George Castagnola
George Castagnola
HI EVERYONE…..
The most important piece of information on this page is that my home phone number is (707) 778-0282 (feel free to call collect), and if you have a question about “anything,” please don’t hesitate to call.
Generally I return calls within 24 hours, and if I don’t answer, please leave a number where you can be reached at 7 AM, between 3 and 4 PM…or some other time.
If I don’t return your call within 24 hours, please call back…as there are times when your message may get deleted….”by accident.”
As a general comment, I enjoy talking to parents, however from an educational standpoint, your kid is in high school, and as a life skill, s/he needs to be able to talk to people in authority if s/he has a problem…so I would encourage your child to talk to me first, and then are welcomed to confirm.
AVAILABILITY
I’m in my room everyday during brunch, and lunch…and students can see me about “anything.” However please remind them to be patient as there are generally a number of students there making up assignments, finding out about grades, clarifying information, hanging out…or lifting weights.
If those times don’t work, I also tutor students on Thursdays after school, however if a student wants to meet me on a Thursday, s/he should let me know because sometimes there is a conflict.
MAKE UP WORK
If an assignment is missed, students have one week to make it up…unless there are “extenuating” circumstances.
HOWEVER please note that this does not apply to the Senior Project, where assignments must be turned in on time, unless the student is absent.
TESTS…HOMEWORK…EXTRA CREDIT
Although the following is not written in stone, it is generally pretty consistent.
Tests are generally given on Block Days (i.e. Wednesdays, or Thursdays). Frequently students can use notes on these weekly tests.
Regarding Homework, every day students should be taking one page of notes (front and back), based on readings, class lectures, exercises, stories, etc.
Students may also make arrangements to do extra credit oral reports, and add notes to their “notebooks.”
TEST FORMAT
Generally, but not always, I begin a test with five comprehension oriented questions. These will generally be one word answers like names, dates, etc.
The second part of the test consists of “brainstorming,” whereby students are required to list 50 to ….? significant words, regarding the material.
Finally the third part of the test is drawing pictures to demonstrate that the student understood the material. This is not an art class, and stick figures with a few words beneath them work fine.
I really like this format because it gives students a variety of ways to demonstrate their competency…and generally they “think” it is “fun.”
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO HELP????
Since “our” student is taking a test every block day, you can double check to be sure s/he is prepared for the test. Along these same lines if students are to take one page of notes daily, check to see if s/he has her notes. This is especially important because since the notes can be used on tests, the more notes the student has, the better s/he is likely to d0.
While you want to encourage your kid to do well, if your child needs a little more monitoring, s/he can bring a Progress Report to me for an update. The best days for this are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays…at the beginning of lunch.
Please note that I don’t give progress reports during class, because it is easy to spend more time filling out progress reports than teaching class.
SENIOR PROJECT
The Senior Project gives students an opportunity to explore areas in which they have an interest. Topics have ranged from building barns, to putting on art exhibits, with everything in between.
Regarding the actual assignments, students receive a packet with deadlines, and examples of a variety of written projects that help to organize, as well as document the actual project. The Senior Project Packet can also be found on the El Molino Home Page.
In addition to the above, students also write a Research Paper that is related to their project, and present their project to a panel of community members.
GRADING
The first quarter, second quarter, and Final Exam, each count for one third of the student’s final grade. Please note that no notes are allowed on the Final Exam, and it is generally “comprehensive.”
PHILOSOPHY
Every person has a place in this world, and every kid has a right to an education. I want to be as flexible as I can to make things work for your kid. If you have any suggestions, I am glad to listen.
Thank you for your time.
George Castagnola
NOTE: Whenever I post something I always make a few mistakes on purpose. If you are the first to find any of them, please contact me, and I’ll give you “extra credit.”