Course Syllabus

2020 - 2021 Syllabus

Faculty

Section Teacher
H Mrs. Patrice Dixon

Contacting Me

    • Name:   Patrice Dixon
    • Office:   310 D
    • Email:     pdixon@stgeorges.bc.ca
    • Phone:   604-224-1304 ext. 3727

Course Description

In order to give our students the tools they need to use and produce Spanish at a high level, this course will be taught in Spanish and will teach the Spanish language through real life scenarios, role play, language realia and literature. Spanish 12 has two goals:  firstly, to improve the students' ability in the four language areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking.  In so doing, the course aims to give the students the ability to deal with many common everyday situations that they may encounter. And secondly, to give the students the language preparation needed to continue with Spanish in post secondary studies, or travel or work in a Spanish speaking country.

Course Expectations

St. George’s School expects all students at the Senior School to be interested and motivated in achieving their personal best while at the School. We expect students will be engaged in their endeavours, responsible to their studies, classmates and teachers, and demonstrate integrity in their pursuit of learning.

Workload

The workload of this course is expected to included :  1 or 2 in-class assignments per week as well as daily classwork/homework.

Submitting work

Students in this course are expected to complete work assignments on the date assigned and to submit their work on Canvas.

If circumstances prevent the student from completing a work assignment on the assigned due date, the student must inform the teacher prior to the due date for the work assignment. The teacher will provide a second due date through 5th block system. 

Instructional Aims

Based on the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, students will learn through the following experiences:

  • Explore opportunities to continue language acquisition beyond graduation and understand the career, personal growth, and study opportunities that language learning provides.
  • Use various strategies to increase understanding and produce oral and written language.
  • Engage in experiences with Hispanic people and communities.
  • Experience the differences between language formality and etiquette.
  • Investigate regional and ethnic and indigenous diversity of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.
  • Exploring diverse forms of cultural expression promotes greater understanding of our own cultural identity.

 

 

Learning Outcomes

Based on the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, students will learn and be evaluated on the following knowledge and skills:

  • Understand and respond to spontaneous two-way spoken and written conversations using the appropriate topic, tense, level of formality [register], and sentence structure.
  • Regularly use command forms correctly.
  • Describe events in a multiple time frame and use appropriate verb tenses and transition words.
  • Write Spanish texts for different purposes and audiences, using a variety of forms and knowledge of language structures and conventions of written Spanish appropriate for this level.
  • Clearly communicate their intended message.
  • Ability to compare and contrast phenomena and explain one’s preference.
  • Justify opinions and use appropriate expressions to do so.
  • Consistently use past (preterito, presente perfecto, imperfecto y pluscumperfecto), present, present progressive, and near future correctly to provide information within a given context, and use appropriate time expressions to do so.
  • Consistently use the present, present perfect and imperfect subjunctive.
  • Derive meaning from written Spanish texts containing expressions and vocabulary that they are not familiar with.
  • Identify the purpose(s), characteristics, and aspects of style of a variety of authentic and adapted text forms in Spanish, including fictional, informational, graphic, and media forms.
  • Respond personally and express themselves effectively, with fluency and accuracy to a variety of texts, including oral, written, and visual forms
  • Understand and respond appropriately to comprehension questions. Correct context and register.  
  • Understand the key content and theme without understanding all the terms.
  • Comprehend Spanish in the context of studied themes.

Derive meaning from spoken Spanish containing expressions and vocabulary that they are not familiar with given the context 

Assessment and Evaluation

Spanish is a skills based course:

Spanish 12 follows the St. George’s School Assessment Policy.  Assessment will be linear, considering the “most recent and relevant” performances of understanding.  This also includes a focus on learning outcomes (versus type of assignment), a year-long cumulative grade (versus term by term), and a focus on mastery (versus averages). Mastery of a language encompasses the four core language skills: speaking (both dialogue and presentational), listening, reading and writing and these four skills are weighted equally each term.

The primary sources of evaluation in the course will include:

  • Projects/presentations during and at the end of themes
  • Grammar, vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension quizzes and assessments
  • Short and longer written responses such as reflections, emails, blogs,  newspaper articles, and short stories.
  • Student dialogues, debates,  Harkness discussions and oral presentations

The school year grade is made up of the following categories in which assessments will be entered:

  • Speaking comprehension: 25%.
  • Reading comprehension: 25%.
  • Listening comprehension: 25%.
  • Writing comprehension: 25%.

