1

Dear Pleasant Plains Families,

The 2018 BCPS Stakeholder Survey Calling on all parents and community members! We need your help! Beginning on January 29, 2018 school communities will have the opportunity to take the BCPS Stakeholder Survey. We need everyone to participate so that results will truly reflect Team BCPS. Past survey feedback has been used to guide school improvement, staff training, safety, and office reorganization.

The 2018 Stakeholder Survey will be available to all BCPS Stakeholders through March 2, 2018, students, staff, parents, and community members are encouraged to take the survey online at https://www.bcps.org/teamBCPS/stakeholder/. The survey is available in 16 languages for students, parents, and community members. BCPS wants to hear from everyone in order to continue to improve our educational programs. The survey is anonymous, takes five minutes or less to complete, and is available via smart phone, tablet, or computer. Additionally, for those who need assistance, there will be scheduled opportunities at school during the day and in the evening for help with completing the survey. We hope that you will provide your feedback for the BCPS Stakeholder Survey.

Bus Loop, Cross Walks, and Carpool For your safety and the safety of all students, the bus loop is not open to cars during arrival and dismissal. Additionally, there is no parking available in the bus loop due to the fire lane postings.

Two cross walks are available for pedestrians at both the entrance and exit of the bus loop. Please encourage your child to use the cross walks. Crossing Pleasant Plains Road at other points can be extremely dangerous.

For those utilizing carpool as a mode of transportation, we are urging parents to use the carpool lane in the parking lot. Please enter the carpool lane from the top entrance of the parking lot which will allow you to drop your child off at the curb. This practice provides a safer option than dropping children off in the middle of Pleasant Plains Road. Thank you for assisting us with keeping everyone safe!

Safety First For security purposes, ALL VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS must register through the Raptor System in the school office and obtain a VISITOR/VOLUNTEER badge. In the interest of safety for everyone in the building, visitors must inform the office staff of the purpose and location of the visit. In order to avoid classroom interruptions, parents/guardians should stop in the office rather than escort their child to the classroom or pick up their child from the classroom. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

FEBRUARY 1 Report Cards Distributed 2 Terrific Kids, 9:30 am 7 PARCC and Common Core

Night, 6:00 pm 13 PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm 14 5th Grade Fundraiser Night

at Chipotle, 4:00-8:00 pm 19 No School, President’s Day 20 Black History Celebration, 6:30 pm 23 Interims Distributed

MARCH 2 Terrific Kids, 9:30 am 6 Coffee with the Principals,

9:00 am 13 PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm 14 Family Math Night, 6:00 pm 19-23 Scholastic Book Fair 26 School Progress Plan

Meeting, 3:30 pm 29 Third Quarter Ends, Half Day of School, 12:15 Dismissal 30 No School, Spring Break

2

Winter Weather Parents are asked to listen carefully to the news on the television or radio for the latest information regarding school closings or delays. The Baltimore County Public Schools’ Hotline 443-809-5555 or website, www.bcps.org, also contains this important information. Additionally, by logging into www.schoolsout.com you can register to receive free e-mails regarding school closings and delays. Please avoid calling the school for this information.

Student Contact Information It is extremely important that all Student Contact Information is accurate and up to date. The information in our computer system is used in the event of an emergency-related or a weather-related early dismissal. If BCPS implements early dismissal, your children will be dismissed to only those adults listed on the form. In addition, all adults picking up the children during an emergency closing should be prepared to show picture identification. It is imperative that the information (including updated phone numbers) be updated should any changes occur. Additional forms to make changes are available in the school office.

Reminder: In the event of a countywide emergency early dismissal, we will not personally contact each parent. The information will be disseminated by Baltimore County Public Schools via TV news, radio, robo-calls, emails, and social media.

In the event that only Pleasant Plains Elementary School closes early, your child may not leave school until a representative of the school speaks directly with a parent or emergency contact.

