The Tiger Times

CMIT South Elementary August/September Themes

Character Theme: Respectfulness

STEM Theme: Observation/Discovery

Dear CMIT South Families, Community Partners, and Scholars,

What an exciting time to be a Tiger! As we officially kick off the 2026-2027 school year, I want to take a moment to say how proud and grateful I am to lead this school community. To our families, thank you for trusting us with your scholars. To our community partners, thank you for standing behind us. And to our scholars; welcome back! This is the year we truly PUSH to ACHIEVE IT... the STEMTastic way!

Our Character Word of the Month for August is Respectfulness, and I want to leave you with this thought as we begin the year:

"Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners." — Laurence Sterne

This month, let's work together — at school and at home — to help our scholars show respect through their words, their actions, and how they treat one another. A respectful classroom is a classroom where every Tiger can ROAR with confidence.

🐯 Our 2026-2027 Theme: PUSH to Achieve IT... the STEMTastic Way!

Whether your family is brand new to CMIT South Elementary or you're a returning Tiger family, welcome! As part of the Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation (CLF), we're proud to offer a strong STEM-focused curriculum paired with programs that build leadership, creativity, and innovation in every scholar.

This year's theme reflects our schoolwide commitment to perseverance and problem-solving:

• P – Persevere: Remind your scholar that mistakes are simply part of learning, and encourage them to keep going when things get tough.

• U – Use Your Thinking: Ask reflective questions like "How did you figure that out?" or "What could you try next?"

• S – Solve Problems: Give your scholar real-world problems to tackle, planning a meal, building something, or organizing a space.

• H – Have Confidence: Celebrate effort and creativity, not just correct answers.

Bring STEMTastic energy home by building and experimenting together, cooking and exploring measurement, playing strategy games and puzzles, asking your scholar to predict and explain their reasoning, and encouraging them to chase their curiosity through books, nature, and hands-on challenges. Teamwork counts too; let them practice sharing ideas and solutions with others!

💡 Kindergarten Orientation/Peek at Your Seat For 1st - 5th Grade

Join us for “Peek at Your Seat” on Monday, August 24, 2026, 9 am - 2 pm

This event gives scholars and their families a chance to:

• Tour the building

• Visit their classrooms

• Meet their teachers

• Become familiar with the school before the first day

Free Haircuts: 3 barbers will be available to give free haircuts. Sign up in advance via https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B45A4AB29A7FB6-65243057-peek

Free Ice Cream: Available from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM.

Please do not worry if you cannot make it to Sneak a Peek at Your Seat. Back to School Night is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2026 (K-2nd) and Thursday, September 10, 2026 (3rd- 5th) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and parents will have another opportunity to meet the teachers and visit classrooms. More information will be coming soon.

📝School Supply Lists📝

Kindergarten -https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/4jcUy1?__$u__

1st grade - https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/2JB0na?__$u__

2nd grade - https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/L-_3jp?__$u__

3rd grade - https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/p_V6R2?__$u__

4th grade (Crusoe/Felton - https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/L3cYlb?__$u__

4th grade (Pearson/Weldon) - https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/XElh-l?__$u__

5th grade - https://out.smore.com/render/tcbv1/lfrvfw?__$u__

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🏫 First Day of School: Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Daily Schedule:

• Building opens: 7:35 AM

• Breakfast served in the cafeteria until 8:00 AM

• Classes begin: 8:00 AM sharp

• Tardy passes issued after 8:05 AM

• Back gate closes: 8:00 AM

• Dismissal begins: 2:30 PM

To help scholars build independence and give teachers room to set the tone in their classrooms, parents will say their goodbyes outside rather than walking students to class on day one. Don't worry — our staff will be spread throughout the building to warmly guide every kindergartner and new Tiger to where they need to be!

🤝 Building Character and Community

Positive behavior is the foundation of a school where every scholar can thrive. Our Tiger family lives by these expectations:

• I will treat everyone with kindness and respect.

• I will keep my hands and feet to myself.

• I will use appropriate language toward everyone.

• I will never tease, cause harm, name-call, or bully another student.

We ask that families reinforce these same expectations at home — the values scholars learn from you carry directly into how they show up at school. The full PGCPS Student Code of Conduct will be shared separately for your reference.

📣 Staying Connected

Strong communication between home and school makes all the difference. Here's where to find what you need:

• School Messenger — official announcements and urgent alerts

• Class Dojo — daily classroom updates and teacher communication

• Email — newsletters and individual correspondence

• Weekly Newsletters — a full roundup of school happenings and events

• Parent Handbook — coming home with your scholar on the first day

📌 Please make sure your contact information is current in Synergy so you don't miss important text alerts.

