CMIT South Elementary School
Dear CMIT South Elementary Tiger Family,
Welcome back from a restful and enjoyable Spring Break! As we return to school, we are not only stepping into the final stretch of the school year, but we are also marking the end of the 3rd quarter. It's incredible how quickly time flies, and I am immensely proud of the progress and accomplishments our students and staff have made thus far.
This week also marks the beginning of an important period for our students as we kick off MCAP Testing over the next several weeks.
MCAP Testing Dates
4th Grade - April 15-19
5th Grade - April 22-26
3rd Grade - April 29- May 3
To foster a positive and supportive atmosphere, we will be hosting Spirit Week from Monday, April 8th to Friday, April 12th. Let's come together as a community to show our school spirit and encourage our students as they embark on this important assessment. We will also be hosting our MCAP Parent night on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, via Zoom for 3rd -5th-grade families to provide an overview of MCAP, and how families can support leading up to during, and after testing.
A friendly reminder to all families: school starts promptly at 8:00 AM. To ensure a smooth start to the day, please have your students set to arrive before 8:00 AM, starting at doors open at 7:35 AM. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.
In addition to MCAP Testing, we are excited to kick off our spring fundraiser, the Foam Run Pledge Drive. The proceeds from this fundraiser will support our school-wide field trip for Field Day to Liberty Sports Park in May. Your participation and support are vital in making this event a success, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
On a bittersweet note, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to one of our school custodians, Mrs. Yudira Beneitez, as she takes on a new role in food service at CMIT South Middle/High School. Mrs. Beneitez has been an integral part of our school community, and her dedication and care will be deeply missed. We wish her nothing but the best in her new role.
Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate National Assistant Principal's Week. Mrs. Watkis and Ms. Lewis play a pivotal role in our school community, and their hard work, dedication, and love for our students and staff do not go unnoticed. Please join me in expressing our gratitude for all that they do.
As we dive into the remainder of the school year, let's continue to support and uplift one another, and together, we will finish strong!
Sincerely,
Mr. Ronald A. Miller, Jr.
Principal
Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Elementary
Prince George’s County Public Schools
Please take a look at these April calendar reminders:
- 4/1-30 - Autism Awareness Month
- 4/ 5 - 26 - Foam Run Fundraiser
- 4/8/24 - 3rd quarter Report Cards released (online)
- 4/8 -12/24 - MCAP Spirit Week
- 4/10/24- Eid al-Fitr* (starts at sunset 4/9) – Schools and Offices Closed
- 4/12/24- Vocabulary Parade
- 4/18/24- 3rd Quarter Report Cards Released (hard-copy)
- 4/25/24 - 3rd Qtr Parent Grade Appeal deadline AP 5116 - Grade Change Authorization and Appeals
Career Day is coming to CMITSES on Friday, May 17th, 2024.
If interested, please complete this Google Form below by Friday, May 3rd, 2024.
I greatly appreciate your partnership.
https://forms.gle/VG9xFhUVStaSVR9N6
Hazel Health Services Coming to CMIT South Elementary
What is Hazel Health?
Hazel Health has partnered with Prince George's County Public Schools to provide access to quality healthcare services for all students, at no cost to families, this school year. Students can be referred by the school counselor or their parent/guardian. A designated person at the school or a parent/guardian can initiate a video visit with a Hazel health care provider while your child is at school or at home to provide either physical or mental health services. Therapy sessions with Hazel Health are a safe space and are private and confidential.
How can your child receive services?
Waitlists for mental health services for children are sometimes long or sometimes as parents it's tough to find the time to take our children to appointments which makes it difficult for them to receive the immediate support they need. Hazel Health is geared to bridge that gap. Students are able to receive these services free, virtually and while in school. If you have any questions please feel free to visit their website https://www.hazel.co/ or reach out to me.
