CMIT South Elementary School

Greetings Tiger Families,

Once again, I want to thank our Tiger family for their support during our Charter Renewal Site Visit last week on February 14, 15, and 16th. Thank you for your positive comments and honesty about the hard work we all put into our school environment for students, staff, and families. Over the next month, we will be provided a report from the TenSquare consultant group regarding their findings, observations, and recommendations. In the coming months, these findings will be reviewed by both Prince George’s County Public Schools and Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation, then by the PGCPS Board of Education. We look forward to favorable news in regard to the future of the school and continual service in our community.

Thank you to families that have made the extra effort in getting their child to school before 8:00 am each day. As we are monitoring our chronic absenteeism and tardy rates, we will begin reaching out to individual families to address concerns to see how we can collaborate to support the on-time arrival to school for your student(s). Attendance can have an impact on student's academic performance and, as we seek to maximize instructional time, it is essential for students to be in school and on time. Every moment students are not in our instructional environment, we run the risk of them not gaining the skills they will need to be successful in their current grades and moving forward.

Prince George’s County Public Schools is taking the initiative to raise awareness of dangerous and illegal drug use in our community. Please make sure to reach out and listen to information on how to prevent illegal and dangerous drug use and promote healthy and safe choices for our students and school communities.

This coming Tuesday, February 28, 2023, our CMIT South Elementary Students will be presenting a Black History Program to grades K-2 and 3-5. We will record and share the production with our school community. We are excited to share what our students have learned in regard to the contributions of African Americans in the fields of engineering, activism, politics, sports, entertainment, business, and military service.

Our 2022 data for The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) assessments of Maryland College and Career Ready Standards (MCCRS) have been shared with schools. This annual exam helps mark students' progress toward college and career readiness, starting from grade 3 through high school. It provides teachers with timely information to help develop instructional strategies and plans to help students learn and grow. You can access our school data publicly on the Maryland State Department of Education website site. PGCPS will be holding a data night on March 16, 2023. CMIT South Elementary will follow up to review student data as well after that time so stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Mr. Ronald A. Miller, Jr.

Principal

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Elementary

Prince George’s County Public Schools

CMIT South Elementary February Themes

Character Theme: Peace

STEM Theme: African-American Inventors and STEAM Professionals

"One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals." - Michelle Obama

Please take note of these February - March calendar reminders:

• Tuesday, February 28, 2023 - Black History Presentation

• Thursday, March 2, 2023 - Read Across America Day and National Reading Month

• Friday, March 3, 2023 - Progress Reports Released online SchoolMax Family Portal or SchoolMax Family Mobile Portal

• March 1- 31, 2023 - Women's History Month - Diverse Books with Trailblazing Women

• March 1- 31, 2023 - Irish American History and Heritage Month - Irish Kid Books

• Tuesday, March 7- Friday, March 24, 2023 - Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA)- 5th grade only

• Monday, March 6, 2023 - School Closed for Students (Professional Development for teachers)

• Wednesday, March 8, 2023 - PTO General Meeting In-person and online

• Thursday, March 30, 2023 - End of 3rd quarter

• Friday, March 31, 2023 - Professional Day for Teachers. It is a half-day of asynchronous virtual learning from home for students and a professional day for teachers. Learn more about virtual learning days this school year.

• 2022-2023 SY Calendar

• February 2023 School Lunch Menu

Families are invited to learn about the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), Maryland School Report Card star ratings, and Individual Student Reports during two upcoming webinars. Zoom registration is limited. Both sessions will be live-streamed on the PGCPS YouTube channel and recorded for viewing on-demand following the events.

Monday, February 27 | 6 p.m. - A Guide to the Maryland School Report Card

Review MCAP results and learn about all reporting measures that go into school star ratings on the Maryland School Report Card.

Thursday, March 16 | 6 p.m. - A Guide to Individual Student Reports

Learn how to interpret and best use the MCAP Individual Student Report to improve your child’s academic performance.

The Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation is elated to be able to offer your child a unique extended learning opportunity. The goal of Saturday Academy - (MCAP focus) is to provide mathematics and reading enrichment to students toward academic mastery and improved test performance.

