The Tiger Times

Dear CMIT South Elementary Families and Friends,

As we close out an incredible week and look toward a pivotal one ahead, I want to share how inspired I am by the energy in our building. Our students are showing such focus, and your support as parents has been the steady wind beneath their wings.

As we continue to focus on Ambition this April, let’s share this thought with our scholars:

"A man's worth is no greater than his ambitions." — Marcus Aurelius

Our Tigers are proving their worth every day through their hard work and their big dreams for the future. Let's keep that momentum going!

🌟 Weekly Highlights: Spirit & Gratitude

What a spectacular week it has been! Our MCAP Spirit Week was full of energy, and we ended on a high note with our Vocabulary Parade. Seeing the creativity and academic pride in our students' costumes was truly the highlight of my week!

We also want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our "behind-the-scenes" heroes. This past Tuesday, we celebrated Administrative Professionals Day. A massive thank you to:

• Ms. Reese, Principal Secretary

• Ms. Bull, Registrar

• 
  

Thank you for being the glue that holds CMIT South Elementary together!

📝 MCAP Testing: It’s Time to Shine!

Our 3rd–5th grade Tigers have prepared all year, and now it is time to "show what they know!"

Testing Timeline:

• April 27 – May 1: MCAP Math (3rd–5th)

• May 4 – May 8: MCAP ELA (3rd–5th)

How to Support Your Test-Taker:

1. Charge Up: Ensure Chromebooks are plugged in and fully charged every night.

2. Gear Up: Students must bring a pair of wired headphones (Bluetooth/wireless are not permitted).

3. Show Up: Please ensure students are in school and on time. Arriving late can cause unnecessary stress and requires students to miss class time for make-up sessions.

💻 Important Technology Note for K-2nd Families

To ensure a smooth and successful testing environment for our 3rd–5th grade scholars, we are prioritizing all available technology for the MCAP assessments.

Please be advised: We will not be able to loan out computers to students in grades K–2nd during the MCAP testing weeks. We appreciate your understanding as we dedicate our resources to support our upper elementary students during this critical state assessment period.

We’ve got this, Tigers! Let's bring our "A-Game" and show the state of Maryland the amazing things happening at CMIT South.

🎤 Upcoming Event: Poetry Night

Please join our Library/Media department for a special evening of literacy and expression:

• Event: Poetry Night: Voices of Our Young Writers (2nd–3rd Grades)

• Date: Monday, April 27, 2026

• Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Come hear the powerful words and creative hearts of our talented young poets!

🏛️ Funding Updates & Community Advocacy

Mr. Ak’s CLF Post-Town Hall: Your Questions Answered

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the parents for their thoughtful and engaged questions during last week's Town Hall Meeting with Mr. Ak. Your voices are vital to this process. We have compiled a document that provides clear answers to the many questions raised regarding the funding update and CLF’s presentation.

• Click Here to View Post-Town Hall Questions & Answers

🏛️ PGCPS Update & Virtual Town Hall

PGCPS values the commitment of the CMIT North and South communities. We thank the families who have advocated for our schools by sharing concerns with Board representatives. In response, PGCPS has reaffirmed its commitment to our success:

• Administrative Fee Protection: PGCPS will keep administrative fees at 2% for next year, despite new regulations allowing up to 5%.

• Operational Continuity: We reiterate that CMIT schools will remain open and fully operational next year.

• Ongoing Dialogue: Discussions are active regarding budget priorities and special education adjustments to ensure a sustainable future.

Invitation to PGCPS Virtual Town Hall

To provide further clarity on funding and collaborative efforts, the district invites you to a meeting hosted by the Chief of School Support and Leadership, the Charter Schools Office, and the Office of Budget and Finance.

• Date: April 28, 2026

• Time: 6:30 PM

• Registration: Click Here to Register for the Town Hall

Thank you for your continued partnership. Remember: We are Leveling Up the STEMTastic Way! Let's finish this school year with the same ambition, courage, excellence, and Tiger pride that has defined us all year long!

