CMIT South Elementary School
From the Desk of Principal Ronald A. Miller, Jr.
May 24, 2024
Dear CMIT South Elementary School Community,
As we approach the end of the school year, I am pleased to share several important updates and highlights from our vibrant school community.
Completion of NWEA MAP Testing
Congratulations to all our students for successfully completing the NWEA MAP Testing! The dedication and hard work each of you demonstrated are commendable. The results are now available to classroom teachers, who will be scheduling conferences in the coming days to discuss your child's progress and achievements. These meetings will provide valuable insights into your student's academic growth and areas for continued development. Our Program Coordinator Mr. Metin and our staff did a masterful job in implementing the testing plan. Make ups for students who missed any testing this past week will occur May 28-31 with Mr. Metin.
3rd Quarter Honor Roll Awardees and CLF Recognition
We are incredibly proud to announce the recipients of the 3rd Quarter Honor Roll awards. Congratulations to our students who achieved the Principal's Honor Roll, Honor Roll, Character Recognition, and Tenacious Tiger awards. Your commitment to excellence, character, and perseverance is truly inspiring. Keep up the fantastic work!
Several staff members students and guests were able to attend the 21st annual CLF awards at Savage Mill in Laurel, MD. Congratulations and well deserved to all our winners.
Field Day Excitement
Get ready for an exciting day! Field Day is scheduled for this Friday, May 31, 2024, at Liberty Sports Park. Classroom teachers are finalizing chaperone assignments, and the PTO is confirming volunteers for on-field activities. Please remember that to interact with students and volunteer with the PTO, you must be an approved PGCPS Chaperone. We look forward to a day filled with fun, teamwork, and school spirit!
Preparing for Summer Transitions
As we approach summer, it's important to begin conversations with your scholars about the upcoming transitions. Whether your child will be moving to a new grade at CMIT South or our 5th graders will be transitioning to a new school building, discussing these changes now can help ease any fears and uncertainties they might have. Your support and encouragement during this time are crucial for a smooth and confident transition.
Principal for the Day
A special congratulations to our "Principal for the Day," 4th grader Daniel D.! Daniel had the opportunity to shadow me and experience what it takes to lead CMIT South Elementary. He did a fantastic job and demonstrated great leadership potential. Well done, Daniel!
Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement in our school community. Together, we continue to foster an environment where every student can thrive.
Warm regards,
Mr. Ronald A. Miller, Jr.
Principal
Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Elementary
Prince George’s County Public Schools
Please take a look at these May/June calendar reminders:
- 5/27 Memorial Day- Schools and Offices Closed
- 5/31 Field Day
- 6/6 Kindergarten Promotion Ceremony
- 6/7 5th grade Moving-Up Ceremony
- 6/12 3hr early dismissal
- 6/13 Last day of school
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.
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.
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:
FIELD DAY-
Please have students wear their yellow field day t-shirts, comfortable bottoms, and tennis shoes. If they do not have the field day shirt, they may wear a solid yellow shirt. Thank you!
There are a few things you should know before we go. Please take a few minutes to click the link below and review important and helpful information: https://cmitsouthespto.org/field-day-2024
It’s also not too late to sign up and volunteer to assist with Field Day! We need additional volunteers to help with games, setup, and clean up at Liberty Sports Park. If you would like to volunteer, please do so via the following link: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/70A0D4BADAF2AA0FD0-49555004-parents
If you are unable to volunteer, please consider donating a cooler and/ or tent for the day, if you have one: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/70A0D4BADAF2AA0FD0-49629225-parents
Please ask the PTO if you have any questions: pto@cmitsouthes.org
END OF YEAR PARTY-
Kindergarten will be celebrating our amazing school year on Friday, June 7th. Please contact your child’s teacher to inquire about donations of food, treats, and other supplies that may be needed.
KINDERGARTEN PROMOTION-
Hello everyone, our Kindergarten promotion will be held on Thursday, June 6, 2024. Dr. Hughes and Ms. Lewis' class will have their ceremony at 8:30a-9:30a and Ms. Windsor and Ms. Herbert’s class will be held at 10a-11a. This will be inside of the gymnasium. Students should dress to impress. There is no specific color that they must wear. We will not have caps and gowns for our scholars, unfortunately. Every family will receive only 4 tickets to the event. Very small children who will be sitting on an adult's lap do not need a ticket. Siblings that attend CMIT South Elementary DO need a ticket for the promotion. Tickets are given usually the week of or the week before. The PTO regulates this. We will livestream for other family and loved ones to view. They are allowed to leave after the ceremony to celebrate their special day. I hope this can help your family plan accordingly!
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Dear Families,
Students are reviewing and learning about new concepts next week. Please support students by asking questions and having students share what they learn at school. First graders are still counting down with ABC… We Welcome Ms. Brown back to school this week. Field Trip to Port Discovery Children’s Museum is Tuesday, May 28th.