Saturday Academy dates - February to April. Students will take the MCAP May 1-8th. Saturday Academy dates are as follows and will be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

February 11, 18, and 25, 2023

March 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023

April 15 and 29, 2023

We look forward to partnering with you and your child as we work toward academic mastery. Please complete the enrollment form if you are interested in having your child join the program or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to Ms. Caple-Price at kcaple@clfmd.org or kcaple@cmitsouth.org.

Get an Academic Boost with Tutoring

Accelerate learning and build academic confidence with these free tutoring opportunities!

Tutoring provided by CMIT South

CMIT South Elementary will have tutoring offered by 12th-grade seniors from CMIT South Middle/High school for 3-5 grade students. More information coming soon.

TutorMe

Connect with an online tutor in less than 30 seconds, 24/7 for help with a single problem or a lesson! Tutors are highly qualified from the best universities and are ready to assist students.

Carnegie Learning Math

On-demand math tutoring for students in grades 3-12. Log in through the CLEVER tutoring app.

Carnegie Learning Math

On-demand math tutoring for students in grades 3-12. Log in through the CLEVER tutoring app.

Remember: masks remain a tool to reduce the spread of illness and vaccinations continue to be the best defense against COVID-19. When children are sick, please keep them home.

Want to send a Shout Out to a Teacher/Staff Member?

Do you want to say thank you or SHOUT-OUT a teacher or staff member for their great job? Complete and submit the SHOUT-OUT Google Form link and it will be shared with the faculty at an upcoming meeting and/or morning announcements.

Cell phones may be used on school grounds before school and after school. Cell phone use is prohibited in classrooms, restrooms, cafeteria, hallways, and school offices unless otherwise stated by a teacher. During the instructional day, cell phones must remain out of sight and must be turned off or on silent mode and stored in a backpack, book bag, pocket, purse, or locker. “Cell phones” include, and are not limited to, iPhones, “smart” phones, smart watches (i.e., Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch), internet-enabled phones, and other PEDs that are capable of placing and/or receiving telephone calls (including personal listening devices such as earphones, earbuds, “Bluetooth”, etc.), text messages, browsing the internet, creating and distributing videos, taking photographs, and the like. Please click to review the Portable electronic Policy (Administrative Procedure 5132).

FIELD TRIP UPDATE:

We have run into a scheduling conflict with the Charter Bus company and have to change the date and location of our field trip. Kindergarten will now be going to the National Museum of Natural History in D.C. on Friday, March 24th. We are so excited about our new trip location. Please inform your scholar’s teacher if you are interested in supporting our trip as a chaperone. We must at least have 6 chaperones per class in order to attend, but all registered chaperones are welcome this time.

UNIT 3: Tell Me a Story

Essential Question- Why do we like stories?

• Phonological awareness: Manipulate syllables within a multisyllabic words

• Phonics: Write and read words with Long Aa/Short Aa

• Exploring the genre of fiction

• Interact with fiction stories to enhance listening comprehension skills

• Identify and produce rhyming words

• Decoding stories to analyze for the setting, characters, and plot

UNIT 8: More Addition and Subtraction

• Understanding addition as putting together and adding to

• Understanding subtraction as taking apart and taking from

• Writing an equation to solve a word problem

Essential Understandings:

• Addition and subtraction facts have an inverse relationship

• Good math thinkers know how to think about words and numbers to solve problems

• Addition and subtraction facts can be solved using different strategies

TOPIC 5: Needs of Living Things

• Discovering what plants and animals need to survive

• Students will learn how plants and animals grow and change during their lives

• Recognize that there are patterns in the needs of living things

• Learn about the patterns in the life cycle of plants and animals

CHAPTER 4: Geography of the Neighborhood

• Developing an understanding in the different parts of a map and globes and how they help us

• Drawing pictures and places on maps

UNIT 7: No Drugs, No Way!

• Defining the meaning of a drugs

• Identifying dangerous substances at home, school, and on the playground

• Being responsible for your great body

Be sure to practice your spelling words!

Essential Question: How can we use our imaginations?

Comprehension Strategy: Predictions

High Frequency Words: be, could, of, old, why

Spelling/Phonics: Words with Long o spelled VCe

Genre: Folktales

Vocabulary Words: create, imagine, suppose, possible

Students will describe plot elements, including the main events, the problems, and the resolution, for text read aloud and independently.

