French I Syllabus
Français I
Madame Sapu
Bienvenue à la classe de français!
Introduction: French I
This course will be an introductory course to French. This year we will focus more on learning the language in a natural progression. Most students take a language because they want to know how to SPEAK it and that is exactly what we will be doing!
OBJECTIVES:
This year, our primary goal is to be able to use the French that we learn. At the end of French 1, you will be able to describe yourself, your friends and family, your daily routine, weather, time, colors, numbers, the calendar; to give commands, and to communicate. You will learn the basic building blocks of the language to be successful in French 2. In addition, we will focus on broadening our horizons by learning about life in Francophone countries.
GRADING:
Class work and Homework (35% of grade) “Assignments”
Students will complete a variety of class work and homework assignments intended to give them practice in reading and writing the language as well as in memorizing and using vocabulary. Homework will be assigned weekly. The maximum possible score on late homework is a 50. All students are required to write the homework down at the end of every class in their agenda or binder. I will check agendas from time to time to verify that students are writing down the assignments.
Students will have lots of opportunities to practice using French in class. I will keep track of performance using note cards where I mark your participation performance. All students will have the same number of opportunities to demonstrate their French.
Formative Assessments (65% of grade) “Tests & Performance”
These assessments will include projects, tests, and quizzes. The assessments may be formal or informal and will include a variety of skill assessments in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will monitor their progress and success on these assessments. It is my goal and the goal of J M Alexander to have all students at or above 84%. You must participate and complete homework and class work assignments to take a test and to be successful! Students have the chance to retake tests or quizes that they did not score well on or below 84%.
RULES
I have very specific rules so that there are no questions about what behaviors are expected.
1. Respect everyone and everything.
2. Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak.
3. Be in your seats and ready to learn when the bell rings.
4. Bring all required materials to class each day.
5. Follow directions and all school rules.
CONSEQUENCES
I have a no-nonsense attitude about school….you do what you need to do, I do what I need to do, and we won’t have any problems. If we do have problems, I will use the following consequences in order. You get each consequence once and then move on to the next one.
1st offense: Warning
2nd offense: Teacher/Student Conference (either before or after school—you and I will decide a time that is most convenient)
3rd offense: Parent contact OR conference
4th offense: After School Detention/Tutorial with me in my classroom from 4:30-5:30.
5th offense: Office Referral
*Serious offenses will result in an immediate office referral.
As you can see, I try to fix the problem with the student before I go to the parent, because ultimately it is the student’s responsibility to behave in class and do the necessary work. However, once we get past the 2nd offense, I will not hesitate to get parents involved.
TARDIES
I follow J M Alexander middle school’s policy on tardies. If you are late with an unexcused note, the office will be notified.
BINDER ORGANIZATION
Students are required to have a French note book or a section in their binder devoted solely to French. I am a stickler about binder organization because I believe that being organized is an essential skill to learn both for success in French and for success in life!
MAKE-UP WORK
If you are absent, you have 5 days to arrange to make up your work. When you come back from your absence, check the folder for any absent work sheets. You are responsible for getting any notes from that day from a classmate. I understand that life can demand an absence but being present in class is imperative to the success of learning a foreign language, so please try to be here every day! Get your make-up work turned in ASAP!
MATERIALS— what do I need for this class?
- Notebook or Binder with a section devoted to French. Do NOT stuff your papers in your textbook!
- Pens/pencils/paper.
- Colored Pencils/ markers
- French-English dictionary (optional). Get a small one to carry with you if you like looking things up.
TUTORING/MAKE-UPS
If you need extra help or need to make up an assessment, I am available during wonderful Wednesday,and can tutor by appointment.
CELL PHONE POLICY
CMS rules state that students may have cell phones on their person but the phones must be POWERED OFF (not vibrate, not silent, not on!). I will abide by this policy strictly.
If I see or hear your phone, I will take it and turn it into the office.
During tests/quizzes students MUST put their cell phone on their desk and it must be powered off. If I see a student touching the cell phone (other than just moving it out of the way), reaching into a backpack or other bag, this will be considered CHEATING which will result in an automatic zero that may not be made up. I am serious about cell phone cheating! Do not test this rule!
CHEATING— doesn’t do it!
I understand the pressure to succeed, and how tempting it can be to cheat when you feel like if you get an answer wrong your life will end. I urge you to think about your dignity before you cheat...you may never get caught, but can you deal with the blow to your dignity and self-worth? (If you answered yes, please seriously reconsider your values!)
I have zero tolerance for cheating—do not do it in my class. Do not copy homework or take-home assignments from classmates. Do not use online translators to translate more than one word—this is cheating. Do not plagiarize. During quizzes and tests, make sure your entire area is clear of anything that might be useful on the test—even if you’re not using it, if it’s visible you will get a 0. Also, if you do anything that looks like cheating, it WILL be considered cheating...do NOT go searching in your backpack for anything. Raise your hand and ask permission to get an extra sheet of paper or a pen so you don’t risk getting a 0.
Lu et approuve Date___