Mesa High
French I
Room 20
Ms. Avilés
(480) 472-5803
bravieyr@mpsaz.org
Course Description
Prerequisites: Average or above grades in English
French I introduces students to the basic vocabulary of the language and components of the
culture of the countries in which French is spoken. It prepares students to begin to read, write,
speak and understand the language.
Materials and Expectations
Please remember to have the following on your desk every day.
1. A section in the student’s binder exclusively for this class
2. Paper
3. Homework and homework tally sheet
4. Assignment calendar
5. A folder for handouts
6. Pen or sharpened pencil with eraser*
7. Highlighters, color pencils, and/or color pens*
8. A dry erase marker for board exercises
9. Textbook Allez, viens! Level 1
10. A box of tissues
* Please complete all work with pencil or black or dark blue pen. Please refrain from using anything but
these to complete your classwork or homework, unless specifically instructed. The colors in the materials
list are for you to use in your notes and for specific assignments.
**Class begins when the bell rings. Please be seated by the time the bell rings with your materials on
your desk and ready to begin class.
Classroom Rules
1.
2.
3.
4.
Be respectful with everyone and everything.
Be honest.
Always do your best.
Have a positive attitude.
These are school and district-wide policies.
 Bullying, fighting, and harassing are prohibited. Students involved in such offences will be
written up.
 All electronic devices and cell phones are only to be used in class with permission of the teacher.
Unless specifically indicated by the teacher, all electronic devices are to remain in the students’
backpacks or purses. If confiscated, the device will be taken to the office. You may pick up any
confiscated device from your grade level administrator at the end of the school day.
 Chewing gum is prohibited in class. I do accept breath mints (not candy). Please refrain from
having anything in your mouth when we are going over pronunciation or during speaking
activities, as this impedes correct pronunciation.
 Refrain from having food in the classroom during class time. It’s a distraction for students
around you. You may also spill food on your work, on the desk, or on the floor causing stains.
Consequences for chewing gum in Ms. Avilés’ class
 The 3rd time the student is caught chewing gum he/she will have to come into the classroom
during 4th period (1st lunch), before or after school to serve a 20 minute gum detention. If the
student fails to serve gum detention, he/she will have to serve double the time (40 minutes instead
of 20).
Grading
Assignments 30%
Homework 10%
Evaluations 40%
Participation 20%
A = 100% – 90%
B = 89% – 80%
C= 79% – 70%
D- = 59% – 59.99%
D = 69% – 60%
F = ≤ 59%
Semester Grade: Each quarter is worth 45% and the Final Exam grade is worth 10%
In the grade book you will see the following categories Assignments, Homework, Participation and
Evaluations.
Assignments: This part refers to handouts (single or packets) as part of the classwork or homework. All
quarter work must be turned in within that grading period. All make-up work is due one week before the
quarter ends at the latest.
Homework: It is essential that you are prepared for class every day. Therefore you will receive credit for
those assignments that are completed on time only. Homework must be out on the desk, along with the
rest of the expected classroom materials, and ready to be turned in as soon as the bell rings. We correct
the homework in class which is why you may not turn it in late. Each homework assignment is worth 10
points and will be recorded on the Homework Tally Sheet (Feuille de devoirs). If the student completes
the homework and turns it in on time, the student will receive a stamp on the Homework Tally Sheet. If
the work is incomplete or not completed at all, the student will not receive credit. After five homework
assignments, the homework grade will be recorded in the grade book. If you come to class without the
homework, or if you are finishing up the homework in class, you will not receive credit for the homework
on the Homework Tally Sheet. However, you are still expected to do the homework in order to receive
credit for having completed the packet itself. You are responsible for keeping track of your Homework
Tally Sheet. If you lose it, you will lose any points in it. Expect to have written homework three times a
week during a normal week. If you do not have a written homework assignment, your homework is to
study. Reviewing every day will help you learn the material better. Homework should take anywhere
from 10 to 20 minutes; 30 minutes at the most if you are struggling. Please make sure to write down any
questions you may have in order to ask them the next day. Remember: I check homework for
completion, not number of problems you have correct or incorrect, which is why we correct the work in
class and thus you will receive a grade for Assignments when you turn in the completed packet the day of
the quiz for that section.
