CMIT South Elementary School

Greetings Tiger Family,

This week we have been delving deep into our data as a school and reviewing our areas of success and challenge. I have been able, with the support of the leadership team, to present our data to our Prince George’s County Public Schools partners and our Charter Operator, Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation. Our performance in math assessments, reading assessments, academic progress, and attendance combined with the efforts of CMIT South Middle High School have earned us a combined 4 out of 5-star ranking on the Maryland State Department of Education School Report Card. When our staff dug even deeper into our data and star ranking, as a stand-alone elementary school we are still a solid 4 out of 5-star school! That puts us in a rare space with less than half a dozen elementary schools in Prince George’s County! We truly have one of the best elementary schools thanks to all you do and all we do together.

As we continue to build on the momentum of success, we have less than 60 days of school. Events will be fast and furious. Testing will be relentless and we need everyone’s focus and single-minded pursuit of consistent high performance and achievement to finish the year strong. Dates will be shared this week for grade-level Pastries with the Principal parent meetings, MCAP Kick-Off Night, MCAP testing schedule, and PTO events. Please take the time to participate and be in the know.

March Madness is truly upon us and, as a proud alumnus of the Howard University Men’s Basketball team 2000-2004, I am beyond proud of the achievement of my Bison. I hope everyone finds opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of the youth in your life or even in your own life. A special congratulations to Assistant Principal, Mrs. Watkis for earning her National Board Certification. It is the highest honor an educator can receive and solidifies her content knowledge and mastery over instruction, coaching, and feedback for students and teachers. Congratulations to Mrs. Pavignano and Ms. Johnson on their passing of the Praxis exams this past week as well! We are improving constantly as a staff through our collective hard work and individual achievements.

Sincerely,

Mr. Ronald A. Miller, Jr.

Principal

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Elementary

Prince George’s County Public Schools

CMIT South Elementary March Themes

Character Theme: Courage

STEM Theme: Music

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher

Please take note of these March calendar reminders:

• 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 27, 2023 - Spring Pictures

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

• Thursday, March 30, 2023 - PANTS celebration

• 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.

• Monday, April 3, 2023 - Monday, April 10, 2023 - Spring Break

• 2022-2023 SY Calendar

• March 2023 Lunch Menu

Get ready... spring pictures are almost here!

Spring pictures will take place on Monday, March 27, 2023.

See package options at www.spring.legacystudios.com. Pre-Order is not required.

March is Women's History Month in which we commemorate and encourage the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

Maya Penn: Meet a young entrepreneur, cartoonist, designer, activist… Maya Penn started her first company when she was 8 years old, and thinks deeply about how to be responsible both to her customers and to the planet. She shares her story -- and some animations, some designs, and some infectious energy -- in this charming talk.

Summer is just around the corner and programs are beginning to open up for registration. As we learn about more programs, we will add them to the newsletter. Please click on the following programs to view and/or register your child:

CMIT South's Summer Enrichment Program

A free program to help currently enrolled CMIT South Elementary students stay connected with Math, Reading, and STEM skills during the month of July. The program will have 100 students in rising grades 1-5. Hours of the program are Monday -Thursday 9 am - 1 pm there is no before and/or aftercare. Students who have had behavior or attendance concerns during the school year will not be selected to participate. The 1st 100 students 20 per grade level will be selected. Use the following link to register:

https://forms.gle/ti4kSumVRMwErm8h6

Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation

Summer Camp and Summer Programs Booklets were mailed out last week to residents. You can also view camps and programs at the following link or in person at PG Parks facilities.

Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Rec Summer Programs

Lacrosse

Kettering Largo Mitchellville Boys & Girls Club is working to establish a lacrosse program. A flyer for our upcoming clinic is attached. If you have any questions please see the link attached below.

https://www.klmbgc.com/

Marlboro Boys & Girls Club is working to establish a lacrosse program. Please see the link attached below.

https://www.mbgc.org/boyslax

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.

The Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Teacher of the Year program annually recognizes the hard work and accomplishments of our educators and selects a representative for the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Teacher of the Year Program!

Please consider nominating your favorite teacher!

Nominate Here

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).

Hello Kinder families!

Friendly reminder that our field trip will be this upcoming Friday, March 24th. All chaperones should park in the back of the school, in the lanes, and enter into the cafeteria at 8:15 AM. Parents are free to meet us at the Natural History Museum if you did not sign up to chaperone. We should arrive at the museum around 10 am. Just keep in mind that you will have to remain with your child’s chaperone group if you choose to meet us there. Additionally, your scholar will have to ride the bus back to school with us and may not depart with you from the trip. Students will not need their bookbags on Friday, so please do not send any items with them, only their bagged lunch. Please also pack their lunch in a disposable bag (paper or plastic). No glass or thermos containers, and please no lunchboxes…only items that can be thrown away. Students should eat a nice breakfast at home or school, as we will be eating lunch around 12:30 pm on this day. They may wear their PE uniforms for our trip as well.

