¡Bienvenidos a la clase de Español!
Señorita Peterson
Español I
2014-2015
[email protected]
Teléfono de la escuela: (715) 455-1861 ext. 242
Policies and Procedures
¡Bienvenidos a la clase de Español! Welcome to Spanish class! Please read over this packet,
sign it, then have your parents/guardians sign it, and return it to me. Thank you.
General Course Information
Course Description:
This class will provide you with the fundamentals of the Spanish language, with an emphasis on
proper pronunciation, formation and usage of spoken and written Spanish. Our focus will
include the four fundamental skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. We will work on
building the vocabulary and grammatical structures necessary to communicate in the Spanishspeaking world. In addition, we will explore the history and culture that influence
communicating and interacting in Spanish.
Expectations:
 Respect others in the class and their right to learn. Respect the property of other students,
as well as the school’s/teacher’s property. Respect their time and opportunity to learn.
 Arrive on time and be prepared.
 Chewing gum, personal grooming and use of electronics and cell phones are not
permitted during class time. (caja de los teléfonos celulares)
 Your full attention and active participation are expected to be your priorities during the
entire class period. Part of this expectation includes bringing your book, notebook,
folder, pen/pencil, and legible homework.
 Follow all student responsibilities. All school rules apply in our classroom.
 Upon returning from an absence you are expected to be prepared to participate in the
day’s activities. You may e-mail me to request an update on the class material you will
miss. You are responsible for obtaining missed assignments.
 Students are encouraged to speak Spanish as much as possible as this facilitates language
acquisition.
In this classroom:
1. You can expect to be challenged. (study outside of class)
2. You can expect to have fun. (pura vida)
3. You can expect to speak, read, write, and listen to Spanish. Do not be afraid to
make mistakes-everyone will make many mistakes. (participate and try your best)
Supplies:
All Spanish students will need to bring the following items to class every day:
 A writing utensil.
 Paper/notebook.
 Any homework that was assigned.
 A three ring-binder or folder.
* A Spanish-English Dictionary would also be helpful, although it is not required.
Grading Policies
I will be using a points system to keep track of your progress throughout the year. Your grade
will be based on tests, quizzes, projects, class work, homework, and participation. Everything
we do throughout the year will be assigned a point value. I will always tell you how many points
a given assignment is worth.
Final Grade:
The total number of points will be converted into a percentage and then into a letter grade. This
scale will be used to determine the letter grade:
93+ A
90-92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
If a student is caught plagiarizing or cheating (this includes copying another student’s
homework/class work), he or she will receive a serious consequence and conference with
the teacher, student, and principal.
Class work, Homework, and Projects
Late Work: If an assignment is not turned in on the day that it is due, it will be considered late.
Ten percent of the total points will be deducted from the final score each day the assignment is
late. Please contact me to discuss in detail why an assignment may be late.
*Additionally, each student will be required to report on at least one Latin American or Spanish
current news event throughout the year. The news article may be from the newspaper or the
internet, may be in English or Spanish, and must be printed out. A half-page, typed summary of
the article will be required to accompany your article. Your summary must reflect your critical
thinking of the news event and will also include your position/opinion on the event as well. You
will be notified in week 3 of your current event presentation date.
*You will also be assigned other projects throughout the school year. Detailed instructions will
be given when the projects are assigned. For each day that a project is late, your grade will drop
one letter grade. Late projects will not be accepted after 5 days.
Make-Up Work
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make-up any work that you have missed. If you
know that you will be missing a day of school, you should ask me ahead of time for the work we
will be doing.
 For each day that you are absent, you have two days to make-up missed class
work or homework.
 You will have 3 days to make up quizzes and tests.
 In the event of an extended absence, special arrangements will be made.
 NO retakes will be given on tests or quizzes-you must study when you know that
you will be taking a test or quiz.
Extra Credit
There will be two ongoing extra credit opportunities available for all students. Each student will
be permitted to bring up to 4 extra credit articles about current events/news that are happening in
Spanish-speaking countries. As in your current event assignment noted above, these articles do
not have to be in Spanish and can originate from the newspaper or online sources. The student
will be asked to write a written summary of the article in the same format as the current event
presentation. Each extra credit article will add 5 points to your grade. In addition, students may
earn 10 extra credit points for attending a cultural event and bring in a half-page written
summary of their participation and impression of the event. These can be Spanish, Latina/o
(including Brazilian), and Chicana/o origin cultural celebrations, plays, art shows, lectures, etc.
Students must have these events pre-approved by me for extra credit. Please take advantage of
these extra credit opportunities.
Extra Help
I will be available before and after school for any questions that you may have. We can arrange
a day to meet that will work for both of us. In addition, I will be available during 8th hour. This
is a good time to make up missing work or to come and ask questions about something you have
not understood. Please come to see me, even if you just have a small question. You are also
welcome to come and practice your Spanish.
Contact Policy
You may contact me via e-mail or telephone. I will get back to you within 24 hours. If I cannot
resolve the issue within that time, I will at least let you know I received your correspondence and
will get back to you as soon as I can resolve the issue.
*Please note – this syllabus is subject to revisions throughout the year. Any changes will be
made clear to students.
Most Importantly – I look forward to great year!
___________ _________________________________________
Once you and a parent/guardian have read this syllabus, please sign below to acknowledge that
you have read and understood the policies and procedures of our Spanish class. Keep this
syllabus in your binder/folder for reference and return this signed page to me by Friday,
September 5th.
Student
Parent/Guardian
______________________________
Print Name
______________________________
Print Name
______________________________
Signature
______________________________
Signature
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Date