The “Lost and Found” collection bin is located in the cafeteria. Any found articles (coats, hats, gloves, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc.) are placed in the bin. Found small items (keys, glasses, jewelry) are stored in the Main Office. Students may check the “Lost and Found” for lost items before or after school, or during lunch. All items left unclaimed at the end of each academic quarter are donated to charities or are discarded. Parents are strongly encouraged to label all belongings with first and last names.
In November 2020, PGCPS launched an online volunteer application and approval process. Click here for more information on becoming a volunteer and to access the application.
Birthdays are so much fun to celebrate with classmates. However, during the school day, the health and safety of each student are important, especially students with food allergies. Students are ONLY permitted to bring in NON-FOOD items to distribute to classmates at the end of the school day. Birthday invitations will not be distributed.
Attendance in school each day is important. Let’s stay in school.
In order for an absence to be considered excused, a written note must accompany the student no later than three (3) days after return to school. The note should include:
- date(s) of absence
- scholar’s name
- Reason for absence
Late or make-up work will not be accepted unless the absence is an excused absence. Please review Administrative Procedure 5113 AP 5113 - Student Attendance, Absence and Truancy for further information.
Students who are absent for ten consecutive days will be withdrawn on the 11th day and will need to re-enroll.
Lawful Absences
Students enrolled in public schools are considered lawfully absent from school for any portion of the day, only under the following conditions:
- Death of a family member
- Illness of the student
- Court appearance
- Work approved or sponsored by a school
- Observance of a religious holiday
- State of emergency
- Suspension from school
- Mental Health (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.
- Other emergencies
- Deployment-related absences
Unlawful Absences
Unlawful absence – any time a student does not attend school that does not qualify as the above-listed reasons for a lawful absence.
Tardy
Scholars will be officially tardy if they are not in the building at 8:10 a.m.
If your scholar enters the building after the 8:05 a.m. bell, a parent must escort them into the building and electronically sign them in the late arrival portal. Scholars will be given an orange tardy slip to be permitted to class.
Parents of students who have 10 or more tardies in a semester will be required to meet with the principal/designee to discuss the reasons for the tardies and to develop a plan for improvement.
Health Forms
Please be sure to submit all required health forms! Please note that ALL medications, cough drops included, cannot be administered or consumed without appropriate documentation.
You can access all health forms here for the 2023-2024 school year.
School Meals
2023-24 School Year Meal Prices
Elementary (Pre-K through Grade 5)
Breakfast: $1.60/day
Lunch: $2.75/day
How to Pay
MySchoolBucks, owned and operated by Heartland Payment Systems, is an online payment service that provides parents the ability to securely pay for meals, monitor student cafeteria purchases, make tuition payments for Before and After School Extended Learning programs, and receive email notifications for low-account balances. With MySchoolBucks, payments can be made 24/7 using a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, credit or debit card, and mobile app.
Principal Lunch Account
ALL breakfast,lunch, and Principal lunch payments should be made via www.myschoolbucks.com.
All money comes/goes to 1 account (child's). All that is needed to set up account (if not done) is
students lunch pin or student id.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
We encourage all families to consider applying for free and reduced-price meals! Visit www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict to apply online today!
To apply, you will need:
- The name, school, and grade of your school-age children
- The name of all adults living in the home
- Income information for all adults living in the home
- Student ID Numbers for your school-age children
Applications will also be sent home with students the first week of school. Applications are available at all PGCPS schools and can be submitted at any time.
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
This week, all Kindergarten classes will be conducting a plant project. We will be comparing different types of beans and seeing how different liquids impact their growth. We are providing all materials for the activity that is in class. Our work at school will help to further support their understanding of the at-home Earth Day project. The information for this project was sent home this past week. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have questions or did not receive a packet.
Homework will be distributed on Monday, April 8, 2024.
____________________________________________________________________________
EARTH DAY PROJECT
DUE: FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2024
In celebration of Earth Day (Monday, April 22, 2024), students will be growing a lima bean plant at home.
