CMIT South MS/HS Newsletter

Happy Friday Tiger Families!

I am writing to address some critical safety concerns that have arisen around our school campus over the first month of school. The safety of our students, staff, families, and community partners is our utmost priority, and it requires all of us to adhere to certain rules and regulations.

1. Speed Limits

I cannot stress enough the importance of obeying posted speed limits around our campus. Our campus is a busy and vibrant place, especially during drop-off and pick-up times. Please remember that the speed limit on school property is 5 MPH in the parking lot. Speeding poses a significant risk to the safety of our children and staff, so I urge you to drive cautiously and within the posted limits.

2. Tobacco and Vape Products

CMIT South MS/HS, like all PGCPS schools, is a smoke, drug, and alcohol-free zone. This includes not using tobacco or vape products on our property, even when inside your vehicle during drop off and pick up. We must maintain a healthy and safe environment for everyone on campus.

3. Traffic Laws and Lane Discipline

Please follow all traffic laws, including proper lane discipline. Turning right from a left lane and crossing over a lane of traffic can lead to accidents and endanger lives. DO NOT PASS ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANES!!!!

4. Respect for Local Businesses

I must emphasize that our school community needs to be respectful of our community partners. Please refrain from parking in the lots of neighboring businesses, even for a short amount of time. Let us be courteous and considerate of their space.

Moving forward, we have requested the support of the Prince George's County Police to enforce traffic regulations around our campus. Their presence is intended to ensure the safety of all and deter any behavior that places our students, staff, families, and community partners at risk.

I implore each and every one of you to take these regulations seriously. By doing so, we not only protect our children but also uphold our commitment to being responsible and law-abiding members of our community.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Let us work together to create a safe and secure environment for our students to learn and grow.

Lastly, Tuesday October 10th will be our first dress down day of the school year! Please read the requirements for dress down days within the Uniform Policy (Pages 7-8). This incentive is for those who read the newsletter! We are working on communicating better with our families and the newsletter is one way to stay up to date on the happenings of CMIT South MS/HS. Let’s see how many families read this far! :)

Let’s make it the best year yet!

Dr. Borden-McCarter, Principal

Greetings CMIT South Family,

Saturday Academy will officially begin on October 14th, and we are excited to have your child/children participating with us. As a part of making sure, we at CMIT South do the very best to provide students with as many opportunities to improve their educational experience. We will have two sessions like in previous years for you to select from 9:00 AM-10:40 AM and 11:00 AM-12:30 PM. Of course, you can choose both sessions.

What do we offer?

We offer an optional small group setting to assist our students during Saturday Academy in our core classes of English, math, AP Class support, and SAT Prep. In these sessions, we will help with homework and provide additional skills and practice in RELA and Math. New this year, we will offer science help each week with a once-a-month science lab. To participate in the labs there will be a sign-up Genius because we must limit the number of students participating for safety reasons. We do reserve the right to have some discretion in those who participate in the labs again for safety reasons.

What’s the Procedure?

Your scholars will be dropped off and picked up on the same side as normal dropoffs and pick-ups. I have a sign that is 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 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 your child up on time.

Use this link below to register your child.

Again, we look forward to helping your child/children to receive additional support.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jones

Math Club Description:

The Math Club is a dynamic and engaging extracurricular activity designed to foster a deep appreciation for mathematics while honing problem-solving skills. Our club is open to all students who have a passion for math and a desire to explore its many facets in a fun and supportive environment.

Club Objectives:

1. Enhancing Mathematical Skills: The Math Club aims to improve students' mathematical abilities through challenging and stimulating activities, problems, and discussions.
2. Preparing for Competitions: We provide comprehensive training and preparation for various mathematics competitions, including regional, state-level, and national contests. Our dedicated coaches and mentors are experienced in guiding students to excel in these competitions.
3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Participants will develop critical thinking skills and learn effective problem-solving strategies, which are essential not only in math but in various aspects of life.
4. Teamwork and Collaboration: Math Club fosters a sense of camaraderie among members. Students work together on complex math problems, developing teamwork and communication skills in the process.

• Math Enrichment: Our club provides students with opportunities to explore advanced mathematical concepts beyond the regular curriculum, challenging them to think critically and creatively.
• Problem Solving: We regularly engage in problem-solving sessions, working on a wide range of math problems that encourage students to think outside the box.
• Competition Preparation: Students receive specialized training and guidance to excel in mathematics competitions. We cover topics relevant to regional, state, and national contests, helping students build confidence and perform their best.

• Access to a supportive and encouraging learning environment
• Opportunities to make new friends who share a love for math
• Potential to represent our school in prestigious math competitions
• Improved mathematical skills and problem-solving abilities
• Valuable experience for college applications and future academic pursuits

Best Regards,

OZKAN SOYCAN

STEM PROGRAM COORDINATOR

osoycan@cmitsouth.org

As we head into the new month of October, let's highlight some important awareness topics that will be focused on this month that we want to continue implementing and taking supportive action with:

Upcoming OCTOBER Awareness Month Topics and Events:

• 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

💛💛💛 Mental Health Day #HelloYellow, Supporting Children and Young People💛💛💛

Tuesday, October 10, 2023, is World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Awareness Day is an important opportunity for us to check in with ourselves, your students and colleagues, and to think about what we can do to promote good mental health in our school, communities and lives.

