CMIT South Elementary School
Dear CMIT South Elementary School Community,
This was truly an exciting week at CMIT South Elementary! Here are some key updates and reminders for the upcoming events and activities:
MCAP Testing Update
Our 4th graders have just completed their MCAP testing, and we are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication they have shown. Congratulations to all of our students and teachers for their efforts! Coming up next week, our 5th graders will be stepping up to participate in their MCAP testing. Please ensure that your child arrives on time, well-rested, and ready to do their best. Let's continue to support our students by encouraging them and providing them with a positive testing environment.
To make sure we have the best testing environment all late students (entering the building after 8 am) will receive orange tardy slips. Students who are testing will not be allowed to enter the testing room late once testing has begun.
Sneakerball Event
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Sneakerball for grades 3-5, on Friday, April 26, 202. This fun-filled evening will include dancing, a silent auction, and lots of laughter, all while sporting our favorite sneakers! PTO will send out more details regarding tickets and specific timings next week. Get ready to dance the night away!
Field Trips for 1st and 2nd Grades
Our 1st and 2nd graders are in for a treat with two exciting field trips lined up! The 2nd grade will visit the Botanical Gardens, where they will learn about various plant species and the importance of biodiversity. The 1st grade will be heading to the Children's Science Museum for a hands-on learning experience that promises to spark their curiosity and enhance their understanding of scientific concepts. Thank you families for ensuring your child’s permission slips are returned and for signing up to volunteer.
Club News: Shark Tank Success
Congratulations to our Entrepreneurship Club led by Dr. McCannon. Student members delivered an outstanding Shark Tank presentation last week. Our young entrepreneurs showcased their innovative ideas and impressed a panel of local Sharks including myself AP Lewis, and parents Mr Hughes and Mrs. Pettway. There was defined a frenzy to support our students by the Sharks that made for a great experience. This is a testament to the student's creativity and business acumen. Well done to all participants!
STEM Club Success
Let’s give a big round of applause to our Little Veterinarians team, who held their certificate of awards on Thursday. These 25 students participated in Little Doctors and Veterinary club for the last 12 weeks being exposed to medical terms and tools.
Math/Science Olympiad will be competing this Saturday in Clarksburg. They have worked tirelessly in preparation for this competition, thank Ms Moore for her support and efforts with the students and we are all rooting for their success. Go team!
As always, we are proud of the accomplishments of all our students and the continuous support from our CMIT South Elementary community. Let’s keep the momentum going and make this another fantastic week.
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
- 4/22/24 - Earth Day
- 4/22-26 - MCAP 5th grade
- 4/25/24 - 3rd Qtr Parent Grade Appeal deadline AP 5116 - Grade Change Authorization and Appeals
- 4/26/ 24 - Sneaker Ball
- 4/29 - 5/3 - MCAP 3rd grade
Amidst the electrifying atmosphere of Shark Tank Club's "Let's Go Fishing" - Business Showcase, brilliance collided with opportunity igniting a wave of investments where innovation thrived and dreams took flight. Our recent business showcase was nothing short of a testament to the unwavering dedication and perseverance of our Tankers. From the moment the doors swung open, anticipation hung heavy in the air, as investors and fellow club groups alike gathered to witness the unveiling of the next generation of disruptors. With each pitch delivered, the room crackled with energy, as ideas transformed into opportunities right before our eyes.
As the evening progressed, the fervor reached a crescendo with a flurry of investment deals materializing in real-time. It was a sight to behold – Shark Tank Club entrepreneurs and investors locking eyes, hands, and futures in the pursuit of shared success. From seed funding for promising startups to strategic partnerships forged on mutual vision and ambition, the showcase was a celebration of collaboration at its finest. The buzz of excitement reverberated long into the evening a tangible testimony to the transformative power of unity within our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As the dust settled and the echoes of applause faded, what remained was a landscape forever altered by the impact of Shark Tank Club's collective ingenuity. With investment deals sealed and dreams set in motion, we stand on the precipice of a new era in entrepreneurship – one defined by innovation, collaboration, and boundless opportunity. In Shark Tank Club, the future isn't just a vision; it's a reality we're actively shaping, one breakthrough at a time.
