My last day.

Greetings Family,

As some of you may have heard, I have been called out of the country for military service. My last day with students this year will be June 1, 2017. Schoolwork will be left for students to complete in my absence. They have already been made aware of this and know to do their very best on their assignments.

We will be having a brief celebration tomorrow. Students have been invited to bring snacks to share with the rest of the class if they so choose.

I have greatly enjoyed working with each of you and your scholars this school year. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your lives.

Love,

Ms. Sheps

Weekly Quiz Study Guide

Greetings Family,

The following items will be on this week's quiz. The quiz will take place on Wednesday.

• All highlighted terms from lessons 2, 3, and 4. 
• List three ways people can buy goods and services today.
• They can:
• Use paper money and coins
• Write a check
• Use a credit card
• Why do people form businesses? 
• They have goods or services they want to sell.
• Look at the advertisement for the German Fire Insurance Company on page 122. In what way does the advertisement make people want to purchase the company’s product? 
• By showing a sympathetic image of a fireman rescuing a baby, the company wants people to feel that buying insurance will protect them and their property.
• What are the three characteristics of a small business? 
• Owned by an individual 
• Small number of employees 
• Small amount of sales
• Why do some companies choose not to do business in Maryland? 
• They might feel that state government regulations lead to higher business costs.
• What is another word for regulation? 
• Rule
• How did Henry Blair change farming in the state? 
• He invented new planting machines that helped farmers work faster and better. 
• What is one way Maryland companies use technology to help people? 
• They use technology to find new ways to treat illness. 
• In what products does Maryland specialize? 
• Chicken and seafood
• Name three jobs people have in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. 
• Fisher 
• Scientist 
• Government Worker 
• Why is water important to the Piedmont Plateau? 
• It is used to produce hydro electric power. 
• What do farmers grow in the Appalachian Mountain region? 
• Oats 
• Potatoes 
• Apples 
• Look at the map of resources on page 136. What are two resources found in the Appalachian Mountains? 
• Coal and Dairy 
• What are two resources found in the Piedmont Plateau?
• Limestone and Livestock 

It's your favorite day of the year.

This week in a nutshell.

Greetings Family,

A few quick announcements:

• Thanks to those of you who were able to make it out to our Honor Roll Assembly yesterday. Congrats to our scholars!
• Today and tomorrow, students will be taking the iReady and MAP tests. Hopefully their names will end up on our final set of banners!
• This week, students will need to complete 60 minutes of iReady and their reading log.
• Our weekly quiz and spelling tests will be next week! Stay tuned for details.
• This week, on Friday, each class will have a celebration for winning the monthly round of the Family Gems game (4.1 for March and 4.2 for April). Homeskillets are free to bring snacks if they please. I ask that the snacks are sharable (in individually wrapped packages), and that there are enough for all students in the class. I am on an eternal diet.

Let's have a great week!

Social Studies Notes

Family,

Opportunity cost

A note about this week's study guide. Students need to understand the following concepts and be mindful that the scenarios listed my change. It is less important for students to memorize a scenario and more important for them to understand the concept.

Notes were emailed out to parents this time around. Hopefully they are helpful!

-Ms. Sheps

Weekly Announcements

Greetings Family,

Welcome to the halfway point in the 4th quarter! These last few weeks have been a blur. I hope everyone enjoyed Spring Break. I certainly enjoyed working for the Army while I was away. Now it is time for us to push until the end.

• Career day is tomorrow! We look forward to learning all about jobs we may have in the future.
• This week students will have a reading log and 60 iReady minutes for homework. 
• The weekly quiz will be on social studies chapter 4, lesson 1 and Shiloh chapters 1-15. A study guide will follow.
• This week, we will complete our reading in the novel Shiloh! 
• In two weeks, students will take the Spring MAP and iReady diagnostics. This will establish their final levels of performance on each assessment. Following these tests, standardized testing for the year will be complete (yay!).
• Students will also have a spelling test this week. Here are the words:

1. Please
2. Pleasant
3. Breath
4. Breathe
5. Image
6. Imagine
7. Product
8. Production
9. Heal
10. Health
11. Triple
12. Triplet
13. Relate
14. Relative
15. Meter
16. Metric
17. Compose
18. Composition
19. Crumb
20. Crumble
21. Origin
22. Original
23. Academy
24. Academic
25. Inspire
26. Inspiration

Have a great week.

-Ms. Sheps

This week students are reading chapters 8-11 in class.

Greetings Family,

Students should be finishing up chapters 8-11 of Shiloh.  In case homeskillets need to complete the work over the weekend, the questions are here:

We do have a spring break packet. Here it is.