Warmly,

Tauheedah N. Simmons-Lewis
Your PAWW-rific Principal
CMIT South Elementary School
Home of the STEMTastic Tigers 🐯

Grade Level Blurb:

Hello Kinder Families,

As we are entering warmer weather, 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 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.

PGCPS_medication_form.pdf

For the graduation each student has be assigned a role, the role is either a video or a speaking role. Thank you for working with our team to make this a success.

Soon Kindergarten will be starting its Embroidery projects. Please sign up to volunteer in your scholar’s class for the embroidery project if you can. This project will engage students in the world around them through nature and the use of their fine motor skills. This in school project will last a couple of weeks so there will be multiple changes for signing up.

Please remember when your child has been absent please communicate to the teacher and complete the online document submission form, because we are not taking paper notes: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lp2fJsfDLjWNINllvX10OKjiGDn443yAB8Hq8BMBa-E/viewform

IMPORTANT KINDERGARTEN DATES-

May4 - May 8: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 8:Videos for Promotion Due

May 11: Muffins with madams; details to come

May 15: Save the date: Field Trip to the Natural History Museum in DC

May 25: School Closed

May 27: Now a full day of school

May 29: Career Day

June 5: Field Day

June 11: Kindergarten Promotion Ceremony

Reading Updates:

UNIT 4: Then and Now

Week 2: Uncovering the Past

Essential Question: What can we learn from the past? How do we learn about the past?

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

Blend and Segment: Onset and Rime

• Phonics:Vowel sounds - short u (/u/) and long u (/u_e/)

• High-frequency words: all, now, pretty

• Story Vocabulary: past, shovels, brushes, scientists

• Unit Vocabulary: time, discover, change, tradition

Learning Goals:

• Learn about the past

• Visualize details from a story

• Syllables and compound words

• Find details in a text

• Main idea and details

• Capitalization for the beginning of a sentence

• Types of Punctuation, go with different types of sentences

• Prepositions, adjectives, and articles

• Organize the story element: character, setting, plot

Math Updates:

Topic 10: Compose and Decompose Numbers 11 to 19

Essential Understanding: How can the number 11-19 be made up of?

• 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 as a group of ten and some more

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

Science Updates:

TOPIC 1: Push and Pull

Experience 2: How do objects move?

• Investigate the cause and effect of using pushes and pulls to change the motion of an object

• Tell ways that a push or pull can move objects

• Observe how an object speed can change

• Use directional words to describe movement

Vocabulary: motion, speed, direction, compare, predict,

Social Studies Updates:

Chapter 5 : Time and Chronology

Essential Question- How do we track time?

• Understand different that different words tell about time

• Look into measuring time

• How do we make a timeline

• Interpret how to we use a timeline

• Explore sequencing of events

Vocabulary: future, past, calendars, months, week, year, decade, seasons, weather, pattern generation and century

Health Updates:

May Topic: Keeping Clean and Healthy

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

• Discover daily routines that people do to stay healthy

• 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 it means for the community to be clean and healthy

Vocabulary: scrub, clean, yard, clothes, hands, community

Grade Level Blurb:

🏫 Counting Down to Summer! ☀️

The end of the school year is officially in sight! We have just 38 days left of school—which means only 8 more Mondays to go! 🗓️✨

As we head into this busy season, please keep the following important reminders in mind:

• 💻 Chromebook Readiness: Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade scholars will be busy with MCAP testing. Because of this, the school will NOT have extra Chromebooks available to borrow. All scholars must bring their FULLY charged Chromebook to school every single day for the next TWO weeks. 🔋

• 🤝 Behavioral Expectations: We have noticed a recent increase in "spring fever" behaviors. Please have daily conversations with your scholar about following school expectations and finishing the year strong with kindness and focus. 🗣️

Let’s work together to make these final weeks productive and positive for everyone! 🌟

Reading Updates:

We are going out with a creative bang as we dive into the wonderful worlds of Poetry and Drama!