Next week Friday, May 31st is Field Day. The focus is safety first. Remind scholars to listen to their teachers and follow the adults' supervision.
Reading Updates:
Week 6; Unit 5 Beyond My World
Reading to comprehend text. Please support students to read and reread to understand the text.
Math Updates:
Topic 12-Measurement
Measurement is a skill that is used outside of school; as students learn these concepts, please provide experiences that will support the acquisition of the skill.
Science Updates:
Topic 6-Offsprings
Students will learn that plant and animal offspring are like their parents, but not exactly alike
Social Studies Updates:
American Heroes-reading and asking questions
Grade level blurb:
WOW! Second Grade is flying by! Can you believe we only have 13 days of school left! We are officially finished with testing and so close to the end!
Here are a few updates and reminders as we wrap up the year:
Friday is FIELD DAY! Second graders are required to wear their grade level color, orange. Please send students in field day shirts or another orange shirt, comfortable bottoms, and tennis shoes.
This is the last week for HOMEWORK! Students will not receive any homework for June. The final spelling and math packet will be due May 31st.
Continue to check SchoolMax and your homeroom teachers' weekly agenda book.
There seems to be a stomach bug circulating. Please listen to your scholars when they say they do not feel well. Students should be symptom/fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. We are doing the best we can to keep our classroom safe and healthy, but we need your help!
Some of the second-grade classes will be participating in an End of Year Luau celebration to celebrate our hard work this year! To make this event a success we need YOUR help! We are asking for parent donations from our Amazon Wishlist from now until June 1st. You could also donate food on the day of our event June 7th using our sign-up genius. Thank you! We look forward to your continued partnership!
Please refer to the PGCPS sick policy for additional information:
https://www.pgcps.org/offices/school-health/when-to-keep-your-child-home-fromschool
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/VEN7KOFJQXOB?ref_=wl_share
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DACA92AA7FEC07-49554877-endofyear#/
Reading Updates:
We will be reading more informational texts about our Incredible Earth!
The phonics pattern will focus on double consonants- A word with a double consonant has two consonants (the same letter) next to each other in a word. ex. kitten
Math Updates:
We are working through graphs and data and will wrap up and test this week!
Science Updates:
We have moved onto our final topic Animal Habitats and will dive deep into where animals live and how they survive in those environments.
Social Studies Updates:
Topic 5 Making a difference. In this Topic, we will focus on the essential question, “What can we do to make a difference?” Students will explore what makes a hero and who some famous heroes are!
Health Updates:
We are reading all about germs and what makes us sick!
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Greetings amazing parents! Congratulations to all Honor Roll and Principal’s Honor Roll Students! Additionally, we congratulate all scholars who received recognition for the Character Award and Tenacious Tiger Awards. We are so proud of you! This week we finished MAP Growth Testing. Students have been unwavering in their efforts to get all three sections done this week. Our last round of testing is DIBELS which will continue next week on Tuesday. Schools are closed on Monday for Memorial Day. We look forward to seeing students back in the building on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
Reading Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: We have paused our study of text structures of plays for MAP testing this week. We will resume next week.
Mathews/ Madison: This week we took the MAP Growth Reading Assessment. Score reports will come home within the next week. Be on the lookout for these in student folders. Also, we continued with our novel study: Charlotte’s Web when time permitted. Some students read up to Chapter 2 (Section 33) and practiced writing about Fern’s character traits focusing on their grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. Other students read up to Chapter 3 and discussed how sensory details appeal to the reader’s five senses. They created slide presentations about the details of Mr. Zuckerman’s Farm.
Math Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: We have taken a pause on Topic 14 for MAP testing this week. We will wrap up the last few lessons next week. To wrap up the school year, students will be completing an in-class project. More information will be given soon.
Mathews/ Madison:
Students completed the Map Growth Math Assessment. Students did a great job of staying focused.
Science Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: We have taken a pause on Topic 7 for MAP testing this week. We will complete the final lesson and review activities in the next couple of weeks. Please be on the lookout for the topic assessment date and study guide.
Social Studies Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: This week we have started to cover Chapter 6 lessons 2 and 3 discussing “A New Home in America” and “New Ways to Communicate.” Next week we will continue the rest of Chapter 6.
Mathews/ Madison:
Stay tuned for more information on Social Studies next week.
Health Updates:
For May we will be discussing When Bodies Have Challenges. This unit will address body challenges, their causes and effects, physical impairments, learning disabilities, and special needs in the community
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Hello Tiger Family,
We are in the final countdown to the end of the school year. We only have 13 more days of school left. This past week we finished up testing for the year by completing our MAP diagnostics in Math, Reading, and Science. Students will receive copies of their yearly results provided to you next week.
This upcoming Friday, May 31, 2024, is Field Day. This year students will be going to Liberty Park for activities and there will be activities at the school. We look forward to having a great time. To prepare for Field Day we need your help to prepare students for the event. If you would like to support Field Day please reach out to PTO who is handling all the events for the day.
