• staff photo

    Name: Yolanda Grave de Peralta
    Room: A-1
    Subject: Spanish 1 & 2
    Phone Number: (360) 709-7694
     
    Professional Biography
     
    I  earned both my Masters in Education and my Bachelors of Science in Environmental Policy and Assessment at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. While at Western, I completed the required credits in Spanish to earn a certificate of endorsement in Spanish.  I have enjoyed teaching Spanish over the past years as it has afforded me the opportunity to get reacquainted with my family's Spanish heritage.  My family emigrated from Cuba to the United States in 1961 and, in order to learn more about my family heritage, I traveled to Miami, Florida in 2015 and to Guadalajara, Mexico in 2016 and 2017. In the summer of 2022, I studied in the beautiful city of Guanajuato, Mexico. The accounts of these trips can be seen at my ePortfolio link below.
     
    My professional goals are to continue to find effective ways of integrating technology into the Spanish curriculum and to make Spanish rewarding and fun through project-based learning.  I want to increase the positive impact I have on my students through encouragement, modeling good practices, and constantly believing in the power of a positive attitude.
     
    Favorite quote
     
     
           "Without fear, without doubt, without discomfort in what we're doing, what is there for any of us to overcome?"   Serena Williams
     
     
    2020-21 Schedule     
    Period 1 Spanish 1
     Period 2  Spanish 1
    Period 3 Spanish 1
    Period 4 Prep  
    Period 5 Spanish 2
    Period 6 Spanish 2
                          
     

    Required On-line Resources

    QuizletGo here to study our vocab
    Dictionary - Go here to look up individual words (Don't translate a whole sentence)

    ePortfolio Resources:

    Learning Standards          

    Self Assessment - Interpretive Communication 

    Self Assessment - Interpersonal Communication

    Self Assessment - Presentational Communication

    My ePortfolio

     

    Optional Sites for Learning Spanish 

    Duolingo  - A great place to study Spanish for beginners

    Read Lang - Go here for reading practice

    Podcast: Spanish Obsessed -  Great podcast from basic levels to more advanced.  Listen while doing other things!

    Entertainment (rtve): películas, series, deportes, y noticias

    NCLR National Council of La Raza        

    La Razón - Periódico de Bolivia

    La Nueva España

    Real Academia Española - great place for grammar questions

     

     

    Grading Information for Spanish Classes

    AbsencesGo to Google Classroom to find out what you missed!
     
    Grades:   
     
    10 % Engaged learning
    20 % Quizzes
    30 % Presentations
    40% Assessments/Projects
     

    Engaged Learning (class/home work):   Turn-in on or before the due date.  For assignements reviewed in class, you will earn 50% if turned in late.  

     
    Presentations: 15% deducted if late / 10% if presented outside of class time
     
    Cheating Policy:   Students who are caught cheating will earn a zero score & will not be allowed to complete a retake.
     
    Anything that can be construed as cheating will result in the above policy.  This includes having a cell phone on your person, talking during the exam, looking at another student's exam, answers or notes written on paper or body parts etc.

    Multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning:

    • Re-assessments may be offered for part of an assessment or all of it, or in a different format, as determined by the teacher.

    • When re-assessments are offered, all students may be re-assessed, regardless of grade on original assessment, if they meet the following requirements:

    1. Complete all assigned homework & classwork (formative assessment)

    2. Complete re-teaching/re-learning activities, as determined by the teacher.

    3. Student does not have an unexcused absence on the day of the exam.
    • All retakes must be completed prior to the summative assessment of our next unit.  There are no re-assessments on finals.

     

     

    The Role of Technology in a World Language Course

    ACTFL states:  

    • Students read, listen to, and view authentic, engaging, and timely materials from the target culture.

    • Students practice interpersonal skills as they interact via video, audio, or text in real-time with other speakers of the target language. 

    • Students collaborate on presentational tasks with their peers or teacher, anytime, anywhere.

    • Students work at their own pace as they access online content and/or utilize computer adaptive programs managed by their teacher.

    • Students practice discrete skills by engaging in online games and applications.

    • Students benefit from differentiated instruction where multiple applications can be used to assess students, assign varied tasks, track data, give real-time feedback, and manage classrooms and lessons.

     

    How to be a Better Student

    Sleep, Learning & Heath 

     

    Why study a 2nd language?

     
    1) Advance your career - between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. job postings specifically geared toward bilingual candidates more than doubled.1
     

    2) Feed your brain - People who speak more than one language have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask, and better listening skills. 

    3) Deepen your connection to other cultures - Greater understanding, in turn, promotes greater tolerance, empathy, and acceptance of others—with studies showing that children who have studied another language are more open toward and express more positive attitudes toward the culture associated with that language.

    4) Develop Insights - Sheds light on aspects of our own language and culture—both positive and negative—we may not have previously considered. You may find a greater appreciation for what you have.

    5) See the world - Bilingual travelers are more easily able to navigate outside the tourist bubble and have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people.  You will be shaped by communities. You will be humbled by the kindness of strangers. You will build lifelong friendships.