GREAT PATH ACADEMY WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT STUDENT SYLLABUS 2013-2014 SPANISH I Sra.

Angeles Diez Room 215 (World Language Lab Room 235) Telephone: 860-512-3000, Ext. 3745 Email: [email protected]

Spanish is a fun language, and I want you to enjoy yourself while learning.
It is my pleasure to be your Spanish teacher and I am looking forward to the beginning of a new school year. . Throughout the year, we will have many opportunities to improve our speaking, reading, writing and listening skills while learning about a new language, lifestyle, and culture. The goal of this course is to lead you to maximum proficiency. To reach this goal, we will be focusing on: Communicating in Spanish, including listening, reading, writing, and speaking Gaining an understanding of various Spanish cultures and perspectives Comparing our community and culture to Spanish communities and cultures Connecting what we learn to other subjects Using a variety of multi-media resources in research and learning The core value and qualitative goal of our class is to become global citizens. We will learn the Spanish language and culture in an attempt to develop cross-cultural perspectives and experiences. It is important that we work together to create an environment that allows us to learn as much as possible.

Welcome to Spanish class- Bienvenidos a la clase de Espaol!

BIG Goals for Spanish I:

Materials Required for Class: *****Must be brought to every class*****

To complete the work that needs to be done in this class and to make sure we are successful, you must bring your supplies to class with you every day. We will assemble our cuadernos (notebooks) together in class. You will need the following supplies with you in class by next Tuesday, September 4th (B Day classes) or Wednesday, September 5th (A Day classes): 1 3-ring binder (your CUADERNO) Package of 6 dividers for your cuaderno Loose leaf paper Pen in blue or black ink Pencil *You will be provided with a copy of the textbook Realidades in class. It will also be used for some homework assignments.*

What is a cuaderno? All cultural experts and global citizens must keep a neat record of all the information they compile. As students in this class, the same is expected of you. An excellent cuaderno (notebook) will make it easier for you to find the information you need when you need it, as well as keep track of your accomplishments in this class. Stay on top of things from the start!! I will check your cuaderno randomly at least 2-3 times each quarter, and each cuaderno check is worth a quiz grade. I will keep a master cuaderno in our classroom, which you can use to make sure yours is complete. Along with tests, quizzes, and projects, cuaderno grades are also major grades. You will use your 6 dividers to separate the various sections of your cuaderno as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. Hagan Ahora (Do Now) Apuntes (Notes) Vocabulario (Vocabulary) Tarea (Homework) Cultura Graded Work/Trackers

Absolutely no obscenities or disrespectful behavior will be tolerated in the classroom. Electronic devices including cell phones, activated paging devices, i-pods, mp3 or any other electronic devices are not allowed in the classroom. If you have it turned on, it will be confiscated. Please refer to the student manual. 3. Any work that is plagiarized (even if its just copying homework) will automatically receive a 0. 4. Students will comply with the dress code regulations as noted on the student manual. 5. In addition, all students will follow the Discipline Code as well as the consequences as listed on your student manual. 6. No food, drink, hats, in class. 7. Raise your hand to get permission to speak. 8. Come for help as soon as you need it. 9. ASL: Always Speak the Language. Please make every effort to speak in Spanish. The following classroom rules and procedures are in place to make sure that everyone is able to learn, and that none of our valuable class time is wasted: : In order to be successful in class you must: Participate in all group activities, discussions and interactions in class. Be prepared to work as soon as you arrive in class and have the materials that you need for the period. You will be penalized if you come to class unprepared by way of point reduction. 1. Homework must be 100% completed and with you at the beginning of the class in order to receive full credit. Late assignments will not be accepted. In the event that a student is out due to illness for a prolonged period of time, the assignments will be left with the guidance secretary. 2. Test and quizzes- You may retake any test in which you receive a C or lower. I will then average your 2 grades to reach you final score. You only have 2 days after the test/quiz date to do a retake. 3. Oral & Class Participation- Students are expected to speak in Spanish in order to receive the full credit for class participation and oral presentation.

Classroom Expectations & Behaviors:

Grading Criteria & Grading Scale

Classwork, Participation, Being Prepared- 20% Homework-20% Test-20% Quizzes- 10% Projects- 20% Midterm-5% Final Exam-5% I will also grade according to the MCC and Great Path explanation of grades, as follows: A+ = 95-100 A = 90-94 B+=85-89 B= 80-84 C+=75-79 C = 70-74 D+=65-69 D=60-64 F= Under 60

If you are confused about how any of these percentages and scores break down, please ask! Also, if you are concerned about your grade at any time during the year, set up a time to meet with me and I would be more than happy to discuss and help! Only students with an excused absence can make up the work for that day. For each day absent, you will have 2 days to make up the work. Every day late thereafter will result in a deduction of 10% each day. You are responsible for getting your make up work and taking tests and/or quizzes. In Spanish, we do almost all of our learning together in class. It is very important to be in class and actively participating every day. If you must be absent, you are responsible for getting all assignments and making up all work. You may call me to learn what you missed, or contact a classmate. Make-up work cannot be done during class. The easiest way to avoid is by being in class every day! You will also be expected to arrive on time daily. If you are over 15 minutes late to class, you will be marked as absent. Three consecutive tardies will result in an absence. (Please refer to the student manual for complete attendance policies). I am happy to work with you outside of class and set up a time to meet. I am always available by email and by phone (see contact information on front page). My goal is for you to be a successful Spanish student this year, and I will do everything I can to help you get there! I understand that the rules are meant to help all students in the class. By not following these rules, I slow or prevent others and myself from learning. I also understand that my class grade will be based in part on how well I follow these rules.

Make-Up Work

Attendance & tardiness:

Extra help:

Acknowledgement for Class Syllabus for Spanish I: I have read, understand and agree to the above rules and regulations.
_______________________ Student (print name) ________________________ Parent/Guardian (print name) ______________________ Student (Signature) Date _______________________ Parent (Signature) Date