CMIT South Elementary School

Dear CMIT South Elementary Families,

As we embrace Autism Acceptance Month, I am reminded of the inspiring words of Paralympic gold medalist Breanna Clark, who once said, "Having autism doesn't mean I can't achieve my dreams. It just means I might take a different path to get there." Her determination reminds us that with support and opportunity, every child can reach their full potential.

Important Announcements

C-Week Schedule (Week 3) Please ensure your child follows their C-Week/Week 3 schedule for Creative Arts (CARTS) classes.

NWEA MAP Testing: April 7-11 Our 3rd-5th graders will take NWEA MAP assessments in Reading, Math, and Science. Please ensure your child gets plenty of rest and eats a nutritious breakfast each morning to help them perform their best.

Assistant Principal Appreciation Week: April 7-11

Let's celebrate our TigerTastic Assistant Principal Dr. Watkis! She is a phenomenal educational leader with a wealth of knowledge who generously shares her expertise with our community. Please join us in honoring her dedication this week.

FOAM FUN RUN Pledge Drive - Deadline April 11th

Please continue sharing our FOAM RUN Pledge Drive links with friends and family. Our students are working together to unlock exciting rewards! Your support is crucial as proceeds will fund our June field day and educational STEM supplies.

How to Access Your Campaign:

1. Click this link and enter your student's name: https://app.pledge-drive.net/Campaign/cmitses2025

2. Can't find your student? Register here: https://app.pledge-drive.net/Campaign/cmitses2025/register

The student donation website and email correspondence will be our primary communication methods throughout this program. With 100% participation, we can reach our donation goal! Visit your student's page to watch the Daily Fit and Fun Training Video and learn more about our fundraising purposes.

How You Can Help:

• Make your donation now to inspire others

• Share your donation page with at least 10 family and friends using the email function

• Forward this message and the link to your networks

• Post on social media platforms to spread the word

Spring Break: April 14-21

Please note that CMIT South Elementary will be closed for Spring Break from April 14th through April 21st. We hope all our Tiger families enjoy this well-deserved time of rest and rejuvenation. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 22nd. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for the final stretch of our academic year!

As we move forward this spring, remember that the STEM Journey Begins Here at CMIT South Elementary! Let's continue to fill this school year with exciting learning opportunities, personal growth, and impressive achievements for all our scholars. Every day brings new opportunities for growth and your partnership in education makes a profound difference in our students' success. We thank you for making CMIT South Elementary a vibrant and supportive learning community. Together, we're creating meaningful experiences for our scholars! Remember, we can't continue this STEM journey without you!

Let's make this year a roaring success! 🦁📚

Wishing you all a 🐾 PawwRific 🐾 day and see you all Monday, April 7, 2025!

With Tiger Pride,

Ms. Tauheedah N. Simmons-Lewis

Principal

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy Elementary South (CMIT)

🧡🐯 MCAP Testing Spirit Week April 22nd-25th – "Eye of the Tiger"! 🐯🧡

Grade Level Updates:

Hello Kinder Families,

Can you believe that we have entered the fourth quarter already, times flies when you're having a great time learning. It will soon be spring break and If you are looking for something to help enrich your scholar while we are on break you can complete the PGCPS Spring Break packets, it is not mandatory to complete these. The packets can be found at : https://www.pgcps.org/offices/curriculum-and-instruction/enrichment-packets/spring-student-enrichment-packets

After Spring Break look out for a sign up genesis to volunteer in your scholar’s class for a grade level project that we will begin.

VOCABULARY PARADE: Friday, April 25, 2025.

Our fourth annual Vocabulary Parade is on its way! Soon, each student will pick a word, from the provided grade level vocabulary word list, to represent. Students are encouraged to make a costume, hat, or poster. Put your thinking caps on! How would you show the word ADRIFT? Or POROUS? or ZIGZAG? From A to Z, students will depict vocabulary words in a creative way. A “Costume Design Sheet” has been sent home to help your child plan his/her costume. Your child will be asked for their word, a definition, and a sketch of their costume. Thank you for helping us make vocabulary instruction into a Parade of Words!

