The Tiger Times

Dear Amazing Tiger Families and Community,

What a remarkable journey we continue to share together! As we continue to celebrate gratitude as our Character Word of the Month, I'm reminded of the beautiful wisdom of William Arthur Ward: "Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." This month, let's challenge ourselves to see the blessings in every moment; in our children's growth, our community's strength, and the countless opportunities we have to make a positive difference in each other's lives.

☕ Chat & Chew: Leveling Up with Principal Lewis

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Chat & Chew: Leveling Up with Principal Lewis! It was absolutely fantastic to share ideas, collaborate, and hear your thoughtful perspectives on our school's progress and goals. The engagement, questions, and feedback you provided were invaluable and truly demonstrate the strength of our partnership.

I'm genuinely excited about the progress we're making together and look forward to maintaining this incredible momentum as we continue our journey through the school year. None of this would be possible without the incredible support, dedication, and active involvement of our amazing families and staff. We are truly LEVELING UP!

Missed a session? Access the complete presentation here: Chat & Chew Presentation.

Thank you for your valuable input and enthusiastic participation. I'm excited to see everyone again towards the end of the 2nd quarter for our next Chat & Chew session!

🗳️ SGA Election Results - Celebrating Student Leadership!

I am super excited about our Student Government Association (SGA) election! It was absolutely wonderful to see our Tigers actively voting, participating in the democratic process, and demonstrating civic engagement. Watching our students take ownership of their school community fills me with so much pride and hope for the future!

Congratulations to Our 2025-2026 SGA Winners:

Executive Board:

• President - Peyton McCannon

• Vice President - Harper Anderson

• Treasurer - Savannah Gilbert

• Secretary - Tahj Miles

• Media Coordinators - Jaxon Petty & Lenora Djahlin

Grade-Level Mayors:

• Kindergarten Mayors - Aubrey Kemp & Seth Gilbert

• 1st Grade Mayors - Kelsey Baldwin & Charlotte Wright

• 2nd Grade Mayors - Jaya Lewis & Parris Solomon

• 3rd Grade Mayor - Geremiah Crump

• 4th Grade Mayor - Petra Ogunbayo

• 5th Grade Mayor - Jonas Bridgeman

A Heartfelt Thank You to Coach Leah Jones for her outstanding leadership of the SGA and for facilitating this entire campaign with excellence, enthusiasm, and dedication! The election process was truly amazing to witness, and your commitment to developing student leadership is deeply appreciated.

I can't wait to hear the innovative ideas our new SGA will bring forward to make CMIT South Elementary even better! To all our SGA representatives: thank you for stepping up to serve your fellow Tigers. Your leadership matters, and we're excited to support you throughout the year!

🔬 Parent University: STEM Fair - Final Session Coming Monday!

Don't miss this important opportunity!

Join us for Parent University: STEM Fair - the final session of our 3-part series - hosted by Mr. Holloway, Science Department Chairperson.

Date: Monday, November 10th
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Format: Virtual via Zoom
Zoom Link: Will be posted on ClassDojo

What We'll Cover:

• STEM Fair expectations and guidelines

• Important timeline and deadlines

• Project requirements and resources

• Q&A session to address all your questions

This session is essential; Mr. Holloway will provide all the information you need to support your child in creating an amazing STEM project. Whether your child is a first-time participant or a returning STEM Fair veteran, this session will ensure you have the tools and knowledge to make the experience successful and enjoyable.

We strongly encourage all families to attend this final informational session. Your participation demonstrates the value of STEM learning to your child and equips you with the knowledge to be an effective partner in their STEM journey!

📅 Important Reminder: Parent/Teacher Conferences

School Closed for Students: Tuesday, November 11th for Parent/Teacher Conferences

This is your final reminder to sign up or reach out to your child's teacher to schedule your conference if you haven't already. Parent/Teacher Conferences are a valuable opportunity to:

• Discuss your Tiger's academic progress and growth

• Celebrate successes and achievements

• Identify areas for continued support

• Partner with teachers to develop strategies for your child's continued success

• Ask questions and strengthen the home-school connection

Your engagement in your child's education makes all the difference. We look forward to these meaningful conversations with you!

