Espaol 1

2016-2017 School year

BIENVENIDOS!
Welcome to Spanish 1 with Seorita Smith

This course will emphasize

communication skills, listening
comprehension, writing skills, as
well as grammar and
vocabulary building. Also
included in the course are some
geography and culture of
Spanish speaking countries.

WHY LEARN
ANOTHER
LANGUAGE?
BECAUSE...

r
You

f u t ur

e best friend may spea

be
to ?
ted ht
an , rig
s w py
ay l s
lw ona
e a ati
uv rn
Yo inte
an

Course description:

ise
n ra
It ca grades
your other
in cts.
e
subj

k it .

Outline of units:
1. Preliminary Lesson:
alphabet, greetings/goodbyes, health expressions,
pronunciation, numbers,
classroom expressions, and
weather

u
lp yo
n he
e
It ca uer thos
conq le tests.
bubb

The bigger your world is,

the bigger your heart.

I
m t ma
or k
e c es
re yo
at u
ive
.

2. Unit 1: school activities and

describing yourself
Its good
for
your brain
.

3. Unit 2: daily schedules and

classes
4. Unit 3: food and family
5. Unit 4: clothing and colors

What should I bring

to class everyday?
2 dry erase markers
a spiral notebook just for
Spanish (100 pages or
more)
a 3 ring binder (can be
combined with other classes)

It ca
n
an a help yo
wes
u
ome land
job.

It c
a
you n he
r d lp y
rea ou
m get
co
lleg into
e.
www.middleburyinteractive.com

www.weareteachers.com

Advice for Spanish class:

Every day you practice Spanish, you improve. Every day you dont, you
lose itDont be afraid to practice.
The more you participate in class, the more confident you will become
in Spanish.
Learning a language is like learning an instrument. You will make
mistakes! Focus instead on what you have learned!

pen, pencil, & paper

1 tube of elmers glue
box of tissues

Espaol 1

2016-2017 School year

5 Important Online resources:

1) Class website: http://senoritasmith.weebly.com/
Forgot whats due? Check the online calendar (or your
planner!)

Who is Seorita Smith?

I grew up in Clackamas,
& went to Sunrise Middle
School (which is now CHS
East campus, where I teach)
In college I majored in
English literature and
Spanish and worked at the
radio station.
Things I love to do:
Reading, playing music,
going to concerts, eating
new food, hiking, traveling,
and exploring the Pacific
NW.
Spanish speaking
countries Ive visited:
Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain,
Ecuador, Peru, Chile,
Argentina, & Uruguay
Favorite tourist attraction
in a Spanish speaking
country (of the moment):
Parque Gell (Spain)

Need help studying vocabulary? Use the digital Quizlet

flashcards to review new material. Youll need to practice a lot to
do well!

2) Quizlet (teacher page: ClackSpanish )

Each unit will have custom-made digital flashcards.
To find a deck, go to the class website to find the right
vocabulary set. Then you can save that deck to your google
account, and study everyday from your phone or computer. This
is a great way to memorize and review all that we learn!

3) Word Reference- the BEST Spanish dictionary

Google translate is NOT your friend! If you
want to say fan, the computer cant tell if you
mean a fan of the Blazers or a fan on the
ceiling. Word reference gives you context so
you dont use the wrong word.

4) Duolingo - Spanish app that tracks progress

This is an amazing program to learn a
new language for free! Students (or
parents) can play this anytime to
improve and practice Spanish.
Practicing the language is especially
important on days we dont have class or
during vacations. Plus, its fun!

5) My Teacher Instagram @ senoritasmith Follow what were doing in class

I post photos from fun classroom activities or student trips
abroad (like our most recent trip to Spain!) This is just a platform
used to creatively represent vocabulary, share some fun
memories (like students rapping in class or wearing 12 outfits
for a fashion show). Not to disappoint any students, but I will not
2
follow you back.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (oh boy!)

Homework Policy:
An important part of learning a foreign language is mastering all the little steps along the
way. Due to this, homework is essential. Students will have homework almost
EVERY night. Homework is checked at the beginning of class.
Late homework:
If you forgot your homework, you may turn it in the following class for only credit. I will
not accept any homework later than the class after it was due.
***If you want credit for late work, show assignment to teacher during the regular homework
check time
Calendarios:
Homework assignments will be recorded and scored on a monthly calendario or calendar.
Students will earn either zero, half, or full credit in the form of a stamp on their calendar.
These calendars will be collected at the end of each month and recorded as one large
homework grade. Please see attached calendar for a more in-depth description.
***Please note, overall grades will be current after the beginning of each month

Attendance Policy:
If you are absent from or tardy to class it is your responsibility to catch up on what you have
missed and show me your due assignment to receive credit.
Make Up (for excused absences only): Students with excused absences will be able to
make up all missed points (homework/assessment/participation) upon their return. In order
to make up an assessment, students need to make an appointment to meet with me outside
of class (before/after school, during prep). Make-up work and exams must be made up and
turned in within 2 class sessions not including the day of your return. Students may make up
assessments after this deadline for a maximum of half credit. (Projects given a due date
should be finished and turned in upon the students return.)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
An unexcused absence on exam day will result in a failing grade.
WHY?: It isnt fair if a student who skips class on exam day gets more time to study then
students who showed up to class ready or not to take the test.

