Reading Department
Ms. Debi Gross
Before coming to Shippensburg my alma mater color of choice was blue: Steel-High (H.S.), Elizabethtown College (B.S.), and Penn State (M.S.); obtained a Reading Supervisory from SU. Began teaching in the district in 1978 – serving Burd, Central, Orrstown, Kline, Rowland, and Grayson, in sixth, third, second grades and now Reading. Yes, some current parents are former students…. Have lived all my years in Central PA spiced with some international traveling. Read a range of magazines, books supporting Christian growth (favorite authors are Katherine Paterson, Philip Yancey), and return often to Wilde’s The Happy Prince and Other Tales and MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin to keep holding “wonder in the Now for the great Then”.
Mrs. Barb Hershey
Education: Bachelor of Science – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania; Masters of Education – Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Number of years: 17
Reading Interests: John Grisham, Dean Koontz, Dav Pilkey, Stephanie Meyer, J.K. Rowling, biographies and autobiographies
Mrs. Danielle Moats
Attended Buffalo State College and earned a BS degree in Exceptional Education with dual certification in Exceptional and Elementary Education.
Employed by the Lincoln Intermediate Unit and taught Jr. High and High School students who had severe emotional disturbances.
Started teaching in Shippensburg at James Burd in the Life Skills class in February 1998.
Received Masters Degree from Shippensburg University and Certification as Reading Specialist in the spring of 2002.
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year moved to Nancy Grayson as a Reading Specialist.
Mrs. Reshma Patel
Mrs. Reshma Patel is a Reading Specialist at James Burd Elementary School. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood from Temple University in 2001. She worked as a Third grade teacher with the Philadelphia School District and then went on to receive her Master’s in 2004. After working with Second graders for two years in New Jersey, she moved back to Pennsylvania and worked with Central Dauphin School District as a Reading Specialist. Mrs. Patel has been with the Shippensburg Area School District for two years now. The last couple years she was teaching Kindergarten at James Burd Elementary School and now currently is the Reading Specialist. She enjoys reading a variety of genres and loves spending time with her friends and family.
Mrs. Merri Shellenberger
My passion is to work hard to enable students to be the best readers, writers, and thinkers they can be. My educational journey began with an undergraduate degree from Bloomsburg University in Elementary Education with a concentration in Exceptional Children. After teaching one year in a split third and fourth grade classroom, I felt it would be most beneficial for me to further my education in this amazing field of reading. Returning to Bloomsburg full-time as a graduate assistant, I received my Master’s degree in Reading with a Reading Specialist certificate. Due to moves in my husband’s career, I taught in four different school districts before arriving at Shippensburg where I have now taught as a Reading Specialist for 15 years. My employment here has allowed me to teach at James Burd, Grace B. Luhrs and now at Nancy Grayson, where I also serve as Reading Department Chair. My favorite pleasure reading is Christian novels by Karen Kingsbury. My most adored children’s book is Max Lucado’s You Are Special (although I do enjoy a great laugh with Robert Munsch). Happy reading!
Cathy Wolfe
Cathy Wolfe has been teaching for fifteen years. She is a native of Shippensburg. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Shippensburg University, in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Development and a Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist. Reading mysteries is her favorite hobby, but she also enjoys traveling and watching her children at their sporting events.
Title I
Title I is the largest single program of Federal aid for elementary and secondary education. The Shippensburg Area School District Title I program is designed to give reading assistance to selected students in kindergarten through fifth grade in addition to regular classroom reading. This year we are serving 314 students district wide. Our goal is to work with classroom teachers and parents to improve student learning. We work hard to enrich and accelerate learning to catch up and keep up with rigorous academic standards by increasing the amount and quality of instructional time.
For More Information
Before coming to Shippensburg my alma mater color of choice was blue: Steel-High (H.S.), Elizabethtown College (B.S.), and Penn State (M.S.); obtained a Reading Supervisory from SU. Began teaching in the district in 1978 – serving Burd, Central, Orrstown, Kline, Rowland, and Grayson, in sixth, third, second grades and now Reading. Yes, some current parents are former students…. Have lived all my years in Central PA spiced with some international traveling. Read a range of magazines, books supporting Christian growth (favorite authors are Katherine Paterson, Philip Yancey), and return often to Wilde’s The Happy Prince and Other Tales and MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin to keep holding “wonder in the Now for the great Then”.
