CMIT South MS/HS Newsletter

Happy Friday CMIT South Community!

We hope this message finds you well as we navigate the colorful and crisp days of October. Our school community is thriving, and we are thrilled to see the students settling into their routines. We encourage parents to attend our Monthly PTO Meetings as well as the Monthly Grade Level Town Halls. Your involvement is vital to your child's success!

Important Dates:

• November 2: End of First Quarter
• November 3: Professional Day for Teachers – ½ Day Asynchronous Learning for Students
• November 10: Professional Development – Schools Closed for Students

CMIT Spirit Wear:

It’s time for some new CMIT SWAG! We are currently selling CMIT South Gear to both students and parents! Rep your school at school events, over the weekend, or on Spirit Gear Fridays! Parents, we have special gear for you so the world will know that we are “Just That Good!” The sale will take place Friday, October 27th through Monday, November 6th. Use the link below to place you order!

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in your child's education. Together, we can ensure a successful and enriching school year.

Educationally yours,

Dr. Borden-McCarter, Principal

CMIT Family,

Open house dates for interested lottery applicants:

• In-person:
• November 11, 2023
• Virtual:
• December 13, 2023
• January 11, 2024

Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Location: CMIT Middle/High School Auditorium

Open to All Grades

Dear CMIT Students,

Get ready to shine and let your talent take center stage! We are excited to announce the CMIT Middle/High School Talent Showcase Audition, coming your way on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. Whether you're part of a group or an individual, this is your chance to showcase your unique skills and leave your mark on the CMIT stage.

Audition Details:

Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Time: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Location: CMIT Middle/High School Auditorium

Who Can Audition?

We welcome all students from every grade to audition, whether you're a solo performer or part of a group act. Singers, dancers, actors, musicians, comedians, and performers of all talents are encouraged to participate.

How to Audition:

Sign up for an audition time slot by Wednesday, November 1st. Audition slots are limited, so be sure to sign up as soon as possible! Use this Sign-Up Genius Link to choose a time.

Prepare your act - it can be a song, dance, instrumental performance, a skit, or any unique talent you possess. Showcase your skills during your audition on November 8th you will have 5 MINUTES to audition.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Ms. Eades in Room 132

Let's make the CMIT Middle/High School Talent Showcase a night to remember! See you on November 8, 2023.

Join the AI Club for Exciting Updates!

Dear students and parents,

We're excited to share some important updates regarding our AI Club, where we explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

📆 When: Every THURSDAY

🕒 Time: 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

🏫 Where: Classroom 314

📣 Important Updates Await You:

Join us every THURSDAY after school from 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM in Classroom 314 for the latest developments in AI. This is your chance to stay informed about cutting-edge AI technologies and engage in hands-on projects.

🔗 To Join the Club: https://forms.gle/JjnD7RwJLLPL5JeC7

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore the limitless possibilities of AI! Stay tuned for updates, guest speakers, and so much more.

Join us this THURSDAY in Classroom 314, and let's explore the world of AI together. We can't wait to see you there!

For any inquiries or assistance, please contact osoycan@cmitsouth.org

Let's bring AI to life - one Tuesday at a time! 💡🤝🌟

Dear Families and Students,

We are thrilled to present the latest schedule for our STEM After School Clubs! These clubs offer an exciting opportunity for students to engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a fun and interactive way. Below, you'll find details about each club, its schedule, and how to get involved.

Getting Involved:

To join any of these STEM clubs, simply attend the scheduled meetings in the specified rooms. No prior experience is required, and all students are welcome. It's a fantastic opportunity to learn, make friends, and have fun while exploring the world of STEM.

If you would like to join any of our STEM clubs or have questions, please email us at osoycan@cmitsouth.org.

We're excited to see you at our STEM After School Clubs. Let's foster a love for STEM together!

Best regards,

OZKAN SOYCAN

STEM Coordinator

Greetings Parents, Guardians, & Scholars,

I’m so excited to announce the start of our 2024 STEM/Maker's Faire process. Scholars will need to decide which process they want to follow. The end result of these processes looks different. I advise you to work together to choose the best fit for your interests and budget. Please note that although your child's teacher will be doing check-ins, the majority of the work is expected to be done at home.