Greetings Family (from Southern California),

I hope Spring Break is going well for everyone. This is just a reminder that Spring Break packets were distributed to each student in addition to our class novel Shiloh. Students must read up to chapter 7 by the end of Spring Break. The were given a set of questions to accompany each chapter at the conclusion of last week. Students were also given a reading log to complete using the assigned novel.

Each assignment will be due on May 1, 2017. Please reach out to me via email if you have questions or concerns.

-Ms. Sheps

The PARCC is upon us.

Family,

The PARCC schedule and notification letter went home yesterday. If you did not get it, a copy is below for your reference.

-Ms. Sheps

 

Bringing Words to Life (BWTL) Words

Family,

Our Bringing Words to Life notes from last week are below:

1. Repetition is a noun that means the act of repeating something that has already been said or written.
2. Comfort is a noun that means something that makes you feel at ease.
3. Relative is a noun that means a person connected to you by blood, marriage, adoption, or foster care; someone in your family.

Social Studies Notes- Chapter 1, Lesson 5

Family,

Here are the social studies notes from last week:

• Important Terms
• Transportation- how people or goods moves from one place to another
• Communication- the ways and tools that people use to send information to one another
• Infrastructure- Forms of transportation and communication
• Network- a system of connected parts that work together
• Port- a place where ships dock to load or unload goods or merchandise
• Cargo- Goods and merchandise transported by ship, truck, boat, or airplane
• Why were the first settlements near water, such as oceans or rivers? 
• Water was a means to get from place to place by boat. At first, there were no roads. 
• It was easier to to travel and trade on water.
• What were some types of transportation that developed before the invention of airplanes?
• Railroads 
• Gasoline-powered automobiles 
• Horse-drawn wagons
• Carriages 
• Trains 
• Boats
• Why did roads become necessary? 
• Waterways were not always available or usable where people needed to go. Settlements spread out across the land, and people needed ways to connect these settlements. 
• How did railroads change transportation?
• They were faster than horse drawn wagons. There were more railroad tracks that went farther distances than roads. 
• What was the common change in each form of transportation as it was developed? 
• Each form of new transportation was faster and could go farther than the previous form. 
• How does the Chesapeake Bay Bridge make travel faster between the eastern and western shores? 
• The Chesapeake Bay Bridge makes it faster and easier to travel over the Chesapeake Bay instead of crossing the bay on a ferry.
• Why was building the national road an important accomplishment? 
• It was the first federal road in the united states. 
• The road opened new areas for settlement.
• Why is the college park airport so important? 
• The college park airport is important because it is the oldest operating airport in the nation. 
• Why did people need a national road? 
• The road opened new areas for settlement. 
• It was built through unsettled land when there was not big road-building machines to help with the work. 
• Why did people lose interest in the national road? 
• The rapid growth in railroads caused people to lose interest in the national road. 
• What was invented first, the radio or the telephone? 
• The telephone was invented first.
• What skills would a telegraph operator need? 
• A telegraph operator would need to know how to use the machine and how to read incoming messages.
• What was the sequence (order) of ways developed to send messages in the 1800s? 
• Letters and newspapers 
• Morse Code 
• Telephone
• How many years was it between the invention of the telephone and the first cell phone? 
• It took 107 years.
• How many years was it between invention of the first cell phone and the sale of the first smart phone? 
• It took 10 years.
• How long did it take for the world wide web to launch after the invention of the internet? 
• It took 20 years

Spelling Words 4.1

Greetings Family,

The spelling words for this week are below:

1. Reaction
2. Prerecorded
3. Incorrectly
4. Incredibly
5. Disobedient
6. Diagreeable
7. Refreshment
8. Unbreakable
9. Declaration
10. Retirement
11. Misdialed
12. Undefined
13. Unhappily
14. Watchfully
15. Gleefully
16. Sportsmanship
17. Repayment
18. Questionable
19. Displacement
20. Midshipman
21. Multicultural
22. Universally
23. Understatement
24. Outlandish
25. Inflammable

Quarter 4 Creative Arts Schedule

Hi Family,

The Quarter 4 Creative Arts Schedule is below.

