During a virtual sixth-grade orientation, Ralston students and administrators explained academic expectations for sixth grade, including typical nightly homework, how teachers post assignments and the digital platforms the school uses.

This matters because incoming families often want clear expectations for students' nightly workload and how to track assignments.

Administrators said homework varies with the week and teacher. "You can expect math homework pretty much every night," said Assistant Principal Kelly Jorgensen, and many teachers require nightly reading. Jorgensen and another administrator said typical nightly homework "should not exceed more than an hour, hour and 15" on average, though it depends on projects and tests that week.

Students added practical tips for managing assignments. "When they post stuff on Google Classroom, it gets kinda wonky," said Alan, urging students to check all sections (stream, classwork, resources). A student explained TCI is the platform social studies teachers use and described it as a textbook-like resource for assignments.

Students also said some teachers assign weekly packets while others post daily work. One student noted unfinished classwork can become homework, so keeping up in class can reduce after-school workload.

Parents were advised to check class-specific procedures at the start of the year, monitor Google Classroom regularly and reach out to teachers with questions.