Sincerely, Mrs. Albert and Mrs. Looney

Upcoming BCPS Parent Workshops The Special Education Resource Center located at White Oak School and the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Special Education is sponsoring the following workshops:

ADHD Intervention Strategies for Home and School (for parents of school age children with ADHD) Specific strategies that have proven to be successful for improving your child’s behavior and successful learning will be provided. Topics covered will include home-school communication, social interactions, executive functioning/organizational skills, behavioral self-control, and homework/class work completion. February 7 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. White Oak School, 8401 Leefield Road, Baltimore 21234

Sensory Strategies at Home and School Participants will learn about sensory processing, identify how a child’s seven senses process information and discover sensory processing strategies to support children’s participation in home and school routines. February 13 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. White Oak School, 8401 Leefield Road, Baltimore 21234

Behavior Management at Home Effective home behavior management strategies for use with elementary age children and teens with specific emphasis will be on how to most effectively improve your child’s behavior at home. Ways to increase cooperation, foster prosocial behavior and promote positive family interactions will be explored. February 14 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. White Oak School, 8401 Leefield Road, Baltimore 21234

Workshops are for adults only, no childcare is available. Registration is required and space is limited. Please call 410-887-5443 or email serc@bcps.org to register.

PARCC and Common Core Night Rescheduled

Parents and guardians of students in grades K-5 are invited to join us on Wednesday, February 7th at 6:00 pm to learn about Common Core, PARCC testing, BCPS One, and more! Childcare and dinner will be provided. Please look for additional information in your child’s folder and RSVP by February 2nd to reserve a space.

3

4

Hearing and Vision Screening Baltimore County Department of Health technicians will be at Pleasant Plains on February 1st-9th to provide state-required hearing and vision screening. All students in prekindergarten, 1st grade, and 4th grade will be screened. Kindergarten students not screened last school year will also be screened. If you do not want your child screened, please contact our school nurse, Ms. Schaefer, at 410-887-4448 or sschaefer@bcps.org. If your child is in a grade that is not scheduled for screening and you have concerns about your child’s hearing and vision, you may contact Ms. Schaefer to request that your child be added to the screening list.

BCPL Loch Raven Branch Our local Baltimore County Public Library, the Loch Raven Branch has some exciting events scheduled for February. Visit the library at 1046 Taylor Avenue to participate in the fun!

Loch Raven Chess Club for Kids, February 1st & 15th, 4:30-6:00 pm. Drop in to play chess and practice your beginner to intermediate chess skills with others. Children under 8 must come with an adult.

Lego Fun, February 9th, 2:00-3:00 pm. Create with Lego blocks! All supplies provided by the library. Children under 8 must come with an adult.

Science Spectacular, February 20th, 10:00-11:00 am. Be transformed into a mad scientist! The Puppet Lady uses innovative puppets, music, and magic to have fun with science. Children under 8 must come with an adult.

Green School The Garden Committee is looking for donations of compost or soil to line the garden boxes. If you can help out, please contact Kerri Magee, kmagee2@bcps.org or Robin Thompson, rthompson6@bcps.org.

Save the Date for Family Math Night Celebrate Pi Day at Pleasant Plains’ Family Math Night! Join us on Wednesday, March 14th from 6:00-7:30 pm to learn math games that will help reinforce knowledge of basic math facts and take home math materials for home practice. Look for more information to come home with your students, please RSVP by February 23rd.

Pi, which is written as the Greek letter f or P, is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle. Regardless of the circle’s size, this ratio will always equal pi. In decimal form, the value of pi is approximately 3.14 though it is an irrational number that neither ends nor becomes repetitive. Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 or 3/14.

Our 5th grade students will be hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle on Goucher Blvd.

on Wednesday, February 14th from 4:00-8:00 pm

5

Counselors’ Corner When conflict arises between individuals we want to solve conflict in a restorative manner. In the gymnasium, students solve conflict using our conflict corner. When a conflict arises, students will go over and follow the conflict corner steps as shown in the picture. This process allows students to talk through the conflict and allows all parties to speak and be heard. Coming to a solution is very important in conflict corner because it allows the individuals to restore the relationship and not create harm. Next time there is a conflict, try using these steps to solve the conflict and restore the relationship.

News from the Art Room

This year we are starting art class with an Artful entrance, continuing to work Responsibly, and by leaving the room Tidy. Classes have a chance to win points each day their art class completes the word ART. Points can be collected to earn a free choice art session.