-Ms. Sheps

Announcements for the Week (more to follow)

Greetings Family,

Welcome to the final quarter of the school year. A few things will be posted following this email:

1. The new creative arts schedule
2. The spelling words (yes, that's right) for the week
3. The social studies study guide from last week's notes
4. The Bringing Words to Life Words and definitions from last week's notes

A few things to remember, folks:

1. The book fair started today! It was awesome. We have a great selection of books. Homeskillets had the opportunity to write down titles and prices of books that interested them. They will have a few more opportunities this week to re-visit the book fair. 
2. We will have a spelling test and a weekly quiz on Friday.
3. The PARCC is approaching. I will keep you abreast of information as it comes to me. I just want parents to be aware schedules may be a bit different for kids in the near future. 
4. We are TWO WEEKS away from Spring Break. The kids are excited!

Let's make it a great week.

-Ms. Shepes

Extension!

Hola Familia,

The essay due date has been extended to Sunday at 12 noon. Just a few more tips/reminders to get you through the next day and a half:

• —Be sure you did not write a story. This is an essay.
• Ask yourself, "Have I included everything I need?" You should have the following:
• Intro paragraph: with a thesis
• 4 Body Paragraphs
• Conclusion paragraphs: 6 sentences 
• Reminder: The topic sentence of every body paragraph should be the reason to support your thesis.
• The rest of that paragraph needs to show that the topic sentence is true.

Are you done writing? Take one last look at your work.

• —Spell check your work. To do this, click “Tools”, then click “spelling”. The spell check will begin.
• —Whisper read your work. As you do this, listen for any mistakes or places where your writing does not make sense. 
• —Make sure your work is “Times New Roman” font at a size “12”. 
• Make sure there are NO SPACES between your paragraphs. They should only be on separate lines. 
• —Be sure your paragraphs are indented. 
• Double space your work. To do this, select the whole document with your cursor (or press CTRL A), click format--> line spacing-->double (trust me, this is the best part).
• —Give your essay a title. Remember, no extra spaces between the title and the first paragraph.

Is your essay longer than one typed page? Don't worry. Be proud! You've done excellent work. 

—

Final essays are due tomorrow. Here are all of the tips to ensure success!

Family,

We are really moving through our nonfiction essays in class. Students have done excellent planning and research, and drafting, now we are moving into our final draft/publishing stage. At this point, all students should have one typed draft shared with me on Google Docs. I have asked that they finish their final draft at home, if they were not able to finish in class. Even those students who have finished, should check their document if possible. I am making a concerted effort to comment on every single student's essay today. Students know how to respond to my comments and make appropriate changes in Google Docs. For those who have never used Google Docs before, it is a pretty cool program. As long as you have access to the internet, you can visit your document anywhere. Also, there is no "save" button because they program automatically saves your work.

Here are the steps to accessing Google Docs:

1. Visit docs.google.com
2. You may be prompted to log in. If so, use your school account login (firstname-lastname@pgcps.org and your password). You may have to enter your info a second time after you are redirected to the PGCPS login page. It's okay. Do what they are asking you to do. 
3. If you are not logged into google, here is what the process will look like:

1. If someone else (like Mom or Dad) is logged onto Google, here is how you add an account without logging theirs out:

1. Once you are logged into Google Docs, you should see your document just as you did today in class. 
2. Click on your document and begin work!

Speaking of work...

Some homeskillets are still missing a conclusion paragraph. You have two ways of writing a conclusion paragraph. Either way is fine. Check this link for the first option or just follow this formula:

Sentence 1: Restate your thesis in different words.

Sentences 2-5: State each reason as a sentence in different words.

Sentence 6: Leave an interesting lesson learned from your research about your topic. 

Last thing. This is how you will be graded:

I hope this info was helpful. Let's finish the quarter strong!

-Ms. Sheps

Social Studies Quiz 3.4

Hola Familia,

This is the last part of this week's study guide. Happy prepping!

• What are some benefits to moving to a rural community?
• There is less population density.
• People can work close to their homes.
• People can enjoy the peace and quiet.
• It costs less to live in a rural community.
• What does it mean when a rural community is described as having a lower population density?
• There are fewer people living in the community, and they live further apart.

Use the map on page 27 for this. 

• Which cities on the map have the highest population density? 
• Rockville, Baltimore, Annapolis
• What is the population density around Cumberland? 
• 100 to 250 people per square mile, or 259 to 648 people per square kilometer
• Is the greatest area of low population density in Maryland west or east of Baltimore? 
• East

Social Studies Quiz 3.4 Study Guide

Family,

Our Social Studies Quiz will be on Friday. Here are the notes from today:

• Important Terms:
• Population: the number of people who live there
• Urban: having to do with cities
• Suburban: a community that is close to a large city
• Commute: to regularly travel back and forth between your home and your job
• Rural: having to do with country or country life
• What is an area’s population density?
• Population density is a measure of how close together people live.
• What causes an area’s population to grow larger? 
• Many people move there for jobs, services, and entertainment.
• What are four things people like about cities? 
• Everything people need is nearby.
• There are more jobs. 
• There are good hospitals and schools. 
• There are special events, entertainment, and more excitement.
• What are two things people do not like about cities? 
• They are crowded and noisy. 
• People live very close together.
• What are two things people do not like about cities? 
• They are crowded and noisy. 
• People live very close together.