The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) measures how schools are performing and how students are progressing toward proficiency on the Maryland state content standards.
Tests will be administered as follows:
5th grade:
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 - Thursday, April 25, 2024
3rd grade:
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - Thursday, May 2, 2024
It is extremely important that your child is in school and on time during testing. Students who are absent will need to participate in make-up testing.
Families can access practice tests prior to assessment day to become familiar with the format.
Practice Test: http://track.spe.schoolmessenger.com/f/a/DlfTnndTnr7Nu_25ohWbdA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRn9wSjP0QxaHR0cHM6Ly9zdXBwb3J0Lm1kYXNzZXNzbWVudHMuY29tL3ByYWN0aWNlLXRlc3RzL1cHc2Nob29sbUIKZhAj0RVmJsJisVIYdC5sZXdpc3NpbW1vbnNAcGdjcHMub3JnWAQAAAAB
You can help your child improve their performance on the MCAP by ensuring they:
Get a good night’s sleep the night before each testing day
Eat a substantial breakfast in the morning for optimal energy and alertness
Attend school every testing day and arrive on time
Remember to keep cell phones turned off and secured during testing
If you couldn't make it to our MCAP Night (3rd -5th grades), that is okay. We Got You!
MCAP Night Zoom Recording:
video1531145836.mp4https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mWnfwlNoHIPWLJSbuMqOZtp2Xun0QDDl/view?usp=drive_web
MCAP Night Slideshow:
MCAP Night 2024https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yVGIK_Ierw3G0g8x2n9OdNgLBL-dinc4cId_IleM35o/edit?usp=drive_web
MCAP Night Padlet (Q&A):
https://padlet.com/cassandra_crusoe/mcap-night-ngmiiy900n2p
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:
Hello families!
Just an update to share that there will be one last homework packet given on Monday April 29th. We will be practicing for our promotion roles in class and students should be practicing daily at home. All roles should be given to families by Monday April 22nd. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher with any questions. We would like the communication for promotion and the roles that each student will play to be as clear as possible, so please reach out if you need any assistance.
Reading Updates:
Then and Now- How has communication changed over time?
In Unit 4, students will be reading many narrative nonfiction and fiction texts
about the past and the present. They will learn to understand the importance of reading two different types of texts; each author discusses the theme, or important idea, in his or her
own way.
This week we will:
Develop the structure of personal narrative.
Describe setting
Visualize details
Oram response to literature
Writing the letters Ww and Xx
Phonological Awareness: Middle Sounds; Syllables
Phonics: Ee / e / and Long Ee / ē
High-Frequency Words: black, brown, white
Math Updates:
Count Numbers to 100 - Continued
Your child is learning to work with larger numbers through 100. In this topic, he or she will learn to count and read numbers to 100. Your child will also learn to use a hundred chart to recognize patterns when counting by tens and ones. Numbers are counted and written in a specific sequence on a hundred chart. Students will use a hundred chart to count to 100. Counting patterns can be seen in a hundred chart in both the rows and columns. Some patterns can also be heard when counting aloud. Students will practice counting forward, beginning at any number, count by tens, and solve problems involving counting.
Math vocabulary: pattern, ones, tens, column, decade, hundred chart
Science Updates:
Needs of People- Continued
In this section, students will begin to explore what people need to survive. They will also discover that humans share many biological traits with animals, including anatomy and behavioral characteristics. They will recognize that there are patterns in the needs of living things; for example, all living things need food and water. They will also recognize that all living things follow patterns in their life cycles. Students will be introduced to science practices, such as making observations, analyzing data, and using models.
Science vocabulary: survive, shelter
Social Studies Updates:
Geography of the Neighborhood:
Our Home and Neighborhood/Safe neighborhoods- Continued
Describe the absolute location of a place, using an address.