If your scholar chooses to follow the STEM Process they will use the scientific method to guide them through an experiment. Their experiment will have them identify a question to ask, do background research, construct a hypothesis, test the hypothesis by doing the experiment, analyze the data, draw a conclusion, and report the results.

The Maker’s Faire process guides scholars through the engineering design process (or engineering method). This process offers similar steps for students working on engineering projects and inventions. Engineering design projects don't have a hypothesis to test. Instead, they have a challenge or problem that needs to be solved and, often, a set of design constraints that need to be considered when brainstorming and prototyping solutions. At the end of this process, your scholar would’ve built a working prototype of their idea.

With everything going on in the world I want all our scholars to take this time to be inspired to investigate their wonders, build new ideas, and experiment with their curiosity. Grades 6-12th will be required to participate. Review the timeline and mark your calendars. To make sure you receive feedback promptly, late work will not be accepted, please strive to meet all submission deadlines. Your scholar's science teacher will review all requirements and rubrics and post additional information on their canvas pages.

All dates may be subject to change, the most up-to-date changes will be posted on the newsletter and on Canvas. I look forward to seeing everyone's hard work at the 2024 STEM/Maker's Faire!

Warm Regards,

Miss Hamilton

Science Department Chair

Happy October!

Reminder of Important awareness topics that will be focused on this month that we want to continue implementing and taking supportive action with.

OCTOBER Awareness Month Reflection:

• Communicate with Your Kid Month
• Crime Prevention Month
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
• National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month
• Positive Attitude Month
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month

And so many more! Although there are so many initiatives to highlight every month, we may not cover them all in one space. Feel free to continue to learn, share, and practice these educational and health awareness topics with your students, family, self, and community!

TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR FAMILY AND STUDENT WELLNESS AND HEALTH:

• Bullying Prevention Month PSA by Port Towns: Port Town PSA - Cyber Bullying Video.
• Directed by Professional School Counselor: Daisy Anderson-Dickens
• New podcast by PGCPS Mental Health Clinicians featuring school staff, families, and students:
• 🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/054a12b6-9d81-45d2-a677-e93a60f4c7ca/questions-on-my-mind
• 🎧 Spotify: https://spotify.link/GrdiJCAFMDb
• 🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introduction/id1711211726?i=1000630835978
• 🎧 Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ajjb080f
• Resource: Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth

Sincerely,

Ms.Tutt, Wellness and Mental Health Counselor

Email: mtutt@cmitsouth.org

Dear CMIT South Family,

I hope this message finds you well. I am excited to announce that Saturday Academy officially began on October 14th, and we are thrilled to have your child/children participate with us. As part of our commitment to providing students with quality educational experiences, we will have two sessions to choose from, just like in previous years. The first session will run from 9:00 AM-10:40 AM, and the second session will run from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM. Of course, you are welcome to choose both sessions.

So, what do we offer? Our Saturday Academy provides an optional small group setting to assist our students in core classes such as English, Math, AP Class Support, and SAT Prep. During these sessions, we will help with homework and provide additional skills and practice in RELA and Math. This year, we are excited to introduce science help every week, along with a once-a-month science lab. Please note that to participate in the labs, there will be a sign-up Genius, as we must limit the number of students participating for safety reasons. We reserve the right to have some discretion in those who participate in the labs again for safety reasons. October 28, 2023 will be a science lab day. Please use this link to sign up to participate. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E48A8AD23A1F94-45412223-science

Wondering about the procedure? Your scholars will be dropped off and picked up on the same side as normal drop-offs and pick-ups. There will be a sign outside of the door that we will utilize each Saturday. This is the only door that students will use each week. I will be waiting for your scholar to sign in and direct them to where they need to go.

What do I need from you and your scholar? I need your scholar to know what he/she needs assistance with. Upon entering, the first questions I will ask them are: What grade are you in, and what do you need help with today? Are you staying for both sessions?

I need you as parents/guardians to provide your scholar with a snack if possible if they plan to stay for both sessions because that is a long time without something to eat. I will try to have a snack available each Saturday, but it may not be what they want. Most importantly, I need you to respect our time together. We are providing a service, but we also have families to get home to on the weekends. Please pick up your child on time.