As William Arthur Ward reminds us, gratitude has the power to transform everything. This week, I encourage our entire Tiger community to practice gratitude intentionally:

For Students: Share three things you're grateful for at school with a friend or teacher

For Families: Talk together about what makes your family grateful for CMIT South Elementary For All of Us: Look for opportunities to express gratitude to someone who has made a difference in your life

When we approach each day with grateful hearts, we transform routine moments into meaningful experiences. Thank you for being part of a community that values gratitude, celebrates growth, and supports one another unconditionally.

I am deeply grateful for:

• Families who actively engage in their children's education

• Students who embrace learning with enthusiasm and joy

• Staff members who go above and beyond every single day

• Community members who support our school's mission

• Every person who contributes to making CMIT South Elementary the special place it is

Remember: We are Leveling Up the STEMTastic Way! Let's continue making every day count by living with gratitude, celebrating our progress, and supporting each other as we reach for new heights together.

With Grateful Tiger Pride and Endless Gratitude,

Dear Tiger Families,

Our character trait for the month of November is GRATITUDE (being thankful and showing appreciation). We want to celebrate by having students/staff have the opportunity to give "thank you shoutouts" to staff or friends in the building. Please complete the form below and you will hear your shoutout on the morning announcements

Please keep your response to a maximum of 1-2 sentences.

https://forms.gle/KGTDx5SRdxrAzuK3A

Grade Level Updates:

Our field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium for Dec. 5th has been approved. On Monday the permission slips will be going home for the December 5, field trip. They will need to be returned by November 21. Payment will be accepted only through MySchool bucks. The permission slip will have the QR Code, please only use the QR code or payment link (that will be provided) to pay. The cost will be $26.85 per person. This cost is the same for chaperones. Only chaperones that sign up and are cleared through the PGCPS system and have received the email stating that they are cleared will be able to attend. Please look to your students’ teacher to see about signing up as a chaperone.

Students are losing their personal belongings. Please label all items, sweaters and jackets especially, so that students will know what belongs to them. Please use simple reminders to help students learn to become and stay responsible for their own items. Also please continue to practice tying shoes and turning sleeves of jackets from inside out to the correct way with your scholars. 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-

NOVEMBER 11- Parent- Teacher Conferences

NOVEMBER 20- Picture Retake Day

NOVEMBER 21- Fall Camp In

NOVEMBER 21- Field Trip Money Collection Stops

NOVEMBER 21- Family Tree Project Due

NOVEMBER 26-28- Fall Break

DECEMBER 5- National Baltimore Aquarium

Reading Updates:

UNIT 2- Week 2: From Nectar to Honey

Essential Question: How do some living things make what they need?

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

Blend and Segment: Onset and Rime

• Phonics: Short vowel Oo and Consonant Ff

• High-frequency words: do, you, they

• Spelling words found in weekly readings: bees, honey, nectar, hive

• Unit Vocabulary: grow, need, share, depend

Learning Goals:

• Identify the main idea to understand informational text

• Find the Main Idea and Supporting Details

• Ask and answer questions about text structure

• Learn what animals need

• Making a place to live

• Adjectives and Articles

• Rhyming Sort

Math Updates:

TOPIC 5- Classify and Count

Essential Understanding: How can Classifying data help answer questions?

• Classify objects into categories and tell why they are in each category

• Count how many objects are in different categories

• Use counting to compare how many objects are in each category

Vocabulary: Category, classify, chart, tally mark

Science Updates:

TOPIC 3: Needs of Living Things

Experience 3: Where Plants and Animals Live

• Review living vs non-living things

• Inquiry about the relationship between plants and animals and where they live.

• Demonstrate the relationship between the needs of plants and animals and the places they live, which together make up a system.

• Describe habitat relationships using relational language and simple adjectives.

Vocabulary: environment, system, model

Social Studies Updates:

CHAPTER 2 LESSON 2- Symbols of our Country

Essential Question- What are the important symbols of America?

• Recognize the American Flag, what it looks like, and what it represents

• Identify important national symbols that represent the U.S.

• Recognize different songs important to our nation

Vocabulary: pledge, landmark, freedom

Health Updates:

NOVEMBER TOPIC: Healthful Foods

Lesson 2:Healthful or Less Healthful

• Identify healthful and less healthful foods.

• Explain how choosing healthful food promotes a positive self-image.

• Identify foods that are healthful or harmful for the body.