Throughout this unit, our scholars will be:

• Exploring Poetry: Discovering rhythm, rhyme, and how poets use sensory language to paint pictures with words. ✍️🌈

• Diving into Drama: Learning about characters, dialogue, and stage directions while practicing our "actor voices." 🎭🎟️

It’s going to be a month filled with expression, imagination, and plenty of standing ovations!

Math Updates:

We are diving into some very important "grown-up" skills in class: Money and Time! 💰⏰ To help our students master these concepts, we would love for you to try some "old school" practice at home.

🪙 Counting Real Change

While digital payments are everywhere, there is no substitute for feeling the ridges on a dime or seeing the copper of a penny.

• The Challenge: Empty out a coin jar and have your child sort the coins by value.

• Practice: Ask them to show you different ways to make $0.25 or $1.00. It’s a fantastic way to build mental math and skip-counting skills!

🕰️ Reading Analog Clocks

Reading a clock with hands is a big milestone for second graders. It helps them visualize how time "moves" in 5-minute increments.

• The Challenge: If you have an analog clock at home, point to it throughout the day.

• Practice: Ask questions like, "Where will the big hand be in 15 minutes?" or "What time does the clock show right now?"

Your support at home makes a world of difference in helping these lessons "click." Happy counting and time-telling!

Science / Social Studies Updates:

We are diving into a fun week of reflection and reinforcement! 🚀 Our second graders are currently reviewing previously learned concepts in Science and Social Studies to make sure those big ideas really stick.

In Science, we’re revisiting the wonders of the natural world, from life cycles to how things move.

In Social Studies, we’re brushing up on our community heroes, map skills, and the history that shaped our world.

It’s been amazing to see how much they’ve grown and how much they remember! Thank you for supporting their learning journeys at home.

Grade Level Blurb:

Greetings from the Third Grade Team! The long awaited MCAP test starts this Monday, April 27. Please make sure your third graders are ready to be up and out of the house bright and early. Computers should be fully charged and functional. We want to help our students put their best foot forward.

Reading Updates:

This week was our last week of MCAP test prep! Students spent time really focusing on text evidence in reading. We practiced how to find it in the passage and how to use it to support their answers. We are working on making sure students are not just answering questions, but also proving their thinking using the text. We are excited to see students apply these skills as we move into testing!

Some of our students have also worked on narrative nonfiction and figurative language.

Math Updates:

CMIT STEMemorial Hospital reopened on April 21 to perform a few more mathematical operations. Mrs. Flores’ students participated in a math centered room transformation to practice several skills prior to testing. Be sure to see our full write-up and pictures on our class website this weekend.

Science Updates:

We continue to work on fossils. This week we used the fossils from last week’s analyzing activity and identified them. We also sorted the specimens into ‘body’ and ‘trace’ fossil groups.

Social Studies Updates:

In Social Studies, we continued our unit about government. Students are learning about the different levels of government including local, state, and national (federal). We are starting to build an understanding of what each level is responsible for and how they help run our communities and country.

Health Updates:

In Health, we continue our discussion on germs. We learned the importance of white blood cells within our bodies. We also discussed communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

Grade Level Blurb:

Greetings Team 4Ward,

I hope that message finds you well. The countdown is on and there is plenty to accomplish between now and the end of the school year. The 3rd Quarter has come to an end and teachers have published their grades for the quarter. As we enter into the final quarter of 4th grade, talk with your scholar about their ambitions they have as they complete this school year. Please be mindful that the next two weeks of school will be extremely busy with MCAP testing occurring.

💻MCAP

This week we will begin MCAP. Students will sit for eight sessions, four, 40 minute sessions of Math this week. Next week will have four 70 minute sessions of Reading. Testing is set to begin by 8:30. This means that students will be in their testing groups with their testing materials distributed. Once testing has begun, tardy students will be unable to enter into the classroom until testing has concluded in that room.