Lastly, use the link below to register your child.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to helping your child/children receive additional support.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jones

As a reminder to all parents whose child is not up to date with their immunizations. Students will be excluded from school starting 09/18/2023. An execution letter was mailed to all students that are Non-Compliant. A free immunization clinic is available. Please check the PGCPS website.

First with the week recap!

• Our Varsity Soccer team concluded their season this week, as they lost in the playoffs to Largo High School. They fought hard in every game this season and we are still super proud of all of their accomplishments.
• Our CMIT South Volleyball program had another busy week as they played 3 games. On Monday, October 23rd we had our Senior night for the volleyball players. The team dominated and won the match 3-0. Following senior night, the team played on Wednesday night vs Douglass. Although they lost, they look forward to bouncing back today vs Potomac before they head to the playoffs.
• MS Basketball tryouts went well, and both teams are looking forward to starting their seasons!!!

The Week Ahead

• Our Varsity volleyball team will begin their playoff tournament next week. We will announce dates and times after the seeding meeting is had on October 30th.
• Middle School Cheerleading tryouts will take place on November 1st.
• All students must have a physical completed and turned in within the last calendar year. Feel free to utilize the link to print physical forms or utilize forms provided to you by your child's pediatrician.

Upcoming:

• High School Basketball Tryouts will begin the week of November 13th.
• Indoor Track season is coming. All students who are interested please make sure you contact Mr. Cooke. His email address is tcooke@cmitsouth.org
• All HS students interested in participating in athletics must register on Aktivate. The Link will be at the bottom of the page.
• All students must have a physical completed within the last calendar year in order to be on an athletic team

If you are looking forward to purchasing tickets to any CMIT South home games, please utilize the link below. Game tickets will be available for purchase at the start of each week.

Congratulations to our Seniors for getting one final regular season win on their home court this past Monday on Senior Night. We are so incredibly proud of all your hard work and dedication to the team over the years, and we are excited to see you compete in the tournament and continue this year's success!

Varsity beat Central on Senior Night this past week, while JV and Varsity both fell to Frederick Douglass. Both teams play their final home game tonight against Potomac. Varsity will continue their season in the state tournament, which begins in November. The tournament draw takes place on Monday.

Thank you again for your continued support of the team!

Coach Sears & Coach K

-----------------------------------------------

UPCOMING GAMES: (JV games start @ 5:30 pm & Varsity starts immediately following)

• Region Tournament Game: TBD

GAME RESULTS:

One Day Only!! Come One Come All to MS Cheer Tryouts!

Nov. 1st from 3-6pm

• All scholars need to have a physical (no exceptions) - any questions about the physical please email Mr. Smith
• Please have a change of clothes (no exceptions)
• All scholars will perform 1 cheer solo, NO groups
• All jumps & flips (If you can)
• All parents should arrive between 5:30-5:45pm
• If parents are going to be late please inform your scholar to let Coach Nikkie & Kelly know
• Any scholar that is picked up after 6pm may lose their chance to be on the cheer team and will have to re-tryout next school year.

All scholars are welcome to try out even if they did not attend an open gym.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE TRYOUT THIS YEAR!!

If you are looking for some volleyball options for your student, please check out the links, flyers, and posts below for clubs in the area. Club volleyball is the best way for players to improve their skills and learn the game of volleyball.

Middle school students should strongly consider playing if they hope to play once they get to high school. High school players should consider playing to strengthen and improve their skills before next season. Also, anyone hoping to play in college should play club, as most college coaches recruit during the club season.

Club tryouts are happening at the start of November for most clubs, and many clubs have teams for both girls and boys. If you aren't ready or can't commit to club volleyball just yet, please still take note of the websites, as some clubs offer clinics throughout the year that could be beneficial for players as well.

The Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association (CHRVA) has compiled a spreadsheet of clubs in our region. The sheet includes each club's updated tryout dates, website, and contact information should you have any questions. Click the link below to access the information.

Coach Sears

AR Stars Volleyball Club Team Tryouts for 2023-24 season are coming soon!!

Girls and boys ages 12-18 are eligible to join a team.

