Back-to-School Night

Back-to-School Night

Miss Schlaeflicschlaefli@hcpss.org

Spanish: 6, 7, and 8

Courses 8th Grade Spanish—Meets every day

during Applied Academics (previously called Related Arts) Periods 1 and 2.

7th Grade Spanish—Meets every other day during Applied Academics Periods 4 and 5.

6th Grade Spanish—Meets every other day during Applied Academics Periods 6 and 7.

Wikispace My wikispace page is easy to find and

has a calendar with assignments posted, handouts and notes for students who missed class or misplaced their copies, and links for students to study and practice Spanish online.

http://hms-spanish.wikispaces.com

Wiki home page

6th and 7th Grades

Wiki calendar

Notes and Handouts

8th Grade

Notes and Handouts

Wiki calendar

Links

Links These

are websites available for student review and practice at home.

Ask your student about class

Let your student explain to you the language and cultural ideas we study in class.

Help your student to understand the difference between homework and studying.

Offer to go through the English side of flashcards or a vocabulary list. It helps to study with a partner.

Encourage your student to talk about class progress and offer to arrange a conference if necessary.

Remind your student that…

20-30 minutes of studying per day is ideal.  Practice every night at home.

It’s a waste of time reviewing things you already know.  Instead, focus on difficulties.

Pay attention in class and ask questions– make good use of class time.

Make flashcards, write the words many times, use word associations and do whatever it takes to learn!

Don’t expect to understand everything! Expect to make mistakes, but learn from them.

There are plenty of on-line practice activities available for students. Please encourage your student to take advantage of these opportunities.

Listening to the language is great practice. You can always take an animated movie and switch the language to Spanish.

Grading PolicyHomework 10%

Class Work (Written and Oral) and Participation 30%

Quizzes/Mini-projects 25%

Assessments (Major tests and projects) 35%

As stated in my course expectations, I do not accept late HW. Only students with excused absences from class may turn in late work.

Sectionals/Seminars

Several students leave class at various times throughout the quarter.

All students must check in before they leave for Sectionals/Seminars.

All students must copy down any work, get any missed work, and turn in any work that is due before they leave for Sectionals/Seminars.

Please advise your student to check the wikispace for any notes he/she may need and any additional calendar changes.

Academic IntegrityCheating is prohibited and will result in a

zero. Cheating includes but is not limited to copying others’ assignments, allowing someone to copy work, sharing answers during a test or quiz, copying more than three words directly from another source, textbook, or website (plagiarism), using an online or electronic translator to translate phrases and sentences, or telling other students information after taking a test or quiz.

Important Places Around the Room

Day Date

ObjectiveHomewor

k

Textbook and

Workbook Cart

All work gets

turned in here

Portfolios and extra

handouts

HCPSS World Languages The World Language Program supports the Bridge to

Excellence Master Plan, the implementation of the Maryland Common Core State Curriculum, and the school system's focus on increasing the number of students who graduate ready for college and careers by:

Developing functional proficiency in a world language Strengthening literacy skills in students' home language and

the language under study Offering a range of world language courses to meet the

diversified needs of county students Promoting respect for and appreciation of differences in

cultural practices, products, and perspectives Providing professional development opportunities for

teachers of world languages Emphasizing the goals of the national standards for learning

world languages.

Middle School World Language – FAQs

What are world language classes like? Students learn a world language through

a proficiency-based approach. This means that the focus is on what students know and can do in the language. Instruction is primarily in the world language for approximately 90%-100% of the class time—and students are engaged to listening to, speaking, reading, and writing in the language. They are expected to be active participants in and out of class.

Middle School World Language – FAQs

What is the workload of the world language class? Students who opt to take a world

language take an additional academic course and they make a three-year commitment to language study in Grades 6-8. The world language class includes tests, quizzes, homework, class work, participation, and projects. It is recommended that time outside of class be dedicated to practicing the language. In addition, there are semester assessments that monitor progress.

Middle School World Language – FAQs

How does the world language class count toward high school credit? Students who successfully pass the class

and the end-of-course assessment will have the course recorded as “pass” on the high school transcript. Students must still take two credits of world language at the high school level if they choose the world language option for their Program Choice for graduation (the other three options are American Sign Language, Advanced Technology, or Career Academy).

Contact Info Please feel free to email

me if you have any concerns. cschlaefli@hcpss.org

Wikispace site:www.hms-spanish.wikispaces.com