SPANISH I SYLLABUS 2011 Colleyville Heritage High School Instructor: Nola Larson Conference: 3 rd period, 10:25-11:15 Room: A 220 Phone: (817) 305-4700 ext.2020 E- mail: Nola.Larson@gcisd.net Tutorials: 8:00-8:30 (Mondays-Thursdays). Afternoons: By appointment only. The Spanish I Course is designed to teach the sound system, the pattern of intonation and basic speech patterns. Fundamentals of reading and writing are taught along with basic structures and essential conversation skills. The cultures of various Spanish-speaking countries are also stressed. This course includes demanding vocabulary and language study. OUTCOMES As a novice language learner, the Spanish I student will: 1. Engage in oral and written exchanges to provide and obtain information, express feelings and preferences, and exchange ideas and opinions. 2. Understand and interpret spoken and written language. 3. Present information, concepts, and ideas to listeners and readers. 4. Recognize the importance of awareness of the culture of Spanish speaking countries, including its practices, in order to develop accuracy of expression. 5. Use the Spanish language to acquire information and reinforce other areas of study. 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and influence of both language and culture through comparisons to the student s own language and culture. 7. Use the language both within and beyond the school setting, using learned Spanish for personal enrichment and career development. CLASS RULES 1. Show respect to yourself and others. 2. Listen to and follow directions as soon as they are given. 3. Come to class prepared and on time. ASSESSMENT POLICIES GRADING POLICY Grades will be computed as follows: Tests: 40% Quizzes and projects: 30% Daily work, homework and oral participation: 30% An Excelente point will be given for any A on a quiz, but this point cannot be earned from a daily quiz grade. The student will be given a paper-stamped coupon for the Excelente point that can be applied to any future test grade. On a test day, a student can attach his or her Excelente point(s) when turning in a test. 1
Students will have the opportunity to add five points to a major quiz grade if they turn in the current vocabulary list written five times (Spanish and English translation) at the beginning of a class period when a vocabulary quiz will be given. However, these extra five points cannot be applied to daily quizzes. Quizzes and tests will be returned, reviewed, and corrected by the student. Then they will be filed in the student portfolio and kept in the classroom until the end of the term. Dates for quizzes, tests or projects will be announced and will also be written on the board. It is the students' responsibility to write down this information. There are no test retakes for a failing test grade. Students who wish to retake a failing quiz grade with a maximum grade of 70% must come in for at least one tutorial. Retakes may be taken before or after school (with prior arrangements). The new quiz score will be the higher of the two grades for a maximum grade of 70. Retakes will not be allowed during the last week of the six weeks period. Per department policy, no hand-held or on-line translators or computer programs or Spanishspeaking acquaintances may be used on any assignment. Use of any of these will result in a zero for the assignment. Anyone engaging in activities such as cheating or plagiarism will be penalized according to the Code of Academic Integrity. Only one late assignment will be accepted each six weeks for a maximum grade of 70%. The late assignment must be labeled late, turned in at the beginning of the following class period, and placed in the homework stack tray. NOTEBOOK ORGANIZATION Students are to place all work in a loose-leaf 1 ½-inch binder. The binder may be checked and graded each six-week period. Five Notebook tab labels (You may want to write English on back): 1. Esponjas (Warm-ups) 2. Trabajo diario y tarea (Daily Work and Homework) 3. Apuntes (Notes) 4. Cultura (Culture) 5. Vocabulario (Vocabulary) RESOURCES 1. Textbook Realidades (Prentice Hall) 2. Ancillaries of the Realidades program including 2 practice workbooks, readings, audio CDs and activities, communicative activities and culturally diverse DVDs representing students from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries. 3. Online and interactive computer exercises (for home and school use) Cultural videos of Spanish-speaking countries. Realidades Spanish 1 student web site: http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?area=view&wcprefix=jdk&wcsuffix=0001 CLASSROOM PROCEDURES 2
STUDENTS WILL: 1. Be in your seat when the bell rings. 2. Have your homework out and ready to be corrected. 3. Have your binder open to begin your written warm-up. 4. Work quietly and independently during your warm-up. 5. Obey all rules outlined in the GCISD Code of Conduct Handbook. 6. Be respectful of Classroom Procedures. Disciplinary procedures will be administered at the discretion of the teacher in order to maintain a proper learning environment. 7. Your work should be your own. Cheating will not be tolerated. Zeros will be given and parents will be notified. 8. Students will not have cell phones or MP3 players in Spanish class. If they are out, they will be taken to the front office. PROCEDURE FOR LATE WORK, MAKE-UP WORK AND TUTORING Homework is considered late if it is not turned in immediately when the teacher requests it upon entering the classroom and before the tardy bell rings. Students who do not complete their homework must sign the incomplete homework sheet. Late work must be labeled late and turned into the homework tray by the next class period to receive a maximum of 70% of credit. Only one late grade is allowed during a six week period. Homework and projects are to be completed independent of outside help. Student notes are to be used as references. Work which is copied or allowed to be copied will receive zeros. On the second offense, parents will be notified. Using Internet translating sites to translate blocks of text is considered plagiarism. Plus, they don t work well. In the case of cheating during a test or quiz, zeros will be given, and parents will be notified on the first offense. Additional disciplinary action may be taken. Homework must be corrected with a red pen when we go over it in class. Failure to make corrections to assigned work affects one s participation grade. It is important for students to participate in class. If a student comes to class consistently without classroom materials, that student will receive a warning and then a detention. Make-up work and tests will be permitted for all absences. Students will have one day for make-up for each day of absence caused by illness. Make-up work must be labeled absent and