¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español con la Srta. McNamara!

Dear parents/guardians,

I am very excited to have the opportunity to teach your child and share my love for the
Spanish language and Spanish/ Latin American culture with them. I was first introduced to
Spanish in middle school and I hope that this class likewise sparks an interest to learn
Spanish in your child. Knowing Spanish is a very marketable skill in the work force and makes
travel more enjoyable too! There are many beautiful places in the world that are even more
enjoyable when you know the language!

This is an unprecedented time to be teaching and learning and I am committed to making this class the best it can be. My
goal is for the class to be interesting, supportively rigorous, and streamlined in terms of routines, regular communication
with you, and use of technology.

Course outcomes
This is an exploratory course in which students will be introduced to basic Spanish language, including
greetings/goodbyes, telling their names, reciting the alphabet, identifying numbers, colors, and animals. We will also learn
about the countries that speak Spanish as we learn the language. We will practice the skills of listening, speaking,
reading, and writing at the novice-low proficiency level. I hope that they enjoy the class and become interested in signing
up for 7th/8th grade Spanish!

The virtual classroom

● We will meet virtually using Google Meet every other day (A/B schedule) from 12:35 - 2:05 pm.
○ Students should log in at 12:35 and I will take attendance and review the day’s agenda with them.
○ We will have a total of 30 - 40 minutes of “live” instruction each class (depending on the day’s agenda,
that may be grouped at the beginning of class followed by independent activities, or we may meet “live” at
the beginning and again later in class to practice the material together or recap the work they completed
independently).
○ I will remain online throughout the class to answer questions as they are working.
● Students should meet dress code policy, just as would be expected in face-to-face class.
● Recording of class sessions is prohibited, in order to protect student privacy.
● We will use Google Classroom throughout the semester, accessible through the WakeID portal. I will post all
materials, links, and assignments here.
● I will be logged in for office hours on Fridays from 2:10 - 2:40. Use the Meet code found in Google Classroom
to access the meeting. If your child has questions or wishes to review material together, they are welcome to log
in at that time (I am teaching 5 classes, so there may be students from other sections or levels seeking help as
well, but I will do my best to rotate from one student to another)

Communication
● Please fill out the Google Form on Google Classroom with your child so that I have your best contact information.
● I will send out a newsletter every Monday with reminders and updates of what we are doing in class the
upcoming week for consistent communication.
● My email address is kmcnamara4@wcpss.net (students must email me from their WCPSS email account; I
cannot reply to personal email accounts)
● I also maintain a website (srtamcnamara.weebly.com) that I will periodically update with weekly themes and
resources, but Google Classroom is the main place to check and has all the information on the website and more!

Grading policy
Students will be assessed using a TOTAL POINTS SYSTEM on a variety of tasks including classwork, speaking
activities, quizzes, and projects. They will be given clear guidelines and support so that they can be successful.

I look forward to a great quarter together!

Señorita Kallie McNamara

¡Vamos espartanos! (Let’s go, Spartans!)