GREAT PATH ACADEMY WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT STUDENT SYLLABUS 2013-2014 SPANISH II & III Miss Kimberly Ruoff

Room 215 (World Language Lab Room 235) Telephone: 860-512-3000, Ext. 3746 Email: [email protected] Welcome to Spanish class- Bienvenidos a la clase de Espaol! It is my pleasure to be your Spanish teacher and I am looking forward to the beginning of a new school year. Spanish is a fun language, and I want you to enjoy yourself while learning. 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. BIG Goals for Spanish II and III: 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, speaking reading, and writing (LSRW) 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. Grading Criteria & Grading Scale: In order to be successful in class you must be willing to 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 Participation 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 department. 2. Test and quizzes- You may retake any test or quiz in which you receive a C or lower on your own time. 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.

Tests 20% Projects 20% Classwork and Participation (Hagan Ahora/Exit Slips/Oral Participation)- 20% Homework 20% Quizzes 10% Midterm Exam- 5% Final Exam 5%

I will also grade according to the MCC and Great Path explanation of grades, as follows: A+ A B+ B C+ C D+ D F 95-100 90-94 85-89 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 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! It is important that we work together to create an environment that allows us to learn as much as possible. 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: Make-Up Work: 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% per day. You are responsible for getting your make up work from our classwork folder and taking tests and/or quizzes. Attendance & tardiness: 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 all of this? Be 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 and lose your Do Now points for the day. Three consecutive tardies will result in an absence. (Please refer to the student manual for complete attendance policies). Classroom Expectations & Behaviors: 1. Absolutely no obscenities or disrespectful behavior will be tolerated in the classroom. 2. OFF AND AWAY: 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. This includes relying on Google Translate. 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 in 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.

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 3rd (B Day classes) or Wednesday, September 4th (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. You may leave it at home to use as a study tool and 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 six dividers to separate the various sections of your cuaderno as follows: 1. Hagan Ahora (Do Now) 2. Apuntes (Notes) 3. Vocabulario (Vocabulary) 4. Tarea (Homework) 5. Cultura (Culture) 6. Graded Work/Trackers and Alignment Guides Extra help: I am happy to work with you outside of class. Most days I will be available after school, and I am always available by email, and by phone until 6pm (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.

Acknowledgement for Class Syllabus for Spanish 2 or 3: 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