Hello Parents/Guardians,

I am writing to let you know that Unit 1 of Spanish I is coming to an end. There will be a unit
test on Tuesday, October 7th. This will cover all information on the previous two quizzes and
anything we will cover up until the unit test. My policy on quizzes and tests is as follows: if a
student recieves lower than a 70% on a quiz or test, there will be a retake quiz or test or an
assignment depending on the quiz or test. The student can recieve UP TO a 70% on the retake (
they will get the full 70% if they get a 100% on the make up). It is up to the student to come in
on the day specified and retake the quiz or test during their study hall. I highly encourage you to
speak with your student if they have recieved lower than a 70% on a quiz so far.

This unit test will be a large part of their grade for this unit. The students should be using
previous quizzes and assignments, vocabulary sheets, and homework assignments to prepare for
the test. The quizlet site is also a good way for your student to study if they have access at home.
Please let me know if I can do anything to help your student out in preparing for this first test.

In addition to a test, students are required to turn in all missing assignments they may have for
this unit by the test day. This means any work so far this year that is missing will be changed to a
"missing no credit" after Tuesday, October 7th. This has a significant effect on grades. Please
encourage your student to make sure they do not have missing assignments. This can be seen on
ParentVUE or StudentVUE. Please contact me with any questions.

Thank You,
Lisa McCarthy
From: bryan@cleverlad.com [mailto:bryan@cleverlad.com]
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2014 9:58 PM
To: Lisa McCarthy
Subject: RE: Spanish I Update

Hi Lisa,
My name is Bryan Polley. I'm Zach Polley's father.

I've been working with Zach on studying for the unit test coming up tomorrow. He has been
working hard, but I feel he is woefully unprepared for the large amount of information on the
test. This is Zach's first year at Beacon Academy, and the first time he has had exposure to
Spanish. Is he in the correct class considering he has no experience whatsoever? It seems that the
material is progressing very rapidly.
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Bryan Polley
bryan@cleverlad.com
763-245-2577

On Oct 7, 2014, at 8:17 AM, Lisa McCarthy <lmccarthy@beaconacademy.com> wrote:

Hi Bryan,
Thank you for contacting me. It is a concern to me if I am moving too fast in this class and I will make
sure to pay attention to my pacing. That being said, Zach is in Spanish I, the beginning of the Spanish
program at Beacon. Here at Beacon we put an emphasis on Spanish every day in every grade. This
means we put as much importance on Spanish as all the other subjects. This includes the homework
load. I give homework almost every night in Spanish and Zach has turned in five assignments late so far
this year. I think that because he has not had a foreign language before he is not used to the work load
yet.
I think there are a few options for Zach moving forward in this class. To be very blunt with you,
homework completion on time is number one. This will help him stay on track during class. Second, I
think he could also ask more questions during class. I find him often distracted in class when I do give
work time on the homework. This could be due to the fact that he is confused but I need him to be
asking questions if he is confused. I will speak to him about that in class today. The third option that I
think would help Zach out a great deal is working with me one-on-one. I will be at homework help on
Mondays from 3:30 -4:30 every Monday and Mr. Alle, the other middle school Spanish teacher, will be
at homework help on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 and can work with Zach too.
I have noticed that Zach is quick to pick up the Spanish when he is focused in class. He is eager to share
answers when he has completed his homework for that day. I would like to help out in any way I can to
make sure Zach continues to have enthusiasm for participation. Please let me know if I can do anything
else.
Thank You,

Lisa McCarthy
Middle School Spanish Teacher
Beacon Academy
763.546.9999 ex. 138

From: Bryan Polley [mailto:bryan@cleverlad.com]

Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2014 12:14 PM
To: Lisa McCarthy
Subject: Re: Spanish I Update

Hi Lisa,
Thank you for the thorough response to my question. I will definitely talk to Zach about making
sure he gets his homework in on time.
It is good to hear that he's picking up Spanish during the times he is focused. Zach is easily
distracted and had a hard time focusing. He has inattentive ADHD. Any help you can offer him
by helping him stay on task would be appreciated.
We will do our part at home to make sure he gets his work done. I didn't realize the rigor of the
class and will be happy to spend more time with him on the subject.
Best Regards,
Bryan
Sent from my iPhone

Hi Bryan,
Thank you for letting me know that Zach has inattentive ADHD. Are there techniques that you use at
home or that teachers have used in the past that seem to be the most effective? I will do my best in
class to keep Zach on track.
I completely understand the confusion about the class rigor. Most middle schools have a less rigorous
Spanish program and Beacon is unique in that area. Being a Spanish teacher, I greatly appreciate the
emphasis on Spanish here at Beacon. Another thought I had for Zach is to attend the Concordia
Language Villages trip in March with Beacon. The camp is an immersion camp and it is a great way to get
students to really step into the language. Students can really see the benefit of learning another
language. Let me know if you have questions about that trip. I think Zach would have a great time and it
could really get him excited about Spanish class.
Thank you for bringing your concerns to me. It is always helpful to know how students are doing at
home with the subject and the homework. It is also encouraging to know that Zach has support at
home. The students did not finish the tests in class today so I am giving them time at the beginning of

the hour tomorrow to finish the test. This means that tonight Zach should have some things he needs to
go over again and study for tomorrow. Please let me know if I can do anything else.
Thank You,
Lisa McCarthy
Middle School Spanish Teacher
Beacon Academy
763.546.9999 ex. 138