Recognize that people live in neighborhoods
Identify different ways people get from place to place.
Recognize that traffic rules keep us safe.
Identify different traffic rules and how they keep us safe.
We will discuss that places, and their relative advantages and disadvantages, can change over time. We will also build backgrounds by asking children what they know about their community and encouraging them to share what they know about where they live.
Social Studies vocabulary: street, address, absolute location, neighbor, transportation, traffic symbols, ramp
Health Updates:
Getting Sick- Continued
Describes being healthy, how germs make us sick, health helpers who keep us well or get well, caring for others who are sick.
Health vocabulary: sick, well, germs, wash, microscope, energy, healthy
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
April 25th: Field trip
April 26th: Earth Day project due
May 14th: NO SCHOOL
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Greetings!
Pollen and dryness and irritability season is here. Please remember to
April 24 -Field TripNational Children's Museum.
Reading Updates:
Essential Question: Why is the past important?
Genre: Project based inquiry
Vocabulary: record, supply, necessary, experience
Sight Words: other, right, may, give, number
Phonics: word endings: /ing/; /ies/
Spelling Words: city, babies, having, baby, living, cities, baking, giving, give, right
Math Updates:
Topic 9-10
9:-Comparing numbers; Tens and Ones; greater than, less than, equal to.
10.Using models as a strategy to add Tens/Ones.
Science Updates:
Animal Habitat. Where do animals live: oceans, wilderness, on farms
Social Studies Updates:
Past and Present
Health Updates:
Get Well Soon. Read/discuss articles on getting well and staying well.
Grade level blurb:
Please check SchoolMax weekly for up-to-date grades.
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. Field trip money and permission slips have been collected.
Please continue to review your class' digital agenda for homework updates. Your scholar should also have these written in their personal agenda as well. Digital agendas are being used to support the home-school connections. Attached is the digital agenda for each teacher. Please refer to these for important due dates and assignments:
Reading Updates:
Continuation...
We will focus on biography as our genre of text for Unit 4 week 4. Our story of the week is titled “One Plastic Bag.” Students will work this week to identify text structure (chronological events) and making and confirming predictions.
Our phonic focus and spelling words will focus on the prefixes un-, re-, pre-, dis.
Math Updates:
Continuation...
Students will wrap up Topic 10, adding within 1,000. In this unit, students focused on the following strategies for addition: open number line, place-value blocks, and partial sums. Please refer to CANVAS for additional support with these strategies. Please also remember that students should be completing homework pages as lessons are learned in class. Please refer to your homeroom digital agenda for additional information.
Science Updates:
Continuation...
Students are focused on plant and animal life cycles. We have witnessed this first hand through observing the butterfly life cycle. We let our butterflies go this week!
Social Studies Updates:
Continuation...
We are wrapping up Topic 4 - People who supply our goods and services and moving onto Topic 5. 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 beginning a new topic related to taking care of our Great Bodies! Students will learn about why drugs are dangerous and how to keep our bodies safe.
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
The Testing Countdown has begun! Testing Season is upon us Amazing Parents! April 30, 2024 marks the beginning of the testing season. Please be sure that students are reporting to school on time everyday. We are in the process of planning the last field trip. More details are forthcoming. Here are some important dates to keep in mind.
4/29 - 5/3 - MCAP Testing (We are looking forward to 100% third grade attendance this week!)
Earth Day- April 22, 2024
Please encourage continued cooperation in following school and classroom rules and expectations. Thank you for your help with this.
Reading Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: This week we talked more about Biographies and read Milton Hershey Chocolate King, Town Builders. Students were able to explore the author's purpose while answering questions about the text, using text evidence.
Mathews/ Madison: This week we focused on test preparation completing the Reading and Language Arts MCAP Practice Test. We:
Practiced sitting and working quietly while being mindful of the allotted time for each section.
Went over test expectations and test taking strategies.