Lastly, please remind your child about the importance of listening to all adults on the trip and making safe choices. Thank you and we look forward to a great field trip!

UNIT 4: Then and Now

Essential Question- What can we learn from the past?

WEEK 1- Why is it important to make inventions better?

• Phonological awareness: Middle Sounds; Blend and Segment sounds; Count words

• Phonics: Short and Long Oo

• Sight words: find, over, again

• Reading a variety of Narrative Fiction

• Supplemental Reading Programs- Students will spend time working on IXL, Lexia or iReady to gain academic support in a variety of English/Language Arts skills

UNIT 9: Count numbers to 20

• Write numbers from 0 to 20.

• Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20

• Explore different ways of representing our understanding of teen numbers

Continuation….

TOPIC 5: Needs of Living Things

• Understanding what people need to survive

• Patterns that humans and animals have in common

• Things people need when they are outdoors in different weather conditions

CHAPTER 4/Lesson 6: Our Resources

• Learn about different resources available from our planet

• How these resources are now and how they have changed over time.

• Keeping resources safe

• John Muir: A protector of the environment

• Tell about healthy things that they can do for their bodies
  
• Explore how they are responsible for their body's condition
  

Hello First-Grade Family! All field trip permission slips and money is due by Wednesday, March 22.

Essential Question: How can stories help us learn lessons?

Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections

High Frequency Words: down, drink, now, there, together

Spelling/Phonics: Words with Vowel Sounds of y

Genre: Fable

Vocabulary Words: angry, happy, sad, surprised

Students will decode words with inflectional endings including -ed, -s, and -es.

Students will generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information with adult assistance.

Students will use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, and event.

Students will count tens and ones to find a two-digit number.

Vocabulary:

tens

ones

Students will identify the major parts of plants and explain how plants parts help plants.

Vocabulary:

root

stem

leaf

Students will describe how families celebrate national holidays.

Vocabulary:

veteran

armed forces

memorial

Students will define the word drug and identify various substances as drugs.

Vocabulary:

nicotine

alcohol

medicine

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.

Our weekly question for this week is "How can people make a difference in their communities?" To explore this question, students will read a variety of realistic fiction texts. This genre involves stories that are fiction (fake), but could really happen (realistic). Skills this week will include determining the theme and synthesizing information.

In phonics, students will begin learning about suffixes. The suffixes we will focus on are -ly, -ful, -er,

-less, and -or. The definitions of each suffix are as follows:

-ly: in a certain way

-ful: full of

-er, -or: a person or thing that...

-less: without

Please review these definitions as you practice spelling words this week.

We are wrapping up the section in topic 8 involving money. By this point, students should be able to identify coins by their names and values. Students should be able to count coins by their values, including problems involving dollar bills. Students should also be able to solve problems involving money. Please review supplemental resources on CANVAS, complete optional homework pages, and continue practicing at home.

Students will begin moving into part 2 of topic 8. This involves telling time to the nearest 5 minutes. Please ensure your scholar has practiced telling time to the nearest hour and the nearest half hour on both digital and analog clocks.

Continuation...

Students are learning about Earth's changes that happen quickly (i.e. earthquakes) and slowly (i.e. erosion).

Continuation...

Students are continuing through Topic 5, which is Making Differences. Students are learning about heroes and influential people who have made a difference in our world.

Continuation...

Students are learning 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 week!

Let’s stay on track of 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 had an awesome field trip on Friday and we are so thankful for all of our chaperones who came and assisted! We loved seeing all the students having fun, exploring, and learning at the aquarium! We will be sure to let everyone know when we plan another one, so keep an eye out on Class Dojo.

We have 2 weeks left until SPRING BREAK, and we are moving right along in our learning until then! We are starting to review for our state assessment, MCAP for Reading and Math. So keep an eye out for resources about the test. We have started before spring break to allow as much time as possible to review and prepare for the test.

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.

Let’s have a great week!

This upcoming week, students will be continuing on in Unit 2 about interactions with informational text! Students will also be working on their spelling words about contractions. We are working on comprehension questions and understanding how to look back at the text to find direct evidence. We are also talking about the author’s purpose and imagery. 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 Women’s 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 working on chapter 3 lesson 3 which is about early Spanish explorers. We will be working on timelines and understanding the order of events in history. We also will be continuing to learn about people for women’s history this month!

Happy Weekend Parents,

The third quarter is quickly coming to an end and we want to continuously celebrate the growth we see in our Tigers- academically and socially. As we bring the month of March to a close, we are still pushing our P.A.N.T.S initiative (Perfect Attendance No Tardies).

Reading: This week we brought a close to our story “Trombone Shorty.” This is an autobiography story written by jazz great Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. Students this week showed their mastery of skills and standards by completing an assessment on this story. Students also got an opportunity to read another story written by Troy Andrews and write about the illustrations given in the text.

