Dear Carmel Creek Families:
It’s that time of the year again when the intensity of the curriculum “bumps
up” to a higher level as teachers strive to teach our students the “new” concepts
in each grade level. You probably notice each January that the amount and
the quality of work you are seeing is just a little more demanding and
the pace is definitely faster.
The first one-third of the year students
are learning new expectations, reviewing previously
learned material, and being introduced to the instructional standards for
their grade level. With the arrival of January, almost all the learning
is new and the teachers’ expectations
rise as we feel the pressure of covering all the content and standards.
This is usually when the “homework hassle” rears its ugly head
at home!
Here are some tips that may help with the homework hassle…
- Know
what the teacher expects. Parent conferences will
come up again in March, but if you need to meet
with your child’s
teacher at any time to clarify the expectations
for that grade level and understand the kinds of assignments the teacher
gives, don’t hesitate
to give the teacher a call. (The courtesy of a
call is much appreciated by teachers – they
are still having parents meet them at the door
and just need “a minute” which
can end up 15 minutes. We want to work with you
and acknowledge your concerns, but teachers are
rushing to get ready for the day, or rushing outside to be on duty, or
going to a meeting. PLEASE be respectful of teachers’ time
and call, leave a message, or schedule a time to
meet.)
- Expect your
child to have homework every night. Set aside a
time that works for your family - sometimes right
after school works best and sometimes kids need a break between school
and homework time. Letting your child choose the time (especially in third
and fourth grades) and then holding them accountable for doing homework
during that time is a great way to build responsibility.
- Don’t
micro-manage. As children get a bit older, they
need to be the ones taking responsibility for homework.
Teachers typically allow time during the day to
complete some of the work, but students will have
things they know they need to finish at home to be prepared for the next
day. Encourage them to organize (lists, colored folders, a daily agenda
where they mark off when assignments are completed) with a system that
works for them. Some students will procrastinate and not use class time
to complete work because they can have you one-on-one at home to do it
for/with them. This is the time of the year to put the responsibility back
on the students. They can do it!
- Set a limit
on extracurricular activities. In an effort to
keep our kids safe and busy, sometimes we OVER
schedule! I can speak from experience – my daughter
has turned into the taxi driver taking the grandchildren
to different activities EVERY day. It’s hard to settle
down to study time when you have been on the go
and are getting home at 7:00 PM - kids need time
to be kids!
- Talk
with children about what they have learned each
day. If you ask, “How
was school,” you
are going to usually get “fine” or “OK” or “so
and so did such and such,” but you seldom hear about what they learned.
The exceptions are when each grade level does their
special projects or performances - the fourth grade
is doing Gold Rush activities and the third grade
is getting ready to dissect squid in Science lab – I’m
sure you will hear all about it! My favorite question
at the dinner table when my kids were in elementary
school was…”tell
me the three hardest things you did in school today” or …”the
three easiest…” It usually generated some interesting responses!
Please know how much we appreciate ALL the support you give your kids
at home to help them be successful in school! We really couldn’t
do it without your help!
Sincerely,
Terri Davis
Principal
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