Instructor: Catherine Edgington
E-mail: Catherine.edgington@lcps.org Phone: 571-434-4400
Dear Parents and Students:
I am pleased to welcome you to German class. Briefly, I would like to highlight some
things that I have planned for this year as well as outline my policies and procedures.

We will continue to expand the German club at Dominion this year. Possible
activities are: VOGS (VA organization of German students) membership and
conference at Park View, German exchange program (Early November), advent
calendar fundraiser, county-wide Nikolausfest December 4, 2014 at Woodgrove,
International summit in April, May 2nd Busch Gardens trip, Clash activities with
other language clubs.

The World Language honor society induction will be held in October. Letters will
go out to eligible students in September. Requirements: enrolled in German 3 or
higher, must be at least a sophomore, have a 3.25 overall GPA and have had an Aas a final grade in the previous level of the language.
Required materials:



A 3 ring binder with sections for each of the 6 yearly themes.
A steno/spiral/composition notebook for vocabulary (Students in German 2 and
higher are encouraged to use notebook from last year if there’s still room.)
Pen or pencil, highlighter
Expectations:
The following expectations will be discussed during the first week
of class along with course content. Should the need arise, additional expectations will
be explained throughout the year.
Academic integrity:
It is important for all students to remember to practice
academic integrity. Please see the Dominion High School Academic Honesty policy
printed in the student agenda. German students should recognize that the use of
translators (electronic or other) are not permitted. This impedes the ability to figure
out language on your own and it makes it difficult for me to assess your unassisted
progress.
Timeliness:
Students are expected to come to class, meetings and events on time.
Students are also expected to turn in work in a timely manner. If unforeseen
circumstances arise, students will be courteous and respectful and will notify me in
advance via e-mail.
Food and Drink:
Students are expected to consume food and drink outside the
classroom. Water will be permitted, but it must be in a bottle with a tight fitting lid. I
will confiscate sodas or energy drinks.
Instructor: Catherine Edgington
E-mail: Catherine.edgington@lcps.org Phone: 571-434-4400
Electronic devices:
The use of electronic devices including, but not limited to:
Ipods, cell phones, CD players, and game players will not be permitted during class unless
you are given a specified activity requiring the use of such items.
Absences and make-up assignments:
When students are absent or if students
have had difficulty with a particular concept then they can come to me before school in
room L112. I will be available between 8:30 and 9:00 or by appointment.
Grades will be determined by using total points and
students will be required to keep track of their grade
throughout the year by logging on to Clarity.
To calculate the grade students will take the current number of points earned and divide
by the total number of points given.
There will be both Formative Assessments, which assess progress during the
learning stage of a concept and Summative Assessments, which assess progress at
the end stage of a concept. The grade, is based primarily on Summative
assignments. If an assignment is listed to only show progress or completion it will
be noted in Clarity that it is not calculated into the final grade.
Homework – Students can be expected to have homework each night. The purpose of
homework is to practice the vocabulary, language structures and communicative topics
that have been discussed in class. Every assignment will be meaningful and will be
discussed the following day in class. Homework is formative and will let the students
know how they are doing prior to the summative assessment.
Writing assignments- Students will do daily writing assignments, which may consist of a
short journal, sentence practice within dialogues, white board activities, group writing on
newsprint or any other similar activity. These will help prepare them for the required
quarterly writing CPAs (Communicative Performance Assessments)
Speaking assignments – Students are required to speak German, and only German (with
few exceptions), in class. The only way to improve one’s speaking is to speak the language.
When students speak a language other than German in class it hinders not only their
learning experience, but that of their peers as well. The classroom is our immersion
environment.
In addition students will have pre-assigned speaking assignments due periodically. Both
types of speaking assignments prepare them for the two types of summative speaking
assessments we will have. (Presentational –presenting on a topic and Interpersonalspeaking in a conversation)
Listening assignments: - I will speak in German as much as possible in class as this is
part of their listening practice and assessment. It is very easy for me to verify if
students comprehend the language topics when I speak in German. I expect students to
Instructor: Catherine Edgington
E-mail: Catherine.edgington@lcps.org Phone: 571-434-4400
communicate as much as possible in German in all levels. Authentic music, videos and
podcasts will also be used in addition to the videos and CDs. Students will also be given
listening assessments with each topic.
Reading assignments: - Reading is an integral part of the language and students will
begin in the lower levels with charts, schedules, advertisements, mini biographies,
textbook readings etc.. They will progress to level appropriate stories and authentic
materials mostly from internet resources. Students will also be given reading
assessments with each topic.
Final grade: The final grade is the average of the 1st and 2nd semester grades. There
will also be a midterm and a final exam, which are also figured into each semester
average. They are composed of a CPA speaking/writing assessment and an objective
exam, weighted equally.
Ich freue mich auf ein erfolgreiches Jahr!
(I am looking forward to a successful year)
Frau Edgington
Instructor: Catherine Edgington
E-mail: Catherine.edgington@lcps.org Phone: 571-434-4400
DEUTSCH
I-AP
Instructor: Catherine Edgington
E-mail: Catherine.edgington@lcps.org Phone: 571-434-4400
My personal goals this year:
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
To improve students’ interpersonal and presentational speaking
skills.
To increase the amount and quality of spoken German in each level.
List two goals you have for this school year. They do not have to be goals
you have in German. (AP students, please write the numerical goal you
have for the AP exam in addition to two other goals)
1.______________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Please sign and return this contract A.S.A.P.
I have read and understand the preceding information.
I will work together to attain personal and academic success.
Student________________________________Date_____________
Student e-mail address:________________________________
I have read and understand the preceding information.
I will work together to attain personal and academic success for my child.
Parent/Guardian__________________________Date_____________
Parent/Gurardian e-mail address___________________________
Please check one:
□I give permission to discuss grades and progress via e-mail.
□I do not wish to discuss grades and progress via e-mail.
Please write on the back any comments, questions or concerns you may
have at this time.
Instructor: Catherine Edgington
E-mail: Catherine.edgington@lcps.org Phone: 571-434-4400