COURSE SYLLABUS – FRENCH III
San Ramon Valley High School
Mme Poppas - Room D-206
cpoppas@srvhs.org
YEAR 2011-2012
Bienvenue à la Classe de Français III !
Welcome to French III Class !
I - Materials:
Textbooks:
French II class: French II – Discovering French Nouveau - Rouge
This textbook needs a protective cover at all times
Workbook: French II – Discovering French Nouveau – Rouge
See message from the World Language Department – on last page
1 notebook for grammar notes and compositions (100-120) – spiral preferred
1 small notebook (petit carnet) for vocabulary – spiral preferred
1 small 3 ring binder for projects, homework, quizzes and songs with binder paper
2 sharpened pencils
3 pens (COLORS MATTER : 1 blue, 1 black, 1 red)
1 highlighter (any color)
1 pocket size dictionary (optional for French II, but useful and fun!)
Due Monday, August 29th, 2011 :
1- Print this syllabus, place it in your 3 ring binder (as introduction)
2- Print the last page and have it filled out and signed by parents
3- Bring all these materials to class. Cover your textbook ASAP, no points will
be earned if the textbook does not have a cover by Thursday 9/1.
II – Course Objectives :
A- Objectives: To learn the French language and to achieve and demonstrate awareness
of the culture of the French speaking world. In French III class our goals are to advance
our knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and practice speaking, listening, writing and
reading on a more frequent and extensive level. The best way to be successful when
learning a language is with daily practice. We will align our activities in class to the
Expected School wide Learning Results (ESLRs) and the California Foreign
Language Standards.
The Five C’s of Foreign Language Learning:
Communication- Communicate in French
Cultures- Learn and understand the culture of the French speaking world.
Connections- Connect what you learn in this class to other classes, recognize different points of
view.
Comparisons- Understand the nature of language by making comparisons between what you
learn and your own experiences.
Communities- Use what you learn inside and outside the classroom. Use the language for
personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Students will be able to:
 Develop speaking skills and practice understanding in context
 Present prepared reports in French and unprepared skits
 Read and analyze comics, short stories and news reports in French
 Write effectively on topics of personal nature, art, technology, health and careers
 Appreciate cultural differences between various segments of the French-speaking world
 Reduce language errors in written and oral French communication
 Recognize and explore the connections between English and French
B - Class Activities:
Throughout the year, students will have the opportunity to develop their ability in the 4 skills
related to language acquisition: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
1- Listening:
a. interaction with the teacher and peers in French – at all times!
b. audio and video programs: Discovering French Nouveau Rouge and Trois minutes SVP!
c. listening to words in music and poetry
2- Speaking:
a. Asking and giving information in French
b. Oral presentation
c. Short improvisation skits
3- Reading:
a. Social and cultural content of the textbook
b. Realia from French and francophone websites
c. Magazines, short stories, comics (Tintin)
4- Writing:
a. Classwork and homework exercises
b. Keeping up the notebook notes and vocabulary little notebook (petit carnet)
c. Writing short composition essays in our journal
III- Grading Policy and Evaluation:
1-
Participation - show your motivation: be an active learner!
20% of your grade
a. Oral participation: 10 points per week
to earn points:
1- arrive daily on time and be prepared to work BEFORE THE BELL RINGS
2- stay calm and focused UNTIL THE END OF CLASS
3- raise your hand to participate (ask questions, answer questions)
5- help passing or collecting papers
6- take over teacher role during homework corrections
7- go up to the board to write homework corrections
8- aking permission to erase the board after class
to lose points:
1- be a tardy
2- speak without raising your hands first
3- forget your materials at home or in locker
4- take poor or incomplete notes
5- break any classroom rules (gum, food, cellphone…)
b. Written Participation: 30 points per semester
Notebook: 10 points
10 points of your participation grade is earned by keeping your French notebook tidy and updated. Students take notes
from the lesson the teacher writes on the board.
The notebook has two separate contents: 1 in the front which is grammar based, easy to update, key to review before
tests and quizzes. Spelling is important, as well as not missing any chapters in the notebook.
The back of the notebook is used by flipping it upside down and around. It is the student’s journal / composition book.
Check your grade on line after turning it in, and check my remarks in the notebook after I give it back to you.
An incomplete notebook will receive no credit. We will do peer review of the notebooks in class on the week the
students will turn the notebooks in. Be prepared and responsible, if you have missed class during note taking, ask a
classmate to lend you his or her notebook to catch up on the notes. DO NOT TAPE OR STAPLE NOTES IN YOUR
NOTEBOOK, RECOPY THE NOTES IF YOU HAVE BEEN ABSENT
Petit Carnet: 10 points
Absolutely needed at all class periods.
