Valencia High School, Room 202

Español 2/2H, 3/3H, 4AP/IBSL Señor Esteban Picht-Trujillo Valencia High School, room 202 [email protected] ext. 10202

¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español! This year you will be studying either your second, third, or fourth year of Spanish. Probably when your parents studied Spanish in high school there wasn't much emphasis on becoming a fluent speaker of the language, but times have changed. Now the expectation is that you will eventually become fluent and that you will use the language in your everyday life or in your future career. In today's competitive job market, people who are fluent in a second or third language stand a much better chance of being hired and earning a higher salary. In today's global society, to be monolingual is to be at a major disadvantage, as it limits your possibilities, your earning potential, and your world.

Class Rules and Expectations 1. The expectation is that you will exclusively use Spanish in the classroom. Just as when you are in a Spanish- speaking country, if you are not forced to use the language in order to express yourself and to ask questions you will likely continue to rely on English as a crutch and you will not learn Spanish as quickly as you otherwise would. If you are enrolled as an Honors student, you are required to speak Spanish all the time in class, both with the teacher and with your fellow students. If you are heard continually using English you will lose your Honors designation at the semester and you’ll be reassigned to the regular class. 2. Extra credit is always an option for students, but it can only be earned by participating in some kind of Spanish-related cultural event and will only be applied to your test grades. Homework and participation grades cannot be raised with extra credit. Extra credit must always be approved by the teacher beforehand. It is never worth more than 10 percent of a given exam to which it is applied. Extra credit always includes an oral presentation to the class in Spanish in which you summarize the cultural activity in which you participated and present photographic evidence. All extra credit must be presented to the class no later than the week prior to the semester final exam. There are NO test re-takes, so if you do poorly on an exam it is a good idea to do extra credit! 3. All school rules regarding discipline, vandalism, profanity, dress code, cheating, etc. must be followed. IB students who are caught cheating will be dealt with according to the rules of the IB Program. For ANY assignment or test on which you are observed or caught cheating, you will receive a ZERO with no opportunity to retake or redo it, and your parents and counselor will be notified. This includes using online translators or turning in any work that is obviously not your original work or is written at a level beyond that of which you have demonstrated you are capable. 4. All school rules regarding electronic devices apply, except for using electronic dictionaries (smart phone apps, stand-alone devices, etc.). Whenever electronic dictionaries (including smartphones) are used they must remain flat on your desk. Otherwise you will be told to put them away. Translators should ONLY be used to check your work, not to produce your answers. 5. If you miss a test or homework due to absence, you have exactly the number of days that you missed to turn in or make up your work without losing any points. After that, late-work rules apply: for each day an assignment is turned in late or each day that an exam is taken late, 20% will be taken off, so that by the fifth day it is worth zero.

Spanish 2, 4AP/IBSL 1 Grading Grades are weighted as follows: Tests and quizzes 50% Homework/projects 30% Participation 10% Final Exam 10% Participation is based on a curve and will be updated every week on Aeries. The points possible reflect the class average. Points are earned by giving oral presentations, asking and answering questions, and always speaking Spanish in class. Each time a student is observed committing any of the following infractions, he or she will LOSE 2 points:

 Speaking or whispering in English during  Reading in any language other than Spanish class Coming to class unprepared (not having paper,  Doing homework for another class pen/pencil, workbooks, etc.)  Sleeping

Required Materials Spanish/English dictionary (electronic or colored pencils or markers • • printed) index cards and plastic bag (or smart phone app) folder with pockets and binder that can be • taken home or left in the classroom bins

Other Class Policies: 1. Restroom: When you need to use the restroom, use one of the bathroom passes that you received the first week of class. You need to tear off the pass and take it with you when you go to the restroom. You do not need to raise your hand or interrupt the class, just fill out the pass and bring it to me to sign. You do not receive extra credit for not using the passes. 2. Tardies: On your third unexcused tardy you will be required to serve an after-school detention of 45 minutes. On your fourth tardy your parents will be contacted and you will serve a 45-minute detention. On your fifth tardy you will be referred to your counselor. 3. Food/Drinks/Gum: No food or gum is allowed in class. Only non-sugar drinks in an enclosed container are permitted. If you eat food or chew gum you will need to serve an after-school cleaning detention. This applies from the very first offense.