MATERIALS NEEDED-
1. Lima bean
2. Sandwich bag (must be able to zip closed)
3. Wet paper towel
4. Water
DIRECTIONS-
1. Place a wet, folded paper towel inside the sandwich bag.
2. Place one lima bean in the bag, on top of the wet paper towel.
3. Seal the bag tightly to hold in moisture.
4. Tape the sandwich bag to a window that receives direct sunlight.
5. Observe the bean on days 1, 5, 10, and day 15. Record this in your observation journal. Please draw a picture in the box and handwrite what you see. This must be done by the student.
6. Upload a BEFORE AND AFTER picture of how the plant looks.
***Please ensure that you start the project in time to allow a 15-day observation window. This means that you should begin the project by 4/10. Not all beans will sprout properly, so no worries if the experiment seems to fail. You may want to do 2 bags of beans in case one does not sprout. Please still upload the results to receive credit. Teachers will add an assignment inside of ClassDojo for families to upload the pictures (step #6).***
HIGHER ORDER THINKING-
Feel free to make several bean bags just to see the different results. You may wish to create a bag with a dry paper towel, a slightly damp paper towel, and a soaking wet paper towel. Perhaps you may want to use vinegar, salt water, or other liquids on the water towels to see how they impact growth. You may also choose to plant your lima bean once it begins to grow after the 15-day observation period.
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Spring is Here! And 1st graders know it. Families, this is a good time to establish new habits for independent reading. Set a time aside each day (same time) for students to read at least for twenty-thirty minutes before they have fun. They will be better off having done this since regular study habits support reading fluency and build interest and motivation for reading.
Please stay safe. Watch our scholars and take good care of them.
Reading Updates:
Unit 4
Essential Question: Why are art and music classes important?
Persuasive Text
Vocabulary Words: think, learn, remember, concentrate
Sight Words: grow, full, ground, find, under
Phonics: Ng, nk words
Spelling Words: ring, sing, pink, think, bring, song, thing, rink, grow, around
Language & Conventions: Capitalize I and proper nouns.
Math Updates:
Unit 9
Comparing two-digit numbers
Grade level blurb:
- Our MCAP Spirit Week will start on Monday, April 8th ending with the Vocabulary Parade on Friday, April 12th. Ms.Barboza’s and Mrs.Valera’s classes is focusing on MATH vocabulary words and Ms. Convert’s and Ms. Womack's classes is focusing on READING vocabulary words. Please send your homeroom teacher a message on the word your scholar chose.
- Please remember to send in field trip money and permission slips by Monday, April 15th.
- Please continue to review your class's digital agenda for homework updates. Your scholar should also have these written in their personal agenda as well.
- Get in the habit of checking SchoolMax often so there are no surprises in the fourth quarter.
Reading Updates:
Unit 4 Week 3 will focus on the realistic fiction text “A Garden of Happiness” We will specifically focus on determining themes and creating new understandings.
The spelling words will focus on the suffixes -ly, -ful,-er,-less, -or
Math Updates:
We are wrapping up Topic 9 - Numbers within 1,000 and will be testing on Monday, April 12. The homework packets will also be due on this day. Ensure your scholar is caught up on ALL Quick Checks and Practice Buddies on Canvas for completion.
We will be moving on to Topic _ -
Science Updates:
Your class should be in and wrapping up Topic 5 - Plants and Animals. In this topic we will focus on plant and animal life cycles, what they need to survive, and how animals can help plants reproduce. Please utilize your homeroom teachers' Canvas site for additional support and resources.
We will be making plant heads to watch the plant life cycle to see how grass grows! We have also been watching the butterfly life cycle. Our butterflies are now in their chrysalis!
Field Trip
2nd Grade will be taking a field trip to The Botanical Gardens in Washington, DC. Monday, April 22nd. During this trip, students will explore plants in nature as it relates to our science unit of Plants and Animals. The cost for this trip is $17 and permission slips will be sent home today. All money, in exact cash or check, with permission slips are DUE no later than April 15, 2024. Students will need to bring a DISPOSABLE bagged lunch. Please let your homeroom teacher know if your student will need a lunch provided and ask them about chaperone opportunities.
