WINTER EVENTS

Fri. Dec. 11 - Deadline to apply for Senior Scholarships (5 pm)! Check out www.pinellaseducation.org if you are planning on going to college next year!!

Sat. Dec. 12 - Safety Harbor Snow Fest, City Park, 4-8 pm

Sat. Dec. 12 - Parade on Douglas Avenue (4 pm) and Old Fashioned Christmas (6-10 pm) in Downtown Dunedin.

Sun. Dec. 13 - Arts and Crafts Show, Main Street, Safety Harbor, 9 am-4 pm

Tues. Dec. 15 - Deadline for Florida Future Educations of America Book Drive. Bring in new or gently used books for the needy children of Pinellas County.

Thurs. Dec. 17 - Deadline for SADD Toy Drive for children age 6 months to five years. Bring new or gently used toys to Room D-4a and make a child happy this Christmas.

Thurs. Dec. 17 - Deadine for National Honor Society Support the Troops Drive. Bring in small new items that can be sent overseas to our troops.

Fri. Dec. 18 - Victorian Holiday at the Gazebo, Main Street, Safety Harbor, music, entertainment, 6-10 pm.

Sat. Dec. 19 - Safety Harbor Holiday Parade, Main Street, 1 pm

Sat. Dec. 19 through Sun. Jan. 3: Enjoy your Winter Break (two weeks off)!!

SPANISH MID-TERM EXAM IN JANUARY

Spanish I - Unit 1, Unit 2, and the first part of Unit 3 (page 0-93)

Spanish II - Unit 6, Unit 7, and the first part of Unit 8 (page 190-283)

NEWS

Exam Exemptions: A new policy will probably be approved very soon by the school board: A student who receives either an A or a B in a particular subject area during EACH six-week grading periods may exempt that exam. It will not matter how many absences he/she has.

New Absence Policy: If a student is absent from a class five times or more, the parents of that student will be notified.

New Grade Policy: Teachers have voted. We will be calculating your semester grades via your mathematical averages. So your EXACT percentage grade counts! An 88 is so much better than an 80, for example!

Give a Day, Get a Day: Starting January 1, 2010, you can go to www.disneyparks.com and volunteer online for community service. Disney will reward you with a free Disney ticket to one of their theme parks!

HOLA

Welcome/welcome back to Countryside! If you are in one of my Spanish classes this semester, you will need a blue or black pen, your Spanish textbook, your red workbook, and some kind of pocket-folder to keep your tests and homework in. Scroll down and click on my games and activities. You can e-mail me at: dibam@pcsb.org

Homework is worth 5 points per assignment. When 20 homeworks have been done, you will be given a grade for it (based on 100 points). If you are absent for a homework, you can turn it in up to one week late for no penalty. If you forget to do your homework and turn it in on the following day, you will lose two points. If you wish, you can hand in a Homework Coupon/Diba Dollar and you will get full credit for that homework.

Tests are worth 100 points each. You can study for tests by scrolling down and clicking on a game below. If you are absent for a test, you have up to one week from the date of the test to make it up. I will give you a reminder slip on the very last day to make up the test. If you don't show up, you will have a permanent zero as a test grade. If you get a 100 on a test, you will get a Homework Coupon/Diba Dollar stuck onto your test as a special bonus. You can use it for a homework or you can buy a prize with it at the Diba Store.

All Spanish I and II students at Countryside High School are using the Spanish textbook Expresate. These textbooks cost 62.20 each. Keep them safe! At CHS, you will also be getting the red workbook "Vocabulario y Gramatica" which will be used for your written homework. In class we will be doing activities in the "silver workbook" out loud (but you won't write in that workbook). We will keep the silver workbook under the desks.

