Ms. Yvonne Islas

(510) 618-4400 ext. 3752

8th Grade Spanish 1

2014-2015 School Year

Course Syllabus

Course Purpose:

This is a beginning course in Spanish designed to give students basic skills for communicating with Spanish speakers and for understanding their cultures. Students who pass this class with a C or better are eligible for taking Spanish 2 in high school, and can use this class as part of their college foreign language admissions requirement.

Flashcards:

Flashcards are a great study tool when learning a foreign language. I highly recommend buying sets of index cards to make your own flashcards for new vocabulary and phrases. If you have access to the internet, there are flashcards you can download and print for the class on Quizlet.com. Use this link to join the JMMS Spanish 1 group on there:

There are many sets available on Quizlet for the Realidades textbook outside of the class group or you can create your own if you have any difficulty joining the class group. Quizlet not only helps you create flashcards, it also has quiz games to help you study and sound available to help you study pronunciation.

Grading:

Weighted Grading Structure

Required task / Percentage of grade
Classwork and Homework / 25%
Projects and Presentations / 20%
Tests and Quizzes / 25%
Oral exam / 15%
Participation / 15%

Grading Percentage distribution:

90-100% / A
80-89% / B
70-79% / C
60-69% / D
59% and below / F

Aeries: Grades are updated frequently on Aeries. Parents and students should check Aeries weekly to ensure that all scores have been updated correctly and to keep track of grades. If there is ever an error with a grade or if a student would like to know how to improve a grade, the student or parent should contact me immediately.

Participation points: Participation is 15% of a student’s final grade for the quarter. Students can earn participations points a number of ways. First, they can earn them by responding to questions when I call on them randomly using the name cards I keep in the front of the classroom. They earn one point for responding and can earn two points for giving a thoughtful response. Second, there will be other opportunities when I will specifically tell students that they can earn participation points, such as reading something they have written out loud to the class or participating in a group discussion. In order to earn an A+ for participation for the quarter, students need 20 points, for an A 18, B 14, C 10, and D 6. If students would like to find out how they are doing, they must come and ask me because I will not be adding participation grades into their overall grade until the end of the quarter.

My General Expectations of Students:

Be here to learn and be aware that the time and place for socializing are provided before and after class, at break, lunch and afterschool OUTSIDE the classroom. Students should not enter the classroom until they are ready to learn and to work.

Leave personal squabbles and prejudices outside of our classroom. In here, we are a class and we all need to work towards creating an environment where everyone feels safe and is able to concentrate on the lessons and class-work. Be aware that I have no tolerance for any remarks or behaviors that can be deemed sexist, classist, homophobic, racist, sizeist, ableist, or in any other way devalue another human being.

Master all classroom rules and procedures in the first weeks of school.

Believe in one’s self. All students are encouraged to take pride in their abilities and never give up on their ability to improve.

BASIC CLASSROOM RULES:

This is OUR CLASSROOM and the following rules will help keep it a positive place where everyone can achieve their goals!

  1. KEEP MUTUAL RESPECT: Show everyone the respect that they deserve as fellow human beings and classmates. In here, we are a class and we all need to work together to create a place where everyone feels safe and is able to concentrate on the lessons and classwork.
  2. KEEP LEARNING POSSIBLE: Don’t do anything that might disrupt or distract from the learning environment while inside the classroom and keep non-classroom matters outside of the classroom. EVERYONE has a right to learn here, and no one has the right to take away that right. It is your choice whether you will try and learn with everyone else, but it’s not for you to decide for someone else.
  3. KEEP INSIDE YOUR SPACE: Keep your hands, feet, belongings, etc. to yourself and out of other people’s personal space even if that person allows you to. Please be especially aware that play fighting is a serious offense in this school and should not take place inside or outside the classroom and may result in serious consequences.
  4. KEEP IT CLEAN:Don’t bring food, gum, or drinks (except for water) into the class. Leave your desk as clean as you found it for the next person. Also, remember that vandalism like graffiti and purposeful destruction of school property is a serious offense with serious consequences.
  5. KEEP UP: Be prepared—to learn and work with everyone else. Make sure you have all your materials including assignments and planner before you walk in. Do not enter the room until you are ready to work and learn in a scholarly manner. Students will not be given time during class to get up for pencil sharpening or water, so make sure to take care of all that before and after class—or at your table silently with a personal sharpener or water bottle.

*SCHOOL WIDE RULES IN THE CLASSROOM*:

All school rules and policies, including the dress code and cell phone policy, will be enforced in this class.Cell phones, and electronic devices:should not be out, in use, or heard in the halls or classroom or they will be confiscated to prevent their disruption of the learning environment.

Trouble following the class rules?

  1. First, I will REMIND students of what kind of behavior is expected and explain how to correct their behavior. This may be directed at individuals, or I may choose to remind the whole class of the behavior expectations instead if I feel it would be more helpful.(For example, “Students, remember that right now we should be ______, not _____ or ___)
  2. Then, if the student chooses to continue the undesirable behavior after being instructed on how to change the behavior, that student will be issued a verbal WARNING. This means that as the teacher, I will decided on what I think is an appropriate consequence should the student continue the undesirable behavior and choose to disobey my instructions. (For example, “If you continue to ______, I will ______). Some possible consequences I might employ are a temporary/permanent change of seat, keeping the student after class a few minutes, denial of a privilege, additional work like writing a reflection, staying in to clean the classroom, detention, sending out to a buddy room to re-focus, or a call home depending on the type and severity of the misbehavior. In some cases I will also consider what has worked or not worked in the past with an individual student if a student has a continuing issue.
  3. Finally, if the student chooses to disobey and continue the behavior despite receiving behavior instruction and fair warning, the student will receive the CONSEQUENCE he/she was warned about.

Tardy policy and required materials:

Students must be sitting in their seats silently with all required materials by the time the second bell rings or they will be marked tardy and disciplinary action will take place according to school policy. These materials must be brought to class everyday.

Binder with plenty of line paper in Spanish section OR notebook for Spanish (100 page 8 ½ X 11 recommended)

Spanish textbook (provided)

Spanish workbook (provided)

Pencil pouch with:

4 sharpened pencils or mechanical pencil with case of extra lead

2 pens

Dismissal: Students may only leave the classroom once I have dismissed them regardless of when the bell rings. Students who have been asked to stay after the bell or to see me after class, will receive an automatic detention if they leave class before I have dismissed them.

Cheating and plagiarism:I take cheating and plagiarism very seriously. If I catch a student cheating or plagiarizing on an assignment, the student will receive a failing grade of zero for that assignment, I will contact the student’s parents, and I will refer the student to an administrator if necessary.

Absences:

If you are absent, all work must be made up.To find out what you missed, students should:

  • See Ms. Islas before school, after school or at break on the day they return to school.
  • Ask a reliable friend what was missed and copy any important notes.

Students must make up tests or quizzes within one week of the date they were originally given.

Students get a one-day extension for each day they were absent on all assignments.

If there is ever a severe illness, family emergency, or other situation that impairs a student’s ability to turn in work on time, the student or parent should contact me immediately so that we can make alternate arrangements.

Extensions:

I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK FOR THIS CLASS. Please talk to me in advance (at least the day before an assignment is due) if you need an extension. You must have a valid reason for your request to be granted.

Extra help:

I am available to talk or provide any assistance I can after school until 3:20 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and until 2:20 on Wednesdays and Fridays. I am also available to stay until 4:00 if needed on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays with an appointment. Please also feel free to stop by before school starts between 7:45 and 8:20 am.