Kindergarten students have begun their study of art found in the Baltimore Museum of Art. The first artwork is the sculpture entitled, “Little Dancer” by Edgar Degas. This artwork is teaching us about the life of a ballerina, how sculptures are made and how to paint motion in art. First and Second graders have begun the New Year by learning about the traditional arts found in China. Many of the students are fascinated with Chinese culture. We are learning brush techniques to paint, to draw and to write calligraphy. These exercises and ink drawings will be collected in their own Chinese painting book. The Chinese New Year begins February 16th and it will be the year of the dog. Third and Fourth graders are looking at landscapes. We are learning about foreground, middle ground and background. We can give the illusion of depth and space in our landscape drawings by using tricks like perspective and vanishing points. Our next step is to paint a variety of trees with watercolor. Fifth graders have gotten a Zentangle initial adhered to their hardbound sketch books which they will begin to use to collect ideas. “What Inspires Me” will be our first topic to collect and explore. “What Inspires Me” is the theme for the 10th annual Doodle 4 Google art contest, the 5th grade art students will have the opportunity to enter. A letter will be sent home soon that explains the details. Please help your child reflect on what ideas, places and experiences most inspire them. Other students K-4 are welcome to participate on their own. One can download an application at https:/ doodle4google.com and find more information on this website. You can also contact avaluntis@bcps.org for more information.

6

¡Saludos desde la clase de español! Despite the unpredictable weather, the students in fourth and fifth grade continue to progress in their Spanish literacy skills. In fourth grade, the students can hold basic conversations, discuss safe internet practices, describe their favorite colors and sports, discuss the activities that they like (and don’t like) to do, describe personality traits, describe physical attributes and talk about their families ¡en español! In fifth grade, the students can, describe their personal biographic information, discuss their preferences and favorites, identify various foods and where they belong on the food pyramid, and what they eat for various meals ¡en español! ¡Es increíble! Soon both fourth and fifth grade students will be working on their second mission (class projects) which will bring together all of the information they have learned this quarter. We cannot wait to see what they can do with the language!

¡Todos adelante! Moving forward together! Señorita Reier & Señora Gallardo

Read Every Day! Build vocabulary at home! Learning new words is a fun way for you and your child to have some bonding time. People need to hear a new word many times for it to become part of their vocabulary. Here are some suggestions to do at home to increase vocabulary development:

Word of the Week – Put a word on the refrigerator, every person uses the word every time they go in the kitchen and all words are posted somewhere for the month for reminders

Record It – Use your phone or recorder and have student say the word, define it, use in a sentence

Ten Questions – One person thinks of something, the others ask questions to try to guess the word, ex; “What category does it go in?” (animal, action, describing word)

Car Detective – When in the car, review homonyms and their meaning and spellings, ex: sun/son, pray/prey, flower/flour

One Letter – Write a word, then see if you can change it by adding ONE letter other than S, ex: fog/frog, bake/brake, pay/play

Guess My Word – Someone says, “I’m thinking of a word that starts with _, it is used to _______.” Ex: “I’m thinking of a word that starts with tr. It is used to carry plates of food.” (tray)

Let’s Blend – Someone starts with a word beginning with a blend, the everyone takes a turn saying a different word with the same blend, when there are no more, choose a new blend, ex: /tr/ tray, train, trip, trouble, triple

Vocab Hunt – Go around the house and point out items, see how fast your child can name them, ex: coffee maker, stove, oven, faucet, window sill, vacuum

However you can, fit in some time for learning or reviewing words with your kids! There are many more suggestions online of great, fun, engaging ideas for vocabulary! Happy Wording!

Stay Informed Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPES.BCPS/ Follow us on Twitter: @Pleasant_Plains Visit the school website: https://pleasantplainses.bcps.org Like our Parent Teacher Association on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PPESPTA

Here is some Spanish you can use at home. How do you describe yourself?

7

8

Notes from the Music Department Check out what your student has been learning in music class:

Kindergarten Vocal Music: Kindergarten students are being introduced to three rhythms; quarter notes (Ta), eighth notes (Ti Ti), and sixteenth notes (Ta Ka Ti Ki) in order to independently perform rhythmic songs on non-pitched percussion instruments such as rhythm sticks, maracas, and jingle bells. Students are also being introduced to two tone songs (So and Mi) in order to perform in small groups on pitched instruments, such as boomwhackers.

First & Second Grade Vocal Music: First and Second grade students are beginning to compose in groups using quarter notes (Ta), eighth notes (Ti Ti), and sixteenth notes (Ta Ka Ti Ki) in order to apply various dynamics, tempi, and articulations. Students have also been practicing communication and conflict resolution techniques in order to promote cooperation and teamwork when participating in group activities.