This is one of your best tools as we progress and encounter new words and expressions we are learning. On the left side
you will write the words in French in black ink (with its article if it is a noun) on the opposite side its translation in
English in blue ink. Keep it updated at all times, check the yellow colored charts in your textbook as reference.
French binder: 10 points
Students are asked to keep their homework and class work assignments, their quizzes and redoes, and other material
distributed in class in a chronologically organized binder. The binder can be a section of a bigger binder provided it
shows the following dividers: 1- homework/class work, 2- quizzes, 3- reading/singing materials.
The due-dates for your written participation grade are:
1st semester: Friday, January 13th
2nd semester: Friday, June 8th
Late work will not be accepted.
2-
Homework and Classwork: build your language skills!
20% of your grade
To earn credit:
1- Complete your homework on time – only one homework assignment per week will be
collected and graded, worth 10 points every week.
2- Correct all homework and classwork assignments in red ink.
3- Work with classmates on corrections
4- compositions in the notebook
Always use red ink for corrections
To lose credit:
1- Procrastinate and try doing your work in class (no credit)
2- Forget your materials at home (no credit)
3- Don’t correct your work during class / don’t use red ink for corrections
Late homework will not be accepted. Absentees have 3 school days to turn in the work they
have missed.
3-
Projects: show your enthusiasm and play with the language!
10% of your grade
On a weekly basis, students will work independently or in small groups to create short
presentations for the class. These projects are one of the following:
- skits in class designed to use words in context
- Short presentations on cultural themes, based on students’ previous research
- A Final oral project – can be videotaped, but can’t be read.
It is essential for all students to practice improvising in class and outside of class without notes.
Reading from notes will not be accepted. Memorizing word for word interferes with meaningful
language and communication.
4-
Quizzes, Tests and Finals:
Evidence you are learning 50% of your grade
Quizzes and tests = 30%
We will have a 20-point written quiz every other Thursday, based on what we have studied for
the past two weeks. Do not neglect short but crucial reviews every Tuesday night. If you are lost,
call a classmate or email me .
On Thursdays we will have an oral vocabulary quiz, keep your petit carnet updated!
Students receiving a C or below are invited to rework on the material and retake their quiz.
Tests happen towards the end of 1st and 3rd quarter and are worth 100 points.
Mark the following dates on your calendar:
End of first quarter: October 28th
End of third quarter: March 30th
Final exams = 20%
Finals will happen twice a year, at the end of the first semester (end of January) and at the end of
the second semester and academic year (mid June).
Finals weeks: 1st semester : Jan 17-20 & 2nd semester: June 11-14
IV- Course Policies:
1- Homework Policy:
Do not neglect the homework, and do not postpone it to the last minute, you might get stuck and
not be able to complete it and fail the quizzes. As you work at it on a regular basis, it will also
make you stronger and more willing to participate. Two or three homework assignments will be
due each week, they should not take more than 15-20 minutes to complete. These assignments
will be kept in the student’s binder at all times during the semester. They should be
chronologically organized. Only one assignment, chosen by the teacher, will be collected on
Thursday and graded for points.
Late or incomplete homework will not be accepted.
Students are expected to correct their homework in class in red ink – no points will be given to
uncorrected homework.
2- Absences:
In case a student misses class, he/she will need to turn the homework in ahead of time if possible.
If the student has been unexpectedly sick and is not able to turn in the work on time, he or she has
3 school days to turn in the work and needs a written note signed by his/her parents/guardian
explaining the reason for the absence attached to the homework assignment.
3- Tardy Policy and bathroom passes:
Tardies are disruptive in the class and will not be tolerated. Bathroom passes allow you to leave
the classroom twice per quarter. Use your passes if you need to use the bathroom, after entering
the class. Please, leave your cellphone on your table as you exit the class, merci!
If you arrive late to class, do so discreetly in order not to disrupt the class.
Sign up the Tardy Sheet on the podium by the door right away (write your name, the date, the
time you entered, and the reason for being tardy). Points will be deducted from your weekly
participation grade and parents will be contacted after a first warning.
3 tardies = 1 cut
4- Plagiarism / cheating:
School policy allows for the teacher to give the student a “0” upon the first instance of confirmed
academic dishonesty and give them an “F” in the course for a second offense.
Parents will be contacted ASAP if academic dishonesty is discovered.
5- Help:
Office hours will be held on Tuesdays in lieu of A period, or at student/teacher’s convenience if
the student has an A period. Students are required to make an appointment with the teacher ahead
of time. Do register with schoolloop ASAP!