Field Day Preparations:
Fourth-grade color is blue, please allow your scholar to wear blue or the shirt that was purchased through PTO.
Monitor the weather and dress your child accordingly.
Send your scholar with a hit or some type of head covering.
Apply sunscreen or other skin protection to your child in the morning.
Send your scholar with a bag to carry their water bottle.
Students will not be permitted to bring cell phones to Liberty Park.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, May 27, 2024- Memorial Day No School
Friday, May 31, 2024- Field Day
Wednesday, June 12, 2024- 3 Hour Early Release for students
Thursday, June 13, 2024- Last Day of School for students 3 Hour early release
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.
Reading Updates:
This Week: We completed MAP testing and finished reading the first week of our Novel Study “The Hero Two Doors Down.” This week students were able to describe the character of Steve based on his actions and the things that he says. Also this week students determined the main idea of a chapter and finally made connections to the character of Steve.
Next Week: Students will continue to read our Novel Study and practice the reading skills we have been covering all year. We will analyze the setting of the story and explain how it affects the events that happen in the story. This week we will also identify cause and effect relationships within the story. Students will continue to make connections to the text and the character of “Steve.”
Math Updates:
This week we are completing our Fractions unit with a review of Adding and Subtracting Fractions. How can we use various math strategies to convert and solve multi-step fractions?
Please check SchoolMax and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments.
Science Updates:
Last week we closed our unit on Waves. This week we will be studying the Earth! Our Earth science unit discusses Earth’s Features and Natural Hazards. Students will be learning to understand how natural forces have continuously altered the features of the Earth.
Please check SchoolMax and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments
Social Studies Updates:
This week: Students read “The Land of the Northeast” and explained how the Northeast has mountains, a long coast, and large lakes and rivers.
Next week: Students will read “Resources in the Northeast” and explain how natural resources make many products.
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 are in May, and we are focusing on our character trait, perseverance! We want to persevere in any way we can, especially in wrapping up Q4!
We are prepared for our trip to Camp Schmidt at the end of the year for our 5th grade students and we are so excited! The date will be June 3-4, so stay tuned for further info! Thank you SO MUCH to all of our volunteer chaperones who will be coming on the trip! We appreciate you!
SUPPLIES NEEDED! We are going to be making Hot Dogs and S'mores at Camp Schmidt June 3-4! If you are willing, please donate the following supplies:
-Hershey's chocolate bars
-Boxes of Graham Crackers
-Large Disposable serving trays
-Plastic serving tongs
-Disposable gloves
-Ketchup and Mustard
Please let us know if you plan on sending in supplies! We would like them as soon as possible! Thank you!!
Field Day is also coming up on May 31! This time, we are going off the school property to Liberty Sports Park to enjoy our activities! Thank you to the chaperones who have already signed up! If you’d still like to, please send Ms. McDonagh a message.
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.
Our last round of MAP assessments was this week! Scores are being sent home. Congrats to our scholars for finishing up testing for the year!!
Additionally, please see the following message from PTO about upcoming dates/deadlines:
Promotion Ceremony Baby Pictures
The 5th grade team is collecting baby photos of all graduates. We are still missing some! Submit your photos ASAP!
Promotion Ceremony
Friday, June 7, 2024 | 9:00 AM
Gym
The attire is black and white. Scholars may wear a combination of each color or one color. Scholars should dress to impress. Please ensure no jeans or athletic clothing are worn, in accordance with the PGCPS Dress Code Policy -AP 5152 - System-Wide Student Dress Code.
Every family will receive only two (2) tickets to the event. Very small children who will be sitting on an adult's lap do not need a ticket. Siblings that attend CMIT South Elementary DO need a ticket for the promotion. Tickets will be distributed on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. If guests do not have their tickets, they will not be permitted to the ceremony. The gymnasium door near the ramp will open at 8:30 a.m.All guests for the 5th grade Moving-Up Ceremony please park in the rear parking lot by backing into an available space until all spaces have been filled. If no spaces are available you can use the satellite parking at the CMIT South Middle High School and walk over.
We will livestream for other family and loved ones to view. The scholars are allowed to leave after the ceremony to celebrate their special day. I hope this can help your family plan accordingly!
Thank you!!
Reading Updates:
We are working on unit 4 week 2 and our section is about historical fiction. We are also starting on our new spelling words for this section next week!
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 9 now about the Civil War. We are working on Chapter 9 lesson 5 more next week!
Updates from the Art Room!
This week, second graders learned about a ceramic hand-building technique called a pinch pot! They used a kid-friendly clay called Model Magic. You will see before-color and after-coloring pictures in next week's newsletter.
Lego:
This week in Legos, the students completed their robotic arm. They made several attempts to lift various items. After lifting, the students made improvements to their hands.
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