Course Syllabus

OFFICE HOURS & Intervention time for the rest of the year:

Intervention time: FRIDAY JUNE 7th 8-8:50 room 148

Drop in: if you need extra help, if you owe me WORK or a make up vocabulary quiz or if you need to redo and resubmit incomplete work.

Office Hours for Señora Hicks in room 241  Wednesdays 7:50-8:25 except early release Wednesday weeks & unless noted at the top of this page.  Please scroll down to see the World Language support lab schedule.

Back to school night online slide deck:

Office Hours for Señora Hicks in room 241  Wednesdays 7:50-8:25

Every Wednesday except early release Wednesdays (and unless otherwise noted at the top of this syllabus page):  7:50-8:25 in room 241 (just show up - no appointment needed)

Because I am part time, meeting at 2:30 is by appointment only as my schedule allows (please email or speak with your teacher for an appointment)

Block A - go to the Extra Support Lab:

World Language Extra Help Schedule

Drop In - Room 155

Day 1 - Block A	Day 2 - Block A	Day 3 - Block A	Day 4 - Block A	Day 5 - Block A	Day 6 - Block A	Day 7 - Block A
Spanish	Spanish  +  French	German  + French	Spanish	Spanish + French	Spanish	No help available in lab
Ms. DiPietro	Mr. Travers	Ms. Ellis	Ms. Barrientos	Ms. Laborde Casterot	Ms. Kaufman

What can I do in the World Language Extra Support Lab?

• get help completing or reviewing homework
• get help preparing for an assessment
• get an explanation in English of something you don't understand in the language you're studying
• hang out and speak in the language you're studying with other language learners

Come alone or come with a friend.  Open Block A only.

 

Welcome to Advanced intro to Spanish ACP!

                          UNIT 3                                                       UNIT 4

How do my choices shape who I am? UNIT 3 Part 1 • I can explain what I choose to do when I have free time. UNIT 3 Part 2 • I can explain what people eat and why. UNIT 3 Part 3 • I can talk about how clothing reflects who people are and what they do.

How am I part of a community?  UNIT 4 Part 1 • I can explain how personal space defines and reflects someone UNIT 4 Part 2 • I can make recommendations for places to visit and things to do in my community UNIT 4 Part 3 • I can explain how being a good citizen can improve my community

 

What do I need for class?

• computer with a full charge
• headphones / air pods  <-- ***very important***
• your class workbook
• a pen or pencil
• a  1” 3 ring binder to file away classwork, worksheets, assessments.
• 5 tab dividers.
• Highlighters - at least 2 colors
• 5 page protectors we will use for important documents in class in our binders
• Loose Leaf paper

What should I do if I am absent from class?

• Check on Canvas to see what we did in class and make it up.
• If you missed an assessment and you are absent excused →  email or speak with your teacher to schedule a make up the assessment within two school days.  If you do not retake it within two school days, you will receive an "I" in Power School which counts as a "0". 
• If you missed an assessment and you are absent unexcused →  you will receive an "I" for the assessment in Power School which counts as a "0". 

• Students must email or speak with their teacher to make up missed assessments within two school days or the assessment will become a zero.

• Makeups sometimes happen in class otherwise they will happen during A block or after school at the language lab.

A+	98%	STRONG: Student’s learning shows in-depth inferences and applications for the targeted performance.  The student can independently create a spoken or written message using above-level language.
A	94.5%
A-	91%
B+	88%	MEETS STANDARD: Student’s learning meets the targeted performance.  The student can independently create a spoken or written message using level appropriate language.
B	84.5%
B-	81%
C+	78%	DEVELOPING: Student’s learning shows the simpler aspects of the targeted performance, or has some important errors or omissions.  The student can independently create a spoken or written message using some level and some non-level appropriate language.
C	74.5%
C-	71%
D+	68%	EMERGING: Student’s learning demonstrates only partial ability or is incomplete.  The student can independently create a spoken or written message using non-level appropriate language.
D	64.5%
D-	61%
F	54.5%*	Not enough evidence to measure student learning.