Wrote a narrative that included details from two separate fictional stories.
Worked to unlock the writing prompt and correct common grammatical/ spelling errors. Please encourage students to revise and edit their written work.
Worked on looking for text evidence that supported our answer choices on the practice test.
Ms. Chandler engaged students in a workshop on Testing Anxiety and strategies to implement during testing week.
Math Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: This week we worked on fractions on a number line, less than and greater than 1. We have also covered measuring to the nearest half inch and quarter inch as well as creating and analyzing line plots. Next week we will be working on equivalent fractions and hopefully moving into perimeter.
Science Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: This week students have officially concluded topic 6 on adaptations and survival. Students have completed their topic assessment. All grades are entered into SchoolMax. Students should have also turned in their Create-a-Creature project. This grade will also be entered into SchoolMax. Student’s individual grade and rubrics can be found on Canvas. Due to testing, we will be waiting to start topic 7 on Fossil Evidence.
Social Studies Updates:
Fleet/Lewis: In Social Studies we reviewed lesson 1 through 3 from Chapter 5 and started a discussion on decisions we take into consideration when voting for the right government official, how to be a good citizen in our community and internet.
Mathews/ Madison:
This week we continued to review how the government is organized. Students participated in a group jam on IXL to practice their knowledge of the information learned. We will take the end of the lesson quiz next Monday-Tuesday.
Health Updates:
In the month of April we will be discussing “Things You May Catch.” Students will compare communicable and non-communicable disease, 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,
4th Grade has concluded their MCAP Testing for the year!! We thank you all for ensuring that your scholar arrived to school on time and was prepared to test. During this week our scholars were motivated and focused during testing. We are very proud of our scholars and hope that you will celebrate their accomplishments as a family. If a scholar has not finished their testing they will not be pulled until the week of May 6, 2024 to finish testing. Students will have to miss class instruction time to have make-up testing provided by Mr. Metin.
Before the fourth quarter ends, scholars will still have to take spring diagnostic tests of MAP and i-Ready. These assessments will happen during class after the conclusion of MCAP administration and make-ups for students. We look forward to seeing the growth that students have made throughout the year. Results from MCAP and i-Ready spring testing will be provided to you once all students have finished.
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 for school.
Fourth Grade Reminders:
Please check SchoolMax weekly to see scholar’s updated grades. Canvas is a Learning Management System in which 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 back to school. In order for students to receive make-up work you must provide a note stating; the student’s name, the date of absence, and reason for absence. Work is provided to students upon their return to school with an absence note.
Each week we suggest checking your scholars 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. 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 showed their mastery on standards covered this year by completing the Spring MCAP.
Next Week: Students will celebrate Poetry Month by reading poems closely and creating original poems using various styles. As students are analyzing poetry they will identify the elements shown and discuss the imagery that is being shown through the words.
Math Updates:
Now that we have concluded MCAP we will continue to practice skills to prepare students for fifth grade. This week we will continue to review long division and fractions.
Science Updates:
Next Monday is Earth Day. Students will spend the week discussing ways we can help protect the Earth. Students will also have an opportunity to beautify parts of the school by planting flowers.
Social Studies Updates:
Next week we will finish Chapter 4 Lesson 3 and look at advertisements and how they affect the price of an item.
Health Updates:
We will resume our health lessons and will continue to focus in the the digestive system.
Grade Level Updates
Grade level blurb:
Hi everyone! We are in the month of 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 prepared to plan 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! We will send chaperones more info shortly.
Field Day is also coming up on May 31! This time, we are going off 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 9:00am! 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
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 THIS COMING WEEK for 5th grade!! Teachers are posting resources for students to start preparing and studying academic vocabulary. Please help students prepare for this assessment in any way possible! We got this!
Reading Updates:
We are working on unit 3 week 5 and our section is about realistic fiction. We also are working on our spelling words for this section about syllable patterns! 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 9 now about the Civil War. We are working on Chapter 9 lesson 1 this week!
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