Dear Pleasant Plains Families,

Dear Pleasant Plains Families,

As we begin the month of November, we look to the holiday of Thanksgiving and reflect upon all for which we are thankful. We here at Pleasant Plains are thankful for this community, and the good we promote when we work together. We would like to thank all of you for your efforts and support in coming together to educate our children. We appreciate your positive energy and support, and for sharing your children with us. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

Sincerely, Mrs. Albert and Mrs. Looney

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 deters from dropping children off in the middle of Pleasant Plains Road, and avoids potential accidents.

EMERGENCY CLOSING FORMS Thanks to all parents who have returned their completed Emergency Closing Forms. It is essential that we have a form for each student at Pleasant Plains Elementary School. Information on the forms will be 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 provided to the school be updated should any changes occur. Additional forms are available in the school office.

REMINDER ? In the event of a countywide emergency early dismissal, we will not personally contact each parent. ? 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.

NOVEMBER 3 Terrific Kids, 9:30 am 3 First Quarter Ends,

Half Day of School, 12:15 Dismissal 9 Reading Night, 6:00 pm 13-17 American Education Week, Classroom Visits 14 PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm 15 Lifetouch Retakes and VIP 15 PTA Spirit Night at Chipotle 5:00-9:00 pm 16 Report Cards Distributed 16 Pre-K Conference Day, No School for Pre-K Students Only 17 Conference Day, No School for All Students 23-24 Schools Closed, Thanksgiving

DECEMBER 1 Terrific Kids, 9:30 am 1 Schoolhouse Rock Musical,

7:00 pm 2 Schoolhouse Rock Musical,

3:00 pm 7 Winter Concert, 7:00 pm 11-15 Scholastic Book Fair 12 PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm 25-29 Winter Break, No School

JANUARY 1 Winter Break, No School 2 School Reopens

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Conference Day

Conference day is Friday, November 17th and we look forwarding to meeting with you to share the progress our students have made during the first quarter of the school year. Please look for communication from your child's teacher to schedule a conference. There is no school for students on this day.

Our Pre-kindergarten classes will have two conference days on Thursday, November 16th and Friday, November 17th, there is no school for only pre-kindergarten students on these days.

American Education Week

American Education Week is November 13th ? 17th. This week presents us all with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education. At Pleasant Plains Elementary School, American Education Week provides us with an opportunity to host classroom visits throughout the week in order to share the exciting things our students and teachers are doing each day. We invite parents and guardians to visit their child's class during the following days and time:

Pre-K AM class

Monday, Nov. 13th 9:00-10:00

Pre-K PM class

Monday, Nov. 13th 1:00-2:00

Kindergarten

Monday, Nov. 13th 9:00-11:00

First Grade

Thursday, Nov. 16th 9:00-11:00

Second Grade

Thursday, Nov. 16th 9:00-11:00

Third Grade

Tuesday, Nov. 14th 9:00-11:00

Fourth Grade

Wednesday, Nov. 15th 9:00-11:00

Fifth Grade

Wednesday, Nov. 15th 9:00-11:00

Please remember to bring a photo ID and check in at the office for a badge before visiting your child's classroom.

You are also invited to stop by and visit Mrs. Sferlazza in the lobby throughout American Education Week. Mrs. Sferlazza will be checking out materials from the lending library and handing out free resources to build skills at home.

Additionally, grandparents are invited to visit their grandchild(ren) at school on Wednesday, November 15th. For a fee, Lifetouch Portrait Studio will be available to take portraits of grandparents with their grandchild(ren) on that day as well.

BCPL Loch Raven Branch

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

Loch Raven Chess Club for Kids, November 2nd & 16th, 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.

Loch Raven Comics Club, November 4th, 1:00-2:00 pm. participate in roundrobin comics making games with people of all experience levels! Supplies provided by library.

International Games Week: Family Game Day, November 4th, 2:30-4:30 pm. It's all fun and games! Libraries around the world are participating in International Games Week from October 29 through November 4. Join in on the fun and meet up for gaming at your local branch during this weeklong celebration.

Picture Retake Day

Lifetouch Portrait Studio will once again be at Pleasant Plains Elementary on Wednesday, November 15th. On that day, Lifetouch will be taking picture retakes as well as special portraits of grandparents with their grandchild(ren) for a fee. Pictures may be ordered online at , using the Picture Day ID MJ617227Q1.