• Use Decision Making Skill Steps to determine which of various meal plans is the most healthful.

Vocabulary: nutrients, sugar, please, table, plate, healthful, food

Grade Level Blurb:

🐾 Thank You for Another Paw-rific Week!

We have officially wrapped up the first quarter of second grade! 🎉
A huge shout-out to our amazing scholars for showing up each day ready to learn, grow, and shine. 🌟 We’re so excited to take on new challenges and make even more memories as we head into the second quarter! 🍂 Cooler Weather is Here! As the temperatures begin to drop, please make sure your scholar is dressed appropriately for the weather. Jackets, sweaters, and warm smiles are encouraged! 😄

📅 Important Reminder There will be no school on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on this day — please reach out to your scholar’s teacher to schedule your conference time. We look forward to connecting with you! 💬

💕 Thank You for Your Partnership Your continued support helps make our classroom a warm and welcoming place for every scholar to thrive. We can’t wait to see what the next quarter brings!

Reading Updates:

This week, we’ll dive into an exciting fiction story! 🌟 Our focus will be on describing and understanding characters — what they say, how they act, and what their choices tell us about who they are. 🕵️‍♀️✨ Encourage your scholar to talk about their favorite characters at home and share what makes them special! 💬❤️

Phonics Updates:

This week in phonics, we’ll be exploring long e words using the vowel teams ee, ea, and ey. 🐝
You can help your scholar at home by spotting these patterns in books, signs, or even while reading recipes and labels together! 🍎📖

Math Updates:

We are wrapping up our current math topic and getting ready to show what we know on our upcoming assessment! 🎯

Please continue practicing math facts at home to help your scholar feel confident and ready for success. 💪📏

Science Updates:

In science, we’re still exploring the properties of matter! ⚗️ Students are observing, sorting, and describing materials based on their color, texture, shape, and flexibility. Ask your scholar what objects they’ve examined in class this week! 🔍✨

Social Studies Updates:

In social studies, we’re continuing to learn about people, places, and nature. 🗺️
Our scholars are discovering how people live in different places and how nature influences the way communities grow and work together. 🌳🏙️

Health Updates:

In health, we’re continuing to learn all about the brain and its amazing functions! 🧩
Students are discovering how different parts of the brain help us think, move, feel, and remember. Encourage your scholar to share one new brain fact they’ve learned this week! 🗣️💡

Grade Level Blurb:

We are excited to have the "Science Guys" join us later in the month. Please remember to get your permission slips completed and returned with payment. Conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 11. Please be prompt as schedules are full. Continue to encourage your third grader to keep up with STEM Fair requirements.

Reading Updates:

Ms. Madison:

We have started Unit 2 for reading! The theme of Unit 2 is plant and animal interactions, and we've started off Week 1 by reading informational text about patterns in nature. Additionally, we have been practicing reading, writing, and spelling V/CV and VC/V words!

Ms. Howard:

This week in Reading, we began Unit 2, which focuses on informational text. Students learned how to identify the main idea and supporting details and practiced using text evidence to explain their answers.

In Writing, we focused on gratitude and what it means to be thankful. Students wrote about people, places, and things they appreciate while using each step of the writing process. It’s been a fun and meaningful week in 3rd grade!

Social Studies Updates:

Ms. Madison:

In Social Studies, we finished our Chapter 1 Assessment (it is an open book test), and are working on an in-class project in which students use their knowledge from Chapter 1 (Our Environment/Geography) to make a map of their own! We will start Chapter 2 next week.

Ms. Howard:

In Social Studies, we learned about Election Day and students got to participate in our classroom polling station to cast their votes for the school SGA election. They had a great time experiencing the voting process firsthand!

Math Updates:

Mrs. Flores:

We completed a quick dive into time and will continue in small group sessions. We have now moved into our multiplication units. Students are learning strategies to find ways to solve multiplication facts. Eventually, we want this to promote memorization of those facts.

Ms. Hendy:

This week in our classroom, we’ve been busy exploring new concepts across different subjects, all while emphasizing the character trait of gratitude. Gratitude teaches us to appreciate the little things, and we’ve seen students showing gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow together!

In math, we dove into the world of time! Students learned about both the analog and digital clocks. We explored how the clock face works, with the short hand representing the hour and the long hand representing the minutes. We even connected this learning to ourselves, reflecting on how time impacts our daily lives. By understanding how to read the clock, students developed a greater appreciation for the passing of time and how to use it wisely.