Students will make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures with adult assistance.

Students will demonstrate knowledge of distinguishing characteristics of folktales.

Students will collect and organize information using a picture graph.

Vocabulary:

picture graph

survey

Students will observe and measure weather.

Vocabulary:

weather

thermometer

rain gauge

anemometer

tornado

blizzard

Students will recognize that the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are important American documents.

Vocabulary:

colony

document

constitution

amendments

Students will list the different parts of the body that help us to talk and to hear, and show how each process works.

Vocabulary:

brain

ear

tongue

lips

voice box

vocal cords

teeth

Hello Second Grade Families! Our team has just a few updates and reminders for the coming week.

• Please continue to check SchoolMax for up-to-date grades.

• Second grade is in need of many supplies! If you are able, please consider donating the following to our classroom: tissues, baby wipes, pencils, glue sticks, and Expo markers.

In this unit, students have learned about different traditions. We will be wrapping up our reading unit with a final project. This week students will explore and construct opinion writing. They will be writing opinion letters to explain what traditions they think should be celebrated at school and why!

In phonics, we will look at words with /s/ spelled c and words with /j/ spelled g and dge. Examples include: peace, edge, giraffe.

We are working to finish up topic 6. Please be sure to review subtraction strategies learned in this topic by reviewing the CANVAS resources and optional homework packet. Stay tuned for an update from your teacher about when testing will occur.

Students are wrapping up learning about Earth's surface and water. In this topic, we learned about different landforms (plateaus, mountains, valleys, plains, canyons, etc.) and water (rivers, lakes, streams, oceans, glaciers, etc.). Please stay tuned for an update from your teacher about when testing will occur.

Our next unit will be on Earth's processes. Students will learn about Earth's changes that happen quickly (i.e. earthquakes) and slowly (i.e. erosion).

Students are finishing up topic 4, which involved learning about needs and wants, goods and services. Please stay tuned for an update from your teacher about when testing will occur.

Topic 5 is Making Differences. Students will learn about heroes and influential people who have made a difference in our world.

As we finish February, students are finishing up learning about how to be heart healthy! Our next topic will be on fear. Students will learn about things that can cause fear, when fear can save them, and ways to manage anxiety and stress.

Hi everyone! We hope everyone had a great short week!

Let’s stay on track with our assignments as we move through each unit! Please make sure you are using our weekly assignments breakdown page to always see what homework assignments are due each night. Here is the link for those who need it: https://sites.google.com/pgcps.org/3rdgradeclasssite22-23/assignments

We are learning about and celebrating Black History Month this month, and we are excited to be learning about many different influential people! We have a Black History Month project in social studies, and it is due on March 3rd! A rubric, directions, examples, and helpful links are all provided on Canvas for students to use to help!

We officially have our date for the field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium on Friday, March 17! Permission slips were sent home and slips and money are to be collected next week. Chaperones who reached out for the earlier date that got moved, please let us know if you are still available. We are so excited about the trip and we hope everyone is able to come!

Please make sure students have the supplies they need for school each day (pencils, scissors, colors, etc.)! Also, make sure you are sending students to school with proper jackets for the cold weather.

If it is above 32 degrees, there is always a chance that we will go outside for recess.

Let’s have a great week!

This upcoming week, students will be continuing on in Unit 2 about interactions finishing up persuasive text! Students will also be working on their new spelling words for the section we are starting. We are working on comprehension questions and sequencing. These stories focus on the essential question of how a chain of events affects plants and animals. We will also be reading and writing about different biographies for Black History Month throughout the month!

This upcoming week, students will be continuing Topic 4 which is division facts.

Students will also be continuing learning about electricity and magnetism this week.

We are starting chapter 3 lesson 2 which is about early explorers and native american tribes. We also will be learning about people for black history month and we have our project. The project is due next week! If there are any questions about it, please reach out to Ms. McDonagh or Mrs. Mathews!

The grading windows for 3rd Quarter Progress Reports have officially opened! Parents, we are asking that you check SchoolMax for accurate reflection of student performance in class Canvas houses assignments; however, all activities are not entered into SchoolMax, which is our official platform for communication. We are looking forward to a strong finish to the 3rd Quarter and a phenomenal end of the school year.