Mrs. Barb Hershey
Education: Bachelor of Science – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania; Masters of Education – Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Number of years: 17
Reading Interests: John Grisham, Dean Koontz, Dav Pilkey, Stephanie Meyer, J.K. Rowling, biographies and autobiographies
Mrs. Danielle Moats
Attended Buffalo State College and earned a BS degree in Exceptional Education with dual certification in Exceptional and Elementary Education.
Employed by the Lincoln Intermediate Unit and taught Jr. High and High School students who had severe emotional disturbances.
Started teaching in Shippensburg at James Burd in the Life Skills class in February 1998.
Received Masters Degree from Shippensburg University and Certification as Reading Specialist in the spring of 2002.
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year moved to Nancy Grayson as a Reading Specialist.
Mrs. Reshma Patel
Mrs. Reshma Patel is a Reading Specialist at James Burd Elementary School. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood from Temple University in 2001. She worked as a Third grade teacher with the Philadelphia School District and then went on to receive her Master’s in 2004. After working with Second graders for two years in New Jersey, she moved back to Pennsylvania and worked with Central Dauphin School District as a Reading Specialist. Mrs. Patel has been with the Shippensburg Area School District for two years now. The last couple years she was teaching Kindergarten at James Burd Elementary School and now currently is the Reading Specialist. She enjoys reading a variety of genres and loves spending time with her friends and family.
Mrs. Merri Shellenberger
My passion is to work hard to enable students to be the best readers, writers, and thinkers they can be. My educational journey began with an undergraduate degree from Bloomsburg University in Elementary Education with a concentration in Exceptional Children. After teaching one year in a split third and fourth grade classroom, I felt it would be most beneficial for me to further my education in this amazing field of reading. Returning to Bloomsburg full-time as a graduate assistant, I received my Master’s degree in Reading with a Reading Specialist certificate. Due to moves in my husband’s career, I taught in four different school districts before arriving at Shippensburg where I have now taught as a Reading Specialist for 15 years. My employment here has allowed me to teach at James Burd, Grace B. Luhrs and now at Nancy Grayson, where I also serve as Reading Department Chair. My favorite pleasure reading is Christian novels by Karen Kingsbury. My most adored children’s book is Max Lucado’s You Are Special (although I do enjoy a great laugh with Robert Munsch). Happy reading!
Cathy Wolfe
Cathy Wolfe has been teaching for fifteen years. She is a native of Shippensburg. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Shippensburg University, in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Development and a Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist. Reading mysteries is her favorite hobby, but she also enjoys traveling and watching her children at their sporting events.
Title I
Title I is the largest single program of Federal aid for elementary and secondary education. The Shippensburg Area School District Title I program is designed to give reading assistance to selected students in kindergarten through fifth grade in addition to regular classroom reading. This year we are serving 314 students district wide. Our goal is to work with classroom teachers and parents to improve student learning. We work hard to enrich and accelerate learning to catch up and keep up with rigorous academic standards by increasing the amount and quality of instructional time.
For More Information
Educational Websites
www.scholastic.com
Click: Student Activities
Click: Grade Level
Click: Language Arts
www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_1st.htm
Click: Language Arts
Click: Grade Level or Þ arrows on Interactive Sites will change the grade level
www.huensd.k12.ca.us/html/grade_level_activities.htm
www.learningplanet.com/act/fl/aact/index.asp
Basic Alphabet with Pictures (Emergent Level) (Some Pop – Ups)
www.learningplanet.com/act/rats/ratslist2.asp
Rusty the Rat catches consonants and vowels in a basket (Emergent and Apprentice Levels) (Some Pop- Ups)
www.starfall.com
Phonics and basic reading activities with short and long vowel word families (Emergent AND Apprentice Levels)
www.dositey.com/language/spelling/Mislet3.htm
“Missing letters” Complete the words with the missing letters (Apprentice Level) (Some Pop-ups)
Links
Read Write Think