⭐ A Few More Tips for a Great Start

• Ring the front doorbell and have your ID ready — you'll need to show it at the door and again inside the building.

• Save your scholar's teacher and the front office to your contacts.

• Thinking about volunteering or chaperoning this year? We'd love to have you — start the 3-step volunteer registration process as early as July 2026. Click the following link for more details- Volunteer at Your School

💉 Free Back-to-School Immunizations!

Getting your scholar's immunizations up to date is one of the most important things you can do before school begins — and Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is making it easy and free.

Maryland State Law requires all students to be up to date on their immunizations. This year, scholars must have all required immunizations completed by September 14 or they risk being excluded from school. Please don't wait — reserve your spot today!

📅 Back-to-School Immunization Fairs (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

• August 22, 2026 — Kenmoor Middle School, 2501 Kenmoor Drive, Landover — Schedule an Appointment

• September 12, 2026 — High Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville — Schedule an Appointment

• September 26, 2026 — Eleanor Roosevelt High School, 7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt — Schedule an Appointment

🏥 Cheverly Health Department Clinics

For families whose children are uninsured or underinsured, immunizations are also available on an ongoing basis:

3003 Hospital Drive, Suite 2082, Cheverly, MD 20785 August 10 – October 31, 2026 | Monday – Friday | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Schedule an Appointment

📎 See the attached flyers for full details: BTS Immunization Fairs Flyer | Cheverly Health Dept Clinics Flyer

💡 A friendly reminder: please don't put this off! Appointments fill up quickly, and starting the school year with immunizations already handled means one less thing on your plate.

🚗 Essential Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Our Tigers are off to a strong start, and keeping these procedures front of mind helps us protect both safety and instructional time. Please take a moment to review:

Morning Arrival

• Morning Enrichment 6:30 AM. - 7:30 AM

• Student unloading begins: 7:25 AM

• Building entry (cafeteria doors): 7:35 AM

• Gates close: 8:00 AM sharp

• Tardiness recorded: after 8:05 AM

Afternoon Dismissal

• Dismissal begins: 2:30 PM

• Required: Every family must complete the KVS dismissal form —Click the link: Complete the KVS Form

• Don't know your child's KVS number? Reach out to their teacher.

• For everyone's safety, parents are asked to remain in their vehicles during pickup.

Critical Safety Reminders

• Any change to your child's dismissal plan must be reported to both the front office and the teacher before 1:00 PM.

• Early dismissals cannot be accommodated after 1:30 PM.

• Students may not be picked up from the back parking lot — please use our designated procedures only.

• When possible, please schedule appointments outside of school hours to protect your scholar's learning time.

📋 Action Required: Essential Digital Forms

To make sure we have everything we need to support and protect your scholar this year, please complete the following forms as soon as possible:

• ✅ Emergency Contact and Pick-Up List

• ✅SY26-27 Student Publicity Release Form

• ✅ Parent Compact Form

• ✅ Free and Reduced Lunch Application

Let's make this the most STEMTastic year yet, full of respect, perseverance, and PAWW-sitivity!

Warmly,

Tauheedah N. Simmons-Lewis

Your PAWW-rific Principal

CMIT South Elementary School

Home of the STEMTastic Tigers 🐯

Warmly,

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

Please take note of these important calendar reminders:

• August 24 Student Orientation Day | Professional Duty Day for All Teachers
• August 24 Sneak a Peek at Your Seat
• August 25 (Tuesday) First Day of School for All Students
• August 28 PTO Back to School Bash (Melwood Park)
• September 7 Schools and Offices Closed (Labor Day)
• September 9 Back to School Night (K-2nd) 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM
• September 10 Back to School Night (3rd-5th) 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM
• September 11 CMIT South ES Grandparents and Special Friends Day Celebration
• September 12 Rosh Hashanah**
• September 13 National Grandparents Day
• September 15 National IT Appreciation Day
• September 15- October 15 Hispanic Heritage Month
• September 16 Schools Closed for Students | Professional Development
• September 21 Schools and Offices Closed (Yom Kippur**)
• September 26 National PTO/PTA Appreciation Day
• September 28 Special Education Meet and Greet 8:30 a.m. -9:30 a.m.
• September 28 Parent University: STEM Fair Intro and Club Showcase
• September 30 PTO Meeting

School Menu Viewer

Kindergarten Orientation/Peek at Your Seat For 1st - 5th Grade

August 24, 2026

Join us for “Peek at Your Seat” on Monday, August 24, 2026, 9 am - 2 pm

This event gives scholars and their families a chance to:

• Tour the building

• Visit their classrooms

• Meet their teachers

• Become familiar with the school before the first day

Please do not worry if you cannot make it to Sneak a Peek at Your Seat. Back to School Night is scheduled for September 9th (K-2nd) and September 10th (3rd-5th)! and parents will have another opportunity to meet the teachers and visit classrooms. More information will be coming soon.

