K-12 meeting- Wednesday March 7th
3:30-4:30
Agenda- Where we've been and where we are
We will look at our past goals and vision and see how we are doing. We can also add to our list!
Upper School Chinese Room
😩😉😂😖😬😝😐Homework Articulation: Here are our homework policies in each division where there is a language program:
Potomac Upper School Homework Policies
3:30-4:30
Agenda- Where we've been and where we are
We will look at our past goals and vision and see how we are doing. We can also add to our list!
Upper School Chinese Room
😩😉😂😖😬😝😐Homework Articulation: Here are our homework policies in each division where there is a language program:
Potomac Upper School Homework Policies
In general, teachers and advisors should work closely with the Director of Curriculum and Academics and with the grade-level deans to gauge the impact of homework on their students’ overall schedules, especially with regard to long-term papers and projects. Teachers and advisors of especially the ninth and tenth graders should keep a close eye on their students as they plan their nightly and weekly assignments. All teachers should work closely with their Department Chairs and the grade-level deans in order to ensure that major and/or long-term papers, projects, and evaluations are distributed as thoughtfully as possible and that they not conflict with those of another department. Students, particularly the freshmen and sophomores, will need assistance from each of their teachers in mapping out a plan of action for each of their individual classes, as well as help from their advisors in scheduling the bigger picture: their academic, athletic, and extra-curricular obligations taken together.
Though the guidelines listed below are quantitative in nature, remember that the quality of homework assigned is important. Keep this in mind as you set the amount of pure "drill" assigned. Also, don't forget the usefulness of a "no-homework" day particularly on nights when students are preparing for all of their classes the next day. Giving students a breather from homework refreshes them and provides balance with other assignments, such as test preparation and paper writing, which have no upper limit of time. Also, be aware of the School calendar where meetings, such as a college-counseling workshop, can take up most of an evening for a grade level of students. When this happens, eliminate your homework so that students can attend the meeting and get a healthy night of sleep.
Grade 9:
30 minutes of homework per night per course is appropriate. Homework should only be assigned on days when classes meet. When a class drops out of the schedule, teachers should not double-up on assignments. Please keep in mind that most ninth graders are carrying six courses during the year. With very few free periods a week, and even with a formal study hall in their schedules, they must do almost all of their homework at night. Finally, note that most ninth graders are adjusting for the first time to extra-curricular commitments that last until 5:30 p.m.
Grades 10-12:
45 minutes per night per course is appropriate. Homework should only be assigned on days when classes meet. When a class drops out of the schedule, teachers should not double-up on assignments. AP courses will likely exceed this guideline by about 20%. This amount of homework is the first quantitative step up at Potomac since seventh grade for the tenth graders. Watch this carefully at the beginning of the year.
Mixed Grade Level Classes:
Many students are either up or down a level in some departments. All students in these cases should be held to the standard of the generally accepted level of the class.
Holiday & Religious Obligations Implications:
Faculty members should be aware of the differing religious obligations and holidays observed by Potomac families and show sensitivity to requests of families regarding their religious practices. Note, for example, that the observance of Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur begins at sundown of the day before these holidays; this is indicated on most calendars. Tests, major homework assignments, all-school events, and athletic events are to be avoided in the late afternoons and evenings before these days. The second day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are also observed by some Jewish families.
Vacation Workload:
We see breaks as a time when students are able to catch up on late assignments, work on long-term projects, and review material previously covered in class. Teachers can expect students to make up missed work and to continue to progress on research papers or presentations. At the November, December, and March breaks, teachers may assign one night of homework, but no quizzes or tests will be assigned for the first day back from break. During the longer December and March breaks, teachers may assign one night of homework, and they might also suggest work designed specifically to help specific students review past material.
The exception to the above policy involves all Advanced Placement courses. Because of the volume of material required in these classes, breaks may be utilized by the students in order to continue to make progress. AP courses require a larger degree of student initiative and independent learning; breaks therefore are opportunities for such efforts to be made. Teachers may assign work accordingly.