Help your scholar prepare by:

• Getting at least eight hours of sleep

• Eating breakfast the day of testing

• Having a charged computer

• Have a pair of wired headphones

Writing is being incorporated in all subjects this year. Students will practice expressing ideas in reading, science, social studies, math, and specials. Encourage your child to talk about what they write and ask questions about their work that supports growth and confidence.

💻Many class activities use online tools. A charged computer ensures your child can fully participate in lessons and complete assignments. Our students also need a pair of wired headphones to complete activities and for testing. Students who arrive on time are better prepared for learning and reduce classroom disruptions. Please plan to have your child at school a few minutes early each day. A healthy breakfast helps students focus and have energy for learning. School breakfast is available daily until 8:00 when students arrive in the morning.

In our classrooms, we will be working on a variety of assignments and projects designed to challenge and inspire them. We encourage you to check in regularly with your scholar about what they are learning.Your support at home is greatly appreciated and makes a significant difference in their academic success.

We are grateful for your ongoing support in helping students feel safe, prepared, and excited about learning. Thank you for partnering with us to make this a positive school year. Let’s finish strong together!!

Warmly,

Team 4Ward

Important Upcoming Dates:

• MCAP Testing (Math) April 27-30, 2026

• MCAP Testing (Reading) May 4-7, 2026

• Field Trip to Natural History Museum Friday May 22, 2026

Fourth Grade Information:

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. This program will be available all summer for students to continue to utilize in both reading and math. Please help your child complete at least 45 minutes of math and reading to grow their abilities.

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 complete the CMIT South ES Absence Google Form within 3 days of your scholar returning back to school. https://forms.gle/euXzCpDvNGbLwb8U6 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 entered in Synergy are those that will be used to calculate progress reports and report cards.

It is imperative that work is complete and turned in on time in order to receive full credit. Our district has set policies regarding assignment completion and make-up assignments. Only students that have an excused absence will be given an opportunity to receive and complete missing assignments. Assignments not completed will receive a final grade of “0.”

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. Students are not allowed to wear Crocs on school grounds.

Reading Updates:

We have concluded Unit 4 in Volume 2 Impacts and will return back to Volume 1 to work with Unit 2 Adaptations. In this unit students will learn about how different living things adapt to the environment using informational and literature texts.

This Week:

We took some time to prepare for MCAP. We review the testing platform to answer questions and troubleshoot problems the students may have while testing. We also had a chance to review the style and type of questions they will answer. We unlock some writing prompts and also looked at examples of writing that should be produced during testing. We also spent some time talking about test taking strategies and the importance of using the testing time that is given to us.

Next Week:

We will have MCAP testing and this will affect the regular reading block. Throughout the week will begin reading the last paired texts in the Unit 2 “The Weird and Wonderful Echidna, and the Very Peculiar Platypus.” In these tests students will integrate information to write an informational text article about strange animal adaptations. Since these are the last texts in the unit we will begin our Unit 2 project. Students will research an endangered animal to present in our Endangered Animal Museum.

Math Updates:

In math, scholars will take their Division, Topic 5 Assessment next week. Please check your child's agenda book for their specific date. Next week, we will be practicing for MCAP and look out for a MCAP practice packet to be sent home. We are also strengthening math literacy through Daily Reviews, problem-solving tasks, and math journals, which allow students to reflect on their thinking and analyze mistakes.

Parents can support learning at home by encouraging scholars to:

• Explain how they solved a problem (not just the answer)

• Practice multiplication facts regularly

• Complete assigned IXL skills that reinforce division concepts.

Science Updates:

In science, scholars are exploring the unit Human Uses of Energy. We will be completing this unit.

Students are learning how energy plays an important role in our everyday lives and how humans harness different energy sources to power technology and systems we depend on.

Topics we are exploring include:

• Types of energy

• How energy is transferred and used

• Real-world examples of energy in transportation, electricity, and machines

• How energy systems help communities function

Scholars are also engaging in research-based activities and project tasks where they apply math skills such as division, measurement, and data interpretation to scientific situations.

This interdisciplinary approach helps scholars see how math and science work together in real-world problem solving.