CMIT South Elementary Parents,

Please see the important message regarding registration for the enrichment program.

The enrichment program will close for future registrations until further notice. I hope to reopen soon. I will post the reopen message on ClassDojo.

Join the Pride and Help Your Grade Win!

The Grade-Level Membership Challenge is heating up, and Kindergarten is currently leading the Pride! Every PTO membership helps your scholar’s grade and classroom climb the leaderboard.

Fourth Grade families, now is the time to rally! There’s still plenty of time to close the gap and move up the leaderboard.

Now through September 30:

🏅 The grade with the most PTO memberships will earn a special reward.

🎉 The classroom with the highest participation will receive a special prize.

Already joined? Thank you! Your membership automatically counts toward your scholar’s grade and classroom. Haven’t joined yet? There’s still plenty of time to help your scholar’s grade take the lead!

🔗 Join the Pride: https://cmitsouthespto.org/join-the-pride

Join the CMIT South Elementary PTO for our FREE annual Back-to-School Bash on Friday, August 28, from 2:30–6:30 p.m. at Mellwood Hills Community Park. Bring the family, connect with other CMIT South Elementary families, and help us celebrate the start of another great school year!

📢 Important PTO Communication Update

Due to updated PGCPS guidelines, the CMIT South Elementary PTO will no longer be able to post directly from the PTO account or respond to comments and questions through ClassDojo.

To stay connected with the PTO:

📧 Email us directly with questions at pto@cmitsouthes.org

📱 Follow us on social media for PTO news, events, andreminders

💬 Request to join your scholar’s respective grade-levelGroupMe

We encourage all families to connect with us through these channels so you don’t miss important PTO updates!

🔗 Connect with the PTO:https://linktr.ee/CMITSouthESPTO

Visit the PTO During Kindergarten Orientation and Sneak-a-Peek!

Stop by the gym, say hello, and shop with the PTO! We’ll have gently used uniforms and CMIT South Elementary spirit wear available to help your scholar gear up for the new school year. Inventory and sizes are limited, so come early for the best selection.

Have uniforms to donate? Gently used uniforms may be dropped off during the sale. At this time, we are accepting polos, oxfords, and other apparel featuring the new CLF logo only.

We can’t wait to see you!

CMIT South Elementary Families,

School uniforms are now available through our new uniform provider, FlynnO’Hara Uniforms!

Shop our school’s online store:https://flynnohara.com/shop/cmit-south-elementary-charter-school-md087/

School Code: MD087

Uniform Shopping Packet (ordering information, sizing, FAQs, and more): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G8F4zrvRNaKC-1DNVult2QnbBsOTQ78U/view?usp=sharing

Prefer to shop in person?

FlynnO’Hara Uniforms – Lanham

Lanham Crossing Center

8807 Annapolis Road

Lanham, MD 20706

Hours & Location: https://stores.flynnohara.com/flynnohara-uniforms-ad9a5a90343f

Stay in the loop! Sign up to receive FlynnO’Hara promotions and uniform updates:https://flynnohara.com/join-our-email-list/

The Roar Shop just got a little cozier! CMIT South Elementary hoodies are officially available, so you can gear up and show your Tiger pride all season long.

🔗 Shop now & gear up: https://www.givebacks.com/causes/cmitelementarypto/shop?category=255127

📦 Orders placed between now and September 16th will be available for pickup at our September 30th PTO General Body Meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your order, please email the PTO at pto@cmitsouthes.org.

We welcome and appreciate parent involvement! To volunteer for school events, serve as a lunch monitor, or chaperone field trips, you must complete the three-step volunteer clearance process:

1. Register with PGCPS as a volunteer (every school year). Opens July 1st
   

2. Complete a fingerprinting & background check
   

3. Complete all Safe Training Videos (every school year)

This process ensures the safety of all students and must be completed before participating in any volunteer activities or chaperoning field trips.

To get started, please visit the PGCPS Chaperone/Volunteer page for CMIT South Elementary. Once approved, please email Ms. Reese at lreese@cmitsouthes.org .

