Spanish Club Los Línces

Cy-Fair's Spanish Club Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

Ø  Social Activities

o   Dates for the club’s social activities are currently posted on the calendar on http://www.bobcatspanish.com We encourage all students who join Spanish Club to participate as often as they can in these social gatherings.  Each gathering promotes Hispanic culture and celebrates the discovery of the Spanish language.  It is the intent and purpose of the Spanish Club to augment and support the acquisition of Spanish.  We anticipate at least one social activity per month throughout the school year.

Ø  Service Projects

o   The Spanish Club will also conduct monthly service projects where students may contribute materials and/or time to benefit our community.  It is the intent of Spanish Club to find opportunities to connect first with the Spanish-speaking community within the school’s attendance boundaries but secondly with the Houston community as well.  These projects will be announced via http://www.bobcatspanish.com on the calendar.

Ø  Eligibility to join Spanish Club (Requirements, dues, and permission slips)

o   Only students who are currently enrolled in Spanish or have taken a Spanish course at Cy-Fair High School are eligible to sign up for Spanish Club.  Dues for Spanish Club are $15 and must be paid before October 15, 2009.  After October 15, dues will be $20.  When paying dues, a student must turn in a permission slip (available from a Spanish teacher or in the file linked below) at the same time.  Upon receipt of the dues and permission slip, a student will be issued a merit card.

Ø  Merits

o   To track the activity of members, each activity (social or service) will be eligible for merits.  When a student attends or participates in an eligible event, a sponsor will sign the student’s merit card to show proof of participation.  The 40 most active students in Spanish Club are eligible to attend the PASF convention in San Antonio in the Spring; however, no student may go to convention with less than ¾ of the possible merits for the school year.  Currently we are offering ½ merits to all students for each scrapbooking meeting that they attend (see below for details on the scrapbook and poster competitions at the PASF Convention).

Ø  Pan American Student Forum (a.k.a. the trip to San Antonio)

o   Our school’s Spanish Club belongs to the Pan American Student Forum which is the state level organization (http://www.pasf.com).  In the spring of every school year, PASF convenes at a convention in San Antonio with schools from all over the state.

o   Convention this year is in San Antonio from March 26-27, 2010  

o   The 2009 - 2010 Theme is “Curanderismos, misticismos y supersticiones hispanas.”

o   At convention there are many activities for everyone to participate in:

§  Noche Panamericana and The Río Show are high energy; high quality talent shows where member schools and students show the very best of their talents.  This includes: dancing, skits, and music.  The last Cy-Fair group to participate was several years ago when two students performed a dance.  We would love it if we could get someone or some students to perform again.  All performances go through several application steps and must be connected to the year’s theme.  See Sr. Stephen for more info.

§  Workshops and the mixer are opportunities for students to encounter firsthand Hispanic culture.  Again, the workshops and the mixer also work with the year’s theme.  All students who attend the PASF convention are required to participate in these events.  Prepare to be social and get ready to meet other students from all over the state!!!

§  Scrapbook and Poster competitions are very popular at convention.  This is where the artistic talents of our students really shine.  Cy-Fair has been very successful in both competitions in the past.  There various required elements that have to go into the posters and the scrapbooks which require a lot of time and effort from our students. 

§  Language contests are held at the convention.  Students participate in various categories based upon years of experience and contact with the Spanish language.  At the business meeting, winners are announced by school.  Cy-Fair has participated with little success in past years.  However, we look forward to hearing our name called again soon.

§  Scholarship competitions are held at the PASF convention for students, former students, and sponsors.  Interviews are conducted after applicants submit the required materials.  We have been very successful at winning many scholarships through PASF for our students to continue studying Spanish at college!

§  El Gran Baile takes place after the business meeting and is the final event at the PASF convention.  A DJ churns out hits in both Spanish and English as students from around the state get their groove on.  This is an optional event for our students.  Those who wish to return to the hotel with a sponsor may do so.

§  Texas Area Model Organization of American States (TAMOAS)

·         TAMOAS is a separate part of the PASF Convention in San Antonio.  It runs concurrently but students that choose to participate in TAMOAS do not participate in the social events with the other participants due to the fact that they are maintained constantly busy with TAMOAS business for the whole time in San Antonio.

·         TAMOAS functions similar to the Model United Nations.  Each school sends two to four representatives to represent the different countries of the Organization of American States or OAS (http://www.oas.org).  A list of topics is circulated and each delegate country proposes laws to the general assemblies to debate and find possible solutions to the laws. 

·         Ten students from TAMOAS are selected by observers and other club sponsors to participate in the National Model OAS in Washington, D.C. via a full paid scholarship.

Ø  How to become an officer next year?

o   All students interested in becoming an officer for the next school year apply for elections after we return from the PASF convention.  The sponsors will review and approve the applications for candidates and elections will be held.  Each officer prospect must have attended PASF previous to the election and must enroll in Spanish for the school year that the student will serve in office.  In addition, the student must maintain a “C” average in all classes and a “B” average and “S” in conduct in the Spanish class that the student is enrolled in.  In order to be president, the student must have been an officer the year previous to the election.  More details are available in the club constitution available via the link below.

Spanish Club Constitution (doc file)
Permission Slip (doc file)
2009-2010 Spanish Club Calendar and Information (doc file)

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