SPANISH I AND II - CLASSWORK AND HOMEWORK THIS PAST WEEK

Mon. Dec. 7 - Spanish I - Went over -ar verbs (flashcards) and -ar verb endings (on whiteboard). Did sample sentences. Handed out worksheet "We spend the day at the beach" to work on in small groups and turn in at the end of class. Homework: worksheet "I study in my room," due tomorrow. Test on -ar Verbs this Wednesday and Test on -er/-ir Verbs this Friday. All homework must be handed in by Friday also. Spanish II - Went over how to form TU commands, affirmative and negative. Did command worksheet in class and handed it in. Handed out Ch 7 Essential Learnings. Ch 7 Speaking Test is tomorrow (Wed.) - meet in the Media Center by the computers. TU command test will be this Thursday. All homework owed must be turned in by Friday.

Tues. Dec. 8 - Spanish I - Went over verb flashcards on -ar -er and -ir verbs. Went over endings. Did packet in class on -ar verbs and handed it in. Homework: "My brother plays the violin" worksheet. Test tomorrow on -ar verbs. Know what the verbs mean and what the endings are. Spanish II - Went to media center, got on computers and played Tu Command games from Ch 6-B and Ch 7-B. Took Ch 7 Speaking Test at my table. Tu Command Test coming up this Thursday!

Wed. Dec. 9 - Spanish I - Handed back papers. Went over -er verb endings. Handed out three pages of homework on -er verbs. Went over pronouns and -ar endings. Took test on -ar verbs. Upcoming test this Friday on -er and -ir verbs. Spanish II - Went over affirmative TU commands p. 214, negative TU commands, and irregular TU commands (on whiteboard). Did negative TU command worksheet - due tomorrow. Test tomorrow on TU commands! Scroll down and click on games from Chapter 6-B and 7-B to practice!

Thurs. Dec. 10 - Spanish I - Handed back papers. Did verb pictures worksheet on -ar -er and -ir verbs. Went over verb flashcards and verb endings. Did worksheet on -ir verbs. Test tomorrow on -er and -ir verbs. Tomorrow (Friday) is the last day to hand in any homework you owe me and it's the last day to make up any test you owe me! Spanish II - Went over TU commands (affirmative, negative and irregular). Did p. 261 Activity 4 out loud. Took test on TU commands. Tomorrow (Friday) is the last day to hand in any homework you owe me and it's the last day to make up any test you owe me! I will be absent all of next week - You will have a substitute teacher.

Fri. Dec. 11 - Spanish I - Went over -er and -ir verbs, using flashcards and sentence drills. Went over endings. Took -er-ir Verb Test. No homework. All homework and tests must be done by today. Spanish II - Handed back tests. Went over Ch 8 objectives - clothing, colors, numbers. Reviewed numbers by playing Spanish card game Muchas Gracias. No homework. All homework and tests owed must be in by the end of the day today. Next week you will have a substitute teacher.

Week of Dec. 14 - Spanish I - Beginning Chapter 3 Part 1, p. 82-89 on teenage activities and the new verb querer (to want), with some worksheets and red workbook pages to do. Test will be in January. Spanish II - Beginning Ch 8 Florida, p. 266-269 and doing a worksheet on Florida. Florida Test will be on Wednesday. Then we'll start Chapter 8 on clothing, colors, numbers, and demonstrative adjectives (with worksheets and red workbook pages to do). Test will be in January.

FREE RICE

Want to help feed the world? Rice is donated when you answer questions correctly on freerice.com Click Change subject, click Spanish, and you will get Spanish vocabulary words with four choices of what the word means in English. Try it!

COUNTRYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION

Cougar Closet - The Cougar Closet is a closet for CHS students in need of new or slightly used clothing. Go halfway down A-wing - it's down a little hallway on the left. (See Jane Hussar in J wing Community Involvement Center for access.) Donations are accepted!

National Honor Society is offering free tutoring by students on Wednesdays at 12:06 pm in Room B-6.

The Homework Helpline is now open Monday through Thursday from 5:00-8:00 pm. Call either 727-547-7223 or 727-442-3226 if you need help on homework in any subject and they will try to help you.

If you need to see the School Nurse, go to the Assistant Principal's Office. If you want to talk to School Psychologist Michelle Turner, she is here on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Her phone number is 727-725-7956 x 2081.