As a public charter school, CMIT South Elementary does not provide school bus transportation. However, we maintain a list of independent vendors. Please click on the following link, Van Transportation Partners, which many of our current families use for morning and/or afternoon transportation. You are welcome to contact these providers directly to inquire about availability and pricing.

Please note the following:

• Student drop-off begins at 7:35 AM when adult supervision is present. Please do not leave your child if there is no adult present.

• The gate closes promptly at 8:00 AM.

• School starts at 8:00 AM.

• If you arrive after 8:00 AM, you have a 5-minute grace period to drop your child off at the front of the building.

• Your scholar is considered tardy after 8:05 AM. You must park, escort them into the building, and sign them in using our front office iPad.

Dismissal begins at 2:30 PM, with van riders first, followed by car riders through our KVS pick-up system.

Scholars enrolled in Enrichment will be dismissed to their assigned rooms at 2:45 PM.

If you need to pick up your scholar early, the deadline is 1:30 PM. This allows our staff to wrap up instruction and prepare for end-of-day routines. Please notify your child’s teacher in advance, but know that students will not be called to the office until you arrive.

Due to current budget constraints, CMIT South Elementary will implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy.

What this means:

• All students will need to bring their own Chromebook for use both at school and at home

• We will no longer be able to provide school-issued devices for every student as we have in previous years

• A limited number of devices will be available to rent for $100 per school year

• Rental fees may be waived for families with documented financial need

We understand this represents a change from our previous practice, and we're committed to supporting families through this transition. Please click on the following link for detailed information about device specifications, rental options, and financial assistance programs: [Device Information Link] and Chromebook Rental Application

Administrative Procedure 5113, Student Attendance, Absence, and Truancy

Consistent attendance is critical to your scholar’s success. If your child is absent or tardy:

Please submit notification using the Student Absence/Tardy Notification Google Form. The responses are reviewed, and attendance updated based on submissions. All teachers have access to the updates, as they are filtered by teacher/grade. This went into effect at the beginning of last school year.

All Attendance inquiries may be directed to: lreese@cmitsouthes.org and jbull@cmitsouthes.org

2026-2027 School Year Meal Prices

Elementary (Pre-K through Grade 5) *Price may change

Breakfast: $1.60/day

Lunch: $2.75/day

How to Pay

MySchoolBucks, owned and operated by Heartland Payment Systems, is an online payment service that provides parents the ability to securely pay for meals, monitor student cafeteria purchases, and receive email notifications for

low-account balances. With MySchoolBucks, payments can be made 24/7 using a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, credit or debit card, and mobile app.

Principal Lunch Account

ALL breakfast, lunch, and Principal lunch payments should be made via MySchoolBucks

All money comes/goes to 1 account (child's). All that is needed to set up an account (if not done) is the student's lunch PIN or student ID.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals

We encourage all families to consider applying for free and reduced-price meals! Visit Apply for Free and Reduced Priced Meals to apply online today!

To apply, you will need:

• The name, school, and grade of your school-age children

• The names of all adults living in the home

• Income information for all adults living in the home

• Student ID Numbers for your school-age children

Birthdays are so much fun to celebrate with classmates. However, during the school day, the health and safety of each student are important, especially students with food allergies. Students are ONLY permitted to bring in NON-FOOD items to distribute to classmates at the end of the school day. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping all of our students safe at CMIT South ES.

Additionally, please note that teachers and staff are unable to participate in distributing communications/invitations or email addresses related to birthday celebrations. All planning for birthdays needs to happen outside of school so that it does not take away from the purpose of instruction.

🌟 Welcome Back, Families!

Welcome to a new school year! As your school counselor, I am excited to partner with our students, families, and staff to help make this a successful year filled with learning, growth, and positive relationships. Throughout the year, we will focus on building strong character, developing social-emotional skills, and creating a school community where every student feels valued, supported, and ready to learn.

This month, our school will focus on the themes of Respectfulness and Observation/Discovery. Students will learn what it means to show respect through their words, actions, and choices while also practicing being curious, paying attention to the world around them, asking questions, and discovering new things about themselves and others.

🏡 How Can Families Support at Home?

• Model respectful communication by using kind words and listening to one another.
• Encourage your child to show respect for family members, friends, and their community.
• Ask questions such as, “What did you notice today?” or “What is something new you discovered?”
• Encourage curiosity by exploring books, nature, hobbies, and new experiences together.
• Celebrate your child's questions and discoveries, even when they don't have all the answers.
• Remind your child that being respectful and curious helps us build stronger relationships and become better learners.