We did send some lists home but if you are still looking for vocabulary terms they may be found at the links below. You can utilize one of these terms or be as creative as you would like.

MATH VOCAB K-12

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS VOCAB K-12

Consider the opportunity to listen to a read aloud at the following link:

In-School Vocabulary Parades - Debra Frasier

In Spring, many students have their allergies reawakened and sometimes it can be severe; if your scholar is one of those students and needs medication please remember to fill out a doctor’s form for medication to go to the nurse. Also we are entering warmer weather, please remember that Kindergarten's recess is early in the morning and students will still need coats. Also families, please have your scholar’s shoes tied when they come to school and continue to assist your scholar in their efforts of learning to tie their shoes independently. Students should have a school approved sweater or jacket to wear in the classroom, in case they get chilly.

Dates to Remember:

April 11: Homework Packet Due

April 11: In School Field Trip money and Permission Slip Due

April 14-21: Spring Break

April 25: 4th Annual CMIT: Vocabulary Parade

April 25: In school Field trip- Science Show

May 23: Save the Date: Field Trip to the DC National History Museum

June 6: Save the Date: Field Day

June 12: Kindergarten Promotion

Reading Updates:

UNIT 3- Week 4: Mosni Can Help

Essential Question: Why do we like certain kinds of stories?

• Phonological Awareness: Initial and Final Sounds; Segment and Blend Phonemes

Blend and Segment: Onset and Rime

• Phonics:Vowel sounds - short i (/i/) and long i (/i_e/)

• High-frequency words: were, some, funny

• Story Vocabulary: octopus, jellyfish, creatures

• Unit Vocabulary: choose, explain, meaning, character

Learning Goals:

• Learn about different types of stories

• Visualize details from a story

• Syllables and compound words

• Find details in a text

• Capitalization for the beginning of a sentence

• Possessive pronouns

• Prepositions, adjectives, and articles

• Organize the story element: character, setting, plot

Math Updates:

Topic 9: Count to 20

Essential Understanding: What types of situations involve subtraction? What types of situations involve addition?

• Show numbers in many way

• Count and write numbers 11-20

• Represent groups of objects with a number to 20

• Practice counting on from any number within 20

• Show different numbers using number lines, ten frames and pictures

Vocabulary: eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, patterns

Science Updates:

TOPIC 4 LESSON 3: Seasons

Essential Question: How do different weathers affect Earth?

• Learn how the relationship between the temperature and season

• Discover seasons are similar in different locations

• Describe how the seasons can affects what weather people experience

Vocabulary: pattern, seasons, winter, spring, autumn, fall, summer

Social Studies Updates:

Chapter 4 Introduction and Quest introduction: Geography of the Neighborhood

Essential Question- What is the world like?

• Understand different places and areas that are around us

• Look into the into a map as a tool

• Analyze how we interact with jobs that help the community and the location of places

Vocabulary: street, community, neighbors, map, neighborhood

Health Updates:

April Topic: Getting Sick

• Describe what it means to be healthy, sick and why is it is important to stay well

• Encourage confidence in knowing how to show concern for others that might be sick

• Demonstrate respect for our bodies and encourage others to practice proper hygiene.

• Explain what is medicine what is not medicine, the explore the consequences of taking medicine not meant for you

Grade Level Blurb:

Due to the short week and testing lessons will continue into this week. We have wrapped up our MAP testing thank all for sending your scholars to school well rested and ready to test. Make up testing will be happening this week. As we approach the final quarter of school. I would like to continue to remind our scholars of appropriate behavior in the restroom. This is the final week before Spring break.

Reading Updates:

Unit 4 week 1 will consist of reading a biography and learn about VCV words.

Math Updates:

Students will begin learning to identify coins as well as their value.

Social Studies Updates:

Scholars will finish their unit on producers and consumers and prepare to test.

Grade Level Updates:

We are completing MAP testing next week! It will take place Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Please make sure you are getting at least 10 hours of sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive on time. This will also help students prepare for MCAP testing!

Reading Updates:

Students have been working on reading historical fiction! Additionally, we have been working on spelling words with the following vowel teams: oo, ue, ou, ew, and u_e. We are also reviewing content leading up to MCAP testing.

