My Biography

Welcome! The 2024-2025 school year will be my 12th year as a learning support teacher at Richland. I am graduate from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Special Education. I am extremely honored to work at Richland Elementary School and look forward to collaborating with you and your child! Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
 
IMPORTANT CLASSROOM INFORMATION!
 
SPELLING
Weekly spelling words/homework will be introduced on Fridays for the following week. Spelling Pre-tests will be administered on Thursdays. If a student receives a perfect score during the pre-test, he/she does not need to take the spelling test on Friday. *I take the highest score between the spelling pre-test and spelling test. All spelling homework is due on Friday.
*5th Grade's spelling tests are hand written.
*6th Grade's spelling tests are multiple choice and are taken on the chrome books with Google Classroom. 
 
MATH
We will be working out of the Everyday Math Series. Quizzes and Tests will be announced ahead of time. Each student will receive a study guide that mirrors the assessment. All review games (Kahoot/Blooket/Gimkit) will be posted on Google Classroom to help with studying. These review games contain the EXACT CONTENT on the assessments. Fridays will be utilized for review of basic skills (multi-digit addition/subtraction, counting money, telling time, multiplication/division facts, multi-digit multiplication, long division, etc.)
 
READING/ELA

Some topics that we will cover this year are:

-Literary Genres 

-Fiction

     Characters & their traits, Setting, 4 types of literary conflicts, Plot elements, Theme, Point of

     View, Summarizing, Making inferences, Compare/Contrast, Author's Purpose

-Nonfiction

      Main Idea & Details, Problem & Solution, Cause & Effect, Text Features,

      Compare/Contrast, Sequencing 

-Poetry Terms

-Figurative Language

       Simile, Metaphor, Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Hyperbole, Oxymoron, Personification

 

Grammar: Parts of a Sentence, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions

Writing: Narrative, Persuasive, Informative, Opinion, Letter Writing

 

**Reading and Grammar quizzes and tests will be announced ahead of time. Each student will

receive a study guide that mirrors the assessment. All review games (Kahoot/Blooket/Gimkit) will be

posted on Google Classroom to help with studying. These review games contain the EXACT

CONTENT on the assessments.

 

 
 

Posts

April 28-May 2

*We will be taking the Math PSSAs on Monday and Tuesday this week. We will have a shortened and adapted schedule. 5th Grade will also be taking the Science PSSAs on Wednesday and Thursday this week. 

 

5th Grade

Math
  • Math Review/Games 
 
Reading/English
  • Individual Reading Testing
  • Scholastic Storyworks Magazine Article: The Bright & Dark Side of AI
  • Introduce new spelling words (for the following week)

6th Grade

Math
  • Math Review/Games 
  • 6.1 Finding Solutions with Trial & Errors
 
Reading/English
  • What is an Adjective?
  • Scholastic Storyworks Magazine Article: The Bright & Dark Side of AI
  • Introduce new spelling words (for the following week)

April 22-25

*We will be taking the ELA PSSAs on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday this week. We will have a shortened and adapted schedule. 

 

5th Grade

Math
  • Math Review/Games 
  • Complete open-ended Math Question
 
Reading/English
  • Individual Reading Testing
  • Read some articles from the Scholastic Storyworks Magazines

6th Grade

Math
  • Math Review/Games 
  • Complete open-ended Math Question
 
Reading/English
  • Individual Reading Testing
  • Read some articles from the Scholastic Storyworks Magazines
 
 
 
 
 

April 14-17

Our Easter Party will be held on Thursday, April 17 .  If your child would like to send in a treat, we have 23 students in our classroom. *They may also bring in a drink for the party! 🐰

5th Grade

Math
Monday: 6.1-6.7 Quiz Review/Study Guide
Tuesday: 6.1-6.7 QUIZ
Wednesday: PSSA Math Sampler
Thursday: Easter Party!
 
Reading
Monday: Figurative Language: Idioms
Tuesday: Oxymorons, Personification, & Idioms Review/Study Guide
Wednesday: Oxymorons, Personification, & Idioms QUIZ
Thursday: Easter Party!
 
 
English
No Spelling!
 
Monday: PSSA Prep: ELA Sampler
Tuesday: PSSA Prep: Online Tools Training
Wednesday: PSSA Prep: Online Tools Training
Thursday: Easter Party!
 

6th Grade

Math
Monday: PSSA Prep Review: Coordinate Graphing
Tuesday:PSSA Prep Review: Mean, Median, Mode, Range
Wednesday: PSSA Prep Review: Ratios
Thursday: Easter Party!
 
Reading
Monday: Figurative Language: Idioms
Tuesday: Oxymorons, Personification, & Idioms Review/Study Guide
Wednesday: Oxymorons, Personification, & Idioms QUIZ
Thursday: Easter Party!
 
 
English
No Spelling!
 
Monday: PSSA Prep: ELA Sampler
Tuesday: PSSA Prep: Online Tools Training
Wednesday: PSSA Prep: Online Tools Training
Thursday: Easter Party!
 

April 7-11

5th Grade

Math
Monday: 6.4 Lines Plot Project
Tuesday: 6.4 Lines Plot Project
Wednesday: 6.6 Volume(Using a Formula)
Thursday: 6.7 Volume(Using water displacement)
Friday: Math Review: Counting Mixed Bills & Coins
 
Reading
Monday: Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, & Hyperbole Review/Study Guide
Tuesday:Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, & Hyperbole QUIZ
Wednesday: Figurative Language: Oxymorons
Thursday: Figurative Language: Personification
Friday:Figurative Language: Personification
 
English
Spelling Words: Week 17, Adding -ed and -ing
To practice spelling at home:
Teacher Username: hpapanicolas
Password: Click on the Turtle Picture
 
Monday: PSSA Prep: Text Dependent Analysis Writing Prompt
Tuesday: PSSA Prep: Text Dependent Analysis Writing Prompt
Wednesday: PSSA Prep: ELA Sampler
Thursday: Spelling Pre-Test
Friday: Spelling Homework DUE, Spelling Test
 

6th Grade

Math
Monday: 5.9 Strategies for Finding Volume
Tuesday: Unit 5 Assessment Review/Study Guide
Wednesday: Unit 5 Assessment
Thursday: PSSA Math Sampler
Friday: Math Review: Counting Mixed Bills & Coins
 
Reading
Monday: Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, & Hyperbole Review/Study Guide
Tuesday:Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, & Hyperbole QUIZ
Wednesday: Figurative Language: Oxymorons
Thursday: Figurative Language: Personification
Friday:Figurative Language: Personification
 
English
Spelling Words: Week 21, The Prefix con-
To practice spelling at home:
Teacher Username: hpapanicolas
Password: Click on the Turtle Picture
 
Monday: PSSA Prep: Text Dependent Analysis Writing Prompt
Tuesday: PSSA Prep: Text Dependent Analysis Writing Prompt
Wednesday: PSSA Prep: ELA Sampler
Thursday: Spelling Pre-Test
Friday: Spelling Homework DUE, Spelling Test