Mr. Heath LaGrone

Phone: (205) 685-6700

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

I received my BA in English from Birmingham-Southern cum laude in 1996. Three long years later I earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Mr. Heath LaGrone

I am married and have two children, Sarah and Luke. Sarah loves reading and plays volleyball, but she probably loves her phone more than anything.  Luke participates in scouting, loves board games, and plays baseball.

I live in fear of snakes and that George R.R. Martin won't finish the Game of Thrones series before he dies. 

I promise I’ll change my picture as soon as the new faculty pictures come in.  In the meantime, enjoy a candid snapshot of me on the steps outside the church of St. Etienne du Mont in Paris. 

I began my teaching journey in 2002.  Starting in 2008 I joined the English department at THS.  I've taught all grades of English and all ability levels:  from 9th to 12th grade and from self-contained classes to Pre-AP.  

  • Thompson High School Summer Reading Program                                                                                             Summer 2018


    This is a broad overview of the summer reading requirements for Thompson High School.

    Please refer to the school website for summer reading details and individual teachers’ notes.

    Parents, please be aware of your student’s choice of books. Not all books are appropriate for all students!

    During the first weeks of school, all levels will be assigned a creative project for Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie.


    English 9-

    • Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, David Lubar

    Pre-AP English 9

    • Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, David Lubar AND choose one of the following books:
    • Graveyard Book,  Neil Gaiman
    • Mockingbird, Kathryn Erskine
    • We  Were Liars,  E. Lockhart

    • Pre-AP students will complete a Major Work Data Card for both novels.

    MWDC  Link:                http://images.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/AL/AlabasterCity/ThompsonHigh/Uploads/DocumentsCategories/Documents/major_work_data_card.pdf

     

    English 10

    Read at least one book from the list below. During the first weeks of school, you will have the opportunity to share your book choice through a creative project.

    • Sophomores and Other Oxymorons, David Lubar
    • The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

    Pre-AP English 10

    • Warriors Don’t Cry AND choose one of the following books:
    • Sophomores and Other Oxymorons, David Lubar
    • The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

    • Pre-AP students will complete a Major Work Data Card for both novels.

    MWDC Link:

    http://images.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/AL/AlabasterCity/ThompsonHigh/Uploads/DocumentsCategories/Documents/major_work_data_card.pdf

    English 11

    Read at least one book of your choice over the summer.  This book may be any fiction or nonfiction book that interests you and is age- and classroom-appropriate  During the first weeks of school, you will bring in the physical book to share, and your teachers will offer  a choice of projects related to the book, the author, or the content.


    Advanced English 11

    IN ADDITION to the above, students entering Advanced English 11 will also need to read A Separate Peace  by John Knowles.

    When you pick up your course schedule this summer, please refer to your teacher’s webpage for specific expectations.

    AP English 11, Language and Composition                      Crystal Lamar, e-mail: Crystal.Lamar@acsboe.org
                                                                                                           Angela Glover, e-mail: Angela.Glover@acsboe.org
                                                                                                           Beverly Musial, email: Beverly.Musial@acsboe.org


    Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer                                              A Separate Peace by John Knowles
    ISBN-10: 0385486804                                                             ISBN-10: 0743253973

    ISBN-13: 978-0385486804                                                     ISBN-13: 978-0743253970


    In addition to reading the two works listed above, students also need to complete a rhetorical analysis essay on
    John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address
    Accessible: https://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/JFK-Quotations/Inaugural-Address.aspx

    The following link is helpful for students in starting to compose rhetorical analysis essays.
    http://cherokeetrail.cherrycreekschools.org/Departments/english/Documents/Rhetorical%20Analysis%20guidelines.pdf


    These essays will be due the first week of the new school year.

    English 12

    Read at least one book of your choice over the summer.  This book may be any fiction or nonfiction book that interests you and is age- and classroom-appropriate  During the first weeks of school, you will bring in the physical book to share, and your teachers will offer  a choice of projects related to the book, the author, or the content.


    Advanced English 12

    IN ADDITION to the above, students entering Advanced English 12 will also need to read The Kite Runner* by Khaled Hosseini.

    When you pick up your course schedule this summer, please refer to your teacher’s webpage for specific expectations.

    *If you have concerns about the content of this book, please contact Zandra Morris for an alternate selection.

    zandra.morris@acsboe.org


    AP English 12, Literature and Composition                     

    Renee Brown, renee.brown@acsboe.org     or  Heath LaGrone, heath.lagrone@acsboe.org


    Please select one work from each category below. Complete a Major Work Data Card for each work. One MWDC will be due on June 30, 2018 and the second will be due on July 30, 2018.  (You may read them in either order.)


    Works Written Prior to 1900                Works Written After 1900

    Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, 1847                         Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, 1952

    Great Expectations by Charles Dickens,1861                                     A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by J. Joyce, 1916

    Crime and Punishment by F. Dostoevsky, 1866        Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, 1961

    Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, 1847             Beloved by Toni Morrison, 1987

    King Lear by W. Shakespeare, 1606            Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, 1977

    Moby Dick by Herman Melville,1851            Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, 1949

    Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain, 1884                    The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams,1945

    Othello by W. Shakespeare, 1603                                         The Color Purple by Alice Walker, 1982

    The Awakening by Kate Chopin, 1899            Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison,1977

    Billy Budd by Herman Melville, 1891 (published later)                  Native Son by Richard Wright, 1940


    MWDC Link:

    http://images.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/AL/AlabasterCity/ThompsonHigh/Uploads/DocumentsCategories/Documents/major_work_data_card.pdf

    Submission instructions: Please turn in each MWDC one of these ways:  

    Join AP Lit Summer Reading Google Classroom: code y2xuo, (that’s letter “o,” not zero) and submit it to the assignment posted there. You may also deliver it in  person to the main office of THS. (Confirm office hours by calling 685-6700 or checking the school website https://www.acsboe.org/ths   or through the mail:  Thompson High School

                                                                                                                                            attn: AP Lit 12 Summer Reading

                                                                                                                                            1921 Warrior Parkway

               Thank you!                                                                                                      Alabaster, AL 35007

     
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