A+ 97-100     B+ 87-89      C+ 77-79         D+ 67-69

A 93-96          B 83-86        C 73-76           D 63-66

A- 90-92         B- 80-82      C- 70-72          D- 60-62      F 54.5*

TERM WEIGHTS
TERM	WEIGHT
TERM 1	0.12
TERM 2	0.19
TERM 3	0.26
TERM 4	0.31
Final Exp.	0.12
	1.00

 

 

Performance Assessments: Interpersonal Communication Interpretive Communication Presentational Communication Relating Cultural Practices to Perspectives Relating Cultural Products to Perspectives Performance assessments are not generally permitted retakes. We give prompts or prompt themes up front and provide feedback preparing students for the performance assessment.	90%
Achievement on Grammar and Vocabulary: Quizzes classwork  homework Retakes of grammar and vocabulary quizzes will be permitted 1 time.	10%
Weighting of Performance Assessments: Weighted Averages Within a marking period, each consecutive performance assessment increases in weight value

The rationale for this increase in percentages is that what you learn in Term 1 will need to be remembered and used in Term 2, and so on, so by Term 4 you'll be required to use all the skills and information you've learned over the year.

 

What is a Performance Assessment?

(90% of your term grade)

These include:

• Interpretive Performance Assessments  

Examples include:  Listening to a video or audio and answering questions about what you saw/heard.  Reading an article and answering questions about what you read.  Looking at an infographic or chart and answering questions about it.  These questions are mostly in English in the beginning of the year and move to be in Spanish towards the end of the year.

• Presentational Performance Assessments 

Examples include:  Answering a prompt (question) by recording a monologue using video or audio software.  Answering a prompt in writing.

• Interpersonal Performance Assessments

Examples include:  Having an extemporaneous conversation with 1 or more people. The conversation is often in response to a prompt.

There are no retakes on Performance Assessments.

 

What is an Achievement Assessment?

(10% of your term grade)

These include short skill building assessments such as vocabulary or grammar quizzes to be sure you are learning what you need to perform well in the accuracy and vocabulary sections of the performance assessments.  On Achievement Assessments any grade (letter or percentage grade) is possible.  In Señora Hicks’ class, you may retake each Achievement Assessment once to improve your grade. Once the term is over, you can't retake these assessments.  Achievement Assessments may be oral, on paper or on Canvas.

What is a Formative Assessment?

This is like a scrimmage for your performance assessment.  You will take an assessment (write, listen, have a conversation with a classmate....) which is very similar to your upcoming performance assessment and you'll get feedback to let you and your teacher know if you're ready for the performance assessment.  This feedback (may be narrative or a grade) does not compute into your term grade.  It's to let you know how you're doing and how you can improve as we go along in the term and before you take the performance assessments.  It often takes the form of a short flip grid video or a short piece of writing (digitally or on paper).  Formative assessments are a part of evidence based grading and standards based grading because they help students understand how close they are to meeting the standard before they take the assessment and give them feedback on what they need to do to meet the standard.  

What about homework?

Homework will often depend on what is completed in class. My goal is not to give a lot of homework but sometimes it is necessary.  It will be posted in Canvas by the end of the day. Homework is due at the beginning of the next class unless otherwise stated and will be recorded in the 10% portion of your term grade.  Homework completion is a necessary part of the course because it gives you the opportunity to build and practice your skills. If there is no homework assigned, your homework is to look over things completed in class, including vocabulary.

 

How will my progress be evaluated this year?

In the World Language Department we grade student work based on a standard.  This means that your work (writing, speaking, ability to listen and understand) will be evaluated on how closely it meets or exceeds a standard.  The standard is the proficiency level for this course moves during the school year.  Each Performance Assessment has a rubric so you can see exactly what you need to show that you can do to meet or exceed the standard.  The rubrics for every assessment are in your student workbook.  You will have lots of practice and get lots of feedback via Formative Assessments before you take the Performance Assessments which determine your term grade.  There are no retakes for Performance Assessments.  You will also have the opportunity to build your skills with Achievement Assessments (small quizzes, homework, classwork) prior to taking the Performance Assessments.  You may retake each Achievement assessment one time, if you wish. You must arrange to do this with your teacher before the end of the grading term.

 

Questions?  Email Sra. Hicks at any time:

hicksm@wellesleyps.org

I encourage any students or family members to email me at any time to check in, ask questions, or ask for help.

Here is a Canvas Guide for Students

Here is a link to the World Language Technology Help Site