Thus, Cathedral School has crafted an approach to homework that strikes an appropriate balance by avoiding the common pitfalls associated with nightly homework.
Kindergarten through Second In grades K–2, teachers typically refrain from assigning nightly homework. However, in order to make reading an enjoyable, educational, and integral part of a child’s life, our teachers offer nightly guidelines to parents. For grades K–2, we recommend that each boy spend at least 10-20 minutes with books each day. This time may include listening to an adult read, listening to an audio book, participating in shared reading with another person, or reading independently. Similarly, there may be other assignments that teachers ask of their students at certain times during the week. There are also circumstances when teachers may assign homework to individual boys in order to address and support specific learning needs, especially subjects such as reading or math. In these circumstances, the teachers may assign a boy or small groups individualized homework assignments on an as-needed basis. Third/Fourth Cathedral School teachers begin to introduce manageable and developmentally appropriate nightly homework assignments in third grade. Typically, third-grade homework will be assigned two times each week in areas such as math, reading, or typing and last anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. Fourth grade can expect homework three times a week, up to 40 minutes each night. Fifth through Eighth Beginning in Upper School, boys are routinely assigned nightly homework with the duration varying from roughly one hour per night in fifth grade to an hour and a half or more in the upper grades. Our Upper School teachers also work together to coordinate test and major assignment dates to ensure that students have time to prepare thoroughly for their assignments. We encourage boys, especially in our Upper School, to take responsibility for missed or incomplete homework by sending the teacher an email the night of the assignment or by speaking with their teachers before school on the morning an assignment is due. If unique circumstances prohibit a student from completing homework assignments for any reason, parents can email the teachers, who will then work with the boy to complete the assignment as soon as possible. When homework is necessary over the weekend, teachers will typically issue assignments before Friday so that students will have time to complete the assignments in advance. There may be occasions, however, when circumstances require teachers to issue homework on Fridays. Cathedral School teachers typically refrain from issuing homework during vacations, though there may be times when individual students are asked to complete missed assignments or work over vacations to catch up. (Choristers may be granted an extension on assignments due on Friday after Thursday’s Evensong or the day after major evening performances.)
22 | CSB 2017–2018 Handbook
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