All ages will try out the weekend of November 3rd-5th.

Check out the link above or flyer below for more information.

The Potomac Valley Premier League is an AAU-sanctioned league created to provide a cost-effective option for club volleyball. The PVPL will allow athletes who desire to compete to have an opportunity to participate in competitions among local/regional teams. The league concludes with a Grand Prix to allow teams an opportunity to win a bid to AAU Nationals.

The schedule consists of 6 to 8 dates and is divided up into 8 teams in the following age groups:

• Ages 11-13 (Middle School)
• Ages 14/15
• Ages 15/16
• Ages 17/18

The Potomac Valley Region seeks volleyball teams, clubs, and/or individual players to participate in the PK Martin Sports Festival. Individual players will be placed on a team by age and position. This event is a Super Regional in which participating teams can win a full or partial bid to the AAU National Championship.

Age groups are as follows:

• 14U
• 15/16U
• 17/18U

Team entry fee is $375 Max 12 player/roster - Team Registration link

Free Agent Player fee is $75 - Register here

The class of 2025 is selling spirit blankets! Please use this link to order yours today. We are collecting pre-orders until October 31, 2023 which is when the order will be placed. Only those who have purchased in the pre-order will be eligible to receive a blanket. The blankets should take about 60 days to arrive at school where Ms. O'Daniel will have the list of those who ordered and will email a time for pickup of the blankets.

Blankets are $35 and the class of 2025 will receive over 50% of the profit of this fundraiser! Thank you so much for your support of this fundraiser.

Any questions can be sent to bodaniel@cmitsouth.org

Seniors!!!

The following link is a list of scholarships with deadlines in early October! For any questions or concerns, please reach out to the contact information provided on the scholarship's page.

https://studentscholarships.org/scholarships.php

Good Day Parents, Juniors, and Seniors!

Please see the attached flyer for a FREE HBCU College Fair hosted by Mount Calvary Baptist Church. For any questions or concerns, please reach out to the contact information provided on the flyer.

Seniors! Check out this phenomenal STEM scholarship opportunity! https://futureofstemscholars.org/fossi

The 2023 Baltimore Washington Invitational Men's Gymnastics Meet needs volunteers to help make the event a success!

Location: Fairland Sports and Aquatics Complex

Dates:

• 12/8, 7pm to 10pm
• 12/9, 8am to 10pm
• 12/10, 8am to 8pm

Preference will be given to students that can commit to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

There are a limited number of volunteer spots!!

Sign up by clicking the button below.

Greetings CMIT South Class of 2024!

Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation has taken a proactive position in identifying early interest and recruiting educators for each of their seven schools located in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. To that end, they are elated to share The CLF TEACH Service Grant Application for eligible 2024 graduating seniors, or CLF alumni.

Once the grant applications have been received, the Application Review Committee will select recipients for the one-time $10,000 grant. Recipients will agree to serve in a teaching capacity at any of our Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation Schools for one year to repay the $10,000 grant (1:1). If a grant recipient does not teach at one of our seven schools immediately upon graduation from the college or university, the grant will become a loan, repayable with interest.

If you are interested, the deadline for submitting applications is December 15, 2023.

Greetings CMIT-South Family,

We are excited to welcome qualifying scholars for the Middle School Fall Dance on November 2nd, 5:00 pm-8:00 pm. Scholars come dressed (dress must meet CMIT-South dress code) in your flyest dress down gear and enjoy music, dancing, and socializing amidst beautiful fall decorations. Concessions and refreshments will be sold.

The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a school-based organization made up of parents, guardians, teachers, staff and administrators who work together to supplement and enrich the educational experience at CMIT Academy South Middle and High schools. Please consider joining our PTO and getting involved with school activities.

October 31st is the last day to purchase your Papa John's pizza card. Purchase of the card for $15 will allow you unlimited use. The deal will grant you one pizza free with the purchase of another at regular price. Click the link below for for further details.

Do you own a business? Are you interested in vending for or supporting upcoming CMIT MS/HS events?

If you answered yes, click the link below to access the form. On the home page of our website, scroll down slightly, fill out the form and someone will get back with you.

Subscribe to the CMIT South Middle/High School Newsletter using the button below.