Thank you for partnering with us as we begin another wonderful school year! Together, we can help our students learn, grow, discover, and shine!

Building Strong Readers Together!

Welcome back, families! I am excited to begin a new school year filled with opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and develop a love for reading. As your Reading Specialist, I look forward to partnering with families and teachers to help every child become a confident and successful reader.

As we begin the year, there are many simple ways you can support your child’s reading journey at home:

• Read together every day — Set aside 15–20 minutes for reading, whether your child reads independently, listens to you read, or takes turns reading.
• Talk about books — Ask questions such as, “What happened in the story?” “What was your favorite part?” or “Why do you think the character did that?”
• Practice foundational skills — Review letter sounds, sight words, phonics patterns, and word reading in fun, low-pressure ways.
• Encourage writing — Have your child write about a book, keep a journal, make a grocery list, or write a note to a family member.
• Create a reading-friendly home — Keep books in a place where your child can easily access and enjoy them.
• Celebrate effort and progress — Encourage your child and remind them that becoming a strong reader takes practice.

Most importantly, make reading enjoyable! Your encouragement and enthusiasm can help your child develop confidence and a lifelong love of learning.

Here’s to a wonderful school year filled with great books, growing readers, and exciting discoveries!

Grade Level Blurb

Welcome to an exciting new school year!

The First Grade Team is thrilled to welcome you and your child to a year filled with learning, growth, discovery, and lots of fun. We are looking forward to getting to know each of our students and partnering with you to make this a successful and memorable year!

Please see below for an introduction from each of your first grade teachers. We are so excited to begin this journey together and cannot wait to see all that our first graders will accomplish this year!

Here’s to an amazing year ahead! 💛✨

Teacher Introductions

Welcome back, CMIT Tiger Families!

My name is Mrs. Valera and I am so excited to be your child's first grade teacher this year! This is my 12th year teaching and my 6th year at CMIT South ES. I graduated from Towson University in 2015 with my Bachleor's Degree in Elementary Education and later graduated from WGU with my Master's in Curriculum Design and Instruction. I am currently working on my National Board Certification and hope to be certified this December! 🤞🏼 I look forward to working with each and every family this school year. Let's make it GREAT!

Mrs. Valera's Classroom Wishlist

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello! My name is Ms. Garrett, and I’m so excited to be your child’s first-grade teacher this year! This is my 6th year of teaching, and I truly enjoy creating a classroom where students feel welcomed, supported, and excited to learn.

I love making learning fun and engaging while helping my students build confidence and independence. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy traveling and spending time with my family and friends. I’m looking forward to getting to know each of my students and their families and having an amazing school year together!

Mrs. Garrett's Classroom Wishlist

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Hello Parents,Guardians and CMIT Scholars!

I hope you all had an amazing summer break! My name is Ms. Torrence and I am very excited to work with you all this year, learning and GROWING together! This year, we will keep a GROWTH MINDSET, working towards our goals! This is my 3rd year teaching 1st Grade at CMIT Elementary South. I have been teaching for over 10 years. I am originally from Syracuse, New York. I attended Syracuse University for both my Bachelor’s degree in Inclusive Ed., and Master’s degree in Literacy Ed. I look forward to working with our scholars and families, as we GROW TOGETHER!

Ms. Torrence's Classroom Wishlist

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: Orange and Black

• Uniform Colors: Hunter Green, Navy Blue, or white Oxford tops and Khaki or Navy Blue bottoms

For more information

https://cmitsouthes.org/faq/

Chesapeake Math and IT Academy South ES Public Charter School (CMIT Academy South ES), in partnership with students, parents, and the community, provides a rigorous and quality education for K-5 school students with a special focus on science, math, and technology.

The vision of CMIT Academy South Elementary School is to provide multiple opportunities for Prince George’s County elementary school students by developing an early interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). CMIT Academy South Elementary School will create expanded learning opportunities, hands-on activities, and course design which are focused on STEM curriculum that connects real world experiences for Prince George’s County students.

It is our goal to use new and innovative educational practices with students that allow for academic success and advanced educational opportunities. Our students have a broad spectrum of options for their future endeavors and are prepared to be responsible and productive citizens of society. CMIT’s educational program sees each student as an important person in the school and is committed to the mission of establishing a partnership with parents and the community. It is our belief that all children have an inherent curiosity and love of learning, and all children can reach their highest potential.

🐾 July 31, 2026