Sabbagh's Spanish Classes

¡Bienvenidos al mundo hispanohablante!

Welcome to the Spanish-speaking world. By "world" I mean my classroom, but there will be times when we feel like we've gone to another part of the world! The following is an overview of how things work in my classes. If you have more questions, just ask.

Rules we will all follow:

1. The "Do The Right Thing" rule. We know right from wrong. When we choose to do the right thing, everything goes smoothly and we feel safe. This includes being the best version of ourselves as we can be.

2. The Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

3. The Thumper's Mama's Rule "If you can't say something nice, then don't say it at all." (Bambi)

"Dígame" del día

English: The "tell me" of the day. Part of learning a language is learning about the culture. There are specific sections in the book that involve cultural aspects of the various countries represented in the book. We're going to add even more to that by cover different daily cultural parts of Hispanic life. These will be the first things we talk about each day and we'll keep track of them for future reference. (See extra credit)

Monday: Trivia

Tuesday: Proverbios (Proverbs)

Wednesday: Palabra (Word)

Thursday: Persona (Person)

Friday: Comida (Food)

Grades

Everything you will do in my class will have a certain point value. The amount of points will vary depending on the level of difficulty of the task. At the end of the grading period, I will take the total number of points you earned and divide it by the total number of points available, thus producing your percentage grade. I will also have grades posted on Engrade so you can check at any time.

Sample tasks: Sample student's work:

1. A vocabulary quiz = 20 pts. 1. 15 pts.

2. An end-of-unit project = 175 pts. 2. 140 pts.

3. Participation for the week = 10 pts. (2pts./day) 3. 6 pts.

4. A workbook homework assignment = 10 pts. 4. 9 pts.

5. Chapter test = 90 pts 5. 88 pts.

6. Presentation = 45 pts. 6. 41 pts.

7. Homework = 15 pts. 7. 15 pts.

8. Poem recital = 30 pts. 8. 28 pts.

Total available points = 387 Total points earned =342

Grade = 342/387 = 88% B

Homework

You will always have homework. The permanent homework assignment is to study Spanish for at least 20 minutes every evening at home. What you do for homework will depend on what we're working on in class, how much you complete in class, whether it is a big project coming up or a vocabulary quiz. I do not accept late work.

Absent days

On the bulletin board there is an envelope with the word "Ausente" written in Spanish. No matter what type of excused absence it is (field trip, game, sick) the fact is you did not learn Spanish that day. The form inside is what you will need to grab the first day you return from being gone. You write your name, the days you were absent and hand it in to me. I will write down everything that you missed. You will then have a week to complete the work; after that time the work will be considered late.

Pe$os de Participa$ión

Participation is a very important part in learning another language. Starting the first day of school, I will give you a "Peso" of participation. This peso will last you for the rest of the year. With this you will participate more in class, you will learn more, understand more and will be well on your way to being bilingual! These pesos are not extra points you can possibly earn, but expectations needing to be met.

Your mission: To "spend" your peso daily in order to secure your participation in this class. Your peso will be worth 2 points daily (10 pts. weekly, 106 pts. 1st Trimester, 112 pts. 2nd Trimester, 142 pts. 3rd Trimester).

Details of your mission: Every time you "spend" your peso (i.e. every time you participate) you will give the peso to me. At the end of the class period, whosever pesos I have in my hands, will receive their participation points for the day. After I "deposit" the pesos into your "bank account," I will put it in your mailbox and we will start over again the next day

Definitions of participating:

Volunteering answers
Translating (when translation is necessary)
Coming up with an original thought/sentence in Spanish
Asking relevant questions in Spanish
Writing answers on board
Helping others in group or paired activities

Absent Days: If you are absent (excused only), you are still responsible for spending your peso. Make an appointment with me to meet before/after school or during lunch and do one of the options listed below. All make-up participation must happen before the end of the week in which you are absent. If you are absent on a Friday, then it will be due the end of the following week. Ways of doing so are:

"Charla" Make an appointment with me before/after school or during lunch to "Chat" in Spanish. You must initiate conversation.
Select anything from my bookcase and read a paragraph aloud to me. (Only Spanish I & II)

Bathroom Passes

"BAÑO" means bathroom in Spanish. You will receive 2 passes each trimester. If an emergency should arise, you have these passes to help you. USE THEM WISELY!!! If you don't use them for the bathroom, you can hand them in for extra credit (see below).

Extra Help

If you need extra practice and/or help, make an appointment with me. I will be available before school and during lunch. You should do this as soon as something is unclear. Do not wait until the day before the test to come for help. If I am not available (see the "Abierto/Cerrado" sign on the door), the following websites are excellent to practice your Spanish skills:

www.studyspanish.com

www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php

www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr/index.html

Mailboxes

The very large metal paper sorter in the classroom is the mailbox. Each of you will have a slot and you will check this slot as you walk in each day. This is where I will return any and all paperwork to you, including your pesos. This is also where you may keep your "passport" (more on that in class).

Food

Many people's favorite part about learning about another culture is the FOOD! We will have occasions (mostly on Fridays) to experience this with typical Spanish and/or Latin American food and/or drink. Aside from these special occasions, there will be no food or drink in the classroom.

Extra Credit

Regardless of how many extra credit points you have, you may only use up to 5 points (not % points) per task. This task could be a test, final exam, project...anything you want. 1 and 2 have time limitations (see below). Here are the only ways to earn extra credit:

1. Articles (2pts. per article)

Look for articles in English newspapers or magazines (nothing downloaded from the Internet) that deal with current events in Spanish-speaking countries. On Mondays, bring an article clipping in, and tell the class about it (2 pts.). Do not read the article to the class. Do not write a report about it. Just read it ahead of time and give the class the summary of the article. The extra credit points earned from the articles will be stamped into your passport. On top of this stamp I will stamp a date. You must use this extra credit point by the date stamped otherwise you lose it.

2. Vocabulary flashcards (3 points per packet)

Make flashcards for each chapter/unit we cover: English/Spanish (Levels I & II only). These cards must be handed in before the day of the test/assessment for that chapter. Ideally, you'd make them as soon as we begin the chapter/unit, so they will become familiar to you by the time the assessment rolls around. You'll also receive dated stamps in your passport for these extra credit points.

3. Turn in BAÑO pass (1 pt. each) instead of using them to leave the room

4. Pay attention to the "Dígame del día" because I will use them as extra credit questions on tests and quizzes (1 pt. per correct answer)