Spanish 1, 2, & 3 Syllabus  

 
Profesora Marcelletti 
emarcelletti@mvs.k12.mi.us (Email) 
www.marcelletticonnection.weebly.com (Website) 
 
Academic Expectations and Course Objectives 
Students will . . . 
➢ Engage in conversations, express emotions, and exchange information and 
opinions in Spanish.   
➢ Understand and interpret written and spoken Spanish on a variety of topics. 
➢ Present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of peer listeners or 
readers in Spanish.  
➢ Compare the structures of Spanish with their own language. 
➢ Develop an understanding of the unique cultures present in the countries 
where Spanish is the dominant language. 
➢ Work towards becoming lifelong learners by using Spanish for personal 
enjoyment and enrichment. 
➢ Use the language both within and beyond the school setting. 
 
For spefic topics covered for every level of Spanish see my website. 
 
Teaching Methodology 
I teach Spanish using TPRS© and CI. TPRS stands for Teaching Proficiency through 
Reading and Storytelling and CI stands for comprehensible input. It began as a teaching 
strategy created by several teachers who wanted a more effective way to teach languages. 
Over the last decade, it has been developed through research and practice by thousands 
of dedicated teachers world-wide. It is based on the idea that the brain needs an 
enormous amount of “comprehensible input” in the language to acquire the language and 
become fluent. Students will be learning the most frequently-used words and phrases in 
Spanish through stories, conversations, questioning, and other activities. The high 
frequency words are within the fluency circle or the “small circle.” By reading short 
stories and novels, students will acquire more vocabulary and language structures. The 
reading circle or “big circle” will enhance fluency and vocabulary building. We will read as a 
class and students will have Free Voluntary Reading time where they choose from a 
selection of Spanish books.   
 
For more information on TPRS/CI and language acquisition go to my website. 
 
 
 

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Materials 
Students will need at least a basic pocket folder to keep any handouts. Students need to 
bring materials to class every day. A paper notebook is optional for students who want to 
make their own personal dictionary or reference notebook. 
 
Student Participation Expectations  
Students are expected to ACTIVELY listen and respond in class. Students are expected 
to respond in Spanish to a variety of questions. Students are expected to ACTIVELY read 
during SSR reading. Listening and reading are INPUT activities and are essential in 
acquiring another language and being able to OUTPUT the language in writing and speaking. 
See the Citizenship and Participation Grade on website for classroom expectations and 
rubric. 
 
Absent Make-Up Work and Retakes/Redo’s and Late Work 
Students are expected to make their best effort to be in class, since there is no 
replacement for what we do in class. However, if a student has to be absent they will be 
expected to do make-up assignment(s). Students are expected to see me outside of 
class before/after school or during lunch for missed work. Students will be given a 
due date for assignments. If assignments are not turned in on due date, students will be 
given one week from due date to turn in assignment. After that they will not be accepted. 
Students are given the opportunity to retake or redo any tests or quizzes when a 70% or 
lower is earned. They will need to see me to go over material before retake. 
Retakes/redo’s must be done before or after school, or during lunch and arranged ahead 
of time with me. 
 
ROAR- Be respectful, orderly, assistive, and responsible 
Students are expected to follow ROAR expectations which are posted in class. Students 
are expected to respect themselves and others at all times and take responsibility for 
their own actions. Learning a foreign language requires taking risks, so students must feel 
comfortable in the classroom. I expect students to treat others the way they would like 
to be treated. Talking in class (side conversations/blurting/making irrelevant comments) 
during instructional time is very disruptive to learning and will be addressed if it is a 
problem. The following are steps will be taken if a student is not meeting behavior 
expectations and does not change behavior when given the opportunity: (1) Student is held 
after class or taken to the hallway to discuss behavior issue and review expectations. (2) 
Parent contact is made depending on if student begins meeting expectations. If student 
continues with behavior parent contact will be made. (3) If misbehavior continues 
student is dismissed from class and will report to SSR and parent(s) is contacted. NOTE: 
There are certain behaviors that will require automatic dismissal including anything that 
threatens the safety of any student. A citizenship and participation grade will be posted 
most days for parents to monitor behavior in class. See the Citizenship and Participation 
Grade on website for classroom expectations and rubric. 
Bathroom Passes 
Students should use the bathroom between classes. Students will always be allowed to go 
to the bathroom in the case of an emergency or for medical reasons. If there is a 
noticeable abuse of bathroom passes, it will be noted and addressed with same 
consequences as above.   

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Cell phone/device use policy  
Cell phones and devices are not allowed in class. If phone is on/out during class, phone will 
be taken and held until the end of the class. With subsequent incidents, I will take 
phone/device to office for student to pick up at the end of the day. I will not be 
responsible for lost or stolen devices since they are not supposed to have them in the first 
place. 
 
Grading Policy 
 
Semester Grade (80%)  Semester Exam (20%) 
 
Tests, quizzes, writings :50%  The semester exams are worth 20% of 
Engagement Rubric: Actively listening,  semester grade and are cumulative. 
responding and reading: 40% 
Classroom/homework assignments : 10% 

Homework  
Homework will not be given on a daily basis. However, at times, students will be expected 
to do assignments outside of class or assignments that they did not finish during class. 
Students who are absent will have to do make-up assignments outside of class. I highly 
encourage students to read Spanish, listen to Spanish music, and watch shows in Spanish 
(subtitles helpful) to enrich their language acquisition (Netflix has a variety of Spanish 
shows). I have Spanish books available for check out. 
 
Extra help 
Time is limited during the school day for extra help; however, students can get extra help 
before, during lunch, or after school. Please contact me to set up a time if extra help is 
needed. If students are not being responsible in class and not actively listening, 
responding and reading, this will be my first recommendation before I offer extra help. 
 
Classroom Website 
I have a website that students will use to access resources, videos, and Quizlet Flashcards 
to practice the vocabulary. The website is www.marcelletticonnection.weebly.com. 
Students will become familiar with this website in class, so they will know where to locate 
resources and flashcards for material they are learning. Quizlet Flashcards are an 
interactive way for students to study vocabulary and grammar structures. They include 
audio to practice pronunciation as well.   
 
Please see student handbook on Maple Valley Schools Website for more information 
about school wide expectations and rules. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Thank you for taking the time to go over the Spanish class syllabus. Please sign below that 
you have read and understood the syllabus. Please contact me if you have any further 
questions. (See contact information above). 
 
¡Muchas gracias! 
Profe. Marcelletti  
 
Student name printed_______________________________________________ 
 
Parent/Guardian signature__________________________________________ 
 
Phone number or email for best contact________________________________ 
 
 
● ONLY THIS PAGE (PAGE 4) NEEDS TO BE RETURNED TO ME.   
● PLEASE KEEP PAGES 1-3 FOR REFERENCE. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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