Science Updates:

Mrs. Flores:

In Science, we discussed ways magnets help us solve problems. We also explored magnetism with various kinds of metal. The students learned that not all metal is magnetic. These topics were explored by completing investigations.

Ms. Hendy:

In science, we started our second quarter interactive journals using key terms and continuing our exploration of magnetism. Students learned how the distance between objects can affect the strength of a magnetic field. We had exciting hands-on activities that allowed the students to visualize and understand this concept better.

Health Updates:

Ms. Hendy:

This week in health, our focus was on nutrition and how the digestive system works. We learned about the importance of healthy eating and how our bodies process food. Students explored how we can take care of our bodies through proper nutrition, and many shared their favorite healthy foods!

Mrs. Flores:

In Health, we also focused on the digestive system. We learned how our body takes in food and uses the needed nutrients. The students also completed a diagram of the digestive system.

From the team:

As we move through this month, we’ll continue to practice gratitude and focus on appreciating the lessons, experiences, and moments we share in our classroom.

Grade Level Blurb:

Greetings Team 4Ward,

I hope this message finds you well. It’s a joy to partner with you as we support your child’s learning. We are grateful for the care and effort you bring to our classroom community every day.Welcome to a new quarter full of fresh goals and opportunities! We are excited to continue building momentum with our students. Quarter 1 grades are now available on Synergy. Thank you for checking in and discussing progress with your child. If you have questions or would like to schedule a conference to review grades, please reach out.

Many class activities use online tools. A charged computer ensures your child can fully participate in lessons and complete assignments. 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.

As your scholar grows older this is now the time to start setting routines for your child to follow independently. A suggestion could be a checklist of tasks your scholar must do before bed or when they wake up in the morning. Create incentives and other rewards for your scholar when they are able to complete their tasks independently or without reminders.

In our classrooms, we will be working on a variety of assignments and projects designed to challenge and inspire them. I 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.

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. For Parent Teacher Conferences Day on November 11, 2025 teachers will reach out personally to meet with families of scholars that are failing, performance below grade level, or there is a behavior concern.

Thank you for your ongoing support in your child’s learning journey. We are grateful for the partnership between home and school — together we help every student thrive.

Looking forward to the weeks ahead and to seeing many of you at conferences.

Educationally Yours,

Team 4Ward

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Parent Teacher Conferences -Tuesday November 11, 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 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 provided 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.

Reading Updates:

We are moving into Volume 2 of our textbooks Unit 4: Impacts. Within this unit students will explore diverse literature styles from all over the world.This year writing is a main focus within our school. As we enter the second quarter scholars' writing will increase in frequency and length. We are expecting them to write at least 8 sentences per essay. How they organize and how clearly they share their points and ideas will also be important in scoring their writing.

This Week:

We finished the biography “Barbed Wire Baseball.” In this story we read about people of Japanese descent who were sent to an internment camp. Our scholars sought to answer the question: How can we influence the places we live? Students were able to summarize the information given in this text and determine the author’s purpose. As students thought deeply about this question they explored the influences the character Zeni had within the internment camp. Scholars composed an essay that explored how Zeni’s actions in the internment camp influenced the other people. As we concluded the unit students discussed the unit question: How does where we live affect us?

Next Week:

We will start Unit 4 Impacts. In this unit students will seek to answer the question: How do our stories shape our world, while reading diverse literature. Next week's text is a collection of traditional tales from around the world “Can You Guess My Name?” In this collection of tales students will read about characters that make bargains with other characters but end up tricking them. Students will monitor their inner conversations while reading these diverse tales closely. Also scholars will describe the characters given within each tale and compare and contrast the themes across the different texts. The word study for this week will be Greek and Latin prefixes auto-, anti-, trans-, and amphi-. Students will also learn the elements of an opinion essay and begin to prewrite their opinion essays.

Math Updates:

In Math, our scholars are continuing their work in Topic 2: Fluently Add and Subtract Multi-Digit Numbers. This unit focuses on applying mental math, regrouping across zeros, and using addition properties to check accuracy. Many students are developing confidence in their computational fluency, but still benefit from extra practice.

How families can help at home:

• Encourage your scholar to practice basic addition and subtraction facts for 10–15 minutes each evening.

