Family Handbook 2019-20

Teachers want to know if a student is struggling to understand a concept in class. Some students are comfortable advocating for their own learning needs by asking questions in class when warranted. Others are more hesitant to seek help in this way. Please encourage your daughter to approach her subject teacher during class, or after class, when she is not grasping a concept. While Havergal encourages students from Grades 5–12 to reach out in this way, the truth is it takes practice for students to advocate for their own learning needs. Please reach out to your daughter’s subject teacher if your daughter struggles consistently with completing assigned work and / or she seems to take an excessive amount of time completing it. The amount of homework assigned to students will vary depending on their grade as described below: a. Kindergarten: ​ Parents are encouraged to read to their daughter regularly and discuss the day’s learning. Students will bring reading or math activities home at different times to work on with a parent. Students in kindergarten may also bring home “just right” books. b. Grades 1 to 6: ​ Homework should normally take no more than 30 minutes a day, in addition to regular reading for at least 20 minutes per night to improve their comprehension, fluency and decoding. c. Grades 7 to 12: ​ Homework assignments in total should typically not exceed two hours per day. Students are also expected to read for at least 20 minutes per night to expand their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension skills. Extra Help All teachers are available to provide extra help at least one day a week during the school day by appointment. Students may attend, or be requested to attend, these scheduled tutorial sessions. Students should reach out to the teacher in person or by email whenever they feel it may be warranted. In general, teachers are relatively flexible in meeting students before, during and after school. Here it is important to note that teachers have other duties and responsibilities that shape their professional lives at the school. Teachers will consider such duties before scheduling extra help sessions with students.

Last Edited: August 20, 2019 Havergal College Family Handbook 2019–20

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