The Tiger Times

CMIT South Elementary March Themes

Character Theme: Courage

STEM Theme: Music

Roary’s Spotlight recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, effort, or character. Teachers nominate students who exemplify academic excellence, athletic achievement, a strong growth mindset, or exceptional kindness. This spotlight celebrates those who go above and beyond and make our school community shine.

Please take note of these important calendar reminders:

• March 16 - 3rd Qtr progress report release online

• March 20 - Eid al-Fitr (starts sunset 3/19)

• March 20 - Inclement Weather Make-Up Day

• March 20 - K-2 Dance: Cuties and Cowboys Dance 6PM
  

• March 25 - Black Authors in Excellence 4PM - 7:30PM

• March 25 - PTO General Body Meeting 6PM

• March 26 - Drama Club Production

• March 27 -Grading & Reporting Day Q3 for Teachers –FULL DAY for Students

• March 30 - April 6 - Spring Break

• April 16 - End of 3rd Qtr

• April 25 - Math Tournament

• April 30 - 3rd qtr report released online

• May 7 - 3rd qtr report released printed (Hard-copy)

• May 8 - 14- 3rd Qtr Parent Grade Appeal Window

2025-2026 School Calendar

School Menu Viewer

Please sign up to participate HERE.

Hello everyone!

Although we are having a great time in our after-school clubs, the club season is coming to an end. The last day of clubs will be Thursday, March 26, 2026.

Thank you all for your participation and support in making our clubs fun and successful for the students! We truly appreciate it. 🎉

We are going digital!!! Don't forget to complete your Emergency Contact and Pick List, Student Publicity Release Form, Parent Compact form, and apply for Free and Reduced Lunches for each of your scholars.

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.

Please read the important information regarding volunteering for school activities/events, and chaperoning field trips.

Should you have any questions, please email Ms. Reese at lreese@cmitsouthes.org .

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.

• Online Payment Service

• 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.

School Menu Viewer

Good morning/afternoon/evening,

Please take a moment to check your child’s MySchoolBucks account and add funds if there is an outstanding balance. When no money is available on the account and your child receives lunch, the cost is temporarily covered by the Principal’s Lunch Account. No student will ever be turned away from lunch, even if they bring a bagged or boxed lunch from home.

You can easily monitor your child’s purchases and set up automatic payments within the MySchoolBucks app to ensure the balance never falls below your preferred amount. