Thank you for supporting your student in Spanish class! This page highlights the most important information about how the course works, how grades are reported, and how you can best help your student succeed.
My primary goal is for students to learn how to communicate in Spanish, not just memorize vocabulary or grammar rules. Mistakes are a normal and necessary part of language learning, and I encourage students to take risks, try new language, and learn from errors.
I also aim to help students develop independent learning skills—knowing how to find information, monitor their own progress, and advocate for themselves.
All student work happens in Canvas.
Students access assignments, submit work, and track progress in Canvas.
Parents do not have direct access to Canvas.
Grades sync from Canvas to PowerSchool overnight, so PowerSchool always reflects information that is slightly delayed.
Any grade of 0 in Spanish class means the work has not been submitted.
PowerSchool automatically marks any entered grade (even a 0) as “collected.”
For my class, the “collected” label should be ignored.
A 0 = missing work, even if it says collected.
A blank grade means I have not graded it yet.
I update grades weekly, with the goal that Canvas and PowerSchool reflect accurate grades by the end of the school day on Friday.
Because PowerSchool does not show assignment completion clearly, the best way to see what your student has (or hasn’t) completed is to ask them to:
Log into Canvas
Open Spanish class
Go to the Modules page
Each weekly module has completion requirements:
✅ Green checkmark = completed
⭕ Blank = not due yet
🚫 Red circle with a line = missing (a 0 has been entered)
This gives a much clearer picture than PowerSchool alone.
Auto-graded (updates immediately):
🧠 Vocabulary homework (Canvas quizzes)
🎬 EdPuzzle videos
Manually graded (updated weekly):
📚 Garbanzo reading assignments
📝 Weekly activities
💬 Pregunta semanal (weekly question)
🔤 Verb quizzes
📖 Reading quizzes
🧪 Unit tests
🗣️ Unit-final interviews
Homework is assigned Monday and is due Thursday at 3:10 PM.
My goal is for students to complete homework during class time whenever possible.
Students should not have Spanish homework over the weekend.
If a Garbanzo reading is completed late, students must submit the Garbanzo late/redo form so I know to check it. Without that form, I will not know the work has been completed.
Students may redo or retake assessments (tests, quizzes, interviews). To be eligible:
Homework and participation averages must be 80% or higher. Students can check their category averages in the Canvas gradebook.
I strongly recommend students talk with me first to identify what to review before retaking
Learning doesn’t always happen on a single timeline, and this policy exists to support growth—not shortcuts.
The most helpful things you can do are:
Ask your student to show you the Modules page in Canvas (watch video above for a demo)
Encourage them to use class time wisely
Remind them to submit late Garbanzo work using the correct form
Reach out if something still doesn’t make sense after checking Modules
I’m always happy to help, and these systems are designed to make progress as transparent and predictable as possible.