HOMEWORK AGREEMENT

Religion: Religion study will take place in class with students taking notes as we read and discuss. Key points will be discussed and students will read the discussed text pages, dittoes and complete their notes. Students should study those notes. Projectd each month may be assigned to help enrich the lessons and to ensure a better understanding of the student’s awareness of his place in God’s world and in his religion. One Bible verse a week is to be memorized and remembered for the year - resulting in knowing at least 36 verses by the end of the year.

Spelling: All spelling exercises will be done in class whenever possible. Students should study every night for a few minutes. Words are found in the Vocabulary book and are assigned on the homework sheet. Students who perform below the teacher's expectations for that student will write the words for the next unit's test at home in addition to their study.

Handwriting: Handwriting that is not up to standards set by the school will result in a writing assignment at home - either rewriting the paper or writing the spelling words. A computer printer should be used for all compositions.

Vocabulary: We will try to complete all exercises in class. Students must make flashcards at home for the first week of an assigned unit’s study and study them over the two-week period. Vocabulary from other subjects should be studied regularly as well. We will try to complete the text exercises in class.

Science: Students will take notes on science reading and will write out the wrap ups and chapter reviews. An overview of the sections will be done in class with a list to help with note-taking from the reading done at home. Each chapter should be read carefully; good notes should be taken; and adequate study time spent on comprehension and memorization. This is a difficult subject, but is a great opportunity to practice study skills, learn more about life science, and develop good critical thinking and organizational skills..

English: Notes will be taken in class and exercises will be used for further understanding. Students do not need to write out the exercises at home if we get them completed in class. However, some written homework will be assigned to ensure understanding. Students who have difficulty may be assigned more practice. But all students must study their notes and the text 10 minutes each night. They should go over the exercises for understanding. If a student does not meet the expectations of the teacher on a test, s/he will be required to write all the exercises until the next test. Study is vital!

Composition - Journals: Students will write in a journal each day on any topic. Those who fill a complete page a day may write only 5 days a week. Those filling less than a complete page must write 7 days a week. Remember- a journal, not a diary! This is stream of consciousness writing and should only take 5 minutes. Don’t stop to think; just write continuously for 5 minutes.

Composition - Syllabus Assignments: Assignments will vary in preparation time, but for the most part, students will have two weeks to complete a syllabus assignment. Students must use the writing process! A schedule for the process should be as follows:

Monday 1 - Brainstorm for narrower topics. Spend at least 15 minutes each day on whatever step of the process you are on! Save all unused ideas for future papers. You should be able to fill two or three pages in 15 minutes. Pick a narrowed topic and brainstorm on it.

Tuesday 1 - Brainstorm again on the narrowed topic to formulate the ideas needed for the paper. Make a simple plan for your paper.

Wednesday 1 - Organize your ideas into a more detailed plan or outline.

Thursday 1 - Write the rough draft.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday can be used for revision or "gelling" time for the paper.

Monday 2 - Revise the rough draft by adding ideas, explanations, reasons, etc.; taking out things that are off topic; rewording sentences and expressions; reordering ideas. This is a good time to make the verbs and adjectives really descriptive so they work for you. Revise for a full 15 minutes - or more, but never less!

Tuesday 2 - Revise again. Be sure to read the paper aloud as you revise. Concentrate on having a good introduction and a good conclusion. DON'T proofread except as you easily see errors. Concentrate on better wording, better order, more detail, sensory details, etc.

Wednesday 2 - Revise again and proofread with a great deal of care. There should be NO spelling errors and NO common grammar errors. The paper should have good transition (words that make it flow). This is an excellent time to share the paper with a parent or friend or sibling, reading it aloud to them and then having them read it aloud to you.

Thursday 2 - Do you final proofing and print out your final draft. Place all the work in your composition folder to hand in on Friday.

Friday 2 - Hand in the final draft on top with all revision copies, organizing or outlines, and brainstorming underneath. Staple them in the left hand corner before bringing them to school.

REMEMBER: Have your composition folder in class everyday so that your process can be STAMPED and evaluated. This helps you with the process. The quality of your paper is usually defined by the amount of time you spend on the process.

 Projects: Projects are usually a fun way to learn about something, but it takes good time management to complete a project and do a good job on it. Projects usually lead to more in-depth study of a subject and create more educated students. Please keep that in mind when deciding how much time to put into your projects. Some projects, such as the science fair, the oratorical, and some contests are mandatory. These are not "teacher chosen" projects, but they really give students opportunities to learn and discover their own talents. Try to enjoy them. There are also contests that are posted that students may choose to enter. It's always every teacher's hope that students will be motivated on their own to write a poem or short story or essay for a posted contest. Many of our students have had their work win contests and/or become published. It can be very exciting. Learning to manage time and to be creative are life skills that are so very important, and projects help you learn how to do both.

 I have read the homework contract and agree to do my best as a student, using my time wisely in class, focusing and paying close attention to the teacher and other students when they are sharing information with the class. I understand that homework is not just written work, but studying and preparation as well. If I find that I can not learn what I need to during class time, I promise to add some time to my home studying to master the subject. I also agree to spend at least 15 minutes a night studying each subject.

 Student's Signature _____________________________________________________

Parent's Signature _____________________________________________________

 Note: if you wish to have a copy of this form for home as a reference, please Xerox this before returning it to school Contract is due back within two days.