A final assessment (not exam) will take place at the end of the year.  This assessment will contain elements from the above grading categories.  This assessment will count for 15% of the student’s grade.

We anticipate adjustments may be made throughout the year due to the extenuating circumstances we are facing. Any adjustments will be posted here and discussed as a class.

Both the school’s assessment expectations and supports that teachers provide can be found online. Academic dishonesty to any degree is not acceptable.

There are a variety of academic supports available at St. George’s for students. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the range of supports available to them which include:

  • Faculty support
  • 5th Block
  • Head of Grade
  • Student Success Centre
  • Personal Counselling

First Peoples Principles

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are honoured to live, work, and play on this land together.

As part of contribution to reconciliation, this course makes First Peoples Principles of Learning visible in class by:

  • exploring the  ways indigenous culture, history and language has created the hispanic culture and social norms of the Americas 
  • reading and exploring indigenous myths and legends and historical documents continue to shape our understand of the Americas.

Literacy/Numeracy

This course makes literacy/numeracy visible by using the following comprehension tasks and strategies:

Spanish 12 is making literacy visible in class by focusing specifically on four elements of literacy that are required to be fluent in a language: speaking, reading, listening, and writing.

Students will be asked to work with graphs and pie charts as part of data attached to assigned readings in Spanish, and short riddles in Spanish with embedded math.

Learning Resources

Resources that will be used as part of this course include: 

  • Textbook Reference: Realidades 3. In addition, short stories from Spanish and Latino literature and online newspaper articles will provide thematic anchors for ongoing vocabulary and grammatical scope.
  • FluentU This course syllabus and a plethora of helpful learning resources can be found on our Canvas page.
  • Mary Glasgow Language Magazine: El Sol.
  •  Bon patron - en español - grammar and writing help  

Extension Resources

Helpful resources that students can use to extend their learning in this course include:

  •  CNN en español
  •  Telemundo
  •  Newseum - World Newspapers - in Spanish
  • Netflix: Limited series in Spanish

Canvas Information

Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

St. George's School Student Code of Conduct

St. George’s School shares a proud tradition as a learning community committed to both academic excellence and character development. We strive for growth within our personal lives while maintaining respect for and contributions to the broader community.

The purpose of the Student Code of Conduct is to ensure that

  1. A safe, caring, and productive teaching and learning environment exists.
  2. We maintain appropriate balances among individual and collective interests and responsibilities.
  3. There is clarity around standards and expected student behaviour at school, in the community, and online through social media.
  4. We encourage and practice environmental stewardship.

The core values which provide the foundation for the Student Code of Conduct are:

  • Empathy
  • Humility
  • Integrity
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Resilience

Conduct Expectations

  1. I commit myself to strive for honourable behaviour in my daily life, according to the standards as set forth by the School. I will try to be faithful to my parents, my School, my friends, and myself.
  2. I will avoid bringing any ill-repute to the School at any time, including evenings, weekends, or over any school break or holiday.
  3. I will comply with all school policies as they relate to upholding the standard of excellence of St. George’s School at all times.
  4. I understand, accept, and will respect all of my school-related commitments and responsibilities.
    • I will arrive to school on time and attend all classes, assemblies, practices, rehearsals, and field trips as outlined by my teachers.
    • I will obtain necessary permission to leave class or school.
  5. I will take pride in my personal appearance.
    • I will be dressed appropriately at all times for all events as outlined by the School.
    • I will abide by the grooming rules as outlined in the Standards of Dress and Appearance section and always observe the accepted standards of personal hygiene.
  6. I will behave in a way that always brings credit to the School, with integrity, empathy, respect, and humility.
    • I recognize that the taking of tests and exams requires an exemplary standard of honesty and will not misrepresent myself by cheating, copying, or plagiarizing.
    • I recognize that integrity is a clear expectation and that borrowing of possessions of others without their consent is stealing.
    • I will care for all property, whether it is public or a peer’s personal possessions.
    • I will avoid disruptive behaviour at all times, and will strive to treat all others with great respect.
    • I will adhere to the School’s policies regarding the appropriate use of technology, including online communication, electronic devices, and the internet.
    • I will avoid any possession, use, or distribution of alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cannabis and illicit drugs or related paraphernalia, weapons, replica weapons, or any other dangerous or illegal items or substances.
  7. I will demonstrate responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices.