Do you have writer's block? Check these videos to jar your memory.

Greetings Family,

Some of you might be a little behind in your writing work. Here are some helpful links/examples to help you get writing!

KWL CHART--Plan your Writing: https://learnzillion.com/resources/99916-informational-writing

Writing an Introduction: https://learnzillion.com/lesson_plans/8814-write-an-introduction-for-an-informational-text

Writing a Conclusion: https://learnzillion.com/lesson_plans/6771-write-a-conclusion-for-an-informational-text

Announcements for the Week

Greetings Family,

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. We are off to another action packed week. Here's what is planned:

-Reading Logs and 60 minutes of iReady time have been assigned for Homework.
-We are finishing up our writing unit this week. Look for additional writing homework assignments as we close on our essay.
-We will have a social studies quiz this Friday. Please look for the study guide.
-This is the last week of quarter 3! Let's do our very best!

***Shout out to Marc Anthony for his stellar performance in our school production, "Ms. Nelson is missing."

Let's keep working hard.

-MS. Sheps

Short Study Guide for the Weekly Quiz (Rescheduled for Monday)

Greetings Family,

For this week's quiz, students need to know what a thesis is and how to recognize a thesis in informational text. Here is what we learned about a thesis:

• A thesis is the main argument in your writing.
• It is a fact you believe and can prove with evidence.
• ›Not everyone has to agree with your thesis.

The quiz has been rescheduled for Monday, March 20, 2017. 

Happy Snow Day!- Announcements from the Week

Greetings Family,

Happy snow day! I hope you enjoyed the time spent with loved ones out of the cold. Here are the announcements for the week:

-Students will have a weekly quiz this coming Thursday. The quiz will cover skills learned during our non fiction writing and reading units (study guide to follow).
-Students in class 4.1 were the victors of the February round of the Family Gems game. Our celebration will be on Friday. Students may bring snacks for students. I ask that if a student does bring snacks, they also bring items to share with the rest of the class. Individually wrapped packages are appreciated.
-Our Creative Arts Production will be on Thursday at 7PM. We hope to see you there!
-Quarter 3 ends next week! Let's make sure we are monitoring Schoolmax. Please reach out to me with questions. I'm happy to help.

Let's make it a great week folks. Keep working hard!

-Ms. Sheps

Grade Reports Came Out Today

Hola Familia,

Check this special message for a quick explanation of grade reports. One thing I forgot to mention is that if you see the letter "E" in a column that normally has the number grade, that "E" probably represents "exempt". It likely does not mean your child received a failing grade. I really hope this video is helpful. As always, please reach out with questions.

Respectfully,

Ms. Sheps

Tonight's Homework Due Tomorrow

Family,

We started our research work in class today. Please check out this video if you need a reminder of how to finish up your KWL chart:

In case you did not finish today's classwork...

Here is a quick clip reminding you of what you need to do.

Social Studies Chapter 1- Lesson 3 Study Guide

Social Studies Chapter 1- Lesson 3

• Important Terms
• Resource- Something useful that comes from the earth like water, land, plants and minerals
• Consequences-something that results from an action
• Middens- Hills of used oyster shells
• Habitat- A place where plants and animals normally live and grow.
• Pesticide- chemicals that kill pests like insects
• What are three things Native Americans did to meet their basic needs (basic needs: food, water, shelter)? 
• They cleared the land and planted crops. 
• They used the trees to build homes and boats. 
• They hunted and fished.
• What positive consequences have come from building dams? 
• Dams provide towns with water and electricity, prevent flooding, and make it easier to travel on rivers.
• What is one way plant and animal habitats may be destroyed by dams? 
• Building dams could flood land and destroy habitats.
• Look at the graph on page 21. If the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay reaches “improving” by the year 2015, how long will it have taken to reach this level from the earliest time shown?
• 45 years
• What are three ways of modifying the environment that are different from the ways of the early Native Americans? 
• Modern Dams prevent flooding and make traveling on rivers easier. 
• People made roads and highways. 
• Docks have been build for launching and storing boats.
• What are two ways you can protect the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways? 
• Pick up trash 
• Write to a government official about a threatened habitat
• What are two effects of a growing population? 
• There is less farmland. 
• More houses and jobs are needed.
• What are two laws that have helped control the environment? 
• There was a law about where people can build and what kinds of buildings can be built. 
• National parks, state parks, and forest preserves were created to protect plants and wildlife. 

