Our Programs and philosophies

Homework:

Homework in elementary school has created a lot of conversations out there in the academic world! Our fifth grade team has researched, discussed and united on what we think is best for our students. Basically, it comes down to our goals for our students.

My hope for your students is that they foster a love for school and learning, develop an intrinsic desire to research their curiosities, are respectful, successful, meaningful members of society and that you get to spend as much positive time with them as possible.

Our days are full, teacher expectations are high, and your students will be extremely busy. We will promise to take care of school work at school and give you time to not only reflect with your students on a nightly basis, but time to take care of all those after school activities that help to build well rounded kids. Although there will be the occasional assignment sent home, the majority of the time, the only "homework" students will need to complete is the nightly reading of a book they enjoy. (Mound students need to complete 5000 reading minutes to earn the coveted reading medal. That equates to about 30 minutes a night.)

“Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero”, says Professor John Hattie.

However, homework that is assigned should be meaningful and provide feedback in a timely manner. Therefore, for parents or students who feel extra practice in a certain area could be beneficial, we will be assigning standards for math in the online component of our new math curriculum as well as our online Moby Max system. Both programs will allow students to work through problems, providing feedback and intervention immediately. Please remember this additional practice is optional and can be used at your discretion. I do not take the use of online programs lightly and feel that both of these are very positive and effective for students.

Overall, I feel the best way for you to support what we are discovering in the classroom is to have discussions with your students. Have them verbally explain the science concept we went over in class, or ask how they are tackling our "essential question." They can show you how they figured out the math concept or even give you evidence of their writing. Learning to explain what they know or what they are thinking is a valuable skill, not only meeting a standard in 5th grade, but developing a skill they can use in the "real world" and throughout their lives.