• Have them explain their thinking aloud when solving problems. This helps strengthen reasoning skills.

• Use IXL (Skill Code D9R) or short daily drills to practice subtraction with regrouping and properties of addition.

• Invite your scholar to help with real-life math tasks, such as totaling a grocery bill, counting change, or estimating sums. These real-world applications make learning stick!

Science Updates:

In Science, we are continuing Experience 2: Motion, Speed, and Collisions, and expanding our exploration of energy transfer and transformation through electrical circuits. Students are learning how energy moves from one object to another, powering systems and creating observable effects.

How families can help at home:

• Discuss examples of energy transfer around the house, like a toaster heating bread or a fan converting electrical energy to motion.

• Try simple at-home experiments, such as using a flashlight to show how light energy travels or exploring static electricity with a balloon.

• Encourage your scholar to revisit Topic Readers and BrainPop lessons in Canvas to reinforce vocabulary and concepts like collision, energy transfer, sound, and electricity.

Social Studies Updates:

This week, students read Chapter 2, Americans and Their History, focusing on Lesson 1: America and Europe. They learned how the meeting between Europeans and Native Americans changed both cultures forever and responded to text-dependent questions to demonstrate their understanding.

Grade Level Blurb:

November Learning Highlights!

The first full week of November is over, and our students had a great educational week! Everyone showed effort and focus as we moved deeper into our units. Please continue to support learning at home by practicing fluency and reading for 20 minutes each day.

Reading Updates:

Students are writing informational texts and studying plural, regular, and irregular nouns. They are learning how authors organize and share facts to inform readers clearly and effectively.

Math Updates:

•Mr. Barr’s class: will take their Chapter 5 Division Test on Thursday.

•Ms. Jenkins’ class: is beginning Understanding Decimals and Place Value, exploring how digits change value based on position and how decimals connect to real-world examples like money and measurement.

Science Updates:

We are moving into Topic 6, Experience 3: Matter in Ecosystems. Students will explore how matter and energy move through plants, animals, and their environment.

Social Studies Updates:

Students are studying Chapter 3, Lessons 2 & 3: The English Colonies in Virginia, focusing on early settlers, Jamestown, and interactions with Native Americans.

Health Updates:

Students are learning about healthy eating and exploring the different food groups that help keep our bodies strong and balanced.

General CARTS Message:

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

Technology:

Dear Families,

We’ve had an amazing first quarter in Technology Class! Students across all grade levels have been busy exploring creativity and digital design using Adobe Express. They created some truly awesome posters that showcase their interests, imagination, and growing digital skills. Even our 1st and 2nd graders experimented with creating posters this quarter — and they did an outstanding job! Their enthusiasm and creativity continue to impress me.

What’s Coming in Quarter 2

As we move into the second quarter, our focus will shift to Digital Citizenship and Typing Skills. Students will learn how to make safe, kind, and responsible choices online while strengthening their ability to communicate effectively through technology.

We’ll also begin typing practice using the home-row keys, which helps students build proper keyboarding habits for speed and accuracy. Research shows that strong typing skills directly support better writing — students who type fluently can get their ideas down faster, make fewer mechanical errors, and focus more on word choice, organization, and creativity. Studies from educational technology researchers have found that improving keyboarding fluency can lead to increased writing quality, longer compositions, and stronger revision skills.

Math + Technology Integration

In addition to digital citizenship and typing, I’ll be working closely with 4th grade students to help them increase multiplication fact fluency using technology-based tools and games that make math practice engaging and fun. This skill supports not only math success but also logical thinking and problem-solving — key components of STEM learning.

Looking Ahead

It has been a fantastic first quarter, and I’m so proud of the creativity and curiosity your students have shown! I’m excited to see how they continue to grow their technology, communication, and problem-solving skills throughout the year.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students become confident, responsible, and innovative digital citizens!

With Tiger Pride,

Mr. Dickens
Technology Teacher – South Campus
“Leveling Up the STEMtastic Way!

Media:

This week in Library /Media, we worked on various tasks.

K- Focused on the letter "T" and 3 homophones that begin with the letter (Too,To, and Two).

1st- Scrambled Letter game. Find words out of the given letters (two and three letter words).

2nd- Presenting their revised version of the fairy tale they chose.

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