💡 Skills We Are Building

Across both subjects, scholars are developing important academic habits including:

• Perseverance when solving challenging problems

• Explaining and defending their thinking

• Collaborating with peers

• Using academic vocabulary

• Applying knowledge to real-world situations

📌 Helpful Reminders for Families

Please encourage your scholar to:

• Check Canvas regularly for assignments and resources

• Complete IXL practice to reinforce skills

• Bring their math journal to class daily

• Ask questions when they need clarification

Social Studies Updates:

This week, students continued in Chapter 4 and read lesson 2 that focuses on trade and markets. In this lesson students explored how businesses supply goods and services to match demand. We discussed different forms of currency and how entrepreneurs take risks to start businesses.

Next week, students will read Chapter 4, Lesson 3, which explores global trade and how the exchange of goods and services between countries impacts their everyday lives. Students will learn how products they use—such as food, clothing, and technology—often come from different parts of the world, and they will examine how trade connects communities across the globe.

Grade Level Blurb

MCAP Countdown!

This week is MCAP! We’ll test Monday through Thursday, starting at 8:30 a.m. Please have students arrive on time, well-rested, with Chromebooks charged—and a good breakfast to power them through! Last week, we focused on math strategies; next week, we’ll focus on reading. Also, if baby photos or t-shirt sizes aren’t in yet, they were due last Friday—please submit them!

Reading Updates:
Next week, we’ll focus on comprehension skills—eliminating answers and paying close attention to texts—getting ready for reading MCAP!

Math Updates:
We reviewed familiar and new standards—like multiplying, dividing, and adding fractions, dividing decimals, and volume (length × width × height). Students practiced across a range of concepts!

Science Updates:
We celebrated Earth Day! Students pledged to protect the Earth and repurposed items—continuing that project in class.

Social Studies Updates:
We are continuing our regular curriculum alongside MCAP prep.

Health Updates:
We’re still working through our emotions unit and will wrap that up soon before moving on to the next topic.

Thank you for your continued support—let’s have a great testing week!

General CARTS Updates:

Please remember to check your student's Canvas assignments and Synergy grades regularly.

Music:

Hello CMIT Family!

Fifth Grade spent this week learning what the blues is. Next week we actually did in to putting our ideas down on paper. I also mentioned copyrighting songs. We can definitely record them and mail our lyrics back to ourselves, certified mail.

Fourth Grade will begin their theme and variation presentations. This is one of my most favorite lessons. I can’t wait to hear what students come up with.

Third Grade will finish up recorder. I will be videoing each class performing 1 or 2 songs. My hope is to share with our school community by the end of the year.

Second Grade will get to know the pentatonic scale and learn the difference between solo and ensemble.

First Grade will finish up Instrument Families and have fun with Solfege. Solfege is the system that uses “do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do” to learn pitches.

Kindergarten will have fun with melodic contours. We will use scarves and movement to feel how the music moves and changes in our bodies.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I am looking forward to having a blast with our students next week.

PE:

Hello Families! We are now working on a striking unit in Physical Education. This works out students’ hand-eye coordination.

Technology:

Hello CMIT Families! Just a quick heads up: There will be 2-3 projects coming in Q4.

Maker’s Lab:

Hello families! This week we worked on learning how to control small drones with coding!

Library/Media:

Hello CMIT Families! A Night of Poetry for grades 2 &3 is on April 27th, that’s this Monday! Come out and support our wonderful wordsmiths! This week was also phonics for the lower grades and making infomercials in the older grade levels!

Art:

Hello!

This week I wanted to show how in art we don’t just learn that “colors pretty”; in art we are problem solving as well as learning how to observe the world around us! In fourth grade, students are creating paintings of whatever they want ... .but they are limited to 3 colors and their painting has to make viewers feel the way the colors make the artist feel. The third graders are learning about the element of form (spheres, pyramids, etc.) and how they are made of the element of shape (circles, triangles, etc.). This will eventually lead into drawing a real life object, realistically!

2025-2026 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

Student Absence Form