Parent Letter for 7th Grade Spanish
August 2011
Dear Parent(s),
....Your student has chosen to study Spanish this year! Welcome, and welcome back to many of you! Here is some information which will help you to prepare your student, and allow you to know what to expect from the upcoming year. The full course syllabus, notes, and class description are all located at http://www.bbrodie.com which can be accessed through the Edmunds teacher website under “all teams”. In order to help her/him have a successful year, there are a few study aids which she/he’ll need to have. Firstly, all students need to have a notebook. I prefer a single-subject 3-ring binder with plastic holders so you can maintain the notes you get from class and from the internet. This notebook will be a valuable tool for up to 6 years. It should be neat, well-labeled, complete, and should have an index at the beginning. Please check the progress on your child’s notebook from time to time.
Resources : All students should have a Spanish/English dictionary or access to an online dictionary. Most all notes are located at http://www.bbrodie.com in the world languages folders. However, many of their assignments will require looking up new words. There are very adequate pocket dictionaries at Staples for $1
Homework Policy: There is no such thing as “Mom, I don’t have any Spanish homework tonight”. Language is a discipline which is best acquired through repetition and use. Even if there is no written assignment, there is always vocabulary to study and verbs to learn. Students should expect to spend a minimum of 10 to 20 minutes a day most days on Spanish homework for success. Twice a semester a student is permitted a late homework without penalty. These should be carefully considered whereas their intent is to excuse a student from missing an assignment due to a true emergency or exceptionally late night of sports. Late assignments must be turned in the following class for credit to be received or the equivalent skill needs to be demonstrated. There will be assignments that are not possible to make up, but students will be notified of this when the assignment is given. Extensions will only be considered in cases of illness or extended absences. We all have things that “come up” and I am pretty reasonable, but want students to know that they are expected to be prepared.
Grading Policy: Students must have a grade average of 70% or above to continue on to the next level. Semester grades are determined by averaging homework (20%), class participation (20%), quizzes (30%) and tests, essays, projects, and oral evaluations (30%). Students are encouraged to retake quizzes. The highest score possible on a retaken quiz is 80% unless the student scores 100%, in which case they may keep the score of 100%. The intent of this policy is to encourage students to continue to improve while offering a strong incentive to being prepared for assessments when they are planned. Year end grades are computed factoring in all four quarter grades and the final exam and portfolio grade.
Snap Grades : Snap grades will be updated within a week of completion of a major project. If there is a blank, the assignment has been given, but not evaluated. If there is a / the assignment is late.
Use of the Target Language :In Levels A and B students are expected to speak Spanish during specific activities and encourage to use Spanish whenever they can. It is critical to the success of the class that all students willingly participate in the immersion experience as much as possible and it is much more fun! A significant part of each student's participation grade is based on their willingness to use the target language in class
Working Together/Seeking Help: Students are frequently asked to work together on projects, and, as much as is possible, the students should share the load equally. Students are responsible for knowing the content of the entire project they prepare together. In addition, students should only work together if they are instructed to do so by the teacher. In the event that students work together when they prepare their homework assignments, they are responsible for producing their work as individuals. Students are encouraged to rewrite essays in several drafts when assigned. If students seek corrections from other students, they should seek the understanding of why the correction is necessary and be able to reproduce the corrected work. Just getting the answer is not OK. When using translators or translation systems, students should limit themselves to vocabulary and phrasing only, as they would use a dictionary. Using work that is not your own is plagiarism. If you have a question about what is acceptable and what is not, please ask ! Plagiarism will be dealt with appropriately according to the integrity policy located in the student handbook.
.....In addition, I would like to challenge all students to STRETCH as much as they can this year. Spanish is most rewarding when practiced, whether among siblings or friends. I hope you son/daughter will make the extra effort to make Spanish come alive for them.
Portfolios: In order to assess your student’s progress throughout the year, I have instituted the use of the portfolio as one component of assessment. The portfolio is an alternative form of assessment which addresses individual student needs and strengths. It is a tangible representation of a student’s growth and progress during the academic year, and, eventually, in his/her acquisition of a foreign language. It also provides students with the opportunity to participate in the assessment process by learning to assess and make qualitative decisions about their own work. The portfolio process emphasizes student responsibility for learning and the role of the teacher as facilitator. It is a reflection of the process of production, assessment, revision, and reassessment, a process which creates student motivation by providing ownership, responsibility and pride in one’s work.
.....Criteria for assessment and expectations of student performance are clearly articulated. Through the use of the portfolio, student performance is judged on varied sources of information and the student has multiple opportunities for feedback and revision of his/her work, leading to a quality finished product. Students must successfully complete the portfolio to receive credit for the year. Portfolio requirements for your student and the criteria on which that portfolio will be judged will be available at the Open House in September. Students will keep a folder of their evaluated work in the Edmunds classroom so they do not lose their work prior to June.
Contact Information : Getting a hold of me: please feel free to call me at home if you have a question about any part of the curriculum, or have a concern. My home number is 338 – 1844 and my e-mail is bbrodie@sover.net . I hope to see you at parent conferences and to hear from you during the year. Also, my Foreign Language pages of the Edmunds web site contain information about the program, syllabi, notes and other useful information.
Thank you for acknowledging receipt of this letter with your signature.
Sincerely,
Beth Brodie
I have read the parent letter carefully and am aware of the program expectations for Ms Brodie's class.
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Signature of parent of guardian and date