Ms. Cascarano

Hello  Kindergarten students, parents, fellow teachers, and everyone who helps our children succeed. My name is Shannon Cascarano. I have taught 7-years in three different school systems here in North Carolina. I consider North Carolina my home as I was raised near the Outerbanks and Elizabeth City most of my life.

As a Coast Guard family, we have moved to different districts and states. I took a 10-year break to raise our children, who are now 10 and 7, now 5th grader and 1st grader. Excited was an understatement when I found out we were coming back to the east coast. California was a wonderful experience and I miss the food a lot, but I couldn't wait to get back into the classroom here in North Carolina as it was a calling many years ago. 

I started my teaching career by attending Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, where I received my Bachelor's of Science in Education in December 2004. I started teaching in January 2005 in Johnston County. I started as a 4th grade classroom teacher and eventually moved down to the younger grades as a 1st grade teacher. Though first grade has my heart, I love teaching so much that I enjoy teaching at any grade level. I also worked for a few years in the Elizabeth-City Pasquotank School System as Gifted Facilitator for two different schools until 2012.  Starting in 2012, I took a long break to raise our children.

In 2016, our family was sent to San Diego, CA, where we lived for 6-years. What a beautiful state. While in San Diego, I took a brave jump and embarked on an adventure to obtain my masters' degree. I graduated in January of 2020 from the University of San Diego with a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. My focus area for research was growth mindset. I wanted to know if a growth mindset had a positive impact on academic achievement and the overall culture of the classroom. I was also driven to set students up for a successful classroom environment that fostered positive thinking. One of the best things I learned from that research experience was having a growth mindset and a positive classroom environment truly helped all students improve their academic achievement. It truly made a positive difference in the classroom culture as well.

I have lived by three rules in my classroom; take care of yourself, each other, and this place. I strongly believe that it truly takes a village to raise our children, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions, concerns, and/or advice that may help your child have the best classroom experience. I look forward to taking care of our students and passing the flame of learning.  I am so excited to be back in North Carolina and part of the JCES family. We are going to have a great year! Students will succeed in my classroom, but they will work hard. I set the bar high and help them achieve their personal goals so that they may bloom.