Third & Fourth Grade Vocal Music: Third and Fourth grade students are participating in mindfulness, conflict resolution, and community circle exercises in order to improve communication and relationship building. Students will begin a meditation unit centered around yoga in order to create concrete and abstract representations of music.

Fifth Grade Vocal Music: Fifth Grade students are practicing self-regulation skills in order to promote self-awareness and mindfulness. Students will begin a meditation unit centered around yoga in order to compose soundscapes and musical compositions to promote meditation.

Fourth Grade Exploratory Music: The fourth grade classes are continuing their unit on the Brass Family. So far we have discovered what makes an instrument a member of the brass family and are learning about the different brass instruments of the orchestra. The students are also practicing simple songs and techniques on the trumpet.

Fifth Grade Instrumental Music: Fifth grade band and orchestra students are working on their sight reading skills. That means that they are able to play a brand new piece of music on the first try. To do this, they need to be fluent in reading rhythms and pitches, both of which have been drilled into them the past month. Most instruments have also already learned their first major scale and are now able to play eight notes—we only started with three!

Musically yours, Ms. Ciaccio, sciaccio2@bcps.org & Ms. Seymour, kseymour@bcps.org

Learning in Library What students are learning in library this month:

Kindergarten will begin a unit on Fiction and how story elements help with understanding.

First grade is moving into a unit on tangrams and how they can inspire stories.

Second grade continues to work on the unit which discusses why a book is worthy of an award. Students will get to look at books which have won the following awards: Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and Honor, Coretta Scott King Award and Honor, John Steptoe New Talent Award and Honor, Pura Belpre Honor, and the Robert Sibert Award

Third grade will finish their unit on Fables and then start the unit on character traits.

Fourth grade continues to complete an independent research project on a topic of their choice.

Fifth grade continues to learn what sets award winning literature apart from other literature and produce a commercial to promote a selected book for their own original award.

As always, please consider donating to the library. We could really use markers, glue sticks, crayons, tissues, and hand sanitizer.

9

Ey on Sports Thank you to all that came out to our Table Tennis evening on January 9th! All families, students, and staff had a great time competing against one another.

February is recognized as Heart month. Students will be learning about their heart and the important role it has every single second. Students will also discover and explore ways to take care of and strengthen their heart. All K-5 students will also be participating in a rope jumping unit. Short and long ropes will be utilized along with a variety of skills. Rope jumping is a great physical activity to increase your heart rate and jump ropes can be found very inexpensive.

This year’s Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart event is coming up soon! We will be having our Jump Rope for Heart Kick-Off Assembly on Wednesday, February 7th. Students will be receiving information about our annual Jump Rope for Heart to benefit the American Heart Association. Please be on the lookout for these important papers. You can get started now by going to www.heart.org/jump. We have monsters this year to help us learn how to have a healthy heart! Have you heard about this year’s Scare Squad to help charge up your donations? Your teacher has three lifesaving monsters you can earn right away:

1. Unlock Jax by getting your first donation of $5. 2. Unlock Charger by getting your first online donation of $10. Be the first one to make an online donation and earn Jax, Charger and your monster clasp right away! 3. Unlock Disco by raising $40 online.

Take time today and log in to your Headquarters, where you can send 10 emails or e-cards to your friends and family and start fundraising. Going ONLINE makes it fun and easy!

Don’t worry, warm weather will return to Baltimore before we know it and we will be outdoors again. Thank you for your support of the physical education program at Pleasant Plains.

Steve Ey, sey@bcps.org & Lamont Smith, lsmith3@bcps.org

February Grade Level Updates

Pre-Kindergarten Pre-Kindergarten students will learn about animals, including pets, farm animals, and wild animals. We will identify the letters and sounds of Cc, Bb, Kk, Ee, and Rr. We will continue to blend syllables, rhyme, and identify the initial sounds in words. In Math, we will continue to learn about measurement including how to compare lengths and height, identify objects from shortest to longest, and use our counting skills to help with measurement.

Kindergarten We will be learning about the different seasons during reading. We will begin the weather unit in science, kindergarteners will learn about the weather outside and how it impacts us and our community. We will learn the letters Bb, Ll, and Kk. We will also practice the sight words is, little, if, let, she, was, had, and ran. During math, we will be counting and adding numbers together, we will begin to work with shapes as well. During writing, we are continuing to practice writing true stories.

