Syllabus Spanish I Sra. Stowe I. Contact information: Amanda Stowe Rm:456 Email: astowe@iss.k12.nc.us Google Voice: 704-980-9218 Phone: 704-799-8555 (school number for voicemail) My preferred methods of contact are via email or Google voicemail/texts. The Google voice number will allow anyone to leave me a voicemail or text, which immediately shows in my email inbox. I check email throughout the day and am able to access my inbox from home. I am only able to check the school voicemail before or after school and I cannot retrieve messages when not in school. I do my best to respond to any messages in a prompt and timely manner. II. Class overview Students will study the language, culture, history and geography of Spanish speaking countries worldwide. The students will learn vocabulary and grammar, with focus on developing skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing to a novice mid level. Topics that will be studied this semester include: Alphabet basics & pronunciation Greetings, farewells & courtesy words Calendar & telling tine Weather Geography of the Spanish speaking world What am I like? personal description My family My likes and dislikes My school day Foods Places in my community Clothes & shopping III. Classroom guidelines Students are expected to follow these guidelines for classroom behavior.! Be on time. This means students are present in my room at the sound of the bell.! Be prepared. Students should have all materials for class and be prepared for the course of study for that day, such as having studied for quizzes, tests, etc.! Be respectful of each other - person, property and ideas.! Follow all teacher directions promptly.! Conduct themselves as young adults and follow proper classroom decorum.! Adhere to all Lake Norman High School rules and regulations see handbook online for more information
IV. Teacher policies! Use of the language I will teach the class 50% or more of the time in Spanish.. Students are expected to respond in Spanish whenever possible and should come to class prepared to do so. Use of English in class should be limited and diminish as we proceed through the course. Students who do not respond in Spanish when it is possible to do so will lose points from participation grades and may be subject to disciplinary action if it is a chronic issue.! Homework/class work Students are expected to turn in all work labeled, completed and on time. Incomplete work will be accepted, but only for partial credit. Any incorrectly labeled work will be given a ZERO. Any late work is a 0 until it is turned in, and then it will be debited points as appropriate. Makeup work will be recorded in teacher grade book (paper and Powerschool) at teacher discretion. Please do not expect or request an immediate update to your grade if submitting makeup/late work. Work missed due to an absence is due no later than 5 school days after being out. After 5 school days, any missing assignments will convert to a permanent 0 unless other plans are made between teacher and student. Multiday absences, injuries, etc. may need special accommodations and plans for the work due should be arranged as soon as possible with the teacher.! Required online work Students will have online work on a regular basis throughout the semester. Students must treat online assignments as they would traditional pen-and-paper assignments. Due dates and penalties for missed work will be in effect for these assignments. Technical problems (lack of access, computer/internet failure, etc.) are NOT acceptable excuses for missing online work. Any technical issues that may interfere with accomplishing the assignment MUST be immediately reported to the teacher to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. The student is NOT exempted from the work (or penalties for missing work) due to technical issues! Students are required to register for 3 websites we will use throughout the semester. Students will receive information on how to register for these sites in class. These are: 1. www.vocestextbooks.com - This is an online textbook program we will use this semester as a resource for teaching the Spanish 1 curriculum. Students will be able to refer to the book for additional practice and help understanding concepts. Students will also be able to use textbook resources such as videos to help understand grammar and cultural topics.
2. www.edmodo.com This site is a safe social learning platform designed for use by teachers, students and parents. It will be used for assignments, posting homework and communication. Students will be expected to use Edmodo to accomplish work and the Edmodo forum should be seen as an extension of our physical classroom. All rules and regulations regarding acceptable behavior should be followed while using this site. Those who do not use appropriate conduct will be subject to disciplinary consequences. 3. www.conjuguemos.com This site is a practice site for learning vocabulary and verbs. It will be used often for homework, quiz and test grades! Absences Any announced dates for tests, major assignments or quizzes are to be honored, regardless of an absence the day before. Students are responsible for getting any missed assignments from me or another student before or after class time. Assignments will be available online at www.edmodo.com by the end of each school day and should be consulted to find out missing work. Students are responsible for making up time if absent more than 3 times a quarter. Time owed due to multiple absences may be made up during ASD or Saturday School. Students may also make an appointment to make up time with me afterschool as needed. Seniors senior exemptions are available for those who meet the exemption policy. Absences from the entire semester are used to figure out exemptions. Field trip absences do not count against seniors, as they considered at school during those trips. Any other absences, whether waived or not, are counted against seniors. Please do not request special consideration for individual situations. Seniors may be exempt from the final exam if the following criteria are met: o - Not more than three (3) absences and an A in the class o - Not more than two (2) absences and a B in the class o - Not more than one (1) absence and a C in the class! Multi-tasking zero tolerance Working on assignments for other classes during my class is not permitted, as students full focus should be on the lesson When caught multi-tasking, student materials will be confiscated and shredded immediately. Any items belonging to a teacher will be returned to the teacher. There may be times where multi-tasking is an appropriate use of time (i.e. after a test but before others are finished). Students may ask for limited permission to have out other subject material at that time.! Use of electronic devices Please refrain from having out cell phones, IPods, etc. during class time. Any unauthorized use of electronic devices in the class is prohibited. Devices will be confiscated as a consequence and returned to owner/parent at the discretion of the teacher and/or per ISS school policy.