Participation: This part of your grade is based on your effort to use French in class, volunteering to
answer questions, and completing all physical actions (pertaining to the class) you are asked to perform.
You must also be on task and working in class. Attendance and being on time is important. If we do a
reviewing activity or a speaking activity while you are absent, you will lose those points. If your absence
is excused in Synergy, please ask me for an alternate assignment to be completed by coming into class on
your own time, not class time. Please note that an alternate assignment may be a listening activity from a
French news website such as rfi.fr or tv5monde.org or a conversation in French with me.
Evaluations: This part refers to tests, quizzes, presentations, and projects. Expect to have a quiz every
week and a test, project or presentation at the end of each chapter. Please note that you will be tested on
listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing (vocabulary and grammar), speaking, and
Francophone culture. Unless you have special accommodations, all tests and quizzes must be completed
during the allotted class time. Quizzes take 25 minutes at the most, and chapter tests take all class period.
On chapter test days, please make sure you arrive especially on time, and make sure you have a sharpened
pencil (or a mechanical pencil with enough lead) and a good eraser. Only use pencil for quizzes and
chapter tests. The sooner we begin, the more time you will have to complete the chapter test.
Make-up: It is your responsibility to get your own make-up work. Talk to a classmate about what you
missed and double check with me at an appropriate time. An inappropriate time means when I am
teaching the whole class or when I’m monitoring activities being completed by the class. Complete and
turn in all make-up work by the required deadline. If a student misses a test or a quiz due to an absence,
he or she must arrange a make-up day and time with me. Students will be allowed a maximum of two
weeks from the original test or quiz day to take a missed test or quiz. I am usually available from 7:30 am
to 4:30 pm as well as during lunch. However, I may not always be in my classroom as I may be at a
meeting or preparing materials outside the classroom. My “Success Session” days are Mondays and
Thursdays during the first half of 4th Hour (1st Lunch). If you have lunch 5th Hour, you may still come in
for help before or after school. Just check with me, please, to make sure I will be in the classroom.
Tardiness: There is no longer “Sweep” at Mesa High. Even if you are late, please come to class. As you
enter, sign-in completely on the brown clipboard (not the green one which is the sign-out sheet). After
signing-in, please take a seat quickly and quietly. Try to figure out what it is that we are doing and catch
up without disturbing other students. I will come to help you as soon as I am able to. A 1st tardy will
result in a warning. A 2nd tardy will result in parent contact. A 3rd tardy will result in a 10 minute lunch
detention and parent contact. A 4th and 5th tardy will result in a 20 minute detention and parent contact.
A 6th tardy will result in a referral to your administrator. Remember: the attendance policy states that if
you are more than 10 minutes late, you are marked absent. If you are coming in after the 10 minutes from
the nurse, your counselor, your administrator, or any other office staff, that person will mark your absence
as excused. Teachers are not allowed to excuse students.
Academic Honesty and Integrity: Unless it is specifically stated that you work with a partner or a group,
work should be completed individually. Putting your name on a paper means that you are claiming the
work to be your own. You will lose credit if you are caught copying. The person from whom you are
copying will lose credit as well. If you are caught cheating during a quiz or test, you will receive a zero
without the possibility to make it up.
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After you and your parents have read and understood the syllabus, please fill out the “French I
Student and Parent Signature Sheet” in black or dark blue pen and turn it in. The other pages
should be placed in the student’s binder for future reference.
Period:_______
French I
Student and Parent Signature Sheet
Please fill out this form in black or dark blue pen only.
I have read and understood the syllabus to French I.
_____________________________
Student Name (Print)
______________________________
Student Signature
_________
Date
_____________________________
Parent Name (Print)
______________________________
Parent Signature
_________
Date
Parent Contact Information
Mother's Name:
Father's Name:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Phone Numbers:
Phone Numbers:
(Home) ______________________________
(Home) ______________________________
(Office) ______________________________
(Office) ______________________________
(Cell) ______________________________
(Cell) ______________________________
Email:
Email:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Please mark who to contact first:
_____ Mother
_____Father