Academics/Grades
Click on the questions below to reveal the answers:
What is the homework policy at Woodglen?
At Woodglen School, homework counts no more than 10 percent of a student’s grade in any class. Homework may be assigned on a regular basis and our teachers generally do not exceed the National PTA guideline of 10 minutes x grade level (6th grade would be 60 minutes). Most evenings, teachers assign much less than this. Students who do not finish assigned classwork may have more homework because they are expected to complete both classwork and homework at home.
Homework is expected to be done. Students who simply do not do their homework will receive a zero unless there is some extenuating circumstance. Practices, parties, etc. are not excuses for missed homework.
Homework will not be assigned over any school break or vacation, regardless of the length. Teachers may give students a heads up regarding a longer-term assignment so that students may choose to use this time for work, but there will be ample time to complete the assignment without doing it over breaks. Students with overdue work may be expected to complete it over breaks.
Homework may be assigned over a weekend, but it may not be more than “one night’s” worth of work. Giving a sixth grader, for example, three hours of work over a weekend would not be acceptable. Many teachers do not assign homework over a weekend.
What if my student is struggling with homework?
If your child is doing an inordinate amount of homework, please do the following: First, make sure that they are actually doing the work. 20 minutes of homework can easily turn into an hour when students are playing games, texting, or using social media while completing homework. Second, reach out to the teacher to let him/her know. It is important for the teacher to know if a student is struggling.
If your child says that he or she, “doesn’t understand,” please don’t let them quit. Students have an abundance of tools to help them persevere through challenges. “I don’t get it” is often an easy way to get out of something you don’t want to do. Ask your child questions like, “Where do you think you could go to find out how to do this?” or “What do you think the first and next step should be?” The internet has an abundance of resources. In math, for example, Google and Kahn Academy, both provide excellent supports. Students always have text or online books to turn to.
If we want our children to be successful, we need to teach them where to find answers and help as much as we need to teach them the content itself.
Does Woodglen have conferences?
Parents are welcome to contact teachers for a conference at any time. It is not uncommon for parents of a struggling student to meet with the grade level team during September or October. During the formal conference period conferences are scheduled by grade level team invitation. Your child’s grade level team will reach out to you if they feel a conference is warranted. By doing this, rather than having conferences for everyone, teachers can spend more time working with parents of students who need help. Individual teachers may also reach out to parents with an invitation to conference. Of course, any parent is welcome to request a conference. While priority during conference time is given to those invited, remaining available time slots can be requested by any parent. Conference sign-ups are done through Genesis and go through the grade level science teacher.
How do I access my Genesis Account?
Both parent and student Genesis accounts are accessed the same way. Go to www.lebtwpk8.org - PARENTS - GENESIS. If you know your username and password, type them in and you should be in. (You can bookmark the site for future access.)
Your username for Genesis is your email address. If you do not know your password, click the "FORGOT PASSWORD" link and information will be sent to you to set up or to reset your password. If you guess incorrectly more than three times, your account will be disabled and you will need to contact the school to have it reactivated.