Welcome to Spanish 1

Español 4 Maestra Course Objective:

 The objective of this course is to study in greater depth the grammatical structures of Spanish, to significantly increase your working vocabulary in Spanish, to read, analyze and respond to poetry and prose from Hispanic America, to study the varying cultures and traditions of Hispanic America, to communicate and share knowledge in Spanish both orally and in writing with me, your fellow classmates, and other Spanish speakers throughout the year.  Classroom Rules and Requirements: 1. Somos estudiantes serios: we are serious students -participamos siempre-we always participate. -no traemos distracciones-we don’t bring distractions*.

2. Somos personas respetuosas: we are respectful people -no interrumpimos-we don’t interrupt. -no comemos ni bebemos en la clase-we don’t eat or drink in class.

3. Estamos en la clase de español para aprender: we are in Spanish class to learn -no caminamos sin permiso-we only leave our seat with permission. -no trabajamos en otra tarea-we don’t work on other homework. -seguimos las instrucciones de Maestra-we follow Maestra’s directions.

*There is ZERO (0) tolerance in this class for having a cell phone or any other distracting device out during class. Items will be confiscated IMMEDIATELY and returned to the student at the end of the day. Repeat offenders will have to pick the device up from his/her House Office and will face administrative consequences. Adicional: Información importante

1. When the bell rings, you need to be in your seat with your guía and homework out so that I can quickly take attendance and then stamp your homework. While I am checking homework, there will be sentences to copy and a warm-up on the whiteboard. You must do this work in silence so I can give everyone his/her homework credit before we begin the lesson.

2. I want to be able to give you my complete attention if you have questions about grades, missing assignments, progress reports, private tutoring sessions, and anything else. For these matters, please come see me during office hours. I am unable to answer these questions during break, in between classes, during class, etcetera.

3. Office hours are in room 912, every day at lunch (11:45 – 12 noon, block day lunches 12 noon-12:20) and Wednesdays after school 14:30-16:00.  Classroom Activities/Course requirements:

 Assignments (Homework): Homework will be assigned on a regular basis including weekends.

 Daily Participation: Students are expected to be actively and positively engaged in all classroom activities. There is a separate participation grade in this class. (see rubric for participation)  Tests/Quizzes/Exams: Exams will be given on a regular basis and will cover any material assigned to the whole class.  Composition/Writing assignments: Will be assigned regularly throughout the year.  Projects: Projects will be assigned throughout the year and will be graded according to the rubric given at the time of the assignment.  Computer use: We will be using computers in our classroom, the computer lab as well as outside of class for various assignments. USE OF A COMPUTER TRANSLATION PROGRAM IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN AS SUCH WILL BE CONSIDERED PLAGERIZED AND RECEIVE NO CREDIT.  Film viewing: We will be watching Spanish language films throughout the year. Parents: Please sign the attached consent form.  Attendance & Tardies: Attendance and punctuality are vital. 3 unexcused absences can lower your grade by one full grade. 3 tardies equal one unexcused absence. Class begins the minute the bell rings. You are expected to be in the classroom, seated and ready to begin when the bell rings. Students arriving late may only receive HALF credit for the day’s homework.  Excused absences: When you are absent, you are expected to consult my website in order to complete missing assignments. Students missing class due to SCHOOL ACTIVITIES should make every attempt to complete their missing work before returning to class. Students who are ill have the same amount of time that they are absent to turn in make-up work.  Unexcused absences: Students may NOT makeup work in this class due to an unexcused absence.  Spanish 4 Text: Students will be using Realidades 3 as a textbook though most of the curriculum in the course is outside of the text. Students will have access to the Realidades 3 book in class. At home, students can access the text online. Students who do not have easy online access may check a textbook out of the bookroom.  Spanish Binder: You will have an interactive “guia” notebook for this class. You must provide a 100 page spiral notebook with one pocket for the “guia”. You will PASTE your papers into the binder, therefore you will need a glue stick in class. Grading Procedure/Policy:  Grading is based on combined scores from: class participation, weekly assignments, tests/quizzes, daily assignments and additional projects/assignments. These components will be averaged together to result in a percentage to be figured on the school's standard grading scale (i.e. 90-100 = A).  Each semester grade will be based on an average of the two quarter grades and the final exam grade: 1) 1st quarter 40%, 2nd quarter 40%, final exam 20% for the first semester 2) 3rd quarter 40%, 4th quarter 40%, final exam 20% for the second semester.  Students will choose a “secret number” to use throughout the year so that grades can be posted and distributed regularly using that number Cheating:  Students caught cheating on an assignment and/or test will face harsh consequences. An automatic zero will apply to the assignment and depending on the gravity of the infraction additional disciplinary action from the Assistant Principal may be taken (see CVHS “Code of Conduct”). Parents/Guardians will automatically be contacted if cheating occurs. Contact Information: Please feel free to contact me at anytime:  Laurel Orduña “Maestra”, Room 912; 537-5910 x 3912  [email protected] (Preferred method of communication)  NOTE: Please make sure you write your first and last name in the subject box of any email correspondence you send to me. Students in Spanish 4 need the following supplies:  Realidades 3 Online Textbook  100 page Spriral Notebook with one pocket  Glue stick; reliable writing utensil  Spanish-English Dictionary