Dear Students and Parents,
It is with great enthusiasm that we begin another year at Great Neck North Middle and High Schools. I consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity teach all of my students! Having spent many years studying Spanish, living and traveling throughout Spain and teaching in a number of schools at both the middle and high school level, I look forward to sharing with you / your child my passion for the language and the cultures in which it is spoken. I can personally attest that the ability to speak a foreign language opens the door to a number of incredible life experiences and I am eager to provide all my students with a strong foundation for continued study and real-world application of the Spanish language.
In class, I hold myself and my students to the expectation of acting respectfully and responsibly while continuously striving for excellence. Therefore, the class motto of Respeto, Responsabilidad, Excelencia is prominently displayed in the classroom and referred to throughout the year. Learning a foreign language is both an exciting and challenging task and thus I refer to our class as a small family within the school that will be making the journey together. For this reason, I expect all students to treat their classmates, teacher and school respectfully as they would a family member. However, equally important is the idea that every student treats him or herself with respect, maintaining a positive “can do” attitude. Therefore, I say to my students that even if things get tough, don’t give up on yourself – I sure won’t!
This year we will be working with the Realidades and Bienvenidos textbook series. We will be doing a lot of practice in class, however it is the responsibility of the student to review every night. Aside from class notes, students should take the time to thoroughly complete all homework assignments as well as take advantage of a number of activities, audio files and games available on the Pearson and Glencoe websites. I have posted the link in your class page!
Finally, true excellence can be achieved through whole-hearted participation in the learning process. In class, don’t be afraid to speak Spanish! Practice truly makes perfect and no mistake or question is ever too silly. In fact, they are a natural part of the language acquisition process (we weren’t born speaking perfect English) so please never hesitate to ask a question or try something new. Take a risk – the results will be astounding!
I look forward to a wonderful year,
Señor Pipala
In class, I hold myself and my students to the expectation of acting respectfully and responsibly while continuously striving for excellence. Therefore, the class motto of Respeto, Responsabilidad, Excelencia is prominently displayed in the classroom and referred to throughout the year. Learning a foreign language is both an exciting and challenging task and thus I refer to our class as a small family within the school that will be making the journey together. For this reason, I expect all students to treat their classmates, teacher and school respectfully as they would a family member. However, equally important is the idea that every student treats him or herself with respect, maintaining a positive “can do” attitude. Therefore, I say to my students that even if things get tough, don’t give up on yourself – I sure won’t!
This year we will be working with the Realidades and Bienvenidos textbook series. We will be doing a lot of practice in class, however it is the responsibility of the student to review every night. Aside from class notes, students should take the time to thoroughly complete all homework assignments as well as take advantage of a number of activities, audio files and games available on the Pearson and Glencoe websites. I have posted the link in your class page!
Finally, true excellence can be achieved through whole-hearted participation in the learning process. In class, don’t be afraid to speak Spanish! Practice truly makes perfect and no mistake or question is ever too silly. In fact, they are a natural part of the language acquisition process (we weren’t born speaking perfect English) so please never hesitate to ask a question or try something new. Take a risk – the results will be astounding!
I look forward to a wonderful year,
Señor Pipala
Contact Info:Please feel free to contact me for any reason via telephone or email.
I will get back to you as soon as possible: Telephone: (516) 441-4548 (North Middle) (516) 441-4748 (North High) [email protected] |
Extra Help:This year, testing day for Spanish is on Thursday (North Middle) and Tuesday (North High). However, quizzes can be given any day of the week.
Extra help will be held on Wednesdays after school (North Middle) and in the mornings by appointment (North High). I encourage all students to come prepared with questions about anything we cover in class or simply to practice speaking! |