Announcements for the Week

Good Afternoon Family,

I hope the week is off to a great start for everyone. Just a few announcements for the week:

-Progress reports will go out tomorrow. Please expect them to come home.
-There will be a weekly quiz this week! Students got their notes last week. Look for a study guide to come out later today.
-Reading logs and 60 minutes of iReady are due next Monday.

Have a great week!

-Ms. Sheps

Writing Homework Due Friday

Good Afternoon Family,

We have been working on a literacy task in school. The task consisted of reading and annotating three texts as a class. One of these texts was a visual text in which students were required to take notes. Each of these texts has a common topic- Abraham Lincoln. Students have also unlocked a writing prompt related to the three texts. They planned their writing responses to the prompt using evidence from each of the three texts. After planning the response, students began writing the response to the prompt. Finally, students created a final version of the prompt to be submitted for a grade.

The last day of our task completion was yesterday. Not all students were able to complete their final draft in the time allotted, so they were given the opportunity to finish the assignment at home. Students were given their writing materials and notes to bring with them. The last day that students will be able to submit their writing assignment will be Friday, March 3, 2017. This writing assignment is worth a quiz grade.

Announcements for the Week

Greetings Family,

I hope the week has been going well thus far. Welcome to March! Just a few things for this week:

-Homework has been assigned. Reading logs and 60 minutes of iReady will be due next Monday.
-Progress Reports will come out next week. Please look for them, but also monitor more current grades on SchoolMax.
-MAP and iReady reports are ready! Check out the post below for more info. Also, please note that only one report will be issued per student. Duplicate reports were not created.
-The weekly quiz grade for the week will be based on student writing work.

Continue to have a great week!

-Ms. Sheps

MAP and iReady Reports are Coming Home

Greetings Family,

MAP and iReady Scores will go out on Wednesday. Be sure to ask your scholar for his or her reports. Everyone should have received his or her scores. Also, please note that only one report will be issued per student. Duplicate reports were not created. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

-Ms. Sheps

Announcements and Study Guide for the week

Greetings Family,

Isn't this weather we are having something? I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. Also, we were so happy to see those of you who could attend the Honor Roll Assembly yesterday. Excellent work to those Homeskillets who got honor roll. Keep it up!

We will have a social studies quiz this Friday. The quiz will address Chapter 1, Lesson 2 of our social studies workbook. Please make sure you are bringing social studies books/notes home to study. In case you need it, here is a study guide:

• Important Terms
• Fertile
• Good for growing plants
• Quarry
• A place where rocks and minerals are dug out of the ground.
• Agriculture
• All types of farming, from growing crops to raising livestock
• Cultivated
• Used to raise crops
• Erosion
• The wearing away of land and rock by water.
• What are the three regions in Maryland? 
• There Atlantic Coastal Plain 
• The Piedmont Plateau 
• The Appalachian Mountains
• What is the effect of Maryland having such rich soil? 
• The state is a leader in farming. Farm products are used in many different ways.
• Describe each of the three regions in Maryland. 
• Atlantic Coastal Plain: flat, near the ocean 
• Piedmont Plateau: High 
• Appalachian Mountains: Mountainous
• What are two features that distinguish the Piedmont Plateau from the other Maryland regions?
• It is ideal for raising dairy cattle. 
• Quarries are common because many rocks and minerals are found there. 
• How are rocks and minerals from the Piedmont Plateau a valuable resource? 
• Rocks, such as granite, are processed into building materials.
• Why do people want to visit the Appalachian Mountains? 
• They come to enjoy the forests and wildlife and hike the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. 
• Use the chart on page 16. What happens to the size of the farm as the population changes? 
• The farms are smaller in higher populated areas. 
• The farms are larger in less populated areas.
• Why are state parks established in Maryland? 
• The population is growing, and people do not want to see all wild places disappear. 
• What is the effect of erosion in the state of Maryland? 
• In Maryland, erosion can cause the coastline to change. 

Good luck! Work hard. 

