HOME LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

GRADE FOUR

Dear Grade Four parents,
In keeping with our philosophy of individualised, differentiated and inclusive learning and
along the GWA Elementary School Homework Guidelines, the Grade Four teachers will
offer two different alternatives for home learning this academic year. Please read each
one of the following options carefully and discuss with your families the style of home
learning that better suits your lifestyle and your childrens learning.
After careful consideration, please fill out the slip at the end of this letter and send it back
to the class teacher. For practical purposes, we ask that families bear with their choice for
a few weeks until school and extra-curricular routines are well established. After the first
few weeks, changes in home learning choice can be made in consultation between
classroom teachers and parents.
Option one
Children are required to read for a minimum of 20 minutes every night for pleasure. At the
end of each book read, children will be asked to complete a book review, report or other
sort of follow-up reading activity, which they will complete in their reading journal.
Children will bring their journal to school when they complete their reading activities and
will share these with the teacher and the class so that they can receive peer and teacher
feedback. No other home learning will be required.
Option two
Children are required to read for a minimum of 20 minutes every night and record this on
their communication diaries. Children will receive home learning alternatives every other
week. These will consist of seven open-ended activities, including (but not limited to)
reading, inquiry-based topics, thought-provoking questions, current events accounts,
family conversations, character building, physical activities, nature hunts, research, etc.
Children will choose the order in which they complete the activities and will be required
to write a short reflection on each of them. Reflections can simply consist of pictures
explaining what the activity was like and a few (short) sentences explaining what they
learned from doing these. Every two weeks the children will bring their homework journal
to school and choose one or two learning experiences to share with the class and the
teacher so that they can receive feedback on their home learning.
Please fill out the slip below and let us know the home learning option that works best for
you and your family. Please send the slip back to the classroom teacher no later than
Thursday, September 11
th
, as the Grade Four teachers would like to start the home
learning programme on the week of September 14
th
.
If you have any further questions please dont hesitate to contact your childrens class
teacher.
Kind regards,

Grade Four Team

Childs name: __________________________________ Class: _______________________
The homework option that works best for our family is Option ____________________________
Childs signature: ______________________________________________________________________
Parents signature: ____________________________________________________________________