Middle School Spanish Syllabus Stella Maris Academy

2011 / 2012

Señora Girmann bgirmann@stellamarisacademy.org

www.beckygirmann.com

“Sé el cambio que deseas ver en el mundo.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Class Overview

¡Bienvenido! Welcome to Spanish! In this class we will be immersing ourselves in the culture and language of Spanish speaking people around the world. We will be refining our Communication skills, gaining different Cultural perspectives, Comparing the Spanish language and culture to our own, Connecting our world language skills to other subject areas and seeing the strong Latino influence even within our own Community. Topics we will cover include school, sports and leisure activities, food, family, clothing, home, and health. Be prepared to sing, dance, act, converse, and create – all in Spanish! Goals for this class:

1. To be able to view our own world through others’ perspectives.

2. To be able to successfully communicate in Spanish in specific situations.

3. To be able to identify and appreciate the Latino influence in our lives. 4. To be able to understand the importance of learning a world

language.

Required Materials

Spanish-English Dictionary (Diccionario) for home and school use. Please bring your dictionary to Spanish

class every day.

3 Ring 1.5” Binder

(Carpeta) for Spanish materials only.

Dividers with blank labels (4 total)

Sharpened Pencils

(Lápices) – No pens in Spanish class!

An open-mind

Spiral notebook (Cuaderno) for warm-up activities, homework, and class notes

National Foreign Language Standards

Required Organizat ional Techniques

1) Arrive to class with all materials. You will not be dismissed to collect your materials from another classroom or your backpack. Please record in the space below the time during your day when you will collect your materials for Spanish class: 2) Your binder must be clean and organized at all times. Graded “binder/cuaderno checks” will occur throughout the year, and you will earn free points for having an organized binder and cuaderno at these times.

Date each paper in the top right hand corner. Use your cuaderno to write your Cafecitos (this is what we call our warm-up activities,) homework, and class notes.

Use four dividers to organize your materials into these sections: o First Quarter o Second Quarter o Third Quarter o Fourth Quarter

3) List all of the assignments in your planner, even if they are specified on our classroom blog. This practice will prepare you to be an organized high school student, college student, and adult!

“Dias Fel ices” “Días Felices” are surprise days when Spanish class will not follow the usual format. They can happen on any day, and will consist of a Spanish movie, art project, cooking project, or other cultural experience. Your attendance on these days is dependent upon the following: 1) All missing and late work must be submitted 2) All makeup tests and quizzes must be completed 3) No written warnings or behavior citations may have been received in the previous week of Spanish class.

Homework Blog

Homework and other announcements can be found on your Spanish Homework Blog. Some of your assignments will require you to post a comment on the blog. If you have any computer trouble, it is important that you reconcile the problem immediately so that you do not miss any work. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to check the blog for any makeup work or announcements. This is also the perfect place to post a question you might have about a homework assignment or grammar concept!

7th/ 8th grade Spanish Blog: http://spanishsma78.wordpress.com/ 6th grade Spanish Blog: http://spanishsma6.wordpress.com/

Partic ipat ion

In order to learn a language, you must speak that language at every given opportunity. For that reason, the primary language in our class will be Spanish. English may be used as a secondary language at times to clarify specific points or ask specific questions, but students must ask for permission to do so. One of the largest grades you will receive in Spanish class is your participation grade. Each quarter, you will be awarded 50 points for participation. These points can be lost in the following ways: 1) Failing to speak in Spanish 2) Failing to participate in an activity 3) Arriving to class unprepared or without the required materials 4) Working on assignments for other classes or reading English literature during Spanish class 5) Receiving a verbal or written warning during Spanish class Please note: Participation points may be earned by offering a great idea or answer in Spanish,

or when I notice that you are showing great effort.

Behavior

Consequences for both positive and negative behavior are consistent throughout all middle school classes. Positive Consequences High participation score Positive behavior logs on TeacherEase Participation in “Días Felices” Negative Consequences 1st offense: Verbal warning and 2 point deduction of Participation score 2nd offense: Written warning and additional 2 point deduction of Participation score See the student handbook for a list of offenses may require an immediate behavior citation.

Dai ly Routine

Fill in the following spaces with our daily classroom routine: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

My Promise to You

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” Colossians 3:23

Teaching isn’t just my “job;” it is what God has called me to do! I want to be the best teacher I can. These are my promises to you as your teacher:

I will always do my absolute best to be fair. All students will receive equal

opportunities to succeed. This also means that I will not give special preference or additional opportunities to succeed to only a few students.

I will make my expectations as clear as possible so that all students have an opportunity to succeed. I will do this through the use of rubrics, detailed project handouts, my class blogs, communication with parents, and prompt input of grades into TeacherEase.

I will stay up-to-date with new teaching strategies and ways to make Spanish more fun and easy to learn, and keep an open mind about trying new or different ideas.

The activities and homework that I assign to you will be purposeful and intentional. This means that I will never give you “busy work” or ask you to watch a movie just to make my job “easier.” I believe your hard work is valuable, and everything I assign will be important for your acquisition of the Spanish language.

Classroom Jobs

I offer several opportunities to students who want to help make our Spanish class run smoothly. You may apply for any of the following positions using the application provided. Employees will be selected at the beginning of each quarter, and the form of payment will be 10 tickets. Technology Guru This student will make sure the projector and document camera are turned on, and my laptop is connected properly with the Cafecito displayed. Applicants must have experience in computers, problem solving techniques in the field of technology, and a good attendance record. Homework Checker This student circulates the classroom during the Cafecito to create a record of completed homework assignments and provide pink slips to those who need them. Applicants must be honest, sincere, and trustworthy. Materials Manager This student will pass out papers when needed, and is also authorized to extract and replace materials from my cart such as extra pencils, extra credit sheets, and whiteboard markers.

Inglés / Español Recorder This student will make sure that “Inglés No” is written on the board at the beginning of each class, and that it is changed to “Inglés Sí” when necessary. Also, this student is welcome to correct me if I accidently speak in English during a designated Spanish-only time. Applicants must be able to offer polite correction and have neat handwriting. Prayer Leader This student will come to the front of the class to lead our prayer after the Cafecito is complete. Applicants must display positive Christian behavior and a desire to be a spiritual leader for their class Jack of All Trades This student performs the above job(s) of any absent student(s.) Must have a perfect attendance record for the previous quarter and be a high-achieving student.

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Spanish Class Job Appl icat ion Your Name Grade Job T i t le P lease write a brief explanat ion of why you bel ieve you are qual i f ied to perform th is job :

If chosen, I promise to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability. I understand that if I do not complete my job in a satisfactory manner, if my attendance is poor, or if my Spanish grade drops below a B, my job may be relinquished to another qualified student. Sign here : x