The Tiger Times
Dear Amazing Tiger Families and Community,
What an absolutely incredible week we've shared together as we close out 2025! I As we conclude our celebration of Generosity as our Character Word of the Month, I'm inspired by the timeless words of Martin Luther King Jr.: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" This week, our Tiger community answered that question beautifully through Claws for a Cause, supportive attendance at events, and countless acts of kindness. When we focus on giving to others, we discover the true richness of life. Let's carry this generous spirit into the New Year!
🎉 What a Fantastic Week of Celebration!
This week was absolutely fantastic with the different activities our students participated in! From our Honor Roll Assembly to our Winter Concert, from Holiday Spirit Week to our Art Gallery Showcase, our Tigers demonstrated excellence, talent, and the generous spirit of sharing their gifts with our community. I am so proud of every single student and grateful to every family member who celebrated alongside us!
🏆 Honor Roll Assembly - Watch the Replay!
If you missed our 1st Quarter Honor Roll Assembly, don't worry! You can still celebrate our amazing academic achievers by watching the recording:
📺 Watch the Honor Roll Assembly: https://youtube.com/live/DRnqp_ey3hw?feature=share
Congratulations again to all our Tigers who earned this recognition through hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence! We are incredibly proud of you!
🎵 Winter Concert - Help Us Create a Complete Video!
Our 2nd Annual Winter Concert was a beautiful celebration of music, talent, and holiday spirit! While we experienced some technical difficulties during the live stream, we don't want anyone to miss experiencing our students' wonderful performances.
Kudos and heartfelt appreciation to Mrs. Duncan, our exceptional Music Teacher, for her outstanding leadership of our 2nd Annual Winter Concert! The time, energy, and passion she invested in preparing our Tigers to share their musical gifts was evident in every note, every smile, and every moment of the concert.
Mr. Dickens has created a shared folder where families can upload any videos they recorded during the concert. Using these clips, we will work to piece together a complete concert video that highlights our students and their beautiful performances.
Please share your recorded videos here:
Winter Concert Video Upload Folder
Your generosity in sharing your recordings will ensure that every family can experience the magic of our Tigers' musical gifts! Thank you in advance for your help in creating this lasting memory.
🎄 Claws for a Cause - Thank You for Your Incredible Generosity!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to our incredible Tiger community for the overwhelming support of our Claws for a Cause initiative. Your generosity made a profound impact on Tiger families during this holiday season. You didn't just provide gifts—you provided hope, dignity, and love that our families will never forget.
Special Recognition to Ms. Chandler, Mrs. Valera, and Mrs. Pinkard for bringing this initiative to life with excellence and heart. Your leadership and dedication transformed a wonderful idea into a powerful reality that blessed our Tiger families. You perfectly embody the generosity we've celebrated all month. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference!
Thank you again to everyone who:
Selected angel tags from our tree
Purchased gifts for Tiger families
Donated wrapping paper and supplies
Volunteered time and energy
Supported and uplifted our families in countless ways
CMIT continues to shine because of YOU. Your generous hearts and selfless actions embody everything we value as a Tiger community. You've taught our children powerful lessons about compassion, community care, and the joy of giving to others.
📚 Read-A-Thon Coming in January!
Mark Your Calendars: Read-A-Thon January 21 - February 11, 2026
Kick-Off Event: Tuesday, January 21, 2026
More detailed information will be coming soon!
What is Read-A-Thon? This exciting fundraiser encourages students to read daily while raising funds to support our school. Funds raised will be used to update our technology lab and purchase instructional supplies that directly benefit our Tigers' learning.
Why It Matters: Reading just 20 minutes a day can help students create lifelong learning and reading habits. With Read-A-Thon, those are habits worth encouraging! This fundraiser tracks minutes, not pages, encouraging kids to read what they love—whether it's fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, or anything else that sparks their interest.
The Best Part: We will earn more while helping kids read more. It's a win-win for literacy and for our school resources!
