1. Welcome to William B. Travis Open House 2013-2014

2. On an Index Card Please print Student’s Name Your name Preferred Contact Information Something you think I should know about your child

3. Entry Bell 7:20 1 st Period- AVID I7:30- 8:20 2 nd Period- AVID III8:25- 9:15 3 rd Period- AVID III 9:20- 10:10 4 th Period- AVID I10:15- 11:05 5 th Period – English I Pre-AP11:10- 12:10 6 th Period – Common Planning 12:45- 1:35 7 th Period – AVID Conference 1:40- 2:30

4. Tiffanie Thomas Biography English I Pre-AP Teacher English Department Head Travis AVID (TRAVID) Coordinator Graduated: High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston, Texas Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (Bachelor’s of Science degree in Communications with a concentration in English and African-American studies) University of St. Thomas (M.Ed. in Educational Leadership) Six years at Lake Olympia Middle School (Speech and Theater) This will be my fifth year as a Travis Tiger!

5. Definition of AP AP, or Advanced Placement, Courses are college-level courses that a student can take in high school. The courses are more rigorous than high school courses since they are, in fact, college courses and students can receive college credit for taking the courses, although not all colleges grant students college credit for the courses.

6. STAAR English I English II Biology US History Algebra I You will receive more information regarding STAAR throughout the year.

7. The College Board http://www.collegeboard.org/ http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.j pf 11 th Grade- English Language and Composition 12 th Grade- English Literature and Composition Released AP Exams Texas Education Agency http://www.tea.state.tx.us/

8. Required Materials It is the student’s responsibility to come to class each day with the appropriate materials for class. composition notebook (for warm-ups) three-ring binder (1 to 2 inch) (4 tabs or dividers) spiral notebook for Cornell Notes blue or black pens #2 pencil highlighters saving device for computer work (flash drive) plenty of notebook paper (wide ruled if possible) PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Copy Paper, Kleenex

9. Course Content 1st Nine Weeks Short Stories Literature Terminology and Application Vocabulary, including prefixes and suffixes Novel: Rebecca Introduction to Writing Genres Open-Ended Writing Strategies Text Structure 2nd Nine Weeks Epic: The Odyssey Introduction to Mythology Vocabulary Literature Terminology Writing Strategies/Literary Analysis Open-Ended Writing Strategies 3rd Nine Weeks Introduction to Poetry Introduction to Drama/Renaissance and William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet Introduction to Research Vocabulary Open-Ended Writing Strategies, continued Expository Writing 4th Nine Weeks The Color of Water Vocabulary Writing Strategies/Literary Analysis Expository Writing and Poetry Analysis

10. Late Work Policy (applies to daily and major grades) One Day late – minus 30 points Two Days Late- minus 40 points Three Days Late- minus 50 points All work must be completed before the next progress report.

11. Tutorial Policy If at any time you need help with an assignment or need to access a computer to complete an assignment, I encourage you to attend tutorials. Simply show up with your pass, sign in on the tutorial roster and begin work. Don’t forget to sign out before you leave. I offer tutorials on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. but I am also available on any other day when requested in advance. All tutorials are by appointment only. Make-up tests are given during tutorial times. If you attend tutorials YOU NEED A PASS.

12. Travis Honor Code All students are expected to follow the THS English Department Honor Code. Cheating, copying, or plagiarizing will result in an automatic 0 per Travis High School policy. According to dictionary.com, plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and/or thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.

13. Literature Textbook and books to purchase We strongly recommend that our students purchase their own copies of the books that we will be reading and analyzing. Annotation is invaluable for thorough analysis. Holt McDougal Literature Book- Class set/Online access The House of Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Animal Farm by George Orwell Anthem by Ayn Rand Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare The Color of Water by James McBride To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee One additional Shakespeare play to be assigned later

14. Web Page Consult my web page on the Travis High School web site for important information, due dates, assignments, and documents. www.fortbendisd.com/campuses/ths/courses.cfm Click on “English” Click on “T. Thomas” by English I Pre AP Click on “Resources

15. Contact Information Email: tiffanie.thomas@fortbendisd.com Conference time: 12:45 p.m. – 1:35 p.m. (281) 634-8098