Espaol 1 ~ Semestre

2
Seor Gunnink ~ eAST 28 ~ ggunnink@fhps.net
Welcome
My dearest 3rd hour,
I am so ridiculously giddy to embark with you into the lush jungle
that is the Spanish language. It is my hope that this semester we can
together master the tools needed for effective communication,
bushwhack to a greater understanding of Hispanic people and their
cultures, and revel in the beauty of the language along the way.
However, if you ever get lost or fall behind, please know that I, as
your guide, am here to help. Please do not hesitate to ask for
clarification, sign up for my office hours, or contact me with questions.
It is my hope that this semester we can form a cohesive classroom
community and safely deliver each student to their desired academic
destinations.
Sincerely,
Seor Gunnink

Materials

Required:
textbook
planner
3-ring binder (with class workbook inside)
pens/pencils (at least two different colors)

Recommended:
flashcards
Spanish-English dictionary
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 folder
spiral notebook (college-ruled lined paper)
All students are expected to come prepared to each class. If students
repeatedly must return to their locker for materials, tardies will be
assigned.
Also, during the second week of classes, students will be asked to
prove that they have secured all five required materials during
class for a homework grade.
Finally, any students that cannot secure any of the above
materials for any reason should come speak to me during the
first week of class and I will provide the materials. No questions
asked.

Goals and Rules

As a teacher, I have three primary goals that fall in the following order:
1) That all students in the classroom feel physically, emotionally,
and socially safe and comfortable and know they belong in our
classroom community.
2) That all students will learn the target skills of the course by
realizing that learning is our job in the classroom and by
eliminating all distractions.
3) That all students will enjoy the class and possibly even have
some fun! This is only possible, however, if the first two goals are
met.
To ensure that these goals are met, I have designed rules specifically
tailored to achieving them. These rules are as follows:
1) To protect our classroom community, any student who commits
actions that make one or more peers feel unsafe in the classroom
will be asked to leave the room immediately, and a call will be
sent home. Actions that would serve as grounds for removal
include:
put-downs or negative comments directed toward other
students
the use of slurs of swearing
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 physical violence
intentionally excluding others
2) To ensure that all students have an environment conducive to
learning, any student who causes distractions to the learning
process will be subjected to a three strike system:
1st strike verbal warning
2nd strikeverbal warning, loss of all participation points
for the day
3rd strike removal from the classroom, call sent home
Distractions that serve as grounds for these consequences
include:
talking at inappropriate times
doing other homework during class time
inappropriate technology use
pestering neighbors
sleeping in class
The hope is that by establishing these rules and consequences that we
as a class can achieve the goals set out above: that all students feel
welcome and safe in the classroom, that all students have the
opportunity to pursue learning, and that all students can enjoy their
time in the classroom.
Please note that any time a student is sent out of the classroom, the
main office will be notified and further consequences may be carried
out according to the guidelines for misconduct outlined in the school
handbook (pg.15).

Technology Policy
Technology is a wonderful thing. It constructs new bridges for
communication and allows us to access information that was not
possible previously. However, for these same reasons, technology can
also serve as a supreme distraction to the learning process.
When you are in my classroom, I expect that you are present in body
and mind, contributing to the community and learning of the class. Cell
phones and other personal electronics take your mind out of the
classroom and, for that reason, will not be permitted in the classroom
unless specifically stated.
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To ensure that all minds stay in the classroom, I will confiscate

electronics the first time I see them and will follow the consequences
for inappropriate electronics use as outlined in the school handbook
(pg.27):
1st offense student may pick up his/her possession from an
administrator at the end of the day
2nd offense confiscation of the property until claimed by a
parent
3rd offense confiscation of the property and meeting with
parents
4th offense social probation
Please note that any students with special circumstances that require
technology use for academic reasons should notify me at the beginning
of the semester.

Absence Policy
In order for students to learn, they must be present in class. However,
we all have things throughout the year that on occasion prevent this
presence. For more information on the schools attendance policy,
please refer to pg.13 of the school handbook. Also, absences are
always easier to deal with if you are able to notify me as soon as
possible.

Tardy Policy
In addition to be mentally present, students must also be physically
present for learning to occur. Thus, it is important that students attend
class every day and arrive on time. Tardies will be dealt with according
to the school handbook (pg.14):

1st offense warning

2nd offense warning
3rd offense one hour detention
4th offense parent conference, detention

Late Work Policy

To participate fully in class, all students will be expected to complete
all required work by the beginning of each class period and submit it
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upon entering the room. Students who fail to complete required work
on time will not be given points for that assignment and will lose some
participation points for that day.
Generally, late daily work will not be accepted, but students may turn
in a daily assignment one day late if they attach a note from a
parent stating that they are aware of the late assignment.
Also, students who have particular situations that will hinder the timely
completion of class work should contact me at least two days in
advance to discuss an extension.
For projects or essays, students grades will be lowered by 10% for
every day the assignment is late.

Make-Up Work Policy

The best way to ensure good grades in this course is to stay on top of
the material and regularly invest time in studying. It is a departmental
policy that test and quiz re-takes are not allowed. However, I do offer
students the opportunity to write test corrections explaining their
errors and allowing them to win back a maximum of half the points
they lost. Further instructions for this will be given in class.

