About Me
Ms. Kastanias earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!). She later realized she had a love for the law, so she enrolled in law school at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. For over thirteen years, she represented clients in probate and guardianship cases in Palm Beach County. It was during this time that she explored another career that had always interested her, teaching.
She began her education career by working in the evenings as an adjunct at Florida Atlantic University while working during the day as a part-time lawyer. She taught Legal Studies for fourteen years and taught College Prep English at Palm Beach State for one year. Prior to coming to TCCA, she had a private test prep company that provided individualized tutoring to candidates for the Certified Paralegal Exam.
Ms. Kastanias began her life-long love for literature under the covers at night with a flashlight and a well-worn copy of Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. It was always well past her bedtime; but even as a young child, she knew that some of the best journeys of the mind occur while reading great books (and, it is highly likely her parents knew about these "secret" night readings).
Ms. Kastanias joined TCCA during its inaugural year in 2019 as a Fifth Grade teacher. In 2020, she followed her passion by moving to Sixth Grade Literature and has been there ever since. She has a passion for teaching great books to middle school scholars. Each year she looks forward to sharing her love of literature and poetry with them.
Ms. Kastanias is the head of the House of Olympia, the facilitator for Titan Tales (the Upper School literary journal), and is an administrator for Team Talos (the Upper School robotics team).
Homework
Monday - Friday
Scholars in all classes are finishing up an in-class exercise on the relationships between the characters in our novel. Absent scholars will need to make this up as homework.
Periods 1, 2, 5, 7, 8:
Reading aloud all week and trying to end on p. 443 by Friday (all classes are in different places, so the pace will determine where we end up).
Period 3:
We have been reading summaries of the chapters to catch us up in class. We read Ch. XXXV of the novel itself in class on Tuesday. Wednesday, we read from the summaries again and will have a new summary sheet, as well. Absent scholars should read the summary and follow when it directs them to read from the novel.
Monday
Periods 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
- PowerPoint on the Carnival of Rome
- Update Character Chart (notes need to be made up if absent)
- Notes on story so far (notes need to be made up if absent)
- Read as much of Ch. XXI as can in class
HOMEWORK: Finish Ch. XXI
Period 3
- Read aloud, finish Ch. XVI
- Discussion, take notes
- Read Ch. XVII
HOMEWORK: Read Summary for Ch. XVIII (covers through the bottom of p. 119)
Tuesday
Periods 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
- Idiom of the Day
- Discussion Ch. XXI
- Read aloud, part of Ch. XXII
HOMEWORK - Read Ch. XXII (5th Period could not answer questions from last night's reading, so they read the missing pages in class and will need to read what we would have read in class plus the pages other classes needed to finish reading.)
Period 3
- Update Character Chart
HOMEWORK: None
Wednesday
(Substitute)
Periods 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
- Read to p. 185, stop at the top where the paragraph carries over from the previous page
- HANDOUT - Questions about the novel (foreshadowing, theories, reading comprehension) for classwork grade
HOMEWORK: None
Period 3
- Read summaries or selection from book, complete guided notes and questions for classwork grade
HOMEWORK: None
Thursday
Periods 1, 2, 5, 7, 8:
- Read to the end of Ch. XXIV (p. 198)
HOMEWORK: Read pp. 198 - 203 (stop where there is a break in text at the bottom)
Period 3
- Read aloud summaries or selection from book (TBD)
HOMEWORK: TBD
Friday
Periods 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
- Read to top of p. 203
HOMEWORK: None
Period 3
- Read summaries and end of Ch. XIX
HOMEWORK: None
Scholars who have been absent or who are struggling to turn in work on time will have an opportunity to make up work during "Make-Up Thursdays" in my room during lunch. They can bring their lunch and get one-on-one time to catch up on assignments, make up quizzes, or ask about their grades.
Wish List
Class Newsletter
Hello, Parents!
Many of you are aware of Make-Up Thursdays, but some may not have heard about it. Since about the third week of school, I have been holding make-up lunches in my room for scholars who missed school or forgot to turn in work.
During the first quarter when the transition from Fifth was newer, I was much more lenient with deadlines. This quarter, I am requiring that scholars come to the next available Make-Up Thursday to catch up on either work missed or work not turned in. We have a three-day grace period for late work, but I will allow scholars to attend the lunch, even if it is past the grace period so that they can ask questions if they are confused or need help with anything.
Please be sure your scholars remember to come. (They are definitely aware of it; I have posted it on the board consistantly for months now, and I make announcements in class. Sometimes I give scholars specific written instructions to come.)
We are encouraging scholars to improve their executive functioning skills by keeping track of work in their agendas and by organzing themselves better so that they remember to turn in work. The Make-Up Thursday opportunties are meant to help scholars when they miss school but also when they make mistakes with their organization and time management.
If you have questions, please email me. Thank you!
-Mrs. Kastanias
Helpful Links
If your scholar forgets his or her Prince and the Pauper book or needs it while out sick, a good resource is this online copy. The text is the same, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1837/1837-h/1837-h.htm