10

First Grade In math, we are wrapping up unit 3. In this unit, students were exposed to a variety of story problems. They used strategies such as counting forward or backward on a number line, drawing pictures, counting on, and using known facts to help them solve the problems. Towards the end of the unit students will practice writing numbers 0-120. We encourage you to work with your child at home on writing numbers accurately.

In ELA, we are finishing our unit on folktales. The students have worked on identifying the characters, setting, story events, and moral. In addition, the students used temporal words (first, next, last) to retell the story orally and in writing.

Second Grade Phonics – Students will finish up phonics units on long vowels, learning several different letter combinations that create the long vowel sounds. They will then move into lessons on silent letters and r controlled vowels.

Language Arts – Students will work with informational text that relates to the big idea of “Live and Learn”. They will determine the main topic of a piece of informational text and sections within a piece of text.

Math – Students will be exposed to data. They will learn about data collection, recording, and analysis. Afterwards, they will begin a unit that focuses on ratios, patterns, and change.

Third Grade Third grade will be concluding their second multiplication and division unit. The end of the unit will culminate with two assessments: one online mimicking the PARCC assessment and one paper-pencil. After the assessments, third graders will begin a unit of study about fractions. In this unit, students understand and represent fractions, including fractions greater than one, as numbers by using number lines. Students compare fractions using models and by reasoning about the number of equal parts and the size of equal parts. Students understand fraction equivalence using area and linear models, including fractions equivalent to whole numbers. I suggest using fraction at home to further expose and put into practice the vocabulary for the unit. For example, instead of saying, “It’s 1:30,” try saying, “It’s half past 1.”

In reading, students will be concluding the third unit of study, Invention and Innovation. Students have grouped themselves by topic to start researching important inventions and innovations in history for our upcoming Invention Convention. During the convention, students will share the history of their invention and its innovations over the year. They will also speculate as to the future of their original invention. Students work collaboratively to research, synthesize, and present this information by means of their choosing.

Fourth Grade 4th grade progresses into the 3rd quarter!

We are finishing up our social studies unit on the Earliest Americans. Students study the ancient civilizations of: Inca, Maya, Olmec, Aztec, and Anasazi. Completing a project on the civilization of their choice will highlight students’ personal interest. Our next unit of study is called Age of Encounters, students learn about the eagerness to explore new lands launched an age of exploration in the 1400s and 1500s. The Spanish, French, Dutch, and English had a variety of reasons for exploring and colonizing North and South America, including a desire to attain wealth and status and to spread religion. The European nations’ actions in the New World had a significant impact on the native peoples already living there.

In math, we continue the unit of Strategies and Properties of Division. Students are learning how to divide multi-digit numbers by one digit divisors using area model and partial quotients. Students are asked to use their division skills to solve word problems. It remains essential that students memorize their basic facts as this supports math fluency and ease with solving multi-step problems.

In language arts, students are working on unit: Taking a Stand. They are analyzing the structure of infographics. Students will choose a topic to create their own infographic. Students will analyze other classmates’ infographics to grasp new information. Each night, students should read text on their guided reading level to strengthen comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills.

11

We encourage families to continue checking BCPS one, reading together, and incorporating math into your daily lives (reading the clock, estimating grocery totals, etc.).

Fifth Grade ELA: Students will be reading their historical fiction novels in order to complete a book talk for a culminating event. Students will focus on the skills of figurative language, narrator’s point of view, comparing characters, theme, and summarizing.

Math: Students will be finishing our unit on division in the next couple of weeks. Starting in quarter 3, students will be working with fractions; adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Continue studying those multiplication facts – it will help in math class!

Content: 5th graders have begun working on Unit 2, American Revolution, in Social Studies. We began with discussing the French and Indian War, conflicts with Britain, and the war broke out between England and the colonists. A Declaration of Independence from England gave support to the cause and led to our United States of America. Students will be choosing to be a Loyalist or Patriot for their end of unit assessment.

Would you like to volunteer at PPES? We are looking for volunteers to assist with our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair! If you are able to volunteer any day during the week of March 19th-23rd, any time between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, please contact Mrs. Lisa Norton at lnorton@bcps.org.