Français 12
Shorecrest High School 2015-2016
Mademoiselle Whitt
elizabeth.whitt@shorelineschools.org
Room M229
Bienvenue à la classe de français 1! Welcome to the beginning of your French career! I am excited to
share with you my love of the French language and culture, which I have developed through living,
studying, and teaching in France. It is my desire to help you build a strong foundation of the language and
curiosity about the culture in order to continue your studies. Our classes will be student centered with
great need for participation in order to build your speaking and listening skills.
Power Standards
The critical skills and content knowledge each student must know and be able to do at the end of each course, grade
level, and unit of instruction. They are based on state and local content standards.
Power Standards for French 1
Semester 1:
* I can introduce myself, family members and friends in a culturally appropriate way; say where I, my
family and friends are from and give ages and some basic nationalities; say how I am feeling and ask how
others are feeling.
* I can name, order and pay for some basic foods that one can buy in a café or at a street stand in most
French cities.
* I can tell time, give the date and season as well as give my birthday and the birthdays of friends and
family, name some basic weather patterns.
* I can give the names for simple classroom objects, simple body parts and parts of the face.
* I can describe, write about, read about and understand spoken French about simple likes and dislikes in
daily activities.
* I can manipulate/conjugate “er” verbs in the present tense to describe what I and others (I, you singular,
he, she, one, it, we, you plural, they) are doing.
* I understand and am able to use the special French subject pronoun “on” when conjugating verbs.
* I can say, write about, read about and comprehend sentences into a simple negative.
* I can ask and answer simple “yes” or “no” questions as well as read and write “yes” or “no” questions.
Semester 2:
* I can ask and answer simple questions using questions words as well as read and listen with
comprehension to questions using question words.
* I can describe, write, read and understand spoken French about some of my basic physical traits and
others’ physical traits.
* I can name, describe, speak about and write about some every day objects.
* I can talk about, write about, read about and understand orally descriptions of my bedroom or another
person’s bedroom.
* I can talk about, read about, write about and understand orally information about basic places in a city
and ask/give basic directions to find places in a city.
* I can describe orally and in writing my house and neighborhood as well as comprehend by listening and
read about such descriptions.
* I can communicate orally and in writing about simple future events as well as comprehend by listening
and read about simple future events.
* I can describe orally and in writing what people are wearing as well as comprehend by listening and
reading about what others are wearing.
*I am able to make comparisons between the French and American Culture.
Required Materials: It is very important that you come to class prepared each day.
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Notebook for French
o You must have a French notebook, I would prefer that it is a separate notebook (not multi
subject) so that you can turn it in at different points throughout the year.
Writing utensil pencil/blue or black ink pen (something I can easily read)
Text Book: Discovering French Nouveau
o I’m not going to check out any books, but we will have a class set
Positive attitude, ready and willing to learn a new language
CLASS EXPECTATIONS:
Attendance: if you want to learn another language you need to attend class and participate!
Your presence in the classroom is vital to your progress. This class is focused on oral communication and
participation. Any absences will reduce your opportunities to experience and acquire the language. You
will be successful if you are present and are willing to participate in the activities designed to help you
learn French. Many activities and tasks will be completed in class with the help of classroom resources
(classmates, published material, instructor). Doing the work at home alone is much more difficult.
Therefore, in the case of an unexcused absence you will lose participation points for the day, and they
cannot be made up. In case of an excused absence you will be allowed to come in and make up your
participation points with me before/after school or during highlander home. I expect that you make up
your points within a week of you returning to class.
Even if you are absent, you are responsible for all material we learned in class. Check google
classroom for missed assignments and the binder in the back of the room for hard copies of handouts. I
will help you make up assignments, but remember, you are ultimately responsible for staying on top of
your work.
Tardiness: I expect you to make it to class on time.
The Shorecrest tardy policy:
At SC we use one school-wide policy for tardies. We want students to know and learn the value of being on time,
and know we expect students to be ready to engage in learning. We believe in forming habits of punctuality and
commitment because they are required for college, a career, and life as a part of a larger community.
Teachers will mark all students who are late as tardy. Our practice will then proceed as follows:
• For every six tardies across all classes, students are assigned to make-up/study hall, after school, 2:45 – 3:30,
Monday – Wednesday, in the Commons.
• Every six tardies requires one session of after school make-up.
• SC staff will monitor the after school session; when a session is completed, six tardies are removed from the
attendance record
• Students cannot participate in after school sports or activities until the tardies have been cleared.
• With a total of 10 tardies students will not be allowed to attend SC evening events (games, dances,
performances).
• At the end of the semester passing grades of C+ or higher will earn “Ps” in all classes for any students with 10+
tardies on the record.
• At any time throughout the semester students can attend the assigned tardy make-up/study hall in order to restore
their records.
In accordance with the Shorecrest tardy policy a tardy exceeding 10 minutes will be considered an
unexcused absence.
Harassment Policy: It is important to me that we have a comfortable supportive learning
community where all students feel safe to take linguistic risks and to participate. I will adhere very
strongly to the SC harassment policy:
Shorecrest High School is a place where ALL students are safe to learn without threat of violence or
concern for safety. Shorecrest adheres to a strict zero tolerance policy regarding harassment of any form
between students, faculty, and staff. Students and staff who experience or witness harassment of any form
at Shorecrest should report the incident to an SC adult that you trust, or if you prefer, our point person on
harassment incidents, Lane Loland, Dean of Students. You may also fill out a harassment incident report
that is available in the security office, online, main office, or with your counselor
Electronic devices: when you are in my class, I expect you to be a contributing, responsible
member of class. I will adhere strictly to the Shorecrest electronic violation policy.
