homework at Holton & NCS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd bet if you asked the kids they would give one answer and the teachers would greatly underestimate the amount of hw required for each class.

I would not listen to what the kids say. Keep track of the time they actually spend doing homework. My kids are in ms. They complain vociferously about the amount of hw they have to do, but when I add up the hours they spend on it at home (as opposed to study hall at school), it comes to 1-2 hours a week. We would welcome more homework, maybe interesting projects that would stretch them. The reduction of homework at some schools has gone too far.

I'm the PP and with apologies: Maybe your kids are getting all their homework done at school, but then I would proffer that your school is offering too much "free time."

[Anonymous]

agree

[Anonymous]

I'm really suspicious about the reports of little or no homework...that's not true for any of the privates I know about

[Anonymous]

I would like to see a survey of which schools have what amounts of homework.

[Anonymous]

If people volunteer figures, they should also indicated which grade level. Most schools increase HW levels in MS.

[Anonymous]

Yes -- that would be helpful (above suggestion).

[Anonymous]

We found at Holton -- the level of homework increased every single year from middle school on. It got to be really onerous and sometimes our child would have to take a day off of school to catch up on the homework. I would have never thought of allowing that but one mom suggested it to me and we are eternally grateful for the suggestion. I was too much of a "goody goody two-shoes" to even think of it.

[Anonymous]

Both schools have more homework in a night than most people on DCUM report their kids have in a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ah...my daughter is no dummie..she finished NCS 2 years ago...goes to an Ivy...did at least 5 hourse of hw a night from 7 grade on...hopefully things have changed then

Judging by your experience, things have changed. Perhaps too far in the other direction!

NCS upper school still packs on the work. Middle school has less homework and the PP 's child might be in grade 7 not 8. It is only Oct and remember many have time after sports before pick-up so the 5 hours at home is deceptive.

[Anonymous]

that's right

[Anonymous]

This is the busiest time of year for homework at most of the private schools mentioned in this thread.

[Anonymous]

why is that?

[Anonymous]

Most of the term papers are due before Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

I thought there were various peak times around the year for homework.

[Anonymous]

I was just wondering if part of the homework over-dose was due to teacher planning issues? Do Holton teachers provide course syllabi like college courses do? This kind of tool can help kids learn to plan their homework better and to predict what is coming down the pike. Slower days can be used to prepare for busier projects, etc.