Math Updates:

All classes have been working on reviewing concepts such as operations and shapes before testing, as well as area and perimeter!

Science Updates:

We are finishing up our units on Climate and Life Cycles!

Social Studies Updates:

We are currently on Chapter 3, Lesson 2, which discusses early explorers from England, France, and Spain! We previously learned about Indigenous Peoples in the Americas!

Health Updates:

We are finishing up our unit on healthy habits and healthy minds!

Grade Level Updates:

Happy Fourth Quarter,

I hope this message finds you well. We have concluded the 3rd Quarter!! We are now down to the last quarter which has plenty of events between now and the end of the year. Next week Fourth Grade students will be taking their MAP Spring Diagnostics. This is a chance to see how much your student has grown academically this school year. We will use Monday- Wednesday to administer the diagnostic tests. Thursday and possible Friday will be used as makeup testing days. Our goal is to complete testing before we leave for Spring Break.

We ask that you continue to talk with your student nightly about “glows and grows” from their day at school. We are helping students to be more reflective about their days and ways they can make improvements. This is the last quarter of Fourth Grade and our scholars have made great progress and are beginning their preparations to become the building leaders next year.

The character trait of the month of April is Ambition. Students will have lessons in class around having ambition and striving to reach their goals. Ways you can help is to share with your scholar times when you have shown ambition and drive to reach your goals. Please continue to read to get updates and important information from Fourth Grade.

Thank you for your continuing support and partnership.

Warm regards,

4th Grade Team

Important Upcoming Dates:

• MAP Reading Monday April 7, 2025

• MAP Math Tuesday April 8, 2025

• MAP Science Wednesday April 9, 2025

• Spring Break April 14- April 21, 2025

Uniforms:

We are a uniform school. Students must be in the proper uniform each and every day. Students are expected to have mostly black shoes. They may wear a navy blue or school logo jacket or pullover during class. Students will be asked to remove any jacket or sweater that is not following the uniform policy.

Fourth Grade Reminders:

i-Ready:

i-Ready is a computer based math and reading program that is available for all of our scholars. Scholars have completed their diagnostics and are working on programs based on their areas of need. If scholars have access to a computer at home, we recommend that your scholar is getting at least 45 minutes of practice a week in both reading and math. Please encourage your child to complete lessons and ensure they complete the lessons independently to accurately improve their skills. i-Ready is accessed through clever.pgcps.org, and scholars will use their PGCPS logins to access the program.

Absences:

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. If a scholar leaves early or arrives late to school and it is not excused they will earn a 0 for all work that is not completed.

If your scholar is absent, please share a note with the homeroom teacher and attendance managers 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.

Communications:

Students must bring their agenda book each day. Teachers will note the agenda book and it should be signed nightly by the adult at home.

Please allow up to 48 business hours for all responses to emails and Classdojo messages. Teachers are not actively monitoring their emails during the day because we are engaged in instruction. Emails are not monitored over the weekend or in the evening hours when teachers have gone home. If the message sent relates to dismissal changes please call the school directly to leave a message with the front office.

Grading:

Please check Synergy 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 Synergy are those that will be used to calculate progress reports and report cards.

Parent Teacher Conferences:

Conferences with teachers are available with families as needed. Please reach out to the homeroom teacher about scheduling a parent teacher conference.

Reading Updates:

All texts that are being read in the classroom are also available for students to reread at home in their Vol. 2 textbooks. Please have students continue to read and discuss with you information that they find in the text. Students should always read a portion of the text and share any thoughts or questions they had while reading. Students should also note the text underlining, circling, and highlighting parts of the story that were important to know. Homework continues to be sent home on a weekly basis on the first day of the week.

This Week: This week, students will revisit poetry. April is Poetry month and students will practice writing different poetry styles. As we continue to explore, students will spend time working on figurative language. Figurative language is what helps writers create meaning and visuals in the mind of readers. Students will create their poems and be able to share their poems with others. The poems that we will use and analyze are found on pages () in the Vol. 2 textbook.

