Communications Arts High School
EXPECTATIONS FOR
YOUR SENIOR YEAR
05.27.2015
Remind Texts for
Senior Parents
Mr. Guerrero: AP Macroeconomics &
Government
⦿1
semester course for grades
⦿ 1 semester course in regards to attendance
⦿ AP Course and expectations
● Significant amounts of reading and taking notes
outside of class
● 50% of final grade from exams (both MC and
FRQ)
● Be ready to actively participate in class
discussion
● A general awareness of the news is a must
Mr. Guerrero: AP Macroeconomics &
Government
is 1st semester
⦿ There is no official summer assignment, but
students should review Algebra I to make
sure they have the math skills required to be
successful in the course
⦿ Required Materials
⦿ Macroeconomics
● 2 70-Count notebooks
● A 4 function calculator (not graphing of scientific)
● A ruler and colored pencils for making graphs
Mr. Piliado: Spanish
⦿ Available
Resources
⦿ Tutoring
⦿ CD
Tutoring program
⦿ Salon de Sabios
⦿ Computer Lab
Mr. Piliado: Spanish
⦿ eClassroom
⦿ Study
Suggestions sheet
⦿ Online resources, especially
www.classzone.com
⦿ supplies – notebook, folder
Mr. Piliado: Spanish
⦿ Spanish
IV AP and the AP Exam
● Why take it?
○ You can get a minor without taking a course in
college depending on the college you go to
⦿ Homework/Workload
● Will have homework every day
● Some practice or studying 30 minutes each night
even if specific homework is not assigned
Mr. Piliado: Spanish
⦿ Skills for Success
● Time management
● Organization; Balancing school and extracurricular
● Asking for help when needed
⦿ Academic
integrity
⦿ Absences/tardies
Mrs. Davern: English IV
Objectives of the course:
● To study British and world literature and to cover
the curriculum specified in TEKS.
● To prepare for the AP Literature and Composition
Test in May.
● This course is taught as a college level English
class and, as such, includes a challenging
workload, especially outside reading.
○ Be prepared to schedule reading into your free time
and to receive frequent writing assignments.
Summer Reading Assignment:
Part One
⦿Mythology:
Timeless Tales of Gods
and Heroes
by Edith Hamilton
●core knowledge for AP Lit.
students
●reading it first and carefully will
help students understand many
allusions found in the literature we
read
●please highlight important
information in the text
Summer Reading Assignment:
Part One
⦿ Writing Assignment for Mythology
● NOTE: Write all assignments in a new Mead
Composition Book (this is a supply
requirement for the class)
● take detailed notes. See the handout for
specific instructions
Summer Reading Assignment:
Part Two
⦿ How
to Read Literature Like a
Professor, (revised ed.) by Thomas C.
Foster
● NOTE: Write all assignments in the same
new Mead Composition Book (this is a supply
requirement for the class)
● take detailed notes. See the handout for
specific instructions
Acquiring the Texts
The school has a few copies of Mythology and
HTRLLAP, but I encourage you to purchase
your own copies so that you can annotate and
mark in them.
⦿ Both books can be found in paperback at both
regular and used books bookstores as well as
online.
⦿ In addition, having your own copy of any AP
recommended/studied text allows you to review
it before the AP test and remind yourself of
characters, setting, etc.
⦿
English IV AP
Supplies
⦿
⦿
⦿
⦿
⦿
⦿
⦿
⦿
Two (2) 100 page, sewn composition book
Blue/Black pens & highlighters
Loose leaf paper
A pocket folder/binder
1 large glue stick
Flash drive
Planner
Novels
English IV Novels
⦿ The
Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
⦿ Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
⦿ Hamlet, William Shakespeare (Folgers ed.)
⦿ Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
⦿ A choice Modern novel—from a list
⦿ A choice 19th century novel—from a list
⦿ Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (possible)
Mrs. Davern: English IV
⦿ Turnitin.com
Mrs. Malik: AP & DUAL CREDIT
⦿ NO
Dual Credit Course can be added after
the first day of school. This is the rule of the
college and we have no say in the ruling.
A Dual Credit Parent Night was held in
December giving all of the deadlines and
procedures.
AP
Expectations: homework outside of class, study
groups, turning in work in a timely manner;
taking the AP exam in May
⦿ Students can receive college credit depending
on their AP test score. Tests are in May. We
register and pay in March.
⦿ Each university awards its own credit; there
isn’t a standard score/grade equivalency.
⦿ AP/Dual Credit courses are often taught
concurrently.