Stay tuned for more details, registration information, and how you can support your Tiger in this important initiative!
👋 Welcome to Our Tiger Family, Ms. Walker!
We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Walker, our new 1st-grade teacher, to the CMIT South Elementary family! Ms. Walker brings enthusiasm, expertise, and a passion for nurturing young learners. We're excited to have her join our team and know she'll be a wonderful addition to our Tiger community.
Please join us in giving Ms. Walker a warm Tiger welcome! We're so glad you're here!
📅 Important Upcoming Dates
January 2026:
Monday, January 20, 2026 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Schools and Offices Closed - No school for students or staff
Sunday, January 26, 2026 - Grading & Reporting Day
Early Dismissal for Students (specific dismissal times will be shared via ClassDojo)
End of Second Quarter (46 Days)
Please mark these important dates on your calendars and plan accordingly!
🎊 Happy Holidays and Thank You!
As we close out 2025 and prepare to welcome 2026, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your partnership, your generosity, and your unwavering commitment to our Tigers' success. This has been an extraordinary year filled with growth, achievement, and countless moments of joy.
Thank you for:
Supporting every initiative with enthusiasm
Attending events to celebrate your children
Volunteering your time and talents
Being generous with your resources
Creating a community where every Tiger can thrive
Enjoy this well-deserved break with your loved ones. Rest, recharge, and create beautiful memories together. We'll return in January ready to make 2026 even more amazing than 2025!
Remember: We are Leveling Up the STEMTastic Way! Let's carry the spirit of generosity into the New Year and continue making CMIT South Elementary a place where every Tiger feels valued, supported, and loved.
Happy Holidays to our entire Tiger family! May your season be filled with joy, peace, love, and countless reasons to be grateful.
With Generous Tiger Pride and Endless Gratitude,
Your PAWW-rific Principal
CMIT South Elementary School
Home of the STEMTastic Tigers 🐯
Mrs. K. Pearson, 4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. T. Day, Paraprofessional
Mr. T. Bullock, Dedicated Aide
Please take note of these important calendar reminders:
December 22 - December 31 - Winter Break & Christmas Holiday – Schools and Offices Closed
January 1 - New Year's Day- Schools and Offices Closed
January 2 - Winter Break- Schools and Offices Closed
January 7 - STEM Fair Projects DUE
January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day- Schools and Offices Closed
January 26 - End of Second Quarter (46 Days)
January 26 - Grading & Reporting Day- Early Dismissal for Students
Attendance in school each day is important. Let’s stay in school.
In order for an absence to be considered excused, the following Google Form must be completed no later than three (3) days after return to school.
Late or make-up work will not be accepted unless the absence is an excused absence. Please review Administrative Procedure 5113, AP 5113 - Student Attendance, Absence, and Truancy, for further information.
Students who are absent for ten consecutive days will be withdrawn on the 11th day and will need to re-enroll.
Lawful Absences
Students enrolled in public schools are considered lawfully absent from school for any portion of the day, only under the following conditions:
- Death of a family member
- Illness of the student
- Court appearance
- Work approved or sponsored by a school
- Observance of a religious holiday
- State of emergency
- Suspension from school
- Mental Health (Students may receive as an excused absence one (1) day of absence
- in each semester of each school year for a student’s mental health needs.
- Other emergencies
- Deployment-related absences
Unlawful Absences
Unlawful absence – any time a student does not attend school that does not qualify as the above-listed reasons for a lawful absence.
Tardy
Scholars will be officially tardy if they are not in the building at 8:05 a.m.
If your scholar enters the building after the 8:05 a.m. bell, a parent must escort them into the building and electronically sign them in the late arrival portal. Scholars will be given an orange tardy slip to be permitted to class.
Parents of students who have 10 or more tardies in a semester will be required to meet with the principal/designee to discuss the reasons for the tardies and to develop a plan for improvement.
In November 2020, PGCPS launched an online volunteer application and approval process. Click here for more information on becoming a volunteer and to access the application.