Here are some simple wellbeing activities that you can do to help raise awareness and promote positive mental health

1. Why not start the day with a mindful minute? Encourage everyone to take a minute to sit quietly and focus on their breath. This simple mindfulness practice can help to centre ourselves and set a positive tone for the day ahead. This is also a very quick and easy activity to start mental health day with.
2. Breathing exercises: Focusing on your breath is a great way to bring your attention to the present moment. You can try out different breathing exercises with your students, such as 4-7-8 breathing (breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, breathe out for 8 counts) or belly breathing (place one hand on your stomach and breathe so that your hand rises and falls with your breath).
3. Check in with each other: At the end of the day, take some time as a to check in with each other. This can be done in the car on the way home, at the dinner table, playing a family game together or going on family walk.

Mental Health Awareness Day is an important opportunity for us all to prioritize mental wellbeing for the whole school community. Whatever you decide to do making mental health a priority every day will help to create a positive school environment that supports the mental health and wellbeing of everyone in the community!💛💛

🆘 If you need immediate help due to suicidal thoughts or other serious emotional challenges, please contact:

• Prince George's County Crisis Services (Mobile Crisis Team): 301-429-2185
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Maryland 211: Call 2-1-1 or Text your zip code to 898-211
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
• Child Protective Services: 301-909-2450

Ms.Tutt, Wellness and Mental Health Counselor

Email: mtutt@cmitsouth.org

Student Chat Hours- Weekly Sign Up Schedule Link to talk with MsTutt: Tinyurl.com/Cmitstudenthours

Please see the attachment.

Nurse Hilda

Hello CMIT South MS/HS Families,

As we begin the new school year, we want to ensure that all parents and students know the CMIT South attendance policies. At CMIT South we follow the PGCPS attendance policy AP 5113. Below are some quick bullet points of the attendance policies:

CMIT South will use the Google form 2023-2024 Absence Reason Notification Form CMIT South Middle/High School for all student's absences. This form will be the official means of parent/guardian notifications for student absences. Parents can also email attendance@cmitsouth.org when their student will be absent.

CMIT South does not take paper excused/doctor notes. When a student is absent please fill out the Google form 2023-2024 Absence Reason Notification Form CMIT South Middle/High School. This form will be sent straight to the attendance manager.

Parents are the only ones who can fill out the form and email the attendance manager about a student who is absent. A student cannot send the email or fill out the Google form, the absence will not be excused if a student does it.

The Google form must be filled out within 3 days of the student’s absence, otherwise, the absence will not be excused. This can be emailed as well.

Students who are considered unlawfully (unexcused) absent from school or a class will not have the opportunity to make up missed assignments.

A doctor’s note is needed if a student is reported absent for three school days for an illness and a physician’s certificate will be required if a student's absences reach six days. Please send the physician’s certificate to the school's attendance manager at attendance@cmitsouth.org.

Mental Health Day. Students may receive as an excused absence one (1) day of absence in each semester of each school year for a student’s mental health needs. A note from a physician to excuse a student’s absence for mental health needs is not required.

Here is the link to the 2023-2024 Absence Reason Notification Form CMIT South Middle/High School Form: https://forms.gle/QCb1Xu2ytD9vUToW6

Once again these are just some of the new updates that PGCPS has put in the attendance policy AP 5113. We encourage all parents to read the full updated attendance policy here:
https://www.pgcps.org/globalassets/offices/general-counsel/docs---general-counsel/administrative-procedures/5000/administrative-procedure-5113---student-attendance-absence-and-truancy.pdf

For all attendance-related information or questions please direct it to attendance@cmitsouth.org.

Thank you.

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 MS Baseball Team lost their first game to Accokeek Academy. Despite losing 5-2, the team has been looking good for it to be their first year as a team. We are looking forward to them bouncing back next week!
• Our HS golf team was back in action this week! On Wednesday they participated in the county wide golf match held at Henson Creek Golf Course! Our golf team continues to make us proud as their scores are improving each week!
• Our CMIT South Volleyball program had a busy week as they were in action last Friday night. They were able to take down CMIT North in a 5 set thriller!! After that they traveled to Friendly HS and defeated them in 4 sets! Unfortunately their last game of the week was their only loss of the week as they came up short against Oxon Hill. Despite losing, the game was very entertaining and our team played well. Varsity finished with a 2-1 record on the week. As for JV they were able to defeat Friendly HS as well, however they came up short against both CMIT North and Oxon Hill. Both teams are improving and we are looking forward to their games next week!

