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.

 

 

Information Regarding Student E-mail Accounts 
***All aspects of Google Drive should be used for EDUCATIONALLY RELEVANT information only. Emails containing information that has no educational relevance may be considered a technology infraction and is subject to disciplinary action including, but not limited to, suspension of technology privileges.
 
 

Posts

November 25-27

5th Grade

Math
Monday: 3.8 Renaming Fractions & Mixed Numbers
Tuesday: 3.8 Renaming Fractions & Mixed Numbers Day 2
Wednesday: Multi-digit Multiplication REVIEW
 
 
Reading
Monday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 16-19 QUIZ, Introduce Ch. 17-25 VOCAB
Tuesday: Read How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 20-21
Wednesday: Read How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 22-23
 
English
No Spelling!
 
Monday: Introduce expository writing 5 paragraph project: Pretend that you're celebrating Christmas in a different country. Where are you? What are the traditions? What are the decorations? What are the foods they eat?, PICK A COUNTRY
Tuesday: Begin researching country- https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/ 
Wednesday: THANKSGIVING TRIVIA 🦃
 
 

6th Grade

Math
Tuesday: Unit 2 Assessment
Wednesday: Multi-digit Multiplication REVIEW
 
Reading
Monday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 16-19 QUIZ, Introduce Ch. 17-25 VOCAB
Tuesday: Read How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 20-21
Wednesday: Read How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 22-23
 
English
No Spelling!
 
Expository/Research Writing
Monday: Introduce expository writing 5 paragraph project: Pretend that you're celebrating Christmas in a different country. Where are you? What are the traditions? What are the decorations? What are the foods they eat?, PICK A COUNTRY
Tuesday: Begin researching country- https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/ 
Wednesday: THANKSGIVING TRIVIA 🦃
 
 

November 18-22

5th Grade

Math
Monday: BIZ TOWN FIELD TRIP
Tuesday: 3.4 Fractions on a Number Line
Wednesday: 3.4 Fractions on a Number Line Day 2 (Fraction Race Game)
Thursday: 3.8 Renaming Mixed Fractions & Improper Fractions
Friday: LONG DIVISION REVIEW
 
Reading
Monday: BIZ TOWN FIELD TRIP
Tuesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 12, 13, & 14
Wednesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 15, 16, 17
Thursday: Firefly Benchmark Assessment (Chromebooks)
Friday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 18-20
 
English
Spelling Words: Week, Spellings for /z/
To practice spelling at home:
Teacher Username: hpapanicolas
Password: Click on the Turtle Picture
 
Monday: BIZ TOWN FIELD TRIP
Wednesday: Unit 3 Nouns TEST
Thursday: Spelling Pre-Test
Friday: Spelling TEST/Homework due
 

6th Grade

Math
Monday: 2.11 Equivalent Ratios Day 2(Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Activity)
Tuesday: 2.13 Using Ratio/Rate Tables (Basketball Activity)
Wednesday: 2.13 Using Ratio/Rate Tables Day 2
Thursday: 2.14 Graphing Ratios
Friday: LONG DIVISION REVIEW
 
Reading
Monday: How to Eat Fried Worms REVIEW/Worm Recipe
Tuesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 12, 13, & 14
Wednesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 15, 16, 17
Thursday: Firefly Benchmark Assessment (Chromebooks)
Friday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 18-20
 
English
Spelling Words: Week 8, Homophones 
To practice spelling at home:
Teacher Username: hpapanicolas
Password: Click on the Turtle Picture
 
Monday: Nouns REVIEW: Scattergories
Wednesday: Ch. 2 Nouns TEST
Thursday: Spelling Pre-Test
Friday: Spelling TEST/Homework due

November 12-15

5th Grade

Math
Tuesday: 3.1 Connecting Fractions & Division
Wednesday: 3.2 Connecting Fractions & Division
Thursday: 3.3 Interpreting Remainders
Friday: Telling Time REVIEW
 
 
Reading
Tuesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 5-7 
Wednesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 1-7 QUIZ
Thursday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 8, Ch. 9-16 VOCAB
Friday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 9-10
 
 
English
No Spelling!
Tuesday: Common & Proper Nouns
Wednesday: Singular Possessive Nouns 
Thursday: Plural Possessive Nouns 
Friday: Introduce new spelling words
 

6th Grade

Math
Tuesday: 2.9 Introducing Ratios
Wednesday: 2.9 Introducing Ratios
Thursday: 2.11 Equivalent Ratios
Friday: Counting Mixed Bills & Coins REVIEW
 
 
Reading
Tuesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 5-7 
Wednesday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 1-7 QUIZ
Thursday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 8, Ch. 9-16 VOCAB
Friday: How to Eat Fried Worms Ch. 9-10
 
 
English
No Spelling!
Tuesday: Common & Proper Nouns
Wednesday: Singular Possessive Nouns 
Thursday: Plural Possessive Nouns 
Friday: Introduce new spelling words