• Below are listed some insights into how your child will succeed more easily in French:
     

    1. French II and III Students will mostly be working with a textbook and/ or workbook, vocabulary, verb lists, and on-line listening activities.

        They must bring their binder with worksheets and Chromebook to class each day.  They should keep a section

        for French in their binder for their vocabulary packet and for other handouts which I will 

        be giving to them from time to time. I will also have other written review activities;

        so, students will need a copybook or looseleaf that can be stored near

        the vocabulary packet in their binder. If we have enough textbooks available for class sets and home copies, students will be able to
        bring home a book. Otherwise, an on-line book is also available. This way there will be no excuse for missed opportunities to study because "I left my book at school !" 

     

    2. Students have written homework two to three times a week. Most often, exercises

        will be vocabulary or grammar worksheets, sometimes a reading with questions.  If the assignment is long, I will sometimes give 

        students two nights instead of one to complete the work. HW is practice.
        I have HW written on the board, on-line, and I remind students orally. HW is worth 5 points.
        *******HW and class assignments are written on the board, as well as on Google Classroom.

     

    3. Emphasis in the classroom is placed on communication in French - listening,

        speaking, reading, and writing. Ask your child what she or he talked about in class

        today. Ask her or him to teach you a new word or phrase in French.

     

    4. Flashcards work extremely well when learning new vocabulary. I will give

        two bonus points prior to the first vocabulary chapter quiz to those French II and III students

        who show me their flashcards - Quizlet or on Index cards.  You can practice with your child, even if you don't

        the language. You aren't doing the talking - your child is! Just listen for a few

        telling consonants. We aren't looking for perfect accents just yet; we're just trying

        get our kids to speak French! 

     

    5. A good idea for improving your child's "ear" in French is to have him/her watch

        his/her favorite movie in French (just change the setting to French, if possible!)

        He/she won't understand everything (maybe not much at all) but you'd be surprised
        how much will seep into that wonderful young brain!

     

     

    6. Class participation is extremely important! The student who makes mistakes

        attempting conversation is the one who will succeed in language acquisition.

        Students who receive 100% in tests and quizzes will not receive 100% on their

        report card if they do not speak in class. It is too difficult to access speaking

        ability at 100% when students are too quiet. This is one classroom where noise is

        tolerated :-). Conversations grades are based on how often and how quickly students
        respond to questions and dialogues.
        
     
    Below are listed the Classroom Regulations and Expectations, as reviewed on the first day of school:
     
     

     

                                                                                                                            Vive le Français!!!

                                                                                                       Classroom Requirements and Expectations

                                                                                                                            Madame Phelps

     

     

         Learning French can be lots of fun, but it takes attitude! Remember to come to class thinking “I can do this! I will enjoy this ... and it will help me to understand how my own English language works even better than I do now!”

         A class cannot be enjoyable if the environment is disorganized. This is why we have classroom requirements and expectations. A well-organized class is like a well-oiled machine. If it runs well, you can get a lot more out of it! I have lots of fun and exciting ideas for the French classes this year – not just doing exercises in a textbook!  I am prepared for a great year, and I want you to be prepared, as well. Please sign the back of this page acknowledging that you have read and understood my classroom requirements and expectations.

     

    • Students are expected to arrive to class on time and to begin working when the bell rings. Students who make a habit of being late will unfortunately also make a habit of losing points for not completing the opening activity if they do not have time to complete it. Students may bring a bottled drink to class, but no food (unless specified by the teacher for purposes of a class activity).

     

    • Students need to be prepared and organized when they come to class. They should remember to bring a pencil or pen, their workbook, binder, paper, writing utensils, and completed homework. A lot of our work is done with partners or in groups; when a student forgets his or her assignment, the flow of the lesson becomes disrupted. Participation/ conversation points are given each day – if a student is not prepared, he or she will lose out on this very important grade.

     

    • Although the assignments are not very long, homework – when given – is essential for practicing a foreign language. If a student does not have homework completed when checked and corrected, he or she will have 5 points deducted from their grade.  Some HW assignments may be turned in late, but most will not be accepted late since the answers will be reviewed in class.

     

    • If a student is absent, he or she is responsible for all work missed. Students have two days for each day absent to make up any missed work if they are sick.  If a student misses class due to a school related activity, he or she has 1 day to make up the work, unless arrangements have been otherwise discussed with parents.  Work will be posted on-line and in class.

     

    • If a student is absent the day before a test or quiz, he or she is expected to take the test or quiz with the class (unless a parent telephone conference allows for additional time).  All tests and quizzes are announced in advance.

     

    • Students will not be able to miss a class for drivers' ed  if there is new material being presented, a quiz or test being given, or if the student is not maintaining at least a 75% average in class. Students who know that they will be missing class should stop by in the morning to get missed work, papers, etc.

     

    • Cellphone usage has become quite a distraction to the learning a foreign language. At this stage of the game, students will find it difficult to manage concentrating in two different languages at the same time. Reading and texting in English while listening or writing in French becomes a struggle for the very best language speakers. In order to create the best learning environment, students will place their cellphones in a designated area at the beginning of class. If the cellphones are to be used for a class activity, students will be told to keep them at their desks for that particular lesson.

     

     

    • World language, like mathematics, is a course which builds upon itself. It is so important to keep up with the rest of the class. If you are feeling lost – please contact me so that we can figure out when to meet for extra help, or figure out who might work out as a good study buddy. Saying nothing will just make you more frustrated. Sometimes just a little one-on-one help is all it takes to clear up what was once fuzzy!

                                                                                                       

     

    On Mme Phelps’ website we have read and understand the above requirements and expectations for French class.

     

    Student name: ________________________________________  Date: _____________

     

    Parent/Guardian: _______________________________ Date: _____________

     

     

     
Last Modified on August 22, 2018