-Ms. Sheps

Announcements for this week

Greetings Family,

We have a few short announcements for this short-ish week:

• Remember, the MAP test is tomorrow. Make sure you get a good night's sleep and a delicious breakfast in the morning.
• We will have a Sweetheart Dance this upcoming Thursday.
• Thursday will also be the date of our class celebrations for the Family Gems game. Section 4.1 won the December round and section 4.2 won the January round. Students are permitted to bring in snacks that they can share with the class. As I am trying to reinforce a sense of teamwork and selflessness in the classroom, I ask that you do not send snacks for your child only. There is no need to send anything too complicated like chicken or pizza. Fruit snacks, bags of chips, juice boxes, and cookies are just fine.
• Students will NOT have a spelling test or weekly quiz this week.

Let's make it a great week! Work hard.

-Ms. Sheps

A few additional questions for this week's study guide

Greetings Family,


These questions also may be helpful for tomorrow's quiz.

• —Why is the Atlantic Coastal Plain usually warmer than the other regions in Maryland?
• —It is warmer because it is usually close to the ocean.
• What is the cause of heavy flooding along Maryland’s coast? 
• Heavy rains and Hurricanes
• How much does Maryland’s average temperature differ from it highest recorded temperature? 
• 55 degrees
• Compare the photographs on page 9. How does the shape of the land and the type of trees help you know that one picture shows the Atlantic Costal Plain and the other shows the mountains?
• The coastal plain picture shows flat land, leafy trees, and water. The mountain picture shows higher and steeper land and fir or pine trees.
• Also remember:
• Primary research is based on firsthand experience, experiments and observations. 
• Secondary research involves reading gathering information about other people’s experiences, experiments, and observations.

Good luck!

-Ms. Shepard

MAP Testing Date Announcement

Hi Family,

This is hot off the presses. Our Winter MAP will take place on Wednesday, February 8, 2017! Let's get pumped up.

-Ms. Shepard

Notes for this week's weekly quiz.

Hola Familia,

Here are some tidbits that may help with this week's weekly quiz. In writing, students need to know the following:

• In Social Studies, students need to know the following terms and their definitions.
• Geography- the study of everything on earth’s surface
• Environment- natural surroundings like air, land water, and plants
• Climate- the kind of weather a place usually has from year to year
• Landform- a shape or a type of land on earth’s surface
• Plateaus- like mountains but flat on top 
• Region- an area that has features that make it different from other areas
• Fall line- a place where land suddenly changes from high to low
• —What are three tasks a geographer may do? 
• A geographer makes maps 
• A geographer explores how physical features affect our lives 
• A geographer studies how humans affect the natural environment 
• —What other states are in the same region as Maryland?” 
• Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine 
• In what region is the Chesapeake Bay? 
• —Northeast Region
• How did the Delmarva peninsula get its name?
• The peninsula is a part of three different states. The name is a combination of those states’ names: Del (Delaware), mar (Maryland), va (Virginia)
• What two similar mountain ranges cross Western Maryland and are part of the Appalachian Mountains?
• The Allegheny Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains
• —What is the highest point in Maryland? How high is it? 
• —Backbone Mountain is the highest point in Maryland. It sits at 3,360 feet or 1,024 

Announcements, Notes and Spellings Words for this Week's Quizzes

Greetings Family,

Welcome to the beginning of another wonderful week. I have just a few announcements.

• Welcome to Black History Month! This month we be incorporating African-American History into our nonfiction writing unit. 
• On February 9, 2017 the PTSA will sponsor a Sweetheart Dance. It should be sweet time! (get it?)
• This week, students will have a spelling test and a weekly quiz.
• The weekly quiz covers material presented in our writing lessons and social studies lessons from the first two weeks of the quarter.
• Our spelling words for the week are as follows:

1. Thrive
2. Impact
3. Tolerate
4. Barren
5. Observe
6. Zone
7. Severe
8. Ideal
9. Flock
10. Ascend
11. Altitude
12. Migration
13. Equinox
14. Estimate
15. Unpredictable

iReady Winter Diagnostic Tomorrow

I apologize deeply for the short notice. This is just to inform you that we will have our iReady Winter Diagnostic tomorrow during the regularly scheduled class time. No prior preparation is needed except for a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast (perhaps a high five on the way out of the door as well). As always, thank you for your support. 