! Computer use in class Students will be expected to follow the guidelines listed below for using computers in class. Students are expected to come to class with their devices charged and ready to take part in the lesson. Students should have laptops open and in use only when instructed to do so by the teacher. Students are expected and allowed to use their computers to complete notes or assignments, work on projects and take quizzes and tests. The laptop should not be used for entertainment (entertainment includes games, streaming video or audio) during class time. Students who are caught using devices in a manner other than instructed by the teacher or in a way that violates the policies in the student handbook will be subject to disciplinary action. Consequences include: Teacher warning Computer confiscation for remainder of period If incidence recurs, students will be assigned ASD and/or referred to the administrator as situation warrants Students whose devices need charging during class will have limited access to charging and will be expected to use their own charging cables. There will be a table for students to place devices that need charging when not actively being used. Students who realize their devices are losing charge may use nearby outlets to charge as long as this process does not disturb others nor disrupt the class instruction.! SMART LUNCH: Tutorials & incentive policy SMART lunch offers a great opportunity for students to manage their schedule and seek help when needed. LNHS recommends all students attend a minimum of 4 tutorials per quarter during SMART lunch. As departments we are allowed to customize a policy that works for our students. The Spanish departmental policy for tutorials is as follows: Students who are having trouble need to attend tutorials on a regular basis. As soon as a student feels behind or confused, he/she should attend tutoring with the teacher. Language skills build upon one another, so issues and concerns need to be cleared up as soon as they appear. Spanish teachers will only tutor their own students during scheduled tutorials. Students may seek out any Spanish teacher for help outside of formal tutorials, but that session will not count towards the incentive program of their assigned teacher. Students who attend 7 tutorials per quarter with their teacher will receive the following: At the end of the 1 st 9 week period 5 points added to the MIDTERM score At the end of the 2 nd 9 week period 5 points added to the FINAL EXAM* score *Seniors who qualify to exempt the final will be able to add their points to a test of their choice. Students may attend tutorials with me on the days listed below: Tuesday Tutorial B Friday Tutorial A
It is the student s responsibility to check in when attending tutorials. If a student does not sign in, that tutorial will not count towards the incentive. Tutorials may be used for tutoring, making up missing work (classwork, quizzes or tests) and group work/projects. Students may also use tutorials to make up time - but tutorials used this way will not count towards the incentive goal. Students are welcome to bring their lunches and eat during my tutorials, but they are expected to clean up after themselves as necessary. Failure to be considerate when eating (disruptive behavior, leaving trash, spilling, not wiping up, etc.) will cause students to lose the lunch option during tutorials. My classroom will always be open for students during scheduled tutorials. Teacher availability on other days is variable. Students should consult the posted schedule on my door to determine when my room is open.! Tutoring (in addition to tutorials) - Students are strongly encouraged to attend tutorials during SMART lunch for help during the school day. If you need more time for help than what is available during SMART lunch: I will be available for tutoring before/ after school by appointment only. I request students make appointments so that I can be sure to allocate a dedicated amount of time to help them due to the many afterschool obligations I have. Appointments must be made with me before or after class, not during class time. Students may request a peer tutor if they wish to work with another student. Peer tutors will usually be former students of mine that are in upper level Spanish. Students or parents can make arrangements for peer tutors in person or via email. If you feel you need another tutoring resource, please feel free to consult with any other Spanish teacher on staff here at LNHS or you may choose to pursue private tutoring. I do have resources for private tutoring and will be happy to share these upon request.! Grades Students grades are derived by a straight point average (points earned divided by points possible). All work for class will have an assigned point value and will be evaluated accordingly. Typical values are: Tests = 100 points. Oral recitations or presentations = 100-200 points Conjuguemos assignments online = 50 points. Quizzes = 10 to 50 points Homework/ class work = 10 to 50 points per section assigned Misc. projects or reports = point values vary per project. When working with others (groups or partners), students will receive either group grades or individual grades depending on the nature of the assignment. Students are informed which type of grading will be used when the task is assigned.
V. Successful students in my class! Use the language at every opportunity, in or outside of class! Internalize the language through repetition and memorization.! Study every night, whether homework is assigned or not! Ask questions in class to clarify or expand their grasp of the language.! Are responsible for the choices they make regarding class work and behavior.! Are open to differences with others - in the classroom, the community or the world.