Class Expectations and Policies JA 7 JA8 Spanish

Class Expectations and Policies
School Year 2007/2008Mrs. Rodriguez, JA 7, JA8 Spanish

1. Be respectful of all students and staff. Absolutely no disparaging remarks about any other student or staff member (See Handbook). 2. Be considerate of the needs of others. For example, do not wear strong perfumes or scented products such as lotions or deodorants that will bother others with allergies or asthma. Never put such products on in class. 3. Respect the space of others. Stay in your own space. Do not touch others or their possessions. 4. Respect Telesis property and the property of others by not causing damage. 5. Keep the aisles as clear as possible. Keep your backpack close to your desk. 6. Cell Phones or other electronic equipment will be confiscated if seen, heard, or used in the classroom. (See Handbook)

7. Be here. Excessive absences will result in a reduction of your grade. Five absences will reduce your final grade by 10% (all JA/Academy school policy). 8. It is your responsibility to ask me for missed work due to an absence. You have one day for each day absent to make it up, so don’t forget to ask for make-up work on the day you return (all JA/Academy school policy). 9. Be punctual. Three tardies will equal one absence (all JA/Academy school policy). 10. Be attentive. If I am talking to the class, you should not be talking. If another student has permission to talk, you should not be talking. Do not talk to friends when there is some time between activities. Use that time to study or read. 11. To show your attentiveness, you must sit up straight. You may not lay your head on the desk, and I must be able to see your eyes. 12. Stay in your seat unless I give you permission to get up--no wandering over to the trash or the pencil sharpener without permission. 13. When you raise your hand to speak, wait until I call on you to start talking.

14. No bathroom passes will be allowed except for emergencies. You are to use the seven-minute break between classes and the lunch period to go to the restroom and get a drink (all JA/Academy policy). 15. You may not leave the room to get a drink (all JA/Academy policy). You are to bring your own water bottle. You may drink water in the classroom but nothing else (for example, sodas, sports or energy drinks). 16. Absolutely no gum chewing in class (or on campus anywhere -- see student handbook). If you are found chewing gum in this class, you may receive a detention. No food in the classroom.

17. Be responsible in doing your work and handing it in on time. The school policy is that no late work will be accepted. 18. Stay on task and participate fully in class discussions, group work, drills, activities, and writing projects. 19. Be sure your work is legible so that I can read it easily. If I have to struggle to decipher your writing, I will not give you full credit and you will have to do it over. You may type out-of-class assignments. 20. Bring a pen, pencil, eraser and paper to class every day. a) Have them out and ready before the bell rings. b) Pencils must be sharpened before the bell rings. c) Use paper with smooth edges. Do not tear paper out of spiral binders, leaving rough edges. d) If you do not have the materials you need for class to do your work, you will receive a zero for the day’s work and will still have to complete the assignment at home. e) You may purchase supplies from Mr. Dornton. Additional items that are helpful are white out, a pen with green ink, and a one-page, 3-hole punch that fits in the notebook.

21. Bring your Accelerated Reading Book to school every day. We now have quizzes for all AR books, so you may purchase books on the AR list or get books from the public library in addition to the ones we have here. Go to renlearn.com and on the first page select “book orders” to find the books we have tests for. You also have a list of AR books that deal with Hispanic Culture. You will receive extra credit in Spanish Class for reading these books.

22. You will need 8 flat folders with horizontal pockets wide enough to hold notebook paper: Folders may be any color or school-appropriate design except black. We will put your name on them and label them in class. I may call for your folders at any time, but they will always be turned in at the end of a grading period or for parent conferences. Cost can be as low as 20 cents each.

Spanish Class Folders Labels: 1. Journal 2.Spain (JA7), Mexico (JA8) 3. Reading Summaries 4. Destinos 5. Vocab 6. Speech Info 7. Workbooks 8. Miscellaneous

23. Journal entries will be confidential unless you write something school policy requires me to report. I may ask you to share parts of writing assignments with a study partner or with the class. 24. Put a complete heading on all papers (first and last name, date, class name, assignment name). 25. Academic Dishonesty (cheating or plagiarism) is not acceptable. In addition to the consequences outlined in the student handbook, in this class you will receive a zero on the assignment and your parents will be notified. 26. All policies of the Telesis Handbook will be enforced.

27. Spanish classes have homework every night. There is always vocabulary to study and quizzes almost every day. That is why it is essential that students be prepared to work as soon as they enter the class room. 28. The state of Arizona has formulated strong, essential standards for each subject area and each level, so we have much work to do. By following the above policies, we will have the opportunity to accomplish our work in an orderly, safe, and positive environment where all students can be successful as they learn.

29. Detentions will usually be held on Wednesdays (2:30-4:00) and Study Hall on Thursdays (2:30-4:00)

Why Should Students Study Spanish?

Spanish is a good language to start with. First, the Defense Language Institute says it is the easiest language for Americans to learn. In addition, Mexico is our neighbor, and most countries that share borders learn each other’s languages. Finally, Spanish is among the top five languages in the world, spoken by some 332 million native speakers. Spanish is the language spoken in Mexico and most other South and Central American countries, as well as Spain, Cuba and Puerto Rico—approximately 20 countries in all. In fact, the United States is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. And yes, all those people speak the same Spanish and can understand each other. The differences are the same as those we see in English spoken by Americans (from Southerners to New Yorkers), by Australians, and by folks from England. There are differences in vocabulary terms and accents, but understandable differences (Puntos 10).

Why Should Students Study a Second Language?

To learn a second language is to extend the borders of one’s world;

To embrace another culture is to expand the boundaries of brotherhood.

There are many reasons for learning a second language. For example, studies show that learning a second language enhances a student’s learning ability in other academic areas. In addition, the world we live in is producing a global economy. People who can adapt easily to other cultures and learn other languages will be in demand.

Students who work hard at learning well that first “second” language can much more easily go on and master it at the college level or in vocational training. Or they will have prepared their minds for language learning and can more easily move into learning a different language. Each year of language prepares students to move on to the next level and to the next leg of the language-learning journey

The Telesis Language Program

When we start our children out on the road to language learning at an early age, it is a fun journey--easy, natural, and non-threatening. Starting early also makes it easier for our children to continue their language learning at the Junior Academy and Academy levels.

The Telesis Language Program is unique in Lake Havasu City. Students at Telesis have the opportunity to study language for twelve years. Developmental Kindergarten, Early Elementary, and Elementary students have Spanish once a week for thirty minutes while Intermediate students have Spanish once a week for forty-five minutes. Throughout the program, we continually make adjustments and review material already covered so that students who are new to our program are not at a disadvantage while students who have been with us multiple years will still have some challenges.

Junior Academy students have two years of Spanish as a regular course, a required elective. With seven years of lower-level Spanish under their belts, Junior Academy students have the opportunity to build on that foundation in order to truly learn and use a language--not just to study it. (However, students who have not had that foundation will not be penalized since JA Spanish starts with the basics.) In addition, since learning a language involves much more than just learning words, all Telesis Spanish classes, but especially Junior Academy classes, are also learning about aspects of Hispanic culture: about countries, living conditions, customs, artists, writers, music, and foods, for example.

Finally, Academy students may continue with Spanish or go on to study any of twenty-six other languages to meet the Telesis two-year language requirement for graduation. Academy students have such a wide choice because they have the unique opportunity to study language through the teacher-supervised Rosetta Stone on-line program.

Telesis students, therefore, have many opportunities to learn language. Nevertheless, to receive the most benefit from the language classes, it is up to each individual student to seize the opportunity to learn well the new vocabulary and the intricacies of a foreign grammar and to seek out opportunities to communicate in the language.