Spanish I: Course information:

Español I:                                                              Señora Stacy   SE237

 Class expectations:

In Spanish I you will learn basic survival vocabulary:   numbers, colors, how to talk about family members, places in the city and other basic words and the grammar to use them.  You will learn how to listen, how to speak, how to read and write.  You will also learn about some of the places where Spanish is spoken.  After Spanish I, you will be able to do the following:  introduce yourself and ask another person’s name, describe yourself or another person, use numbers, order food in a restaurant, purchase common items, describe the weather and activities for each season, etc. 

Classroom rules: 

1.       Follow school rules (and I will check ID and dress code frequently.)

2.      Bring your Spanish text and binder every day with supplies inside.

3.      Be inside the room before the bell rings.  Leave your mochila in the indicated spot and take only your binder (with all supplies) and your text to your seat.

4.      Your text must be covered at all times.

5.      If you are late, sign the tardy log before you go to your seat.  This is for your protection, to prove that you were in class, if I forget to go back and change you on the attendance program.    

You are counted absent after 15 minutes.  Three tardies = 1 absence. 

6.      Do only the day’s Spanish lesson during class.  If you do anything else, I will confiscate it.  I may return it to you after 3:00 that afternoon, but you will have to do something to earn it back.

7.      Respect other people:  do not interrupt, do not make fun, keep your hands, feet and things to yourself.

8.      Do NOT use any perfume/lotion/anything that smells at school.  Some perfumes and all aerosol sprays trigger my asthma. 

Supplies:

2” binder with the following:  wide-ruled paper, pencils and/or pen (blue or black only – I don’t grade work written on any other color).  Markers.  3x5 cards, scissors and rubber bands to organize them;  and a pencil case to keep them in. 

Textbooks:  we  have new textbooks this year:  Exprésate.  We will also use hand-outs –which you must keep neatly organized in your binder – and you may also access the textbook online.  In order to access Exprésate online:  go to www.go.hrw.com

Click on “Online textbook” in the lower right.  The username is sstudent399, and the password is k8k7.  This works for all Spanish I students at Newman Smith, so if a student transfers from one class to another, he keeps the same username and password.  Both parents and students should be familiar with the textbook.  There are unit goals, videos and self tests online.  (Texts are heavy.  Use the online at home, leave the book in your locker and just bring it to class!)

Grading:

40% of your grade is from daily tasks.  You will have the list of all daily tasks at the beginning of the unit.  You may attempt each one as many times as necessary (first in class, then in tutorials), but you will not get a grade until you complete the task correctly.  Your daily grade (=40% of your grade) will be the percentage of tasks that you complete before the test.  (The deadline for all tasks is 3:00 the afternoon before the test.) 

60% of the grade on your report card will come from tests, both written and oral.  If a student completes all the daily tasks, he/she will do well on the tests.  If a student freezes on the oral test, he may re-take it if (and only if) he has completed ALL the daily grades that lead up to the test. 

Please check your son or daughter’s progress reports and report cards.  Here are the dates that they will be distributed:

First quarter:                        September 7, September 28 and October 19.

There will be a “Great Texas Pickup” on September 28 to meet the teachers and discuss grades briefly. 

Second quarter:        November 9, December 7, and report cards January 4.

Third quarter:           February 1, February 22 and March 22.

            Great Texas Pick Up:  February 19

Fourth quarter:         April 12, May 3, and report cards will be mailed by May 31.

E-information:

My e-mail is stacyc@cfbisd.edu. 

My website is http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/stacyc/default.htm  There is additional information for parents at that site.  I have a podcast (link is on my website) with an introduction to Spanish I for parents.  I will [try to] have current Spanish I information in the podcast and in my website for students to use for review, or for when they are absent.

Tutorials:

After school Monday and Tuesday until 3:15 and by appointment. 

There is a tutorials bus Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday which will take all students (not just those who ride the bus normally) to their nearest elementary school.

  About me:  I have taught Spanish at Newman Smith for 22 years.  I developed the program for native speakers, and I teach the AP classes.  My BA is from the University of Iowa, and my MA+ is from Indiana University.  I have traveled in Mexico (where I also attended summer school), Central America, South America (except for Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela) and Spain. 

My reputation among students is that I am demanding, but fair.  If you do your work, you will learn, you will get a good grade and you will be prepared for Spanish II.  If you don’t do your work, you will fail.  I requested some level I classes because I believe it is the most important Spanish class.  If you get a good foundation, you will do well in all levels of Spanish.