⦿
BENEFITS OF ENROLLING IN DUAL
CREDIT COURSES:
⦿ Classes
are taught by ComArts/Taft
teachers and are held at the high school.
⦿ Offers FREE tuition for 2 courses, 4-8 hours
of college credit each year.
⦿ Saves considerable amounts of college
costs and shortens the length of time to
complete a degree.
⦿ Allowed access to NWV and ACCD services
such as the library.
DUAL CREDIT GRADES
⦿
⦿
⦿
Grades earned in dual credit become part of the
PERMANENT ACADEMIC RECORD and will be
recorded on BOTH the high school AND college
transcripts
Students who make a D or an F in a Dual Credit class
will not be allowed to continue in the Dual Credit
program and a GPA of 2.0 must be maintained
Dropping a course
● Students are responsible for drop date
● Withdrawal will show on transcript
⦿
Failing a course
● Grade is reflected on transcript AND GPA
*A D or F OR dropping a course could affect later financial aid.
DUAL CREDIT COURSES for Seniors:
(some also offered as Pre-AP & AP)
⦿ MATH:
Pre-Calculus, Calculus AB/ BC,
Statistics, College Algebra
⦿ SCIENCE: Environmental Science
⦿ English IV
⦿ Spanish III
Many DC courses have a prerequisite.
Students must attend their Dual Credit class
regularly and may be withdrawn for lack of
attendance and/or lack of progress.
FACTS ABOUT DUAL CREDIT
COURSES
⦿ If
a student plagiarizes a paper or cheats in
any dual credit class, the student will be
subject to the discipline policies and
procedures of the college; severe cases
may result in failure of the course and
suspension from the dual credit program.
⦿ Courses are generally transferable, to any
Texas public school and many Texas private
school. Students can check the university to
see if dual credit is transferable.
Independent Study Mentorship (ISM)
⦿ Independent
Study Mentorship with the
key word being independent
⦿ Major goal -- to promote independent
learning and being responsible for oneself
while investigating a future career and
colleges, working with a professional and
learning to present oneself in a
professional manner
Student Responsibilities for ISM
⦿ Finding/securing
your own mentor
● Mrs. Malik can provide possible names
⦿ Transportation
to and from meetings
⦿ Being professional and courteous as you
are representing the school and the
program
⦿ Adhering to and meeting deadlines and
due dates
Independent Study Mentorship (ISM)
⦿ Select
a topic that you are truly interested
in. You will be researching it in depth for
a full year.
⦿ Topic must require post secondary
education.
⦿ Blocking with English once the 2nd six
weeks starts
⦿ Speeches every six weeks
⦿ Research paper on topic
Independent Study Mentorship (ISM)
⦿ Meetings and attendance
● Allowed to go during ISM period ON ISM
days
● Mrs. Malik cannot excuse an absence or
tardy for another class due to a meeting.
● Meetings are due the 3rd and 5th Monday of
each six weeks (2 per six weeks).
● Students may have additional meetings.
● As a professional courtesy, students should
set meetings in advance and not wait until the
last minute.
College Prep-ISM
⦿ Resumes,
college search, applications,
degree plans, scholarships
⦿ Apply Texas/Common Application
⦿ REMEMBER passwords and social
security #
⦿ FAFSA -cannot begin until Jan. 1
⦿ Entrance Exams-SAT & ACT
Start taking the summer BEFORE your senior year. Most
scholarship and many application deadlines are Dec. 1.
College Prep
⦿ Get
organized. Keep a file box of all
important college documents.
⦿ Mrs. Malik provides a spreadsheet to
help organize components
⦿ Letters of Recommendation
● Give teachers at least a week to write
them
● Provide recipient information and a copy
of your resume that we will write in ISM
class
College Prep
●
●
●
●
Deadlines are very important
“Received by” vs. “Postmarked by”
Early Decision is binding if accepted.
Early Action-usually November deadline; turn
everything in early and university sends decision early
● College application deadline is often AFTER the
college scholarship deadline. Your application must
be complete before they consider you for scholarships.
● Deadlines includes ALL components
○ For a college application, it will include all of the required
components such as the actual application, essay, test
scores, transcript and letters of recommendation (if required)
College Admissions
⦿ Regular
Decision:
● application due dates are much later and most
acceptance letters are sent out around March 1st
⦿ Rolling
Admissions:
● applications are reviewed as they are received and
letters are sent out once a decision has been made
⦿ If
you have questions about an
application or your status, CALL the
university.
⦿ Check your status regularly.