A list of tutors will be available upon request for students who need to review the materials
and/or have been absent for a long period of time.
V- Course Expectations / Classroom Rules
Please note: any violation of these rules will be noted in the gradebook.
Repeated violations will result in parent contact, after-school detention, and referrals if necessary. Referrals may result
in suspension and/or removal from the class.
Psychological requirements: Students will show respect to their classmates and their teacher. As students of French
at San Ramon Valley High School you are asked to comply with the following policies:
1- Respect: " District policy states that harassment in or out of the classroom is not to be tolerated.
Harassment based on race, ethnicity, able-bodiedness, sexuality, perceived sexuality, gender,
gender expression, monetary standing, religion or faith-base, or any other factor will be reported to
the administration and dealt with accordingly. This includes slang such as “that’s so gay” or “that’s
retarded.” Both are considered hate speech. "
2- No shoving, pushing, touching, hiding other people’s belongings. In order to make our campus a safe place,
report any bullying you might witness.
3- Enter the classroom in a civilized way. Absolutely no yelling or cursing will be tolerated. Keep your voice at
a NORMAL level, show your best side, smile! Say “Bonjour!” to students and teacher
4- Don’t arrive late, even for one minute, or you will lose participation points and jeopardize your grade.
Interruptions are disturbing for the teacher and for the students who have started to receive instructions in
French, please be always on time. If you have been held up in another class, please bring a note from your
teacher explaining the situation, place it on the tardy podium and go to your seat as fast and quietly as
possible
5- Always pay attention to the teacher and other students who are talking or presenting
6- Don’t interrupt, please, raise your hand to speak
7- Always bring books and material to class (see physical requirements below)
8- Come to class ready and prepared (homework and review done, questions ready on what you haven’t
understood) Use schoolloop on a daily basis to check your grade and/or email me questions or concerns.
9- Absolutely no chewing gum, eating or drinking (except water). Failure to comply with this requirement
will make you lose ALL your participation points of the week. Lunch and after school detention is also
available for students who are willing to clean their food / scrape off chewing from our floors and desks.
10- No combing hair, taking off shoes, sleeping on tables etc… Extra work will also be available for students
who are making poor efforts during class time, in order to make up for what they will have missed.
11- We have a dress code at this school. Students are expected to know it and adhere to it. Violators will be
noted and will be sent to the office.
12- Be ready to speak French at all times, ask me to repeat and help if you feel a little lost at first. It is extremely
important to maintain the language in class for what it is used: communication.
Students/Parents/guardians, please register yourself on schoolloop ASAP.
It has been the easiest, fastest and most effective way to communicate and help out students with
grades, assignments and requirements.
Name :
Période :
Course Syllabus’ Confirmation Form
Students: please print all pages and place them as in introduction in your French binder. Have your
parents sign this last page and turn it in to me by Monday, August 29th.
Parents: I am very looking forward to meeting with you on Back to School night in September! Do not
hesitate to contact me if you have any questions ( email’s always best: cpoppas@srvhs.org ). Please, fill out
and sign the following form after reading the grading policy and class rules up above:
Letter from the World Language Department
Dear Parents / guardian :
The world language department is excited to welcome your student to another great school year. In the world language
classroom one of the ways we can help students to expand their learning is to provide them with additional
opportunities to practice their new skills. One excellent tool is to supplement our textbook with the corresponding
workbook in which students write in. Unfortunately, district/school funding can only cover our textbooks and does not
provide enough funds for consumable workbooks such as these. It would therefore be greatly appreciated if each
student could donate $17 to cover the cost of the French workbooks (which includes tax and shipping).
If, for any reason, you choose not to make the donation, please send a note to your student's teacher to this effect. We
will make every effort to assist you with a plan to obtain the workbooks.
The school receives funding only for textbooks and does not have funds for expendable workbooks such as these. They
will be able to write in them as a time-saver, and they are study aids that they may keep and review as necessary .
These workbooks will be available within the next few days in class.
Checks should be made payable to SRVHS.
Thank you for your consideration and support!
We, (parents’ or tutors’ name)___________________________________________ and
_________________________________________________ have read and understood
the grading policy for French class for our child
(name of child/children)
___________________________________.
Please, write very CLEARLY:
Mother’s name and signature:
Father’s name and signature:
Mother’s email (please print clearly):
Father’s email (please print clearly):
Is there anything in particular you’d like me to be aware of concerning your child?
Please email me through school loop ASAP! I’m looking forward to another great year 