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. It is the commitment and obligation of all students, faculty, parents/guardians, and administration to ensure that all academic work stems from the student’s own efforts. Academic Dishonesty erodes the ethical climate of honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, and trust in our school community. At St. George's School, Academic Dishonesty to any degree is not acceptable. In addition to any other consequence, students found to have engaged in Academic Dishonesty shall not receive a mark for work that is the result of Academic Dishonesty.

Academic Dishonesty includes any conduct with the intent to gain an unfair advantage in connection with an academic assessment. Academic Dishonesty can occur in many ways. Common forms of Academic Dishonesty include, but are not limited to, cheating, falsification, plagiarism, and tampering.

  • Cheating occurs when an individual undermines the integrity of an assessment (including homework and other assignments, reports, projects, quizzes, tests, exams, or other forms of performance evaluations). Examples of cheating include:
    • Copying any part of an assessment;
    • Allowing others to copy any part of an assessment;
    • Improperly giving or receiving assessment information;
    • Using unauthorized resources for or during an assessment;
    • Submission of the same assessment more than once; and/or
    • Skipping classes to avoid an assessment.
  • Falsification: occurs when an individual has changed information in order to make one believe something that is not true. Examples of falsification include: 
    • Falsifying research findings, whether in laboratory experiments, field trip exercises, or other assignments;
    • Alteration or falsification of academic reports or other academic records for any purpose;
    • Submission of false credentials;
    • Making false representation on an application for admission; and/or
    • Requesting the extension of a deadline or delaying the taking or sitting of an assessment citing reasons known to be false, including submitting false documentation supporting that request.
  • Plagiarism: occurs when an individual submits or presents the work and/or idea of another person as his or her own, in essence lying. This includes the copying of images, sound, video, and other forms of intellectual property. Examples of plagiarism include:
    • Lack of recognition given to the original author for phrases, sentences, and ideas of the author incorporated in a paper or project; and/or
    • A portion of a document is copied from an author, or composed by another person, and presented as original work of the student.
  • Tampering occurs when individual has interfered with information for the purpose of academic gain. Examples of tampering include:
    • Unauthorized access to, use of, or alteration of computer data and information;
    • Gaining academic advantage by using technology that inhibits the use of the resources by others;
    • Damage to or destruction of library or laboratory resources; and/or
    • Willful or negligent damage to the academic work of a fellow student and/or teacher.

Academic Supports

There are a variety of academic supports available at St. George’s for students. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the range of supports available to them which include:

  • Faculty support
  • 5th Block
  • Head of Grade
  • Student Success Centre
  • Personal Counselling

Bullying

St. George’s School does not tolerate bullying. Students are prohibited from bullying.

Bullying is conduct that is unwelcome to others, including other students and faculty members. This includes conduct which a reasonable person knows, or ought reasonably to know, is unwelcome to the recipient. Unwanted physical contact, verbal abuse and threats, unwelcome remarks including jokes, innuendo, or taunting (in verbal, written or digital form) about a person’s body, race, gender, attire, (perceived) sexual orientation, or religion are all forms of bullying. Other examples of bullying may include but are not limited to:

  • Physical violence such as hitting, pushing or spitting at another student;
  • Interfering with another student’s property, such as by stealing, hiding, or damaging it;
  • Using offensive names when addressing another student;
  • Teasing or spreading rumours about another student or their family;
  • Belittling another student’s abilities and achievements;
  • Writing offensive notes or graffiti about another student;
  • Unreasonably excluding another student from a group activity;
  • Ridiculing another student’s appearance, way of speaking or mannerisms; and/or
  • Misusing technology (internet or mobiles) to hurt, intimidate, embarrass, or humiliate another person.

Anyone who is the target of bullies is encouraged to report the bullying and not to suffer in silence. Speaking out and reporting bullying ensures the School can appropriately address the bullying and may help prevent other students from future bullying.

Students are required to:

  • Refrain from engaging in any kind of bullying;
  • Intervene to help support any student who is being bullied, unless it is unsafe to do so; and
  • Report to a member of faculty, staff, or administration any witnessed or suspected instances of bullying.