If you would like to talk to our Social Worker Jennifer Carter, she is here Mondays, Wednesdays from 10-1:30, and Fridays. Call her at 727-725-7956 x 2081 to talk. Kelly Ogles, the Teen Parent Social Worker, is here on Tuesdays.

Remember, if you'd like to talk with Officer Cavaliere about anything, please slip a note under his door or knock. You know where to find him.

CONVERSATION FILLERS...

Ever wonder how to add a little to the conversation, how to fill those awkward pauses, but continue speaking Spanish? Here are a few words you can say:

Oye (Hey!), Mira (Look!), Este... (Umm...), Fijate (Imagine that!), Disculpa/Perdon (Excuse me!), Bueno/Pues... (Well...), Es que... (It's just that...), Tu sabes (You know), Que te iba a decir? (What was I going to say?), Lo que pasa es que... (What's going on is...), Lo que paso fue que... (What happened was that...), Que bueno! (That's great!), Ay ay ay/Ay, dios mio (Oh, my gosh!), Como yo te decia... (Like I was saying...), O sea... (In other words...), Entonces... (So...), No me digas! (No way!), De veras? (Really?), Ay, caramba/Ay, caray (Oh, shoot!), No lo puedo creer! (I can't believe it!), De acuerdo/Vale/Bueno/Esta bien (Okay).

SOME COOL VIDEOHITS ON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM

Gerardo Mejia - Rico Suave

Bebe - Malo

Jerry Rivera - Puerto Rico

Jennifer Lopez - If You Had My Love

Ricky Martin - I Don't Care, Que mas da, Tu recuerdo, Maria

Daddy Yankee - Oye mi canto, Llamado de emergencia

Don Omar - Ella y yo, Angelito

Wyclef Jean - Guantanamera

Shakira - Bonita, Hips Don't Lie

Santana - Oye como va, Put Your Lights On, Smooth, Maria Maria

Mana - Corazon espinado, Bendita tu luz

Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos

Jarabe de Palo - Bonito, La Flaca, El lado oscuro

Rakim y Ken Y - Tú no estás

Celia Cruz - La vida es un carnaval, Bemba colorá, Químbara

Tito Puente - Oye como va

SPANISH FLAMENCO GUITAR

Chords are Am, Dm, G, Cmaj7, FMaj7, Dm, E7, Am. Check out the two youtube videos called Complete Rumba Flamenca and Re: Complete Rumba Flamenca and learn how to play flamenco guitar, including an upclose view of how to strum. I challenge you to learn how to do this! Totally awesome.

SPANISH FLAMENCO DANCING

Check out the youtube video of Silvia Moreno (a five year old girl who dances flamenco) and many, many others. Then watch clips on youtube of a dance instructor giving step by step instructions of how to hold yourself, how to move your hands and arms, and how to step. Extremely cool.

COURSE OUTLINE

SPANISH I - We will be learning geography, culture, vocabulary and grammar regarding the following topics:

CH 1: Spain, greetings and good-byes, pronouns, verb ser (to be - description), numbers 0-31, telling time, days of weeks, months of year, alphabet.

CH 2: Puerto Rico, adjectives used to describe friends, numbers 32-100, verb ser (to be), gender and adjective agreement, "Me gusta" (likes and dislikes), interrogatives (question words).

MID-TERM EXAM

CH 3: -ar-er-ir verbs in the Present Tense; Texas, sports and leisure activities, verb gustar (to like), verbs querer (to want), ir (to go) and jugar (to play a sport), weather expressions.

CH 4: Costa Rica, school supplies, classes, indefinite articles, verbs tener (to have) and venir (to come), school events and places, ir + a - three-part-future (going to).

CH 5: Chile, family members, more adjectives, possessive adjectives, stem-changing verbs, rooms in the house, furniture, chores, places where people live, verb estar (to be - location, health, emotion), affirmative and negative words, me toca (It's my turn, I have to) and me parece (It seems to me).