Reading: Last week we began a new unit “Diversity” and are officially in textbook 4.2. Our story of the week is called “Mama’s Window.” In the story, we read about a boy named Sugar who is sent to live in the Mississippi Delta after his mother passes away. Students monitored their inner conversations while reading the story and were also able to identify the elements of the plot. Finally, students explore the vocabulary that was given in the story and was able to use the vocabulary.

Next week we will continue to read the story of “Mama’s Window” closely. Students will be able to identify traits of the character of Sugar and support them with details and examples from the text. Students will compose writing in which they will explain the traits shown by Sugar in the story. Students will not have spelling words again until March 6, 2023. Homework will be given on IXL.

Scholastic Information: You can choose to have your books shipped to your home or delivered to me with our class order. Class Order Due Date: 03/06/23

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/MF27J

Please share the Class Page link with extended family and friends. All orders also earn FREE Books for our class.

Class Code: MF27J

Social Studies: Black History Projects were due by Wednesday, February 22, 2023. At this time no further projects will be accepted. This week we began Chapter 4 which focuses on the Economy. Students explored what an economy is and the different types of economies in the world. Students also had an opportunity to begin brainstorming what type of business they would like to start and whether or not they will provide goods or services.

Next week we will continue with Chapter 4. Students will understand that businesses supply goods and services to match demand. Also, we will explore how individuals and families make economic decisions. Students will also continue to brainstorm

Math: This week scholars have wrapped up division using partial products and using sharing to divide (Lessons 5-6 through Lessons 5-8) We have also reviewed all strategies and found ways to determine which strategy is best to use in given situations (Lesson 5-9). We have practiced multiplication and division facts for fact families 1-6. After reviewing our drills, we will spend another week on these facts to strengthen our fluency. Have your scholars utilize the tool provided and review these multiplication and division facts daily. Our Topic 5 Assessment has been moved to Monday. Please review all Lesson Resources found in the Modules ab in Canvas in preparation for the assessment. Next week we will move into Topic 6 which will take what we have learned from the last two topics and strengthen our skills.

Science: This week scholars have distinguished the difference between plane waves and circle waves, modeled waves using patterns in wave properties, and they have created posters to display their mastery of this knowledge. Next week we will explore waves and the electromagnetic spectrum. In this lesson, scholars will model how light reflection allows objects to be seen.

Health: This week concludes Unit 5: It’s My Body which focuses on self-care/hygiene, social and emotional wellness, reporting abuse, and being responsible. Scholars have received a hard copy of this unit’s magazine but I will still place reading sections in each lesson to help with each activity. Next week we will move into Topic 6: Be Cool, Keep Clean. This unit will discuss hormones and body changes, what good hygiene is, illness prevention, and good hygiene and looking good and feeling great. All health activities are assigned at the beginning of the week and are due on Friday. Because of this, retakes and late submissions are no longer accepted and all grades are final.

Reading: This week in Reading Workshop, we started reading “Mama’s Window.” We read about a boy named Sugar, who is sent to live with his uncle after his mother passes away. He gets upset because the money his mother had for a new church window is about to be used to buy a brick. Students monitored their inner conversations while reading the story and were also able to identify the elements of the plot. Students showed their mastery with standards RL.4.1 and RL.4.3 which worked on making inferences and describing a character in depth.

Students will have their Comprehension Quiz on Friday, March 2, 2023.

Math:

This week students completed section 4-2; Use Model to Multiply 2-digit Numbers by Multiples of 10. We also began working on section 4-3 Estimate: Use Rounding or Compatible Numbers. Next week will complete section 4-3 and begin working on section 4-4 Arrays and Partial products.

Science: This week students continued learning about waves, wave patterns, and properties by creating posters and models of waves they’re parts and explaining how wave movements transfer and convert energy.

Please remember to check Canvas and SAVVAS with your student to review scores, and missing and or incomplete work.

Social Studies: In social studies this week, students presented their project from their Black History Month Choice Board Project.

Under Construction

Under Construction

Under Construction

Under Construction

Under Construction

Under Construction

The students are learning the basics of basketball.

K-2 is working on dribbling and shooting

3-5 is working on dribbling while moving and shooting

Here is a link to help students practice basketball drills - https://youtu.be/pP8IhFJGGXk

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

https://cmitsouthes.org/faq/