IS Homework Policies
Homework is an important part of the IS educational program. It should provide all students with the opportunity for practice, preparation, elaboration, reinforcement, and research opportunities learned or introduced during the academic day. Homework should be able to be completed independently by the student with little assistance from adults. Homework should be of high quality and connected to student’s interest. The length and amount of homework should be appropriate to the student’s needs and abilities and needs to be differentiated for student success. All homework should receive teacher feedback but may not need to be graded. Absent students will find their homework assignments on the Potomac Haiku website. Students absent from school because of illness or other excused reasons will have a maximum of three days to make up all missed assignments, unless special arrangements are made. Students are responsible for ensuring that homework is complete. Certain days are labeled "no homework" on the IS professional calendar. It is important that everyone respects these special days and that faculty is consistent across the board. This builds trust with students and parents.
MS Homework Policies
Homework is an important part of the IS educational program. It should provide all students with the opportunity for practice, preparation, elaboration, reinforcement, and research opportunities learned or introduced during the academic day. Homework should be able to be completed independently by the student with little assistance from adults. Homework should be of high quality and connected to student’s interest. The length and amount of homework should be appropriate to the student’s needs and abilities and needs to be differentiated for student success. All homework should receive teacher feedback but may not need to be graded. Absent students will find their homework assignments on the Potomac Haiku website. Students absent from school because of illness or other excused reasons will have a maximum of three days to make up all missed assignments, unless special arrangements are made. Students are responsible for ensuring that homework is complete. Certain days are labeled "no homework" on the IS professional calendar. It is important that everyone respects these special days and that faculty is consistent across the board. This builds trust with students and parents.
MS Homework Policies
Homework is assigned Monday through Thursday nights. A guideline for the appropriate amounts is:
- Grade 4: no more than one half hour of assigned work and a half hour of reading: one hour total.
- Grade 5: 45-60 minutes of assigned work and a half hour of reading: 75-90 minutes total
- Grade 6: 1.5-2 hours of homework, including 30 minutes of reading, on Monday through Thursday nights
No homework is assigned for the weekend, except in necessary/extraordinary circumstances. While students may choose to complete long-term assignments on the weekends, this is not an expectation. Therefore, please allow sufficient amount of time during the school weekdays to complete the necessary work when making assignment due dates.
Special teachers should coordinate homework with classroom teachers so that children are not overburdened. Teachers are asked to keep a Google Calendar of tests/major assignments, shared with all teachers who assign home-based work, so that planning is facilitated.Please regularly ask the children how long they are spending on their homework and be sure to inquire during parent conferences. It is a good idea to ask the children to note the time spent during the first two or three weeks of school and write it in their planners or on their handouts.
All homework and assessments should be corrected and returned to the children in a timely manner.
Teachers should be aware of the differing religious obligations and holidays observed by Potomac families and should be sensitive to requests from families regarding homework during these important times. Assume that homework should be light or non-existent during these holidays (Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah, etc.) and that no test immediately follows them.
Fun homework?
- Choice homework- bingo board There are many options for developing a variety of acceptable choices in homework. Here is one contributed by Tricia: octubre Tarea Libre septiembre Tarea Libre
- Here is another type of choice board: Mr. Luna is absent
- Homework free nights- what is the value of no homework for just one night?
- Podcasts for those long Potomac commutes! samples: Spanish Pod 101 Lindsay Does Languages Learning Podcasts
- Flipped model: check it out! Flipping the Language Classroom
How To Manage Your Time, as a student
- Do you or your students use their Google Calendars- how far out (a semester?)
- Did you know that Google classroom populates to calendar?
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Thanks to our new mobile app and its challenge feature, you can assign kahoots as homework! Learners can play on their phones for revision and reinforcement, as well as challenge each other with their favorite games.
Watch our easy, step-by-step guide for assigning kahoots as homework by creating challenges either from your computer or in the mobile app. Kahoot Link
SYA link:
A CLASS WITHOUT A TEXTBOOK
Step inside Daniele Gatti's Global Citizenship class, and you will see first-hand the power of student-centered, place-based education. "For us, our textbook is the Italian society and people. Anything we do, anything we say in class, must be related somehow to what is happening in the world."