Next Week: Students will be taking MAP Diagnostics Monday- Wednesday. This will affect some instruction that will occurs as we test during homerooms and allow time for makeups. Students will continue to work with creating their own poetry using various different styles. Students will continue to analyze the figurative language that is used in poems.

Math Updates:

This week we will focus on Test Prep for our upcoming testing schedule as we close “Topic 5: Using Strategies and Properties to Divide by 1-Digit Numbers”;(4.OA.A.3 and 4.NBT.B.6). Students will be given a weekly MCAP homework assignment to complete at home. This assignment will be due on Thursday so that we can review the assignment as a class on Fridays.

At home, please continue practicing with basic math facts focused on multiplication and division to support math fluency and the computation strategies for this topic.

Reminder: IXL Action Plan Challenge is now over, however continue to have your scholars practice their IXL skill plans at home before the end of the month of March to receive their Scholarship reward. Please check Synergy ParentVue and Canvas with your scholar to ensure the completion of assignments.

Test Prep: Preparing for MCAP Testing

Parents and Guardians,

As we prepare for state testing and continue building strong math skills, we wanted to recommend two great resources that can support your child’s learning at home:

Math Tool Kit (Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/jlwZJbI)

4th Grade Common Core Math Quick Study Guide (Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/0Gy4Igw)

Both are fantastic tools that break down key math concepts, reinforce skills, and align with what we are learning in class. These resources can help students review and practice at home while also preparing for the MCAP.

If you’re looking for an easy way to boost your child’s confidence in math, these are great options! Let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your continued support!

Science Updates:

This week we will begin our next topic, Topic 4 Earth’s Features. The focus for this topic is to analyze the patterns and features of planet Earth. We will be focusing on the skills, observation, weather island erosion, and on analyzing and interpreting data. Key vocabulary for this topic is; canyon, butte, fault, trench, pattern and feature.

Please check Synergy ParentVue and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments

Social Studies Updates:

This week: Students read the text “Trade and Markets” and explain how businesses supply goods and services to match demand and supply.

Next week: Students will read the text “People and the Economy” and explain how both individuals and families make economic decisions.

Grade Level Updates:

MAP Growth Testing This Week! We have a big week ahead, and I want to keep you informed about all the exciting learning and important events happening in our classroom.

Students will be participating in MAP Growth assessments on the following days:

• Monday – Math
  

• Tuesday – Reading
  

• Wednesday – Social Studies
  
  

These assessments help us measure student growth and determine areas of strength and areas where additional support may be needed. To ensure your child is set up for success, please help them by:

• Making sure they get a full night of rest before each test
  

• Providing a healthy breakfast each morning
  

• Making sure they arrive to school on time and ready to focus
  
  

Please encourage a positive attitude and remind your child that this is their chance to show what they’ve learned and how much they’ve grown!

What We’re Learning This Week:

Reading Updates:

We’re diving into the world of historical fiction! Students will explore how authors use real historical settings and events to create compelling fictional stories. We’ll also focus on grammar skills, with an emphasis on identifying and using adverbs correctly in writing and speaking.

Math Updates:

In math, we’re beginning our unit on multiplying fractions. Students will learn how to model multiplication with fractions, solve word problems, and apply their understanding to real-world scenarios.

Social Studies Updates:

We’ll continue our study of the U.S. Constitution with a focus on the Bill of Rights. Students will learn about each amendment and understand how these rights protect citizens and shape our democracy.

Health Updates:

Our health lessons this week will focus on the circulatory system, specifically learning about blood and common diseases. We’ll explore how blood functions in the body, the importance of healthy habits, and how to prevent the spread of illness.

General CARTS Message:

We're in the home stretch now! Please continue to check your students’ work/grades on both Canvas and Synergy for CARTS classes.

Music:

Here are some updates from Music class! The chapter of learning to play the recorder is almost over. Doing something special with The Lorax is on its way so stay tuned!

Art:

Our artists at the reception!

2024-2025 School Calendar

School Meals

School Violence Resources and Support

PGCPS TV

CMIT South ES Enrichment Program

Vendor Managed Child Care

Parent Handbook

Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

Synergy ParentVUE Support for Parents and Guardians