¡Bienvenidos a esta clase! The third year Spanish class
is a very important step in your journey toward achieving proficiency
this language. There are a lot of things to remember at the beginning
of a school year, so I've prepared the following list of ground
rules and expectations which will guide us this year, and which
you can refer back to later.
1. In order to be a member of this class. You can be in
this class only if you were at St. Stephen's last year
and did satisfactory work in Spanish II, or if you took the placement
test and placed into Spanish III.
2. The official language of this class is Spanish. During
class time, the teacher doesn't speak English (except today!)
And after class, he also prefers to speak Spanish with his students.
¡Haga el esfuerzo! I hope you will form the habit of speaking
to him in Spanish from the start...today!
3. The grading system. This is explained in detail in the
Student Handbook. The Spanish Department grading policy for marking
periods is as follows:
Tests = 50%
Quizzes = 35%
(Homework,
(Assignments, &
(Class Participation = 15%
Term Exam = 30% (there is no exam in the Winter Term)
4. Attendance and tardiness. This is also explained in
the Student Handbook. You should read these pages and familiarize
yourself with them.
5. Tests and Quizzes. In this class there is a 20 minute
quiz most Fridays on the material covered during the week. Besides
the term exam there will be four other 45-minute tests. The dates
for these are also listed on the homework assignment sheets. If
a student misses a quiz or test due to an unexcused absence, s/he
will receive a grade of zero. If the absence is excused s/he must
take the make-up quiz or test within one week to avoid a reduction
in grade. After one week the student's test or quiz grade
will be lowered 25% per day.
6. Class Participation. In Spanish classes at St. Stephen's,
participation is not just encouraged, it is required. Every student
should participate actively in the class process every day, and
the student's grade will be determined in part by the degree to
which s/he participates. See # 3 above. One cannot participate
without a textbook and/or workbook. A student will be counted
as tardy if s/he forgets to bring these basic tools to class and
has to return to a locker or dorm room to get them.
7. Homework. Homework must be done before class and the
teacher will collect or check it at the beginning of the hour.
Homework is not only a requirement but a fundamental part of the
learning process. The student who doesn't do the assignment for
the day is not prepared to participate in class; the progress
of the whole class suffers as a consequence. When a student doesn't
do his or her homework s/he receives a zero. It cannot be turned
in later. When a student misses class for any reason, s/he
is still responsible for the homework of the day on which they
return to class. Also, since the syllabus is posted on the
instructor’s webpage, losing one’s own copy of the syllabus
will not be a valid excuse for not having done the homework for
the day.
8. Academic honesty. See the section entitled "Honor"
in the Student Handbook, and part III, "Scholastic Honesty"
on the sheet "Academic Policies of the Modern Languages Department
at St. Stephen's Episcopal School".
9. Class Behavior. In order to do the work we have before
us, we will need the cooperation of all the students in the class.
Noise or unnecessary interruptions will not be permitted by the
instructor, nor will impolite behavior, whether directed toward
the teacher or toward other students.
10. Conferences. If a student begins to experience difficulties
(that is, when s/he doesn't maintain a class average of "P"
or higher), s/he will be required to meet with the teacher once
a week in order to discuss problem areas and questions. If the
student doesn't come to this conference, the absence is counted
the same as a class absence.
Finally, and in spite of these serious thoughts...your instructor
has high hopes that you all will have an exceptional year in your
study of Spanish, and that you are going to make great progress
in your knowledge and skill in communicating in the second language
of the U.S. and one of the most important in today's world!
¡BUENA SUERTE A TODOS!
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