The Week Ahead

• Our MS Baseball team will play Tuesday against Stephen Decatur MS and Thursday against James Madison. The James Madison game will be played at the old Forestville Highschool.
• Our Volleyball team will only have one game this week. They will play at home against College Park Academy on Wednesday October 11th.
• Our Golf team's next match will be this Thursday at Henson Creek Golf Course.
• Our Soccer team will play on Tuesday and Thursday this week. October 10th we will take on Fairmont Heights, while October 12th we will place CMIT North.

Upcoming

• Boys MS Basketball open gym will take place on Monday, Oct.16th and Wednesday, Oct. 18th from 3:00 p.m to 4:15. Please see Mr. Smith or Mr. Young in order for you to receive the proper permission slip in order to participate.
• Middle School Basketball tryouts are coming up!! Please make sure you have a completed physical within the calendar year.
• High school basketball tryouts are coming up as well! Please make sure you have your physical forms ready!!

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.

Last Friday, both teams played CMIT North, with Varsity taking the win 3-2. This week, JV and Varsity both won against Friendly on Monday with JV winning in straight sets and Varsity winning 3-1. On Wednesday, both teams lost to very good Oxon Hill teams. Next Wednesday, both teams will take on College Park Academy. It is our Breast Cancer Awareness game, so come in your pink to support.

Thank you again for your continued support of the team!

Coach Sears & Coach K

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

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

• Wednesday, October 11th HOME vs. COLLEGE PARK (Pink Out: dress in pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness)

GAME RESULTS:

Congratulations to the CMIT golf team on their inaugural season. The team was led by senior Samuel Smith our top male player and Trinity Smith our top female player. Alana Williams, Braxton Bond, David Gallaway and Xavier Shoulars also competed this year and did quite well for their first time out. Brandon Boayke, Brian Boayke, Denver Dixon and Dakota Rich have all shown great improvements and should be ready to compete next season.

Coach Brown

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!!

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

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!

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.

Hello Lady Tigers's Family and Friends!

Less than a week to go!

CMIT South HS Cheerleaders is starting our SHAREATHON Donation Fundraiser today! We are raising money that will go directly to benefit all of our participants. There is no door-to-door selling or delivering of products.

Family and friends from around the globe can support our group by making a donation in support of your participant. Read more about this fundraiser and the goals by going to Lady Tigers's Donation Page linked below.

Lady Tigers's Donation Page

The Participant donation website and e-mail correspondence will be the primary method of communication throughout the program. We hope we can count on your generous support. With 100% participation, we will be able to reach our donation goal.

Invitation to Join the VEX Robotics STEM Club!

Dear CMIT-S HS Students,

Are you passionate about technology, engineering, and teamwork? Do you have a desire to explore the fascinating world of robotics? If so, we invite you to join the **VEX Robotics STEM Club** at CMIT-S MS&HS!

About the Club:

The VEX Robotics STEM Club is dedicated to providing high school students with an opportunity to engage in hands-on robotics projects, learn programming, develop engineering skills, and participate in exciting robotics competitions. By joining our club, you'll have the chance to:

• Build and program robots using VEX Robotics kits.
• Collaborate with like-minded students who share your passion for STEM.
• Learn from experienced mentors and teachers.
• Compete in local, regional, and national VEX Robotics competitions.
• Gain valuable skills for future careers in STEM fields.

Currently we are looking for high school students who have an interest in robotics, regardless of prior experience. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced roboticist, there's a place for you in our club!

Meeting Schedule:

We meet EVERY Thursday in classroom 139 after school 3-4 pm

How to Join:

Joining is easy! Simply fill out our interest form https://forms.gle/Hody8iSehHVVSeAL6 to let us know you're interested in joining the club. We'll keep you informed about upcoming meetings, events, and activities.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the exciting world of robotics, develop new skills, and make lasting friendships. We look forward to seeing you at our first meeting!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This is to inform you that your child will be taking the PSAT 8/9 on October 25, 2023. This test will be administered during the school day. It is given to all 8th-grade students in Prince George’s County to allow students to apply to our Specialty Program throughout the county. More information will be provided very soon. In the meantime, please use the resource link to learn more about PSAT 8/9 as well as have your child enroll in Khan Academy for additional practice.

https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9

Again, thank you for your continued support and help to prepare our scholars for success.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jones

Hi there! It's the PTO! Have you had a chance to check out our new website? Whether your answer is yes or no, go ahead and click the link below. The website is updated each week with the latest and greatest PTO news and events. While you're there, go ahead and bookmark us for easier access to our page.

Follow us on Facebook - CMIT South PTO

Follow us on Instagram - cmit_south_mshs_pto

We will soon start our Double Good popcorn fundraiser. The dates have been changed to October 13th - October 17th, 5PM. See the flyer below.

https://sites.google.com/cmitsouth.org/mshspto/home

Spirit Wear is still available for purchase. Shirts are $25. Students can wear them on Fridays to show their school spirit. Shirts are available via the PTO website. Click the link below for purchase.

Pizza gift cards are still available for purchase. Gift cards are $15. Using the card allows you to get one pizza free with the purchase of another one. It's good for multiple uses over the course of a year. The cards are good for use across the DMV area. You can purchase by clicking the link below.

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