FINAL EXAM

SPANISH II - We will be learning geography, culture, vocabulary and grammar regarding the following topics:

CH 6: Mexico, food, restaurant vocabulary, table settings, difference between verbs ser and estar, restaurant verbs pedir (to order), traer (to bring), servir (to serve), verbs preferir (to prefer), poder (to be able to, can), probar (to taste), direct object pronouns, affirmative informal commands.

CH 7: Argentina, daily routine, personal items, parts of the body, reflexive verbs, telling how you feel, healthful advice, verbs estar, sentirse (to feel) and tener, negative informal commands, reflexive pronouns.

CH 8: Florida, clothing, colors, cuesta (it costs), hundred, thousand, million, demonstrative adjectives, comparisons and superlatives, "me queda" (it fits me), stores.

MID-TERM EXAM

CH 8-9: Preterite past tense of -ar-er-ir verbs.

CH 9: Dominican Republic, holidays, holiday activities, verb pensar (to think), party foods, party activities, verb conocer (to know a person or a place).

CH 9-10: Present progressive tense of -ar-er-ir verbs.

CH 10: Peru, airport, travel terms, preterite spelling change in the yo form with verbs ending in -car (que), -gar (gue) and -zar (ce), preterite of verb hacer (to make, do), vacation activities, transportation, irregular informal commands.

FINAL EXAM

If you'd like to see what kinds of words you will be learning in Spanish I and II this year, scroll down to the bottom and click on any game called EXPRESATE Vocabulary.

SPANISH HONOR SOCIETY

If you are taking or have taken Spanish III or above, with a 3.5 average or higher in Spanish and a 3.0 overall GPA, we would love to see you. Dues are $15 this year.

Our meetings will be the first Friday of every month. Our next meeting will be Friday, November 6th. Bring your dues to the November meeting (either cash or a check made out to Countryside High School in the amount of $15.00) and bring a new item for the package we're going to send to the orphanage in Peru. The girls at the orphanage could use any new item, especially underwear, socks, etc. It needs to be something relatively small and lightweight. There are about 15 girls aged 5-15 at the orphanage, so we'd like to have a few things for each of them. Thank you.

This is the only site where you can find up-to-date info on our meetings and on upcoming Hispanic events. If you need to e-mail me about anything, contact me at dibam@pcsb.org and I'll answer you directly.

FLAMENCO SHOWS AT SPANISH RESTAURANTS

CEVICHE TAPAS BAR - 10 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg (near Bay Walk), 727-209-2302, over 100 hot and cold tapas (small dishes from N-NE Spain) $3-11 and entrees $7-24, outside on the front porch and inside dining; Over 21 Flamenco Bar: Tues-Wed-Thurs 9 pm flamenco guitarists, Fri-Sat 8 pm flamenco guitarists and 11 pm live flamenco band/packed crowd on the dance floor; last Thurs of the month 9 pm flamenco dancers.

COLUMBIA RESTAURANT - 2117 East 7th Avenue, Tampa (Ybor City), 813-248-4961, Cuban and Spanish food, from salads to expensive entrees, inside dining, fountain in center patio, beautiful old Spanish tile and Don Quijote/Sancho Panza tiled pictures throughout; Two Flamenco Shows nightly (except Sunday) $6 cover charge, Early Show: 5:30, 6:00, 6:30; Main Show: 8:30-9:00 pm.

RECIPES

Easy Rice Pudding - Arroz con leche

Half gallon whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 quart cooked Chinese white rice, 1 cup sugar. Bring milk to a boil in a smooth stainless steel pot (not a Teflon pot!). Add vanilla. Pour in rice slowly. Pour in sugar. Reduce to low and stir constantly, for about an hour, until it thickens. Pour into serving dishes or one large serving bowl. Powder with cinnamon. Refrigerate.