Social Studies Chapter 2: Lessons 3-5 Study Guide

Family,

This week we will complete our work on Chapter 2 of our social studies workbook. We have reviewed lessons 3-5. Here is what will be on the quiz:

Important Terms (Lessons 3-5: pages 58-73)

• Tax- the money citizens pay to a government
• Patriots- Colonists who opposed Great Britain’s attempt at control
• Loyalists- People who stayed loyal to Great Britain
• Delegate- someone who represents a group of people
• Amendment- changes or adds laws to a constitution
• Impressment- the kidnapping of American sailors to force them to serve in the British Navy
• Blockade- to keep something from going in or out
• Industrial Revolution- new machines changed the way Americans and people around the world lived and worked
• Mill- a factory in which raw material is processed
• Canal- a human-made waterway 
• Civil Rights- freedoms guaranteed by the constitution for all citizens of the United States
• Border State- A state between the north and south
• Abolition- the end of slavery 
• Union- the United States 
• Emancipation- the act of making someone free 
• What caused the colonists in Maryland to decide they wanted independence from Britain?
• Britain passed laws that angered the Maryland Colonists.

Lesson 3 (page 58)

• Why was it important to the cause of American Independence that there were Sons of Liberty in every colony? 
• It was important that the colonists formed a widespread group whose members all wanted independence.
• Remember this sequence of events:

1. Charles Carroll tells Captain Stewart to burn his ship. 
2. Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia 
3. Declaration of Independence is Approved 

• What is something that changed in Maryland after the Revolution that is still the same today?
• Baltimore is still the state’s largest city.
• What was the purpose of the Continental Congress? 
• Delegates from each state met to discuss a new plan of government and write a constitution.
• What are the important events that happen between 1776 and 1787? 
• 1776: Declaration of Independence
• 1783: American Revolution Ends 
• 1787: The Constitution is written and approved.
• What actions did Great Britain take that led Maryland to join the cause for independence? 
• The British collected extra taxes to pay for the war in Europe. The British tried to control the colony.
• How did the revolution give Marylander’s independence? 
• Before the Revolution, Marylander’s were colonists controlled by Britain. After the Revolution, they were citizens of the state of Maryland in a new nation.
• What are three causes of the war of 1812? 
• British ships were stopping American ships at sea.
• Great Britain, France, and the United States argued about who could trade with whom. 
• There were also problems between settlers and Native Americans in the West and along the border between Canada and the United States.
• What is one effect of the War of 1812? 
• After the war, the United States seemed to be stronger than ever.

Lesson 4 (page 62)

• Remember this sequence of events:

1. President James Madison declared war. 
2. The British were kidnapping American sailors. 
3. Baltimore sent out Baltimore Clippers to slip through the Blockade. 
4. The White House and the capitol building went up in flames. 

• Remember this sequence of events:

1. Baltimore became an important port. 
2. As businesses grew, there were more jobs in Baltimore. 
3. Many people moved to Baltimore. 

• Using the map on page 7, answer the following: You are taking the Baltimore and Ohio railroad from Baltimore to Oakland. What cities will you pass along the way?
• Fredrick, Martinsburg, and Cumberland
• What are four kinds of changes that took place in Maryland in the early 1800s? 
• The population was growing. 
• There was more industry. 
• Transportation and religious freedom improved. 
• People’s ideas about slavery were changing.

Lesson 5 (page 68)

• Which states were border states? (Use the map on page 71.) 
• MO- Missouri 
• KY-Kentucky 
• WV- West Virginia 
• MD- Maryland 
• DE- Delaware
• Were most states on the side of the Confederacy or on the side of the Union? 
• More states were on the side of the Union. 
• Remember this sequence of events:

1. 1860- Lincoln is elected 
2. 1861- Baltimore riot 
3. 1862- Battle of Antietam 
4. 1865- Civil War ends

• Why weren’t slaves in Maryland free after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation? 
• The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states, but Maryland wasn’t in the Confederacy.
• How did slavery end in Maryland?
• The new constitution made slavery illegal in the state of Maryland.

Announcements

Greetings Family,

I hope that you were able to find some sort of meaningful time during this past Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Here are a few announcements for this short week:

• The elementary music concert will be Thursday, January 19th at 7PM. We hope to see you there!
• There is no school for students on Friday, January 20, 2017. 
• There will be a no spelling test this week. There will be a weekly quiz this week. A study guide will follow this post.
• Reading logs and iReady minutes were assigned today. They are due next Monday, January 23rd.
• We are approaching the season for iReady and MAP winter updates. When these dates are scheduled, I will be sure to let you know.

Let's make it a great week! Work hard.

-Ms. Sheps

Quarter 3 Arts Schedule

Hi Family,

The Quarter 3 Arts schedule is here. Take a look at your earliest convenience.

