Make Up Work

Vine does not have homework, other than nightly reading. When students are ill, they are not typically well enough to do schoolwork. Due to this, we do not send home a lot of work when students are absent. However, as students get older, they will have more and more responsibility to make up some work, in and out of school. Here is how make up work is handled at each level:  

Primary Absences (K-1): When our primary students are absent, we do not ask them to make up work at home. Sick children should focus on getting better and returning to school as soon as possible. If your son or daughter will be absent for a trip, bereavement, or other issue, we will not send work home in advance or after the absence. We have not found this to be an effective use of time, and we have not found that our youngest students are ready to make up work outside of school. Our program is individualized, so we will work to catch up as best we can when the student returns.

Elementary Absences (2-4): When our elementary students are absent, we only ask them to make up very minimal work at home.  Sick children should focus on getting better and returning to school as soon as possible. If your child will be absent for a trip, bereavement, or other issue, we will not send work home in advance or after the absence. We have not found this to be an effective use of time, and we have not found that our youngest students are ready to make up work outside of school. Our program is individualized, so we will work to catch up as best we can when the student returns.

When a 2nd to 4th grade student is absent, we ask for only two items:

  • Reading should be done every day.  Even if the child is ill, the child can typically read or be read to for 20-30 minutes.

  • 20-30 minutes of one of our computerized math programs, Aleks, is strongly recommended.

Intermediate & Middle School Absences (5-8): In grades five and up, we start introducing make-up work.  If the student is well enough to do work at home, the following are items that the student may work on during his or her absence:

At Home Make Up Work

Always Do:

Nightly Reading: even when sick, students are expected to keep up with literature assignments and daily reading.  If the class is doing a group read, the student should email his or her literature teacher for the day’s specific assignment.  

Online Options:

  • Aleks: three to five topics in Aleks, our online math program (about a 20-30 minutes of practice)

  • Membean: 15 minutes of online vocabulary practice

  • Typing Agent: 10 minutes of typing practice

Additional Options (Binder Needed)

  • Study: studying for history, science, or Spanish may be an option.

  • Writing: if a writing assignment has already been started, meaning the four square is complete, the student can continue working on drafting that assignment.  He or she may need to write to the teacher to ask for a copy of the four square.

  • ResQs: if history or science ResQs have already been assigned in class, the student can continue to complete them.

  • Annotations: if an annotation assignment has been started in literature class, the student can continue to work on those.

Upon Returning to School: When the student who has been absent returns to school, a plan will be made for all other missed assignments. Some work will be done at school and some will be sent home.

At School Make Up:

  • Spanish assignments will be made up during music.

  • History assignments will be made up during art.

  • Science assignments will be made up during math games for intermediate students and during fitness for middle school students.

At Home Make Up:

  • Literature, writing, and math assignments will be made up at home.

  • Upon returning to school, the teachers of those classes will meet with your child to make a list of assignments to be completed.

  • A make-up work form will be sent home, and the student will be expected to have those assignments completed within a week.

  • The teacher may choose to have the student complete work from the actual absence at school and assign other more home-friendly activities for make-up.

There is no required make up work in or out of school for specials and electives.  For projected learning, students will have a check-in following their absence to discuss their updated project timeline and expectations.

High School Absences:

Core Classes: High school students are responsible for making up all work missed on a day of absence. Students should email their teachers directly for information on missed work on the day of the absence, but students should be aware that some makeup work cannot be completed until after the student has returned to school. If there is an unavoidable upcoming absence, parents should fill out the planned absence form. Upon returning to school, students are responsible for checking in with each of their teachers to create a list of makeup work and expected deadlines.

Pass/Fail Elective Classes: As long as a student is absent for no more than three consecutive days, they are excused from makeup work in art, music, fitness, or other pass/fail electives. Makeup work beyond that is at the discretion of the teacher of each individual course. Students must complete at least 75% of course work in any elective in order to receive a credit for an elective.

Fitness Absence Policy: If a student must sit out of fitness class due to injury for more than three classes, they will be required to complete an alternate curriculum in order to obtain fitness credit for the school year.  Students who provide a doctor’s note that indicates modifications that may be implemented during fitness may continue to participate.

Assessments: Students are expected to make-up any missed assessments in a timely fashion.  They are responsible for scheduling their missed assessment upon their return, prioritizing using after school study hall time or their lunch period.  To ensure that students make up assessments in a timely fashion, a “0” will be entered into the gradebook for the following circumstances:

  • The student fails to schedule their assessment within 3 days of their return back to school.

  • The student fails to show up for a scheduled make-up assessment.

  • These zeros can be replaced in the gradebook once the student has completed the assessment.