Cheesecake Flan - Flan de queso crema

Half cup sugar - use to carmelize, if desired, 1 can evaporated milk, 2 eight oz. packages cream cheese, 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla. Carmelize the half cup of sugar, if desired, by melting slowly in an 8 inch square pan. Blend other ingredients. Pour into the pan. Set pan in large baking pan containing 1 inch of water. Cook 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool, cover, set in refrigerator.

SALVADOR DALI MUSEUM

On the water, near Baywalk in downtown St. Pete, this museum full of paintings by Spanish artist Salvador Dali is well worth the visit. So is the gift shop. Come in for a tour! 1000 Third Street South, St. Petersburg, 727-823-3767. Call to find out which night is half price, for tours in Spanish or for directions. www.salvadordalimuseum.org

PARENT CONNECT

What is this? It's a computerized system by which you can find out your current grades in all your classes.

How does it work? You go to the Parent Connect website www.parent.pinellas.k12.fl.us and click "register." You complete the Parent Info and the Student Info screen. You click "submit." It takes three workdays for the info to be verified.

Then what? Then a PARENT needs to bring a picture ID to the Guidance Department at CHS, see Pat Korcak, and get your user ID and password. This will allow you and your parents to view your grades and school information.

Why do I need it? Parent Connect is the way you can find out EXACTLY what kind of numerical grade you have. You can also see what tests you missed and need to make up (within a week). You can see how many days you've been absent.

FINANCIAL AID FOR COLLEGE

Want to know about college scholarships, Federal Grants and Loans, Florida Bright Futures, Talented 20, Education Foundation, Scams, etc.? Contact the Pinellas County Schools Financial Aid Office at 727-588-6013.

LATE TO CLASS?

New rules this year: 1st tardy Teacher lets you know; 2nd tardy Parent is notified; 3rd tardy You have detention with that teacher; 4th tardy You have a referral to the office; 5th tardy You have Saturday School. So try not to be late to class!

COURSE OBJECTIVE:

To be able to communicate in Spanish!

GRADING SCALE:

A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = 0-59

YOUR ASSESSMENT:

Map Test of Hispanic Countries
One Geocultura Test per chapter (Geography and Culture of Hispanic Countries)
Part 1 Vocabulary-Verb Tests
Part 2 Vocabulary-Verb Tests
Verb Tests
Chapter Speaking Tests (Essential Learnings Oral Assessment)
Classwork/Homework: Group of 20 homeworks, from the Expresate NEW Vocabulario y Gramatica Workbook and/or occasional handouts, etc.
Class Participation Grade (you start out with 100 points; points are deducted for not having your Spanish textbook, not being on task, not attempting to answer a question at all, not going on the computer at the media center when we go, not participating in a class game)

CLASS RULES:

1. Be in your correct seat.
2. Be respectful.
3. Participate - Stay on task.
4. Bring your Spanish EXPRESATE textbook to class.
5. You get three bathroom passes every nine weeks.
6. You have ONE WEEK to come after school to take a test or hand in homework if you were absent.

CLASS PROCEDURES:

1. If I notice a problem, I'll speak to you directly about it.
2. If you are disrupting the class, I'll move you to the Quiet Zone.
4. If the problem continues, I'll change your seat.
4. If the problem persists, I'll e-mail your parents and then send you up on a referral.
5. If you're late two times, I'll e-mail your parents; if you're late a third time, you have detention that day or the next day. If you don't show up, you'll have a referral.

EXTRAS

DIBA DOLLARS - If you win a game, you get a Diba Dollar. If you get a "In Diba We Trust" Diba Dollar taped to your test, that means you must have gotten 100. You can use this Diba Dollar for ANY workbook page or any homework you are assigned, and it will count for full credit for that page, front and back. OR you can use Diba Dollars for currency at the Diba Store, which will be open once a week.

WANT SOME PRACTICE?

Go to our textbook's website: go.hrw.com, search for EXP1 CH1 if you want Chapter 1, EXP1 CH6 if you want Chapter 6, etc. Hit SEARCH. You'll find lots of great practice and self-tests!

WANT EVEN MORE PRACTICE?