, READ, READ! Read a variety of genres and for a variety of purposes. This should be enjoyable for students, and can be a social, family-bonding activity as well! Help them find books, websites, or articles about topics that interest them, or something they wondered about earlier in the day. Third graders can also participate in the Bluebonnet Book Program (3rd - 5th grade). Here is the list of books for this year. Students should be reading at least 20 minutes each night.
Math Superstars - Looking for some math? We recommend that students complete the math superstars worksheets provided by our PTA. Students complete them at home and turn them in WEEKLY. Parents need to click HERE for the 3rd grade Math Superstars worksheet and more information about the program.
Practice math facts - On a daily basis (approximately 10 minutes a day), students can use a variety of resources: flash cards, Xtra math (see teacher), Splash Learn (see teacher), Khan Academy (parent or teacher creates login), or any other math games online. Students should practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts for speed and accuracy.
Join one of Elsa England's or RRISD's extracurricular learning opportunities! Chess, Student Council, UIL Academic activities/contests, and other clubs. Keep your eyes and ears open for these awesome opportunities available for your child.
Hobby or Sport Interest. Sign your child up for a fun hobby or sport that sparks his/her interest. Brushy Creek MUD and Town & Country Optimist both offer inexpensive sports all year long for kids of all ages. Maybe your child has a strong interest in cooking, a musical instrument or technology (coding). There are many fun, engaging after school activities for your child to participate in.
Importance of Sleep & Down Time: Be careful of overbooking your child in too many activities. Your child needs time to rest and relax too! Studies show that children of elementary school age need 9 - 11 hours of sleep each night, so don't overdo it with activities!
Household responsibilities. Give your child responsibilities around the house (ex: set the table, feed the pets, lay out clothes for the next day, prepare snack and water bottle for school the next day, help put dishes away, collect laundry and bring it to the laundry room, vacuum rugs/carpets, water plants, etc.). These are non-academic tasks and may seem trivial, but students who have responsibilities at home are more likely to be responsible and independent at school!
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