Academic Integrity
I would like to draw your attention to the word integrity. The
beloved author C. S. Lewis defines integrity as doing the right
thing, even when no one is watching. In this course, it is
expected that all of your work is your own. I cannot teach you
effectively and you cannot learn effectively if I dont regularly see and
you dont regularly produce your own work. In short, cheating and
plagiarism hurt everyone and are most certainly the wrong things.
So, if you are found to be claiming others work as your own on tests,
projects, or daily assignments, you will receive consequences
according to the school handbook (pg.17). However, while I will be
alert, I will not be looking at all times. Thus, it is your responsibility to
act with integrity in all your work. Do not put your name on something
unless it is honestly, absolutely yours. Integrity is worth more than a
few extra points.

Tips for Success in Spanish 1

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1) Participate actively in class. (10 points every week)

The greatest key to success in any language is engaging actively in
communication. If you dont take risks and use the language, you will
not improve. In this course, we will be engaging frequently in
discussions and activities and your success in this class will be closely
tied to how willingly you participate.
2) Do your homework in a quiet place at a regular time EVERY
day.
Establishing a regular homework routine is a good idea for any class
and will lead to consistent learning. Spending 10 minutes every night
looking over your notes and flashcards will be much more helpful than
cramming for an hour the night before a test. Plus, you will need to
keep up with the material to perform well on daily quizzes.
3) Study your flashcards OUT LOUD every day and write out
words to help with spelling.
Remember: practice makes permanent! Also, reading your flashcards
out loud or having a parent/guardian quiz you will solidify words in your
memory. Also, if you struggle with vocabulary get creative! Try drawing
pictures or attaching motions to each word.
4) Use Realidades.com or studyspanish.com for additional
practice with grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
There is an overabundance of resources on the Internet designed
especially for Spanish students just like you! Be sure to use them for
extra practice or as study aides.
5) Ask questions or sign up for office hours.
If you need clarification on a concept or have any questions at all,
please do not hesitate to ask questions before, during, or after class or
sign up for office hours on my door. I love working with students and
would love to help in any way I can.

Grading
Daily Work 20%
Participation Points
Warm-Ups

Homework
Quizzes 20%
Daily Quizzes
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 Formal Quizzes
Projects, Tests, and
Presentations 60%
Presentations
Projects
Tests

89%-87% B+
86%-83% B
82%-80% B79%-77% C+
76%-73% C
72%-70% C69%-67% D+

Grading Scale
100%-93% A
92%-90% A-

66%-63% D
62%-60% D59%-0% E

Daily work will be graded in one of three ways:

Completion: I will simply walk around the room and award points
based on the percentage of the assignment that has been finished.
Correctness: I will collect the daily assignments, choose ten
questions, and award points based on correct answers for only those
ten questions.
Combination: I will collect daily assignments, choose five questions,
and award points based on both completion and corrects answers for
only those five questions.
So, be sure to use your notes while doing daily work to ensure correct
answers. Remember that all daily assignments are rooted in the notes
and that there is no reason you should ever provide a wrong answer on
an assignment. When you practice wrong answers, you get
worse! The only way to break bad habits and improve is to
practice the right answers by using your notes!

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Participation Points
Using a new language is a vulnerable thing. In this course I will be
asking you to use words and phrases you are still learning, and,
honestly, you will probably sound dumb sometimes. However, this
discomfort and dumb-soundingness is necessary to growth in the
foreign language classroom. For this reason, students will be expected
to engage actively in all class activities and discussions and will be
awarded up to 10 points each week for their participation.
Participation grades will be awarded in the following ways:
All students begin with 7 participation points a week. Points
are then gained or lost in the following ways:
Gained Participation Points
raising your hand and answer a
question
sharing in class discussion
writing a response on the board
modeling inclusion

Lost Participation Points

speaking during instruction
speaking in English
inappropriate technology use
distracting neighbors
failure to participate in class
activities
Note: Please note that lost participation points cannot be regained.
You cannot make up for inappropriate class behavior simply by raising
your hand a couple extra times. Every time you lose a point for
behavior, the maximum points you may earn that week is lowered by
one. For example, a student who answers four questions in a week but
also distracts from instruction twice, will only receive 8 out of 10
points.

Spanish Language Resources

Magazines: Veinte Mundos, La Nacin, PEOPLE en espaol
Newspapers: El Diario, El Comercio, El Pas
Authors: Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garca Mrquez, Federico Garca
Lorca
Podcasts: Spanish Obsessed, Audiria Spanish Language Podcast,
Radio Ambulante
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Movies: El laberinto del fauno (R), No se aceptan devoluciones (PG13), Bella (PG-13)
Television: Telemundo, CNN en espaol, Hulu Latino
Musicians: Esteman, Romeo Santos, Tu Tracidin Latina
Web Sites: studyspanish.com, tellittomewalking.com,
www.natgeomundo.com
Community: Hispanic Center of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Hispanic
Festival

Office Hours
As a teacher, I consider myself a resource for all my students. As such,
I have arranged certain times throughout the week set aside
specifically to help students struggling with certain concepts. Students
interested in sitting down and receiving additional instruction should
sign up on the office hours schedule posted on my door.
Please note that all appointments are expected to be made at least 24
hours in advance and that office hours may change from week to
week.

Contact Information
Students or parents who have additional questions outside of school
can reach me via e-mail at ggunnink@fhps.net. Furthermore, any
parents wanting my phone number or any additional contact
information can feel free to request that by e-mail.
Course information can also be found on my website at
http://senorgunnink.weebly.com.

Signatures
As an acknowledgment that both you and your parents/guardians
understand and will follow the rules and expectations applied to this
course, please sign your name and have them sign their names on the
appropriate lines below:
Students:
________________________________________________________________
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Parent/Guardian:
_________________________________________________________
Family Pet (optional):
______________________________________________________

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