Welcome to the Second Languages Department of Athens Drive High School

Faculty

Barbara Duvall Department Chair bduvall@wcpss.net	Latin
Hoang Robinson hho@wcpss.net	French
Jayne Wheeler jwheeler@wcpss.net	German
Luana McCamy lmccamy@wcpss.net	Spanish
Betty McIntyre bmcintyre@wcpss.net	Spanish
Mike Seguin mseguin@wcpss.net	Spanish
William Crain
Ashley Flanagan aflanagan@wcpss.net	Spanish

It is our goal to offer a wide range of courses to meet the interests and needs of students attending Athens Drive High School. The following courses are available to students. Incoming freshmen please be sure to read the Important Considerations section below before deciding what level of a language is best for you.

Courses Levels Offered

Latin	1,2,3,4,5,AP
French	1,2,3,4,5,AP
Spanish	1,2,3,4,5,AP, Spanish for Native Speakers
German	1,2,3,4,AP

Important Considerations

· Students who have successfully completed one year of study in the middle school and are continuing in that language should sign up for level one. Students who have successfully completed two years with a B average or higher should sign up for level two.

· If a student has not taken a foreign language at the middle school, we recommend waiting until the sophomore year to begin learning a foreign language. Studying a foreign language can be a very demanding pursuit and is considered an academic elective. It requires regular attendance and a commitment to learning the many paradigms, conjugations and significant amounts of vocabulary. For many freshmen it is a prudent decision to allow some time to adjust to the high school setting before taking such a demanding elective.

· We also strongly recommend not waiting until the senior year to attempt a foreign language. Some students are not successful the first time they attempt a foreign language and need an extra semester or two in order to complete two semesters. Many colleges and universities require at least two sequential semesters of a foreign language for admission purposes. Students who wait until the senior year to try to fulfill this requirement may find themselves in an untenable position. To avoid this it is best to begin taking a foreign language in the sophomore year.

· It is very important to be aware of the requirements for pathways. The College Prep track REQUIRES the successful completion of level one and two of the same language in order to GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. The Career/Technical track has specific requirements of its own, so switching from one track to the next is not always possible without planning ahead. It is important to monitor progress toward completing these requirements.

· Students should sign up for level 1 and 2 of any language consecutively. In most cases this will allow students to take level 1 in the fall and level 2 in the spring semester. In a few instances level 1 may be taken in the spring and level 2 in the fall.

· Levels 3 and above are honors courses and the requirements for these classes reflect the appropriate level of rigor for an honors class. Students considering these levels should expect a very demanding curriculum. Any student planning on taking upper level classes should maintain a B or higher in level 2

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact the Second Languages Department at 233-4083 or Student Services at 233-4060