Señora Doyle
Dana.doyle@jenksps.org
299-4415 ext. 2524
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome to your first year of high school! The year will fly by quickly. I’m excited to begin my 24th year of
teaching Spanish. Our classroom goal is to learn to speak Spanish, and I’ll do my best to teach to that goal.
Students are expected to meet me halfway in this effort. Motivation is everything, and if a student can’t find a
reason to want to learn they may not do as well or have as much fun as they could. Parents, please help your
child find an internal motivation; not grades, not credits, not to please you, but why learning Spanish will be
meaningful to them. These connections will make the class exciting, interesting, and EASY.
Students will need to study and finish homework every evening. Most days I give time in class to complete
assignments. If students do not finish in class the assignment must be finished at home and be ready at the bell
the next day. Study should not take more than 15 minutes a night. In order to learn effectively and to make the
connection to the real world, it is important for students to think about Spanish outside of the classroom. The
homework or study time will help them do that, as well as prepare them for the next day’s lesson. Our textbook
website is www.classzone.com .
Students who are absent are expected to ask me what they can do to ensure they are on track, and are
responsible for learning the material presented and practiced in their absence. Quizzes and tests will be made
up in class when possible but students must ASK for them. Much of our work in class is speaking, so absent
students will do an alternate assignment to make up the practice they missed. Students have ONE day for each
day of excused, unexpected, absence to make up work, including quizzes and tests. Expected absences such
as doctor’s appointments and field trips do not get extra time, please get assignments beforehand and have
them completed upon return to class.
Students will not have “extra credit” opportunities unless they first have “credit”. Extra credit is like overtime
pay, you don’t get extra pay until you fulfill your normal hours of work, and then work extra. Extra credit cannot
replace missing work. I rarely offer any extra credit, so take advantage if I do offer some points.
I have a “NO ZERO” policy. Students will be given after-school detention until work is turned in. This does NOT
mean that they can re-do quizzes or assignments. If they make an F (for example, a 30%) on an assignment or
quiz, that grade will be recorded. A blank on Parent Portal does not indicate a zero, just a work in progress.
Homework for the week is recorded cumulatively under “daily progress” and includes lab work. Therefore you
will rarely see a zero on homework/progress. If your child’s quiz grades are low they are most likely not
completing their assignments.
I’m happy to once again offer the Spanish Immersion Trip to Guanajuato, Mexico over Spring Break. It’s a
wonderful opportunity to learn more about culture and use Spanish. Students attend a small private language
school and live with host families in a beautiful, safe, city. I have taken Jenks students since 2008 and the
students make amazing progress. Details will be ready soon, and I’ll have more information at parents’ night,
but feel free to email anytime if you’d like to know more.
Gracias,
Dana Doyle, NBCT
FA Spanish I and II
Spanish Class Performance Assessment
Daily Progress grade
Did you speak Spanish as much as you could? Were you prepared? Did you learn from your homework? Did you
actively participate and help further the lesson? Did you stay on task and use all of your time in class to attempt
to learn? I assess this daily and a grade called “daily progress” is recorded weekly.
Quiz grades
Every day or two, vocabulary, grammar, and culture quizzes will be given for each chapter/lesson. These
quizzes may be any combination of writing, listening, speaking, reading, or a project that combines these skills.
Each lesson will take 2-3 weeks to complete and there are at least 4 quizzes per lesson. So when is the next
quiz? SOON, when I feel the class is ready. Always be ready for a quiz at any time, they will not be announced.
Exams
A Unit test or performance assessment will be given after two lessons (every 4-6 weeks). Semester cumulative
exams will also be given and are worth 15% of your semester grade. Tests may be any combination of writing,
listening, speaking, or reading. Tests will be announced beforehand.
Trabajos
The Trabajos is a log of free work that YOU choose to do outside of your regular work. You get to decide on a
project that interests you and pursue further study on your own. You will turn in your products (whatever work
you produced) and time log at the end of the semester. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate to me your
strengths, interests, and desire to learn about Spanish culture and USE the language. Examples of Free work or
Trabajos might be reading a children’s book in Spanish and writing down all the –AR verbs, cognates, or other
task to show me you really did read the book. Record and print your computer practice on the textbook website
www.classzone.com and log and attach all the puzzles you complete (I give these out periodically). Watch a
Spanish program on TV and make a list of the words you recognize. Be sure to write the name of the program
and the time spent on your log. There are many other ways you can work on your Trabajos.
Semester Project
The large semester project could be a video, skit, recorded interview in Spanish that you’ve made yourself, a
visit to the Hispanic grocery store in Tulsa with pictures and a description of what you saw. You could buy some
unfamiliar foods, taste them, and report on the whole experience, cook for your family and make a scrapbook
telling about the experience, etc. Make it your BEST WORK, try to impress me. The project must be in Spanish
and demonstrate what you have learned that semester. You will be graded on pronunciation, vocabulary,
grammar, culture, creativity, and the overall appearance of your final project.
Materials needed – I will check to see that you have this for a GRADE the second week of school.
Pocket folder with brads, spiral with pockets, or 3-ring binder
LOTS of paper
Pencils or pens
Donations, por favor
Kleenex
Hand sanitizer
Clorox wipes
Paper towels
Spanish stickers
Sticky “flags” for marking pages
Rules
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6.
Leave others and their things alone. Hands to yourself at all times.
Do your best work, do your own work. Copying is cheating.
Be respectful when others are talking.
Give encouragement to others; be positive and helpful.
Actively participate to advance the lesson.
Work smart, not hard. Copying the vocabulary 10 times each is hard, but won’t make you as smart as
writing a story using the vocabulary, or teaching your mom the words in a conversation.
7. You may eat and drink in the Commons only. Bottled water (not flavored) is OK in the classroom.
8. Stay seated until the bell rings and I dismiss you, no lining up at the door.
Consequences may include being held after class, separation from group, loss of daily credit, detention, or
referral to the administration for further consideration, and will be delivered swiftly and consistently. Copying
or cheating is considered academic misconduct and is a serious offence at Jenks High School. A zero will be
recorded for the assignment/test and an infraction of academic misconduct may be filed with the
administration. This history may negatively affect future opportunities in high school.
Please sign to indicate you have read the information. Keep this letter in your notebook at all times.
Student signature: _______________________________________________________
Parent signature: ________________________________________________________
Due date: ________________________________________________________________