FIFTH GRADE
Top Five Traits of a PHSSA 5th Grader...
1. Possess a scholarly attitude. Accept challenges and work to be the best.
2. Be honest and trustworthy.
3. Take ownership of one's actions.
4. Be respectful to peers.
5. Work together with peers and teachers as a team.
1. Possess a scholarly attitude. Accept challenges and work to be the best.
2. Be honest and trustworthy.
3. Take ownership of one's actions.
4. Be respectful to peers.
5. Work together with peers and teachers as a team.
Field Trips:
Stay tuned |
Volunteer Opportunities:
More info to come |
FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS

Karanja Burke (kburke@rvaschools.net) -- Mr. Burke has been part of the PHSSA family since 2012. Prior to that, he spent a year as a Title I Tutor at Summer Hill Elementary School. A Richmond native, he spent his first few years at PHSSA as a PALs tutor that worked with grades K-3. He continued this until 2016, when he joined the Fifth Grade team as an Instructional Assistant. Mr. Burke attended Virginia Tech and is an impassioned fan of Virginia Tech football (Let’s go Hokies!). He is also a longtime musician, and can often be seen playing guitar in various bands in the Richmond area on the weekends.

Erika Coleman (ecolema2@rvaschools.net) -- Ms. Coleman joined our Fifth Grade team in 2020. She did her student teaching at PHSSA and was a long term substitute during the 2018-2019 school year. Ms. Coleman graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelors in liberal studies early childhood education and also obtained a Masters in Teaching with a concentration in Elementary Education.

Becky Hamlet (rgriffit@rvaschools.net) -- Mrs. Hamlet has a Master in Teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University with a focus on PreK-6. Before coming to PHSSA, she interned and worked at the Math Science Innovation Center in Richmond. She completed a STEM program with Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) and NASA. Mrs. Hamlet also completed the VASTS (Virginia Aerospace Science Technology Scholars) with NASA and VSGC. As you can tell, she has a passion for education and cannot wait to share it with her students. Ms. Hamlet has a spoiled dog at home and loves to read and to go to the movies.

Deborah Price (dprice4@rvaschools.net) -- Ms. Price has been on our Fifth Grade team since 2019. She was previously an Instructional Assistant for the Third Grade. She is a graduate of Norfolk State University with a B.S in Mass Communications.Ms. Price has a deep passion for children, which has lead to her teaching and training families in the Richmond area through the Juvenile Justice System. In her spare time she loves to travel internationally, write, and bake her famous cheesecakes.