College Prep
⦿ Transcripts
● Order and pay at Taft
● May order and pick up before school, after school
and at lunch only
● Can take up to a week
● May want to order a couple to have on hand
● Forms can be found in Mrs. Malik’s room or front
office
● Parent Consent form only one time (if under 18);
forms can be found in Mrs. Malik’s room or front
office
College Prep
⦿ NW
Vista
● Mrs. Malik will show the students how to log into
ACES to check schedule and how to order a
transcript online. Check ACES email.
● Vista transcripts will be ordered in May.
Otherwise, they will not show your senior year’s
courses.
● Vista cannot complete the spring grades until
final grades from Northside have been submitted
to them.
College Prep
⦿ College
Visits
● 2 per year
● Form must be obtained from Mrs. Young
● Form needs teachers’ & parents’ signature
● Must be completed and turned in 24 hours in
advance
● Required proof must be given to Mrs. Murrell in
order for it to be coded as CV.
College Prep
⦿ Final
documentation for College
● Set your Freshmen Orientation EARLY.
● In May, we will discuss making a folder/portfolio
to take to college orientation
● Students will be given an order form for their final
CAHS transcript and will be shown how to order
the Vista transcript for the college they will be
attending.
Options for Taking Classes Outside the
Regular School Day
⦿ Options
you should have already signed up for:
● Regular Summer School
○ Health, PE, Art
○ At least $140 per ½ credit
● On-line Health
○ Done online from home, one class per semester, fills quickly, no cost
Options for Taking Classes Outside the
Regular School Day
⦿ Correspondence Courses
● Health, PE or Fine Arts; NISD accepts credits
from UT Austin or Texas Tech University
● Work MUST be completed by April 1, 2016 to
count toward graduation
● You must arrange to take the final exam at a
testing center (such as St. Mary’s or UTSA),
CAHS does not proctor the final exam
● Students MUST pass the final to pass the course
● Cost: at least $180 per ½ credit plus textbooks
(plus possible extra charges such as bowling costs,
course extension, exam retake, etc.)
Mrs. Whitus: Electives
⦿ Yearbook
⦿ Advanced
Video
⦿ Digital Art & Animation
Mrs. Whitus: Nonacademic Items
⦿ Yearbook
● $70, price will increase to $75 in the
Spring
● Senior ads
○ Order between November-March (letter
with order form will be mailed to parents)
○ Prices range from $80-$275
(quarter page-full page)
Mrs. Whitus: Nonacademic Items
⦿ Senior pictures
● Must take by December 1 for inclusion in
yearbook
● Yearbook senior picture must be taken by
Prestige, but you DO NOT have to buy any
pictures from them;; no cost for yearbook senior
picture
○
two dates here at school in the Fall:
● Saturday in September, retakes in November
○
better option: set up appointment at their studio:
690-1476
● Senior picture packages from Prestige: $80-$600
Mrs. Whitus: Nonacademic Items
⦿
Class ring
● Order from Josten’s in the Fall
● Range of prices from $100-$1000
⦿
Prom
●
●
●
●
⦿
$60-$75; price of ticket increases as it gets closer
tux rentals: typically $100-$250
dresses: typically $250-$500
dinner, limo other misc. costs
Senior Banquet
● Free for students, $30 for each guest
Mrs. Whitus: Nonacademic Items
⦿ Graduation Expenses
● Cap and gown
○ $30-$80
● Graduation Announcements
○ Order from Josten’s in the Fall
○ Packages vary from $50-$200
● Parking at Alamodome: $15
⦿ Project
Graduation
● $60-$75
● Ticket price goes up as year goes on
Summary of
Nonacademic Expenses
(based on 2014-15 costs)
● Cap & gown: $30 minimum
● Prom tickets: $50-$65
● Senior Banquet: free for students, $25 per guest
● Class ring: $100-1000
● Yearbook: $70-$75
● Senior pictures: $0 - $600
● Senior ad in yearbook: $80 - $275
● Graduation invitations: $50-200
● Project Graduation: $60-75
Resources
Eclassroom
Each teacher offers tutoring—talk to your
teachers!
⦿ Salon de Sabios
⦿
⦿
● After school from 4:20-6:20 on Tuesdays and Thursdays
● A place to study, use the computer lab, make up a test
or quiz
Lunch Lab and Lunch Study Hall
Students are expected to print homework
assignments at home, not in the labs
⦿ Remind.com-sign up to receive text reminders
⦿
⦿
Resources
⦿ Go
Center
● See Mrs. Hair for scholarship information before
school or at lunch
● She will also help to contact schools if there are
questions that we cannot answer
● She schedules college reps to speak throughout
the year during lunch. Take advantage of this
⦿ Counselor
⦿ Planners
Questions?