US Students and Faculty,
We are now accepting submissions for the spring edition of our Insight Magazine which will focus on the theme of “expressions”. Insight examines contemporary issues through the lens of personal experience and identity. Submissions can be in the form of articles, narratives, poems, photos, visual art, and more. All written work in the magazine will seek to explain issues from the “I perspective”. That is, students will investigate a given current event, pop culture phenomenon, or day-to-day experience through the lens of their own identity. The deadline for submissions will be Tuesday, April 3rd, the first Tuesday after we return from Spring break. To submit your work, first join the Insight Google Classroom using the code 2t6xe5. Then add your work to the spring 2018 edition post. Thank you!
From the Insight Publishing Team
Save the Date
Around The World Embassy Tour
May 7
More than 40 embassies will open their doors to DC visitors and residents Saturday, May 7. Participants can travel the world as they experience the food, art, dance, fashion, and music of different countries. In the past, visitors have been treated to karate demonstrations, dance performances, sari wrapping lessons, and henna demonstrations.
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Conference News:
| LANGUAGE EDUCATORS' LEARNING PORTAL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SECOND LIVE DISCUSSION OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADDED | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Due to high demand, we've added a second live discussion about ACTFL's new online virtual learning series, Integrating Culture and Intercultural Communication, with ACTFL Past-President Jacque Bott Van Houten. Learners need to set cultural and proficiency goals to be effective global communicators. In this online module, you will explore the NCSSFL-ACTFL Intercultural Communication Can-Do Statements, identify steps to integrate culture and ICC into your classroom, and learn how to assess ICC.
Register for the second live event and get 20 percent off the VLM!
Learn – Discuss – Reflect: ACTFL brings you these additional topics throughout the academic year:
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In the Potomac News...
SPANISH STUDENTS HEAR FROM HOST OF "PATI'S MEXICAN TABLE"
On January 11, Potomac Spanish students had the opportunity to hear from an exciting guest speaker: Pati Jinich, host of the Emmy and James Beard Award-nominated television program Pati's Mexican Table. Ms. Jinich spoke about her varied career and the development of her show, which "brings authentic Mexican flavors, colors, textures, and warmth into viewer's homes." Formerly a policy analyst whose work focused on Latin American politics and history, Ms Jinich shifted careers to become a chef, cookbook author, and TV host. She told the students that she is passionate about sharing the tastes of her childhood and the culture of her native country.
SCIENCE FUN... IN FRENCH!
Third-year French students in the US have been studying education. For the science-focused part of the unit, each sophomore presented a science experiment in French, as if he or she were teaching a group of children. Click here to see student Ben Steer present his experiment. Chemistry teacher Bill Peery gave it two thumbs up and said he could easily follow along with his high school French!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
On February 13, Ms. Hoffmann's and Mr. McEwen's classes celebrated Chinese New Year with some exciting activities. The classrooms were decorated with lanterns, Chinese poetic couplets, and the Chinese character "fu," all in red (because red represents happiness, good luck, and prosperity for the new year). Students in both classes learned how to make dumplings, practiced calligraphy, and even mastered saying "happy New Year!" in Chinese.
To wrap up the celebration, everyone got to enjoy some tasty dumplings. Each child also received a traditional lucky red envelope to kick off the Year of the Dog.
Click here to watch a short video about the event.
LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER
If you visited the IS this Wednesday, you might have thought that you'd somehow ended up in New Orleans! IS French students paraded through the halls wearing masks, danced to Zydeco music, passed out candy to children and Mardi Gras beads to adults, and invited everybody to "let the good times roll."
After the parade, the students returned to class to share a special meal, with the help of some amazing parents who had prepared the feast. The highlights included king cake, fresh crêpes, and pains au chocolat. Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!
MS STUDENTS SHARE THEIR WORK
Last Friday, the MS came together in the IS Choral Room to celebrate the many exciting things going on in students' classes. Fifth graders read from their personal essays and poems, and two groups performed a reader's theater – one in Spanish, and one based on Mesopotamia. We also enjoyed some musical performances from the sixth grade chorus and from students playing the recorder, the saxophone, and the piano. The event finished with our annual Spanish "rolling r" contest.
Blog Question: How are you including intercultural competence/global competence in your classes this year?