Social Studies Updates:
Your class should be in and wrapping up Topic 4 - People who supply our goods and services. In this topic, we will focus on the needs, wants, and choices, of food producers, and the challenges they may face. Please utilize your homeroom teachers' Canvas site for additional support and resources.
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Welcome back to our first week of the final quarter! This week students are getting reacclimated with our normal school and classroom routines.
Reading Updates:
Mathews/ Madison-
This week students:
Completed a reflection for Quarter 3. Students were very thoughtful about ways they could improve both behaviorally and academically for Quarter 4.
Began a new Historical Fiction Story called Granddaddy's Turn.
Began a new Spelling List (Abbreviations)
Math Updates:
Fleet/Lewis:
This week we have worked more on solving two-step word problems (Topic 11). Students completed a booklet which gave them practice with identifying keywords and solving problems. Next week we will be moving on to Topic 12 and 13 which focuses on fractions.
We will also be incorporating the MCAP Problem of the Day for morning work. This will expose students to the types of problems they will see on MCAP. I will also be sharing MCAP prep resources on Class Dojo that students can use at home.
Science Updates:
Fleet/Lewis:
This week we have been reviewing what we have learned about adaptations and survival of plants and animals. We will keep reviewing for next week. A test date will be provided by the end of next week.
Social Studies Updates:
Mathews/Madison: Students discussed how the federal government is organized.
Health Updates:
In April we will be discussing “Things You May Catch.” Students will compare communicable and non-communicable diseases, your body’s defense system, keeping clean and healthy, and how medicines help prevent and cure illness.
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Hello Tiger Family,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing Spring Break. We have now entered the 4th and final quarter of the school year. This quarter will be busy with testing, career day, club showcases, and field day. Please be on the lookout for information regarding our end-of-the-year activities. 3rd quarter grades have been published and should be available for viewing on Schoolmax. As we enter the final quarter please continue to encourage your scholar to try their best and complete all assignments. We will also continue our preparations for MCAP in the upcoming week.
Upcoming Dates:
April 8-12, 2024 MCAP Spirit Week
MCAP Night Virtually Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 6:00.
April 12, 2024- Vocabulary Parade- students have been given information and selected their words. Students are not required to participate but will not be able to walk in the Vocabulary Parade.
April 16- 20, 2024 MCAP Testing for 4th Grade
MCAP Testing
4th graders will begin taking the MCAP Assessment beginning Tuesday, April 16- 20 with their homeroom teachers. Students will be taking two sessions each day. It is imperative that students arrive at school each day of testing by 8:00. If students miss just one session they will have to go into a make-up group and will miss class time to make up testing. To prepare we will have students complete practice tests online and we will also discuss good testing strategies. Use this time to discuss with your scholar the importance of taking their time and trying their best on this assessment.
This is a friendly reminder that late work is only accepted if a student has an excused absence! If a scholar is absent and does not bring a note they will earn a 0 on the assignment that was missed. Please read the reminders to ensure that you are partnering with your scholars to make them successful in school.
Fourth Grade Reminders:
Please check Schoolmax weekly to see the scholar’s updated grades. Canvas is a Learning Management System that scholars utilize to complete assignments and get access to materials. The grades provided in Schoolmax are those that will be used to calculate progress reports and report cards.
If your scholar is absent, please share a note with the homeroom teacher within 3 days of your scholar returning to school. For students to receive make-up work you must provide a note stating; the student’s name, the date of absence, and the reason for absence. Work is provided to students upon their return to school with an absence note.
Each week we suggest checking your scholar's browser history and YouTube history. This is to make sure that your scholar isn’t going to a site or watching videos that you would not approve of. Teachers are limited to only seeing activity on your scholar’s screen when they are in class. We utilize a system called Hapara that allows us to prevent access to certain sites. We are asking that you check your scholar's computer history weekly.