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Family Reading Night

We're excited to see students and families at this year's Family Reading Night on Thursday, November 9th from 6:00-7:30 pm. We'll have fun camping theme activity stations, resources to take home, and pizza dinner for all participants. Please RSVP on the form sent home with your student. Students, don't forget to wear your pajamas!

Volunteer Connection

Volunteers make a difference! Our school librarian, Mrs. Schoen, is looking for adults in the community to volunteer their time in the library. Volunteers perform routine circulation desk tasks, assist students with locating materials, shelve books, and help students with their work as needed. Please do not feel that you have to know everything right away, over time you will grow to be comfortable with our school library operations and services. Prior to volunteering, all volunteers must complete the required BCPS volunteer training. For any questions or to volunteer your time, please contact Mrs. Schoen at aschoen@.

If you plan to volunteer in the school or attend field trips, please complete the BCPS volunteer training. Volunteer training consists of completing a paper volunteer application and an online volunteer training video available at . Volunteer training must be completed and submitted to school at least 24 hours in advance of scheduled trips or volunteering. Please contact Mrs. Sferlazza at hsferlazza@ or 410-8873549 if you need assistance.

Keeping It Green

Pleasant Plains is a Maryland Green School! This year we will be renewing our commitment to the environment by completing the green school renewal process. Part of this process will include student driven work to help clean up and educate others about the environment. We will focus our efforts on four main objectives:

? Waste Reduction ? Responsible Transportation ? A Healthy School Environment ? Habitat Restoration

Start looking with your child for ways that you can contribute to any of these objectives at home. Is walking or riding a bike to school or work an option for you? Could you use reusable containers to store leftovers instead of baggies or aluminum foil? When you plan your spring garden could you consider adding plants that are known to attract bees or butterflies? Those interested in supporting our environmental efforts or willing to share special skills and knowledge with our school STEM team, please contact Kerri Magee, kmagee2@, or Robin Thompson, rthompson6@.

Counselors' Corner

Notice your child frustrated, angry, or upset? Try a calming bottle to help release their frustrations! Take an empty water bottle (label removed) and fill it 3/4 of the way with hot water Next, mix in gel glitter glue and fine glitter Then, super glue the lid onto the bottle Lastly, shake, shake, shake!

When your child becomes upset or frustrated they can shake, twirl, twist, or turn the bottle and watch the glitter rest. Give it a try!

Mrs. Voegtlin, School Counselor

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PTA SPIRIT NIGHT

Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support Pleasant Plains Elementary School PTA!

Come eat at the Chipotle at 801 Goucher Blvd. in Towson on Wednesday, November 15th from 5:00pm and 9:00pm

Let the cashier know you're supporting the PTA and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the PTA.

Communication Corner

Activities for developing and improving your child's speech and language skills: 1. Be a good model ? speak clearly and slowly. Face your child when interacting. If your child says a word or sentence incorrectly, rather than correct them or ask them to repeat it, just say the word/sentence back to them correctly to show you have understood. This way your child always hears the correct version. This is how children learn language. 2. Remember your language level ? don't use words or sentences that your child will not understand. Speak to them using language they can understand, and explain any new words. 3. Make time to sit down with your child ? even if it is just for a few minutes a day (although the more one-to-one time, the better), spend some quiet time with your child, away from distractions. Look at a book together and talk about the pictures. 4. Turn off the TV, computers and phones ? children do not learn language and social skills by watching TV or playing video games. New evidence shows that too much TV or screen time can negatively impact listening and attention skills, which are critical skills for school success. 5. Observe and comment ? when you are playing with your child, take a step back, do not feel that you have to fill the silences, just comment on the things your child is doing so they can hear (and learn) the new vocabulary.

Read Every Day!

Questioning is an important aspect of teaching and learning because it drives learning, creates a language rich environment, reviews learning, encourages engagement and motivation, and develops critical thinking.

What types of questions can we use? Essentially, there are two categories of questions that we use within our classrooms and you can use while reading with your children: Early Level Questions: ask about information that is directly stated in the text and is supported by pictures and text details

Usually require memory recall of previously learned information There is often only one right answer to these questions Examples include: Who is the main character? Where does the story take place? When did the story take place?

Higher Level Questions: open ended questions that require the reader to refer back to the text in order to make connections between characters and/or events

These require students to analyze information and apply their knowledge Examples include: Why did the character do that? What is the story about? Does this story remind you of anything

you have read? How does the story unfold? What is unbelievable about this text?