Spanish 2, 4AP/IBSL 2 COURSE TITLE: SPANISH 2/2-HONORS Grades: 9-12 Length: One Year Prerequisite: C or better Spanish 1 (A and/or Teacher Recommendation in Spanish 1 for Honors) This is the second year of an elective course designed to accelerate world language skills, to begin to prepare students for eventually taking the Advanced Placement test in the Spanish Language and to prepare students for living in a global society. Classroom instruction is designed to increase the ability to communicate in a second language by involving students in more complex communicative tasks. Classroom instruction includes reading, writing, listening and speaking skills as is suggested in the AP Guide to Curriculum for Spanish 2. Students will learn the target language in a contemporary cultural context. The course will be conducted primarily in the Spanish language. Honors students will have additional assignments/activities and MUST always stay in the target language during class.

COURSE TITLE: SPANISH 3/3-HONORS Grades: 9-12 Length: One Year Prerequisite: C or better in Spanish 2 (B or better in Honors 2 and/or Teacher Recommendation in Spanish 2) This is an advanced course, which provides in-depth and intensive study of the Spanish language through practice of more complex structures and more extensive vocabulary. Spanish 3 Honors provides further opportunity to practice the four basic language skills to help prepare students who will be taking the Advanced Placement Spanish language exam. The course increases emphasis on speaking, reading, writing, and listening and continues to present information pertaining to the life and culture of the people. The course is conducted primarily in the Spanish language. Honors students will have additional assignments/activities and MUST always stay in the target language during class.

COURSE TITLE: SPANISH LANGUAGE – AP/IBSL Grades: 10-12 Length: One Year Prerequisite: C or better in Spanish 3 and/or Teacher Recommendation This course reviews and expands course work from the first three years. The emphasis of this course is to prepare for the AP Spanish Language Examination and the IBSL Internal and External Assessments. The course is conducted entirely in Spanish.

Spanish 2, 4AP/IBSL 3 Contractual Agreement I have read the above "Class Rules and Expectations" and "Grading" sections and understand what is expected of me in order to achieve success in my Spanish 2, 3, or 4 class. I understand and agree to the following:

• If I am an Honors student but I am speaking English in class, I will lose my Honors designation and will be reassigned at the semester to the regular Spanish level. Final grades are non-negotiable and are not rounded upward. If I end the semester with an 89.99%, • that is a B+. The only exception is if I always spoke Spanish in class. I will check Aeries regularly and will keep track of any missing assignments or missed tests, and will • make them up in a timely manner. I am aware that homework assignments drop 20% in value each day that they are late. I am also aware • that if I make up a test late, it drops 20% in value each day, so that by the fifth day it is worth zero. If I am ever caught cheating I will receive a ZERO on that test or assignment and will be given no • opportunity to retake or redo it. My grade is a reflection of my achievement throughout the semester, not what I am able to accomplish • at the last minute or during the last week or two of the semester. If I am an IB student, the consequences for cheating will be severe, including being dropped from the • IB Program. Use of electronic or online translators constitutes cheating! I realize that their use is very easy to detect • and will result in a ZERO on that assignment. If I choose to do extra credit, I must first get the approval of Sr. Picht, and I will do any extra credit • BEFORE the week of finals. I understand that extra credit only applies to test scores, not to participation or homework. If I speak English in class, come to class unprepared, or do work for other classes, it will have a • negative impact on my grade. Speaking in Spanish with my classmates is encouraged!

Spanish 2, 4AP/IBSL 4 ______Student signature Parent/guardian signature

Spanish 2, 4AP/IBSL 5