Students who violate the rules for the use of cell phones and other electronic devices, set forth above, will
face corrective action as described below:
- First violation – warning, teacher notifies parent (phone or email).
- Second violation – confiscation, item returned at parent conference attended by student, parent,
and administrator or designee.
- Third violation – confiscation, school discipline imposed. Parent contacted by administrator or
designee. School discipline may vary from school service to suspension,
depending on individual circumstance.
This rule applies (but is not limited) to: cellphones, ipads(games especially), ipods, books,
homework for other classes
Honesty Policy: I adhere to the Shorecrest honesty policy.
Honesty is…
• Doing your own work.
• Crediting others’ words, pictures, facts, and ideas.
• Keeping your eyes on your own paper.
• Helping or teaching others, not allowing the copying of your work.
• Using all written and electronic sources with integrity.
Simply stated, we expect students to represent their own work (and to allow other students to represent
their own work) honestly and accurately at all times.
I will not tolerate: plagiarism, cheating, forgery/stealing.
Any student who violates the Ethics & Honesty Policy will be disciplined as follows:
1st Offense: The student’s parent/guardian will be notified by the classroom teacher and the student will
be referred to an administrator. The student will receive a score of zero on the assignment,
activity or test.
2nd Offense: This may be the same class or a different class, in the same school year or a different school
year, from the 1st offense. The student’s parent/guardian will be notified by the classroom
teacher and the student will be referred to an administrator. The Student is long-term
suspended from the class, not to exceed ninety days. Student is suspended from the class
for the remainder of the semester. (Note: this may be the same or a different class from the
first offense.) Administrators shall use the established suspension process with the due
process notification.
3rd Offense: This may be the same class or a different class, in the same school year or a different school
year, from prior offenses. The student’s parent/guardian will be notified by the classroom
teacher and the student will be referred to an administrator. The student will be long-term
suspended from all classes for the remainder of semester, not to exceed 90 days. Student is
suspended from all classes for the remainder of the semester. Parents shall be contacted
and due process rights shall be given.
Required work and grading:
Grading:
Grades will be determined in accordance with the following school wide percentage scale:
93%-100%= A
80%-82%= B67%-69%=D+
90%-92%=A77%-79%= C+
60%-66%= D
87%-89%=B+
73%-76%= C
59% and below = F
83%-86%=B
70%-72%= C**In order to advance to the next French class, students should demonstrate thorough knowledge of material
covered in the current class. A semester grade of D means that sufficient work was completed in order to earn
credit for the class; however, possibly not enough knowledge (“proficiency”) was gained to be successful in the
next year of the language. As a result, we will often recommend that students with a D repeat that level before
moving on. Your grades will be updated weekly and can be accessed using your login and password set up through
the Family Access system.
Exams/Quizzes/Projects/culture
60% of your grade is reflected in exams, quizzes, projects, and culture. These are all forms of assessment.
This is how you will show me that you can meet the standards for your level of French.
This course will have formal as well as informal assessments on writing, reading, listening, speaking,
Culture credit: each semester you will be required to fulfill a cultural requirement, outside of class time.
This can be completed by watching French movies, preparing French food, attending a French club
function, etc. Your cultural requirement is basically a modified project.
I will prompt you check the announce (announcement) link on my website to find out about French
club/department sponsored activities that you may attend to meet this requirement.
Practice
30% of your grade is reflected in practice. Practice is the work you do/complete inside and outside of
class that helps you meet the standard. Homework as well as classwork is included in this category.
It is important for you to understand that practice and repetition are incredibly important to language
retention. The homework for this class is not just busy work. I will assign you homework because I need
you to revisit the material in between class meetings. To help you do this in a productive way, I will
provide assignments of reasonable length that allow you to focus on using the skills we are developing in
class. I will expect that you spend some time outside of class (especially on days that we don’t meet)
practicing your language skills.
*Honestly, your ability to speak and use the French language effectively will correspond to the amount of
time and effort you are willing to put into learning the language. I will be the person pushing you to work
harder, and smarter.
It is expected that you turn work in on time, in order for the practice to be most effective. The following
procedure will be enforced:
Late work will be accepted for 60% credit by the end of the unit/chapter (i.e. test day)
You will be allowed 1 “I didn’t do my homework excuse” pass a semester to account for those times
when life gets in the way and you are not able to get work in on time. To be effective (gain back full
credit) the “oops” pass and completed homework must be turned in the next class period.
* The most important thing is that you communicate with me about homework and any problems
you are having so that I can understand what’s going on, and help you.
Participation
10% of your grade is reflected in participation. I require students to actively participate in my class.
(otherwise, how will you learn!?!) You will have a monthy participation grade (points based on how
many weeks of school in that month. Roughly 10 points will be given per week).
You earn your participation points by being a productive member of class, and participating in classroom
activities. You need to practice speaking French if you would like to get better. The easiest way to loose
points is speaking excessively in English… remember, this is French class!
Student Assistance
I am here to help you learn French, and I will support you in any way that I can. I am available before
school, during highlander home, lunch, and after school for that purpose. I only ask that you chat with me
about when you want to come in so that we can make sure to coordinate times.