School Meals
2025-26 School Year Meal Prices
Elementary (Pre-K through Grade 5)
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, make tuition payments for Before and After School Extended Learning programs, 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 www.myschoolbucks.com.
All money comes/goes to 1 account (child's). All that is needed to set up account (if not done) is
students lunch pin or student id.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
We encourage all families to consider applying for free and reduced-price meals! Visit www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict to apply online today!
To apply, you will need:
- The name, school, and grade of your school-age children
- The name of all adults living in the home
- Income information for all adults living in the home
- Student ID Numbers for your school-age children
Applications will also be sent home with students the first week of school. Applications are available at all PGCPS schools and can be submitted at any time.
Our field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium has been rescheduled for January 15, 2026.
There was no packet given however when we come back STEM Fair projects will be due. Also, during this long break students are encouraged to continue practicing on i-Ready, IXL or Lexia depending on the scholar.
Have a great Winter Break!!!
IMPORTANT KINDERGARTEN DATES-
DECEMBER 22- JANUARY 2: Winter Break
JANUARY 7- STEM project Due
JANUARY 15- National Baltimore Aquarium
Grade Level Updates:
Warm wishes from the First Grade Team! We hope your winter break is filled with peaceful moments, magical memories, and time to relax together as a family. Whether you’re enjoying quiet days at home or celebrating special traditions, we hope this break brings rest, laughter, and joy. Thank you for your continued support—we can’t wait to welcome our first graders back refreshed and ready for the new year. Happy winter break! ❄️✨
For extra practice over break, here are the PGCPS winter enrichment packets:
🎉 Thank You Tiger Families! 🐯💛
Thank you all for your incredible support in making this last week absolutely PAWrific! 🐾 Our scholars loved every moment of the fun, learning, and celebration. A very special thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who helped make our holiday party run flawlessly — your partnership and teamwork do not go unnoticed! 🌟🙌
As we enter Winter Break, we will not be sending home an official packet. However, we do encourage students to continue working on IXL and iReady to keep their minds sharp 🧠✨
When we return, the STEM Fair due date will be right around the corner, and we cannot wait to see all the hard work and creativity from our scholars! 🧪🚀💡
For families who would like extra practice over the break, we are happy to share the PGCPS Winter
Enrichment Packets below:
📘 2nd Grade Math Packet
📗 2nd Grade RELA + Social Studies Packet
We wish all of our Tiger families a wonderful, relaxing, and joy-filled Winter Break! ❄️☃️💙
We can’t wait to come back together and finish this school year strong — the PAWrific way! 🐾✨
Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁💛
From the Third Grade Team:
It has been a busy week! Here are a few highlights from our classes.
Ms. Howard’s Social Studies Classes:
In Social Studies, scholars wrapped up their Communities Build a Nation group projects, exploring America’s First People, Early Explorers, and early Spanish, French, and English communities. Students did an excellent job collaborating and sharing their learning.
Other news from Ms. Howard:
We also enjoyed a fun Winter Break Party, and students had a great time! Even more exciting, our scholars achieved 107% growth on the Reading i-Ready Diagnostic, meaning they exceeded expected growth. We are so proud of their hard work!
Ms. Flores’ Math and Science Classes:
When our schedule permitted, my mathematicians continued using the distributive property to multiply in Topic 3. We explored polar animals, specifically the polar bear in Science. We learned the polar bear’s life cycle, adaptations, and survival methods. Students also completed an arctic/polar animal pennant. The pennants will be used on our January bulletin board.
Other news from Ms. Flores:
Along with the honor roll assembly and holiday concert, we ended our week with a “Polar Party” and a few holiday games.
Our team wishes everyone a joyous, relaxing, and wonderful winter break. We look forward to what 2026 will bring our way!