Tardy Policy:
You must be in the room when the bell rings or you will be considered tardy. Students
coming from the West (Main) Campus or Sabin will not be counted tardy if they come in a
couple of minutes late. There will be consequences for students who are tardy more than 3
times.
Grading Policy
Grading is on a point/percentage basis. Each activity will have a certain number of points
and percentages will be figured from these points:
A = 90%-100%, B = 80%-89%, C = 70%-79%, D = 60%-69%, F = 0-59%
Grades are weighted on all assignments with the following percentages:

 Homework and projects 20%

Participation 20%
Assessments (exams/quizzes) 60%
Grades will be posted in the room and on Synergy ParentVue and StudentVue.

Academic Dishonesty
CHEATING ON QUIZZES OR EXAMS will result in a referral to SMO and a
conversation with parents or guardians. Students will be asked to retake the quiz or exam,
but will receive a failing grade of no more than 59% of the possible points.
PLAGIARISM (the use of words or ideas that are not originally yours and un-cited) will
also be reported to SMO. The student will need to redo the assignment for no more than
59% of the points.
In World Languages, this means that you may look up a word to use in a
writing assignment, but not use a translator or native speaker to translate
full phrases.
Typing in a whole sentence into an online translator or asking a native speaker is
plagiarism.
The use of online translators is VERY OBVIOUS to teachers, because the grammar
is, in some ways, very advanced; yet the sentence itself usually doesnt make sense.
Just dont do it. Its better to write what you know and learn from mistakes then
learn nothing from something you didnt know how to write in the first place.
Reason: The work that you turn in, needs to come from YOU! You might have to look up a
vocabulary word or two, but the rest of your work should reflect where you are in Spanish at
that time. I dont expect you to be fluent by the end of Spanish 1-2. Write what you know.

Participation:
Participation is 20% of your grade. You will get points for voluntary oral participation and
your written work in your notebook during class. Sometimes participation points will be
given for other class games or activities, as well as some online class discussion. Participation
grades are entered about every 3 weeks.
Reason: In order to help the brain to process and remember a language, students should be
reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Speaking a new language can be very intimidating,
so another reason to participate is to practice until you become more confident. Students
can come in after school and speak Spanish if their participation grade is lower than the class
average.
Classroom Notebooks:
Instead of carrying around a heavy textbook, students will save vocabulary and grammar
lessons in their notebooks. The purpose of the journal is to keep all resources together and
provide a space for students to engage with the material in creative and uniquely thoughtful
ways. Students must bring these notebooks to class everyday and will be graded upon
completion and quality.

Classroom Expectations:
Be in class, ready to start when the bell rings and remain in your seat until the final
bell.
Be prepared (homework, spiral, writing utensil, dry erase marker, etc.).
Silently listen to others (teacher/classmates) when they are speaking.
Respect yourself, teacher, and classmates. No profanity.
Follow directions to the best of your ability and ask questions whenever necessary.
Respect the classroom and leave all food (gum included) and drink outside of the
classroom. Water will be allowed.
Leave all electronics (cell phones, ipods, etc.) outside the classroom. If detected,
device will be confiscated from student and stored in SMO until a parent picks it
up.

As an educator, I believe that all students can learn, demonstrate concern for others, and
act responsibly in the classroom. My goal is to create a classroom environment that
encourages mutual respect and cooperation because language learning is an interactive
process. Learning Spanish will open a world of opportunities, and I am excited to learn and
grow together as a class throughout the process.
Feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or great news:
email: smithalex@nclack.k12.or.us
phone: (503)-353-5810 x37215
You may also visit my teacher website for a class calendar, study resources, and more:
www.senoritasmith.weebly.com (you can also find my teacher page on the Clackamas site)

Syllabus check for Students and Parents

1. What should I bring to class everyday?

2. When you use an online Spanish dictionary, which one does Srta. Smith prefer you to use?

3. What is Srta. Smiths website that has a class homework calendar, powerpoints, flashcards,
& more?

4. You forgot your homework today. When can you turn it in and for how much credit?

5. How many classes do you have to turn in work from when you were absent?

6. What VERY IMPORTANT paper will you keep until the end of each month to prove
that you did your homework? If parents want to know if you are doing your homework, they
should check this paper:

STUDENTS & PARENTS/GUARDIANS:

Please sign below to acknowledge that you have read the syllabus
and that you understand and agree to the policies for this Spanish class.

Student name (print clearly)

Student Signature

Date

Parent/Guardian name (print clearly)

Parent/Guardian signature

Date