-Ms. Sheps

Weekly Quiz 2.5 Study Guide

Greetings Family,

The following items will be on this week's quiz:

• All BWTL Words: Estimate, Severe, Unpredictable
• Students should know the definition and part of speech for the word.
• Students should know how to use the word in a sentence.
• Students should know cause and effect.
• Cause: a reason something happens
• Effect: the result of the cause
• Social Studies Chapter 2: Lesson 2
• Key Terms
• Charter- an agreement
• Proprietor- an owner 
• Assembly- A group of people elected to make laws or decisions for a particular region 
• Tolerate- to allow something 
• Bartered- traded 
• Cash Crop- A crop sold for profit 
• Plantations- Large farms 
• Indentured servants- a person agreed to work for a certain period of time
• Why did Catholics in England want to move to America? 
• In England, Catholics faced many restrictions. They wanted religious freedom.
• List three instructions given to Maryland settlers by the colonial proprietor.
• They had to build a town. 
• They were to plant gardens near their homes. 
• They were to teach their religion to Native Americans.
• What was one problem settlers faced in Maryland? 
• Diseases killed a lot of settlers.
• What is one cause of colonial farmers moving west? 
• Towns develop. People can buy supplies and grind their grain at a central mill.
• What are the differences and similarities between slavery and indentured servants?
• Indentured servants work for a specific amount of time and are given freedom at the end of their contract. 
• Slaves are forced to work for life. They do not agree to a contract. 
• Both had to work for someone else (a master) and were not free to leave.

Study hard!

-Ms. Shepard

Weekly Announcements, Notes, and Spelling Words

Greetings Family,

I hope you had a pleasant and restful weekend. Hopefully you were able to keep warm throughout the snow. Just a few reminders and things on the horizon as we close out quarter 2:

• There will be no school on Monday, January 16, 2017 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 
• The elementary music concert will be Thursday, January 19th at 7PM. We hope to see you there!
• There is no school for students on Friday, January 20, 2017. 
• There will be a spelling test and a weekly quiz this week.
• Reading logs and iReady minutes were assigned today. They are due next Tuesday, January 17th.
• We are approaching the season for iReady and MAP winter updates. When these dates are scheduled, I will be sure to let you know.
• Students learned their "Bringing Words to Life" words today. They are
• Severe is an adjective that describes something very serious of harsh.
• Estimate is a verb that means guessing based on the information you have.
• Unpredictable is an adjective that means something can't be described or depended on; unsure.
• "Compound Word" spelling words were assigned today. They are as follows:
1. Watermelon
2. Homemade
3. Understand
4. Sometimes
5. Shoelace
6. Highway
7. Upstairs
8. Thunderstorm
9. Shortcut
10. Doorbell
11. Jellyfish
12. Touchdown
13. Campfire
14. Skateboard
15. Anyway
16. Fireworks
17. Haircut
18. Loudspeaker
19. Laptop
20. Flashlight
21. Masterpiece
22. Stomachache
23. Cliffhanger
24. Sweatshirt
25. Afterthought

Let's make it a great week. Work hard.

-Ms. Sheps

Weekly Quiz 2.4

Greetings Family,

The following items will be on this week's quiz:

• Our BWTL Words: thrive, impact, tolerate
• Students must know the definitions of each word.
• Thrive is a verb that means to grow strong and well; flourish.
• Tolerate is a verb hat means to endure or put up with something.
• Impact is a noun that means to have a direct effect on. It can also be used as a verb.
• Students must know the part of speech for each word.
• Students must know how to use the words correctly in a sentence.
• An inference is when the reader uses details from the text and background knowledge to understand what the author is trying to say.
• Examples of inferences: Prediction, Conclusion, and Assumptions
• What is an inference Equation?
• TC (Text Clues) + BK (Background Knowledge) = I (Inference)
• What is a myth?
• A myth is a traditional story that explains how things in nature came to be.

I hope this helps!

-Ms. Sheps

Happy New Year!- Announcements and Spelling Words

Greetings Family,

Welcome back! Happy New Year to all. 

• This week, no reading log will be assigned. Students are still responsible for their iReady homework. It is still due Monday of next week. Reading logs will be reassigned next week. 
• We will have a spelling test and a weekly quiz this Friday. Spelling words 21-25 will be extra credit this week. The spelling words are as follows:
1. However
2. Mountain
3. Mound
4. Scout
5. Shout
6. Couch
7. Towel
8. Ounce
9. Coward
10. Outdoors
11. Flowerpot
12. Scowl
13. Browse
14. Announce
15. Hound
16. Trout
17. Drowsy
18. Grouch
19. Eyebrow
20. Boundary
21. Cauliflower
22. Foundation
23. Surround
24. Allowance
25. Counselor