Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
What is your homework policy in Social Studies?
For 7th and 8th grade social studies, I usually give homework Monday to Thursday. It usually revolves around reading a section in the chapter we are in and then completing a one page worksheet for each section. We usually get through a chapter in about 5-6 school days and then have a test. If you are not seeing a test to be signed about every 7-10 days please ask your student where it is. I rarely give Friday or holiday homework unless it is tied to a project or I need to give a rare Monday test.Back to Top
What is your homework policy in Reading, Spelling, and Religion?
Reading and or spelling homework is done weekly. In Spelling, knowing the meaning of spelling words and how they are properly used in a sentence is just as important as knowing how to spell them. Spelling tests are once per week and may include writing a sentence for selected words. Spelling homework is usually due on a Wed or Thur with Tests on Friday. Students should plan on having the spelling workbook pages done for a Wed and have a sentence for each word in their copybooks. This process will go on the entire school year and should not be a surprise. Tests will come home within a few days of the test, so if you do not see one every week ask your student for the latest test. Reading homework will usually be in the form of completing story vocab and/or skill pages in their workbooks. There is no set sequence, it depends on how fast we get through each story. Religion homework is sporadic and will usually result in completing a textbook work page or writing a short essay related to scripture or a topic in our textbook. I do not generally give homework on Fridays or holidays unless I need to give a rare Monday test.Back to Top
I give projects of varying complexity throughout the year. There are 3 or 4 in Social Studies, book reports and essays in Reading, and in Religion a few short projects centered aroung the Old Testement and some of our Biblical Heroes. Any graded project or homework assignment not turned in on time loses 5 points per school day unless it is specifically addressed in a rubric. In this case, it may be more. Since more than sufficient time is given to complete projects, students are expected to get them done on time. Organization and time management skills are critical to success in school and life.Back to Top
How many graded events will my student have for each report card period?
I believe in giving students as many opportunities as possible to show what they know. This will be in the form of tests, quizzes, essays, projects, and other worksheets that I may find useful for evaluation purposes. I feel having at least 6-8 graded items for each class helps with averaging rather than 4 or 5. In many of my classes, it is common to have 10-15 different graded assignements during a reporting period. This helps those who are not good test takers or have a "bad day" and do not do as well on one particular test.Back to Top