Dear Students:



If you are a French I student, welcome to the study of French! If this is your second or third year in French, bienvenue encore! Learning a foreign language is fun, and I hope you are ready for an enjoyable year. We will do a lot of work, but I hope you will find it both enjoyable and interesting. Listed below are my policies and procedures for the French classroom. Please read these, even if you are one of my returning students because I have new and exciting curriculum offerings and options that you need to know.



South Carolina State Modern and Classical Language Standards

The state of South Carolina requires that French study cover the 5 C’s of language, so all classroom activities relate to these standards. While each year French study is expanded, the 5 C’s remain the same:

§ Communication: to communicate in languages other than English

§ Cultures: to gain knowledge and understanding of the target language culture

§ Connections: to connect languages with other subjects

§ Comparisons: to develop insights into the target culture and language and compare them to our own

§ Communities: to participate in multi-lingual communities as much as possible



Supplies

For any French class, you will need:

1. A binder / notebook with 4 dividers

2. Paper and pen or pencil

3. A dry-erase marker

4. A French/English dictionary (French 2 and 3 only – to keep at home)



Grading and Absences

Grades are based on the average of tests, quizzes, homework, class work, class projects and participation. In other words, everything you will do counts in some way. This rewards students for doing what is expected, and I take this very seriously. I do not negotiate on grading because you earn your grade; therefore no negotiating is necessary.



It is also your responsibility to get any missed assignments if you are not in class. Class attendance also counts toward your participation grade. You can expect a quiz about once a week and a major test about once a month. In addition, there are listening, writing, and conversation activities that are graded on an almost-daily basis. When you miss class, you miss valuable information, as well as opportunities to use the language and increase your French skills.



Curriculum Support, Tutoring, and Books

I am very excited about our new books this year. I was able to preview everything this summer and I think you will find them very useful. As a supplement to your book and workbook, there a support website, DVD-Rom and Take-Home Tutor. The DVD-Rom and Take-Home Tutor CD are both available for CHECKOUT from the classroom. You may check them out as long as you wish, but you must return them at the end of the year or you will be charged a replacement fee.



In addition, books are brand new and you will be charged for damage to books at the end of the year. In order to prevent damage, we have a classroom set of books that you may use, so it will not be necessary for you to bring your book to class after the first day of school. I encourage you to take your book home so you will have it there to do homework assignments. By leaving it safe at home all year, you will prevent damage to the book. You will need to bring your workbook with you to class each day.



Classroom Policies and Procedures

Policies in my classroom are simple and few, but very important.

1. Be READY. Sois prêt.

2. Be RESPECTFUL. Sois respectueux.

3. Be RESPONSIBLE. Sois comptable.



I expect all students to treat everyone in the classroom with utmost respect. When distractions occur that are a result of disrespectful behavior, it detracts from everyone’s learning. We have no time for distractions of any type! In addition, students are expected to follow all school handbook policies.



There are two prevalent issues that I am addressing in this letter to eliminate any questions about policies in my class. First, I do not allow students to text with cell phones in my classroom. This is against school rules. The student handbook states that students who have a cell phone must have the phone turned off during the school day. It is impossible to text without having the phone on, and therefore, breaking school rules. In order to address this issue in my classroom, nothing is allowed on student desktops other than materials needed for my class. This includes purses and book bags. Second, if students are doing work for other classes during my class without specific permission from me, I will confiscate the work. These two policies are not negotiable.



Bon travaille!

The phone number for the high school is 476-7045 and my extension is 3639. My email address is mlynch@spartanburg4.org. My planning period is second period, from 9:06 – 10:06 daily. I also have a web page, accessible through www.spartanburg4.org/WHS, where I list assignments as they change. This web page also has flashcards for French 1 to help students study vocabulary, as well as a list of websites that cover culture topics that we are studying in all French classes. Again, I look forward to an enjoyable school year with you. Please do not hesitate to ask me if you have any questions or concerns.





Sincerely,





Meredith E. Lynch