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Learning in Library

Kindergarten and First Grade have become familiar with the library and are beginning to learn about digital citizenship. Grades 2-5 are finishing up units on digital citizenship and what it means to use internet and devices responsibly. Please remember to return all library books on assigned library days as scheduled.

Math Matters

Each month, the Math Action Team will be offering tips and activities to help students practice math at home. Get your child exercising while practicing math! Have your child skip count while doing jumping jacks. For each jumping jack, have your child count by twos, fives, tens, etc. Practice telling time on an analog clock. Younger students should practice telling time to the nearest hour and half-hour, and older students should practice telling time to the nearest minute.

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

Albert Einstein

Nurse Donations Needed

Mrs. Schaefer, our school nurse, is in need of new or gently used children's sweatpants or pants with elastic waistband in sizes 4-14, as well as children's underwear and socks new in package. Any clothing donations would be greatly appreciated.

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Ey on Sports

Fall is in the air and students are physically active on a daily basis at Pleasant Plains whether it is PE class, recess, or movement breaks within the classroom. Congratulations to all students who participated in the NFL Play 60 Challenge!! These students completed a 4-week activity log that began September 25th and finished October 22nd. Students were tracking the number of minutes spent physically active and exercising over a 4-week period. Prizes and incentives were given out to all participants.

In the upcoming month, students in Kindergarten ? 2nd grade will be utilizing scooters and other equipment to learn about the heart and health-related components of fitness (aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility).

Grades 3-5 will be participating in a capture the flag unit to learn about chasing, fleeing, and dodging strategies. Additionally, grades 3-5 will be applying the health-related components of fitness to Fitnessgram testing and fitness activities.

Please be on the lookout for information about our annual Turkey Trot event that will occur Wednesday, November 22nd.

Enjoy the fall weather and get outdoors as much as possible before the cold weather arrives. Thank you for your support of the physical education program at Pleasant Plains.

Steve Ey, sey@ & Lamont Smith, lsmith3@

?Bienvenidos a la clase de espa?ol!

Noviembre 2017: Fourth and fifth grade Spanish classes are in full swing here at Pleasant Plains. In fourth grade Spanish class, the students continue to be fully immersed in the language and are currently working on basic communication skills like greetings, farewells, introductions, feelings, ages, birthdays, and where they live. It is amazing to hear the students communicating in the language and to watch them become more confident in their skills. ?Qu? fant?stico!

In fifth grade, the students will soon be working on their first Mission, or Spanish class project. This project asks the students to create a pretend application to be part of a Spanish game show. In order to complete this mission, the students must be able to describe themselves and others, discuss preferences and talents, and create an appropriate team mascot. I am eager to see what the students produce! ?Buena suerte!

Along with weekly Spanish classes, all fourth and fifth grade students now have access to the Middlebury Interactive program online. The students access this program through their BCPS One accounts. This year, the fourth grade students will complete Middlebury I and the fifth grade students will complete Middlebury II. Since the students only have Spanish class once a week, the Middlebury programs allows them to have more exposure to the language and more time to practice their skills.

Hasta luego, Se?orita Reier and Se?ora Gallardo

The seasons are changing! Here is some Spanish vocabulary you can use at home!

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Notes from the Music Department

Check out what your student has been learning in music class:

Kindergarten: Kindergarten students are learning musical opposites such as Forte versus Piano (meaning Loud versus Quiet) and Presto versus Largo (meaning Fast versus Slow). Students are demonstrating musical opposites Forte and Piano using jingle bells and rhythm sticks. Students are demonstrating musical opposites Presto and Largo using activity scarves and parachutes. Students are also continuing to learn how to safely dance while being aware of their body space and keeping their hands to themselves.

First: First grade students are beginning to learn solfege notation by performing and labeling solfege syllables So and Mi. Students have performed So and Mi through boomwhackers and singing games such as "Cobbler, Cobbler" and "Hey, Hey Look at Me." Students will be introduced to solfege syllable La in order to continue playing on boomwhackers. They will be introducing to singing games that include the note La such as "Doggy, Doggy Where's Your Bone?"

