• Grading Practice:

    Spanish I follows the grading principles of Northern Middle School and the Northern Middle School 8th grade.

    An evaluation of the work done by the student will include a list of all subjects, as well as specific comments.  Grades are based on a variety of school work, such as class participation, quizzes, tests, homework, oral reports and projects.  Spanish I is a year-long course corresponding to Spanish I in Northern High School.  The grading system is as follows:

              93-100%           A         Excellent progress

              85-92%             B         Good progress

              77-84%             C         Satisfactory progress

              70-76%             D         Minimum progress

              Below 70%       F          Unsatisfactory progress

     

    Homework Policy:

    Spanish I follows the homework policy of Northern Middle School as stated in the Agenda book.

     

    Homework completion and success are closely intertwined.  Homework completed on time and accurately is a key element in helping a teacher to determine if a student is ready for the examination.  Homework not completed or completed inaccurately is an indication that the student does not fully understand the material and has more work to do before being permitted the opportunity to demonstrate his/her competency in a given area.  Homework that is completed on time, evaluated by the teacher and revised by the student can serve as a study guide to help students prepare for tests.  A copy of the homework policy is posted in each classroom, if you have additional questions please contact the middle school office.

    -        Homework and Classwork is full credit as long as it is done before the unit exam in Spanish class. After the unit exam is goes to 50%.

     

     

    Class Guidelines:

    Avoid Plagiarism: Students should do their own work and participate fully to learn the Spanish language completely. Google translate and other translators defeat the purpose of learning a language and are, to put it mildly, very inaccurate. It is better to acknowledge that your sentences and paragraphs will be very first grade than to use an online translator to do your work for you which will be using past and future tense which won’t know in Spanish I. It will get you a zero on any assignment that has been translated by an online translator.

     

    Collaborative Work: Students will be working together. To be fair to your classmates, please do your share. Do not make it that your teammates report to the teacher that you haven’t done your work.

  • Northern Middle School

    Spanish I Course Syllabus

    Teacher:        Kathryn Wicker                                                        e-mail: kwicker@nycsd.k12.pa.us

    School Year: 2017-2018                                                                   phone: 432-5889 x. 1318

     

    Course Description

    This course is intended for students who have little or no previous knowledge of Spanish. The course will be designed to use all modalities of learning while learning Spanish. Students will listen, speak, read and write in Spanish to learn the language. The course will also extend their knowledge of Hispanic culture, history and geography. This is the same course as Spanish I at the high school!

     

    Essential Questions:

    1. How do I communicate the bare basics of Spanish to my stubborn Spanish teacher?
    2. How do you use Spanish to describe a person/people in Spanish?
    3. How do I use Spanish to talk about what time my classes are and what they are like?
    4. How do you use Spanish correctly to tell what people do and think?
    5. How do I use Spanish to talk to other Spanish speakers about what I am going to do?
    6. How do I use Spanish to buy, to cook, to order and eat foods for all the meals in Spanish?
    7. How do I use Spanish to talk about my house and my family effectively?
    8. How do I use Spanish to talk about sports and after school activities?
    9. How do I use Spanish to read, write and speak about every day events and show my knowledge of the Hispanic world?

     

    Course Outcome:

    1. Students will be able to communicate basic life skills in Spanish.
    2. Students will be exposed to various aspects of Spanish cultures.
    3. Students will evaluate, in writing and orally, information gathered from readings or the internet making critical judgments about the information.
    4. Students will share information will other classmates using appropriate collaborative group procedures.
    5. Students will be prepared for Spanish II at the high school.

     

    Course Material and Text:

    Required textbook:

    1. Students are suggested to have a binder, a notebook, and a folder – something to put papers in. Does not have to be unique to Spanish Class.

     

    Assessment Techniques:

    1. Grades will be determined by a points system. For example, a test can be worth 70 points and a homework assignment can be worth 5 to 10 points.
    2. Grades will be determined by the following:
      • tests/quizzes
      • class work
      • class participation
      • projects
      • home work
    3. Grading scale is the same as the Northern Middle School system.
    4. Any plagiarism on a project or test will result in a zero on the project or test. No other chances. Plagiarism includes copying and pasting information into a paper and not telling who wrote it, but passing it off as your own writing. Also using ONLINE TRANSLATOR is PLAGIARISM!

     

     

    Homework:

                Homework is an important part of the learning process. Homework plays an important part especially in foreign language acquisition, where opportunities to practice outside of the classroom are at a minimum. Incomplete or late assignments will not receive full credit. NMS Homework policy will be followed for late work. Late work will be accepted until the end of the marking period or the end of the Unit – whichever comes first. If a student is absent, homework must be made up in as many days as you were absent. If you miss 3 days, you have 3 days to make it up. Of course: All class work/ home work is posted daily!

     

    Classroom Rules:

    1. Be on time.
    2. Be prepared for class.
    3. Treat others with Respect.
    4. Respect School Property.

     

    Classroom Expectations and Consequences:

    1. STUDENTS WILL NOT USE ONLINE TRANSLATORS: they will result in a zero for the project. There are two reasons not to use them. First, online translators defeat the purpose of learning how to use the language. And second, they are extremely inaccurate!
    2. There are going to be many times that devices are allowed in class to be used appropriately. Texting and gaming are NOT APPROPRIATE!
    3. Students are to be on time for class. If the student is tardy without an excuse, the student will be given an infraction notice.
    4. Students are to enter the classroom in a quiet and orderly manner going to seats and starting the work on the board.
    5. Students are to bring pencils, paper, textbook, study guides, and other materials to class daily.
    6. Students are to listen and follow class instructions.
    7. Students are to raise their hand to be recognized before speaking out in class.
    8. Students are to be respectful and show courtesy to others.
    9. Students are not to distract others, interrupt the classroom, make inappropriate comments, use improper language, or anything else to interfere with the teaching of the class. One verbal warning will be given for the first offense. The third offense will result in an infraction notice or sentence writing.
    10. Students are expected to complete their assignments and be prepared for quizzes and tests. The late work policy established by NMS will be followed.
    11. Students are to follow the rules of Northern Middle School (Refer to Student-Parent Handbook).
    12. Students WILL NOT bring any food or drink to the room without prior permission of the teacher. Doing so will result in an

    Spanish class can be fun and interesting. Acquiring the knowledge of how to communicate to people of different cultures is exciting. I don’t expect to have to call any parent or give any detentions to any students in my class. I know that understanding the rules and requirements will make this year an enjoyable year for everyone. Parents are free to e-mail or phone me at any time.