☃️Warm Greetings Team 4Wards
Happy holidays! I hope this message finds you well and full of joy as we wrap up a wonderful 2025 together. We had a week full of memorable events. Our students performed beautifully and showed great confidence and teamwork. Thank you to everyone who attended and cheered them on. Classrooms were filled with laughter and kindness as students shared snacks, crafts, and festive activities. Students enjoyed creative activities and a playful spirit of giving. The event brought smiles and memorable moments for all. Winter break is an important time for students (and adults!) to rest. Encourage children to sleep well, spend time with family, and enjoy unstructured play. Whether you celebrate with traditions, travel, or quiet days at home, we hope your family finds joy and renewal. Simple family moments—reading together, cooking, playing games—make a big difference in a child’s well-being.
🚌Field Trip
4th Graders will attend our third field trip of the year to the Howard B. Owens Science Center on Friday January 16, 2026. Here students will deepen their understanding of the universe by learning in an immersive environment. This lesson helps to build on the virtual field trip our student had about Cosmic Collisions. Field Trip permission slips have been sent home with students. All payments must be made through the MySchoolBucks link provided on the permission slip. All money and permission slips are due by Monday January 5, 2026.
💳Pay here: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZHVZTLU9O052WP_ZZ696XL29JSGL55
📄Here is a copy of the permission slip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Z1N9ck2AV9MRddRLgrijUP7naI3QAne/view?usp=sharing
➡️If your scholar will need a bag lunch for the trip please complete this form: https://forms.gle/yGoSjxKPPYnzUFKu8
During the break teachers will be unavailable to answer messages. We will answer messages upon our return!
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.
Warmly,
Team 4Ward
Important Upcoming Dates:
Winter Break December 22, 2025- January 2, 2025
4th Grade i-Ready Reading Tuesday January 6, 2026
Reading Updates:
We are in 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:
This week we brought a close to the tall tale “Thunder Rose.” In this tale students learned about a girl who did amazing things to help others. Students this week completed a quiz that showed their mastery of their understanding of the story. We also spent some time practicing reading and writing skills we have covered so far this school year.
Next Week:
When we return from Winter Break we will read a drama called “La Culebra.” A drama is a type of text that has a cast of characters with stage directions,which is seen in plays. In this drama students will read about making choices and the importance of doing good deeds.This drama also incorporates many Spanish words. Students will seek to answer: Why should we do good deeds without expecting anything in return?
Math Updates:
This week in Math, scholars continued working through Topics 3 and 4, focusing on using strategies and properties to solve 1-digit and 2-digit multiplication problems. Students practiced identifying whether numbers were prime or composite, used multiplication facts to create pixelated art, and engaged in fluency warm-ups to build speed and confidence.
Students are also strengthening their understanding of the Distributive Property, Area Models, and partial products, which help them solve more complex multiplication problems. We will continue within Topic 4 after the Thanksgiving Break to deepen their conceptual understanding before shifting into division.
Please encourage scholars to practice their facts at home using Prodigy, IXL, i-Ready, and XtraMath to boost automatic recall. A few minutes of daily practice goes a long way.
Social Studies Updates:
This week, students participated in a variety of holiday-themed activities.
Grade Level Blurb
Dear Fifth Grade Family,
We had an AMAZING week filled with learning, laughter, Spirit Week fun, and a wonderful Winter Celebration! Thank you to all parents and students for your continued support and positivity—you truly help make our school community special.
🌟 Important Reminders Over Break:
• STEM Fair Projects – Students should continue working on their STEM Fair projects. Boards are due Wednesday when we return from break.
• MAP Testing – We will begin MAP Growth testing when we return. To stay sharp, we encourage students to complete 30 minutes a day of iReady or IXL if possible.
🌲 Looking Ahead:
We are still seeking approved Camp Schmidt chaperones. If you are interested, please make sure your volunteer clearance is complete. Your support means so much to us!
Thank you again for an incredible start to the school year. Enjoy a safe, relaxing, and joy-filled winter break. We can’t wait to see our scholars refreshed and ready to shine in the new year!
Warm regards,
The Fifth Grade Team
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.
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
• School Mascot: "Roary" the Tiger• School Website: http://www.cmitsouthes.org
For more information