Second and Third: Second and Third grade students are concluding their unit on the instrument families and have classified instruments into families based on aural and visual clues. Students have begun their rhythmic unit by composing using rhythms Ta (quarter note), Ti Ti (two eighth notes), and Ta Ka Ti Ki (four sixteenth notes) in order to perform on a variety of percussion instruments such as sand blocks, rhythm sticks, jingle bells, and maracas. Students will continue their rhythm unit in order to match musical rhythms to syllables in lyrics.

Fourth and Fifth: Fourth and Fifth grade students have begun music for their winter concert! The winter concert will be taking place Thursday, December 7th at 7pm. Students will receive additional information regarding the concert in the Winter Concert letter that will be distributed in November. Fourth grade students are learning the songs "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Marshmallow World." Fifth grade students are learning the songs "The Dreidel Song" and "Let it Snow!" Students will also continue performing and composing using rhythms one beat or smaller such as Ta (quarter note), Ti Ti (two eighth notes), and Ta Ka Ti Ki (four sixteenth notes) as well as rhythms larger than one beat such as half and whole notes in order to perform using drums and activity scarves.

Fourth Grade Exploratory Music: 4th grade students are continuing their exploration of the string family, and will continue to learn about the violin, viola, cello, string bass, and harp. The students have already learned two songs on the violin and will continue to learn how to use the bow and perform simple songs that use quarter notes and quarter rests.

Fifth Grade Instrumental Music: The 5th grade students have mastered the basics of their instruments, including assembly, cleaning, play position, and posture. The students are working on their first few pitches and rhythms that include quarter notes and quarter rests. The students are also starting to read the notes on a staff WITHOUT writing them down! They will soon be starting to work on music for the upcoming Winter Concert.

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

Stay Informed

Like us on Facebook: PPES.BCPS Follow us on Twitter: @Pleasant_Plains Visit the school website: Like our Parent Teacher Association on Facebook: PPESPTA

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November Grade Level Updates

Pre-Kindergarten

Pre-Kindergarten students will begin an "All About Me" unit. We will identify body parts, what makes each of us special, our feelings, and our families. We will identify ways to be a good helper and friend. We will identify the letters and sounds of Pp, Ff, Oo, and Ll. We will begin to identify syllables in a word, compound words, rhyming words, and counting the number of words in a sentence. In Math, we will identify the numeral 0-5, match one to one, count and compare sets using more, fewer and equal, and identify ordinal numbers first through fifth. We will count to 10 starting with one and also any other number.

Kindergarten

In Comprehension we will be talking about what rules to follow in different places, the places we go during the week, and the different sounds we hear around town. We will learn the sight words it, to, and, go, in. In writing we will be writing stories by using pictures and letters and words. In math students will be working on counting and number identification skills.

First Grade

We had a very busy October as we wrapped up our first reading and math units. As we move into November we will begin our geometry unit in math. We will work on identifying 2-D and 3-D shapes. We will use shapes to create other known shapes, and look for common attributes. In reading, we will begin unit 2 which explores elements of nonfiction. Students will continue to work in small group using the Daily 5 model for reading workshop. Please continue to have your child read each night and fill out the reading log.

Second Grade

Phonics ? Students will be working on combinations of letters and the sounds that they make. They will begin with consonant digraphs and three letter blends. Then, they will move back to vowels, focusing on long sounds and new ways that these sounds can be spelled.

Language Arts ? Students will deepen their understanding of the organization of informational text as they get to know and use various print and text features such as; images, charts, diagrams, and captions. They will also ask questions in order to demonstrate an understanding of key details, ideas, and connections between scientific ideas and concepts in a text.

Math ? Students will be working with geometry. They will identify two and three-dimensional shapes, focus on the properties of rectangles and rectangular prisms, and identify and create symmetrical designs. They will also explore various geometric transformations.

Third Grade

In math, students will continue Unit 2: Strategies and Properties for Addition and Subtraction. In this unit, students use place value, properties of operations, and number sense to perform multi-digit arithmetic. Students will organize, display, and interpret data by constructing and reading graphs. At Grade 3, the major focus is multiplication, so students' work with addition and subtraction is limited to maintenance of fluency within 1000 for some students and building fluency to within 1000 for others. Students are exposed to these standard algorithms for the first time in Grade 3, but the focus should be on understanding the underlying place value components more than on procedural fluency.

In reading, students will continue with Unit 2: Stories that Teach ? Fables, Folktales, and Myths from Diverse Cultures ? students read a variety of literary selections from around the world that emphasize life lessons & morals. Stories include

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