Class: Spanish 1- Rim High School 2013-14

Instructor: Mr. Whitesell

Room: 303

Dear Students and Parents!

Welcome to Spanish 1! The students of Spanish 1 will begin to develop an understanding of the basics of the language. By the end of Spanish 1, the students will have learned many phrases and much vocabulary. Also, the students will have a good understanding of verb tenses and sentence structures. They will develop a strong foundation of Spanish on which they will be able to build to become more fluent.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

·  Attendance: Consistent and on time (late students go to attendance office for a pass) (3 Tardies=Parent Contact)

·  Be Prepared: With materials and completed assignments. We

have a class set of textbooks, so the students may keep theirs

at home

·  Participation: With teacher AND other students

·  Respect: To other students AND to the teacher

·  Dress: Inappropriately-dressed students will be sent to security

(3 dress-codes= Parent Contact)

·  No Food: Water is okay, no other drinks

·  Cell Phones, IPODS, games, etc: Not allowed. Will be confiscated and can be picked up by student after school (2nd time, picked up by parent)

ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS

·  Warm-up activities

·  Take good notes: If I write in on the board, you should write it, too!

·  Be organized. Notebook sections should include: Grammar, vocabulary, songs/poems/riddles, tests, and homework.

·  Ask questions! I work very hard to teach you this subject. Your job is to learn it as well as you possibly can. (It really can

open doors for you!)

Tests/Quizzes

Generally, there will be a vocabulary quiz every week and an end-of-chapter test every 3 weeks. On the vocabulary quizzes the students will be required to learn a list of words and phrases and be able to spell and use them correctly. The end-of-chapter tests are multiple-choice, and the students will be required to recognize proper grammar and vocabulary usage.

Homework

Homework will be given Monday through Thursday and will be designed to take about 15-20 minutes to complete. However, there will be times when the homework may take a little longer.

Grading

The grade that the student earns in the class is a direct reflection of his/her participation, effort, preparation and understanding of the material. The grading system is as follows:

Participation = 25% of total grade

Tests/Quizzes = 25% of total grade

Class work/Participation = 15% of total grade

Homework = 15% of total grade

Final = 20% of total grade

Make-up work

If you have an excused (only!) absence, you are allowed to make-up the homework and/or tests that were missed. You are allowed the number of days that you were absent PLUS one day to complete make-up work. Any homework/test that is not made-up within this time will be given a 0.

I look forward to a great year working with you as you become more fluent in Spanish!

Muchas gracias.

Mr. Whitesell

Rim High School