placed in homework basket. However, make-up work caused by suspension will be due one day after the student s return. There will be a grade reduction for unexcused absences on the day of a test or quiz. A student who is absent the day prior to an exam must take the exam since no new information will be covered for the exam. Students who are absent on the day of a quiz/test are expected to make it up promptly. The teacher will set an appointment time for make-up quiz/tests before or after school. It s the student s responsibility to take the quiz/test at that time. Alternative assignments may be given. Students who miss an appointment for a quiz retake may forfeit this opportunity. Students who are absent should pick up make-up work for the day(s) they missed from the class file folders before the tardy bell rings. Students are responsible for showing the teacher all make-up work whether or not Sra. Larson asks for it and then placing the homework labeled absent in the homework stack tray. Students who plan to be absent due to a school function are expected to inform Sra. Larson of the absence in advance and request all make-up work. If any quizzes or tests are to be 3
missed, a make-up date will be scheduled at that time. All class work and homework missed during the absence must be turned in upon the student s return labeled absent, or else it will be considered late. Sra. Larson reserves the right to make changes or additions to these policies at anytime she deems necessary. She will explain the changes clearly and will give students a written copy of any new policies before enforcing consequences. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 1. Students are expected to be in their seats and on task with warm-up work of the day when the tardy bell rings. Students must follow procedures for announcements and minute of silence. 2. Students will be respectful of other students and their personal property. Teasing other students will not be tolerated. 3. Students should listen and be attentive to the instructor. Learning to listen is critical in a foreign language class because the sounds and words of that language are new and different. 4. Do not apply perfume, cologne, scented lotions, make-up, etc. in the classroom. We all have to breathe the same air, and some individuals have allergies or asthma. 5. Bottled water is the only drink allowed in the classroom. The bottle must be clear and cannot be refilled during class time. No other food or beverages are allowed in the classroom. 6. When given class time to work, I expect you to remain on task. You may not work on something else or sleep. 7. Students are expected to use the restrooms during the passing period between classes. Administration and parents will be notified if student consistently misses class to go to the restroom. 8. During class, students should be courteous as to when they get out of their seat. Sharpening pencils, getting Kleenex, etc. should be done before class or discretely during class work time. Wandering about the room is not permitted. 9. Respect the property of others. Do not take something without permission from the owner. Respect school and classroom property, and put common supplies back where they belong. 10. Students may be referred to their Assistant Principal for any major classroom disruption as outlined in the GCISD Student Handbook, Classroom Syllabus and/or Classroom Management Plan. 4
Consequences for Violation of Classroom Management Plan 1 ST Violation Warning and/or student-teacher conference 2 nd Violation Phone call to parent and/or change in seating 3 rd Violation School detention 4 th Violation Office referral Sony Language and Computer Lab Notification The Foreign Language classes at Heritage High School will be using the Language Listening Lab and Computer Lab on a regular basis this school year. Due to the extensive cost of the equipment we must take precautions to ensure the safety of our equipment. Students will be responsible for any damage which occurs to their carrel during their class time. Below several rules have been highlighted, but all school rules and classroom policies as outlined in the Classroom Management Plans are in effect in the Sony Listening Lab. Please remember that the use of the Language and Computer Labs is a privilege that can be revoked by the teacher if necessary. Students and parents are required to sign the GCISD network/internet policy at the beginning of each school year. Please review this policy in the student handbook, and note that this policy applies in the foreign language labs. We request that you sign the sheet attached to the syllabus verifying that you have read and understand this letter. Failure to sign does not release the student of these responsibilities regarding the lab use. We anticipate the use of our technology to accelerate and improve language learning, and we look forward to an exciting, educational year! Procedures for use of the Sony Listening Labs: 1. Sit in your assigned seat. 2. Report any problems immediately to your teacher. 3. Absolutely no water, mints, food products, cell phones, individual music players or backpacks in the labs. 4. In you need to change seat, your teacher must be notified and will adjust the seating chart accordingly. You are responsible for the condition of the computer/carrel at which you are supposed to work. 5. ANY act that disables the computer or destructs the carrel causes an interruption of instruction. This results in an immediate office referral to your Assistant Principal. You will be responsible for all repair costs! Each subsequent infraction carries stiffer penalties! 6. Stay on task. For example, if you are on a school appropriate site that has nothing to do with what your teacher has assigned, you will receive a detention. If you are in e-mail or anything non-academic, you will receive an immediate referral. 7. Never remove any component from one computer and install on another. (E.g. Do not move a mouse from one station to another in the Computer Lab) 5
These items are for the student s use: Large 3-Ring Binder (1 ½ inch) o Loose-leaf Notebook Paper o 5 Notebook Dividers (see page 2 of syllabus for label instructions) o Package of Colored Markers for projects o 3-5 packages of Index Cards (3x5 cards may be cut in half), for vocabulary flash cards o Rubber bands and plastic freezer bags, to organize flash cards o Highlighter, pencils and pens, and red pen o Spanish-English Dictionary (Vox, Cassell, Langenscheidt, Larousse) Help! We always seem to be in need of these items. Any donations of these at any time during the semester are so appreciated! o Colored copy paper (one ream of single color rather than a color mix) o Regular white copy paper o Expo markers for whiteboard o Paper towels o Tissue boxes o Hand sanitizer 6