Tuscarora High School
Course Syllabus & Expectations
2011-2012
Course Description: French III is a course that
focuses on developing listening, speaking, reading
and writing skills in the French language. In addition,
students will be introduced to the geography and
culture of the French‐speaking world. During the
year, the course will emphasize three major themes
of study as indicated below:
Vocabulary: technology, travel and transportation,
bank and post office, gastronomy, driving and car, health
accidents and the hospital
 Grammar: review of subject pronouns, articles,
contractions, regular and irregular verbs in the present,
imperative, passé composé and near future tenses, direct
and indirect object pronouns, and asking questions; learn
new irregular verbs in the tenses studied; learn to
conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the imparfait, futur,
conditionnel tenses; learn how to use the passé composé
and imparfait tenses to describe past actions; and learn
other more complex grammatical structures to
communicate at a more advanced level.
 Culture: compare and contrast differences between
the technology, travel and mass transportation, the post
office and banking, eating habits and etiquette, road travel,
health care systems, and the geography of Frenchspeaking countries and the United States; participate in
pen pal exchange. Students will also read a novel, Le
Mystère des Faux Billets, over the course of the year.

The ABC’s to SUCCESS in French
A. Arrive on time! I expect you to be at your desk
when the bell rings to avoid being tardy. 
B. Bring to class:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
3-subject notebook
Textbook (unless teacher says otherwise)
2-3” Binder with dividers, loose leaf paper, and
workbook
pens (including 4-color pen) and sharpened
pencils
dry erase markers
Agenda – to write assignments and for passes
And the most important one! A positive attitude
and a smile 
C. Class Rules: * Be respectful of everyone and
everything. * Be on time. * Get a drink, sharpen
your pencils, and use the bathroom BEFORE the bell
rings. * Bring book and all required course materials.
* Prepare for class every day. * Be ready to work
and learn from the moment the bell rings to start
class to the moment I dismiss you after the bell rings.
* Participate actively and appropriately. * Be sure to
respect and follow ALL classroom routines. * Clinics:
Retraining sessions assigned to those who don’t
follow these rules.
D.
Discipline is the KEY to SUCCESS. Work
and study hard. Don’t cheat. Copying someone’s
assignment, quiz or test is cheating, which will harm
your integrity and will bring severe consequences. IF
YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE, ASK ME FOR
HELP!! 
E.
Excellence. Always do and be your
best....even when life gets hard. Extra help can be
arranged during FLEX. Come see and talk with me.
I am always willing to help you!!! 
F. Find out what you missed in class when you
are absent. Be proactive and figure out what you
missed by checking my website, emailing me and/or
talking to a classmate BEFORE you return to school.
Be sure to check the “Pendant Votre Absence” box
for handouts with your name on them as soon as you
return to school. Be sure to get any missed notes
from a classmate. 
G. Get good Grades! Grades are based on warm
ups, class work, journal assignments, tests, quizzes
and projects. All quizzes and tests will always be
announced. 
Numeric
Value
98-100
93-97
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
0-59
Letter
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Quality Points
4.3
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
H.
Homework is your daily preparation to
participate fully in class. It will be given on a daily
Tuscarora High School
basis to reinforce what is taught in the classroom. It
is an essential part of the learning process. It is your
responsibility to record and complete each
assignment. Items from homework assignments will
appear on tests and quizzes. If you are studying at
home and do not understand an assignment, call a
classmate or e-mail me at: timotha.rainey@lcps.org

I. Integrity. Be sure to protect your integrity by
always doing the right thing even when no one is
watching. Immerse yourself in French during class
and at home as much as possible. Try not to speak
English in class. Greet me and your classmates in
French. Check out internet sites and television/radio
programs in French. 
J. Just have fun! Learning a foreign language is
a lot of fun, but it doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot
of practice and hard work. 
K. Kindness is essential. Please be kind to me,
each other, and any substitute teachers or visitors we
may have in the classroom. 
L. Listen and Learn. Listening and speaking,
and listening and learning, go hand in hand. Be an
active listener. 
M. Missed a class/test/quiz? Meet with me to set
a time to make up the missing work. To receive full
credit, tests/quizzes should be made up within 5
school days from the student’s return to school after
an absence. 
N.
Never say “I can’t”....Always try. 
O. Organization. Be sure to keep your binder and
notebook up to date and organized. There will be
regular notebook/binder quizzes. Opportunities.
Take advantage of any opportunities to learn more
about the language and cultures. Think about
joining the French Club! 
P. Preparation, Practice, and Participation.
Practice makes perfect. You need to be prepared to
be able to participate. Long-term memory is
enhanced through participation and practice. 
Q. Questions. Please feel free to ask questions.
There are no “silly” questions. Quizzes. Frequent
vocabulary or verb quizzes will be given. Spelling
counts. Prepare for them! 
R. Retake a test! Before you are allowed to do so
you must:
1. Have the original test signed by a parent or guardian.
2. Speak with Mme. Rainey about how you will study for
the re-take.
3. Turn in evidence that you have studied and are ready to
re-take the test.
4. Arrange a time to re-take the test with me.
If you re-take a test, then that is your final grade. 
S. Service. Always be willing to give of yourself to
help others. Smile! 
T. Teamwork is important and necessary in my
class. 
U. Use your technology skills! Check out my
CMS website or my Loudoun VISION French III
course regularly for assignments and interesting
links. Use Loudoun VISION to interact with Mme.
Rainey and your classmates online. 
V. Visit my classroom! Whenever you need help,
you are more than welcome. 
W.
We are a team! Let’s work together!! 
eXceptional students and citizens! Learning
French will help you to learn to think better, enhance
your knowledge of English, increase your SAT
scores, and prepare you to participate in the global
economy one day! 
Y. You can do it! You CAN succeed in this class!
Never give up! Believe in yourself! I do! 
Z. zzzzz… get a good night’s sleep and always be
ready for the next class! 
Certification
I fully understand all the requirements presented in
this syllabus. I understand that I am responsible to
obey and follow the school rules and teacher‘s rules
regarding my behavior. I sign this acknowledging
everything presented in this document.
_____________________________________
Student’s signature
_____________________________________
Guardian/ Parent’s signature
_____________________________________
Date