Reading Updates:
This Week: Students brought a close to “Trombone Shorty.” In this biography story, students read about trombone superstar Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. Troy wrote a story about why music is so important to him and the town here is from in Treme. Students were able to identify the purpose that Troy had in writing this story. Students also were able to analyze the illustrations and explain how these illustrations help them understand the text.
Next Week: We are going to begin our preparations for MCAP. We will begin discussions with students about test-taking strategies and practicing using the online platform for MCAP. Students will also be given paired texts to practice synthesizing information about the same topic. Students will read closely and be able to compose a writing that uses details given from both texts.
Math Updates:
This week students are closing Topic 5, 4.NBT.B.6. Our focus this week, using the various division strategies to solve multi-step word problems. This week we also began preparing for MCAP beginning on April 15. Some of the topics/skills we will be covering this week and next week are; Factors and divisibility, fractions, geometry, and angles.
Please check Schoolmax and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments.
Science Updates:
In Science, we will continue closing out Topic 2 by preparing for the Topic 2 test next week.
Please check Schoolmax and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments.
Social Studies Updates:
This week: Students finished reading lesson 2: Trade and Markets. In this lesson, students will learn how businesses supply goods and services to meet demand. We will also explore how businesses can make a profit.
Next week: Students will read lesson 3: People and the Economy and explain how both individuals and families make economic decisions.
Health Updates:
In health, we are learning about our Digestive Systems! How does our digestive system contribute to the overall function of our bodies? What can we do to promote a healthy digestive system?
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Hi everyone! We hope everyone had a safe and wonderful break with plenty of time to relax!! We are in April, and we are focusing on our character trait, ambition! We want to be ambitious in any way we can, especially in Q4!
We are getting prepared to plan our trip to Camp Schmidt at the end of the year for our 5th grade students and we are so excited! We are going to need lots of parent volunteers, both men and women, so if you are interested in coming, please reach out to Ms. McDonagh. The date will be June 3-4, so stay tuned for further info!
Our 5th-grade promotion ceremony is planned for Friday, June 7 at 9:00 am. We will have lots of information coming out about this soon, but we are so excited to honor and celebrate our hardworking scholars! Please keep this date available!
We have been having tests, quizzes, and homework, so we want to make sure students are keeping up with their work. Students should click on their homeroom teacher’s name to see their assignments. Here is the link to the 5th-grade website for those who need it: https://sites.google.com/pgcps.org/5thgradeclasssite/home
A reminder that we are happy to have volunteers come in to assist us with different things throughout the year, so if you are interested, please make sure your volunteer requirements are completed. We would love it if people wanted to come in and volunteer during lunch times for students, so let us know if you are interested.
MCAP testing is coming soon!! 5th grade will be testing April 23-26 for math and reading. Teachers are posting resources for students to start preparing and studying academic vocabulary. Please help students prepare for this assessment in any way possible! Spirit week is next week for MCAP so make sure students dress as the following:
Monday: Wear WORKOUT clothes
Tuesday: Wear RED
Wednesday: NO SCHOOL!
Thursday: Wear NEON colors
Friday: Vocabulary Parade
Reading Updates:
We are working on unit 3 week 4 and our section is about poetry. We also are working on our spelling words for this section about suffixes! We will be spending time in class also to work on MCAP prep!
Math Updates:
Students are in unit 9 of Math which is about dividing fractions. Homework will be posted on the assignment calendar as we get started so keep an eye out!
Science Updates:
Students are working on unit 5 of Science, about the human impact on Earth’s systems. Homework will be posted on the assignment calendar as we get started so keep an eye out!
Social Studies Updates:
We are working on chapter 5 now about the American Revolution. We are working on Chapter 5 lesson 5 this week about the events after the revolution!
CHESAPEAKE MATH AND IT SOUTH ELEMENTARY
• Hours: 8:00 a.m to 2:25 p.m
• Grades: K-5
• Uniform: Yes
• Before After School Enrichment: Yes
http://clfmd.org/enrichment-2/
• School Colors: Hunter Green, Navy Blue
• School Mascot: Tigers
• School Website: http://www.cmitsouthes.org
For more information