Next week, we will begin our preparation for MCAP. During the next few weeks, we will read and use various texts to practice standards. We will begin by reading a text about Planet Earth. Students will work on the skill of main idea, text structures, and vocabulary. Students will also receive their new spelling words for the week. Students will have an assessment on the main idea and text structure at the end of the week. Students will be required to complete two lessons for i-Ready for the week for homework.

Social Studies: This week, students took a break from Chapter 4, Economy, to work on an in-class project about an important or inspirational woman. Students gathered information about their person by researching and using this information to create a poster about an inspirational and important woman.

Next week we will continue with Chapter 4. Students will explore the global economy. We will discuss importing and exporting and places where our goods are manufactured. Students will bring a close to the chapter by working on their Quest Activity around starting their own business. Homework for this week students will be given on BrainPop.

Math: This week scholars have demonstrated their mastery of Topic 6 and all things, multi-step problems. Assessment grades have been entered into SchoolMax. Next week, we will begin Topic 7 which focuses on prime numbers, composite numbers, factors, and multiples. Please have scholars study their 6-9 facts families.

Science: This week, scholars explored waves and the electromagnetic spectrum. In this lesson, scholars modeled how light reflection allows objects to be seen. The end of the topic is approaching, which means an assessment is on the way. Stay tuned for details in the near future.

Health: 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, brought a close to our story “Trombone Shorty.” Students this week showed their mastery of skills and standards in the main idea, inferring, and character traits. Students ended the week by completing assessments on this story.

Math: On Monday students took the 4-5: Quick Check. We also began working on 4-6 Using Partial Products to multiply by 2 Digit Numbers and plan on taking the 4-6 quick Friday, March 17. Next week we will complete 4-7 Make Sense and Preserve (the last subtopic in topic 4) and the Topic 4 Test.

Topic 4 Pick a Project activity, the assignment is due no later than Tuesday, March 22 (late projects will not be accepted). Students have been given time in class to work on the assignment.

Topic 4 Review Test is scheduled for Friday, March 24. Please begin reviewing Topic 4 with your student, by using previous assignments and activities as well as the review sections in the Math book pg 158-162.

Science: This week students completed an investigation where they were given a musical instrument and asked to create a communication system only using the sounds made by the instrument. Students gave explanations and demonstrations of their new language. Students also picked a Woman they admire and completed a Women’s Month writing activity

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

Please have students complete and submit any assignments that are still open and available.

Social Studies: This week we worked in Chapter 4 Economy by looking at the supply and demand of goods. Students also explored the meaning of barter and trade. We ended the week by creating a Woman’s History banner for the hallway.

Please make sure students are coming to school on time, ready to learn, with all their supplies, and a charged Chromebook.

Classroom supplies are running low. Students who bring in tissues, pencils, wipes, etc. will be rewarded with roar bucks.

Continuation...

This week, we will be working on our hallway displays for women’s history month and beginning a prewrite for our Women’s History Month essays. We will continue working with informational text. Our focus question for the week is, “How does art reflect people’s experiences?” Our vocabulary words for the week are radically, embodies, indivisible, revolutionary, and ironic. Our text for the week is Life & Art from The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett. Students will also be focusing on words with syllable patterns for spelling. Syllable patterns can divide words between two vowels, between two consonants, or between a consonant and a vowel. Understanding syllable patterns can help you spell words with multiple syllables.

Spelling Words:

dispel

crusade

selfish

dismal

segment

confiscate

insistent

humane

protest

ignite

museum

defiance

supreme

profile

impede

Bonus Words:

indignant

compensate

syntax

diabolic

congruent

Continuation...

This week in Math, we will be working on volume and continuing to work on skills related to multiplying and dividing with fractions.

We have wrapped up MISA testing!

Continuation...

In social studies this month, we will be talking about various important women as part of Women’s History Month. Some of the figures we will be learning about include, but are not limited to Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Mae Jemison, Frida Kahlo, Harper Lee, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Sandra Day O’Connor, Malala Yousafzai, Serena Williams, and Condoleezza Rice. Students will be working on cross-curricular assignments in RELA to strengthen their research skills and work on comprehension of informational texts.

Continuation...

This week in health, we are focused on personal hygiene and why it is important to live a healthy and successful life. We will be talking about what good personal hygiene looks like and how we can set routines to help maintain our health through disciplined hygienic practices.

Technology Class

This week students’ assignments are from 3/20 – 3/24

Assignment for K-2 graders:

Keyboarding: Locate and Type Letters U, V, W, X, Y, and Z

This engaging and interactive digital lesson provides students with direct instruction and practice in keyboarding the letters U, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Students will learn to locate and type the letters, recognize their sounds, and understand their placement on both the keyboard and the screen.

Assignment for 3-5 graders:

Keyboarding: Number Row

This digital lesson provides engaging and interactive instruction and practice for students on keyboarding techniques, including typing with the number row keys, proper finger placement and posture, and a review of the home, upper, and lower row keys.

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/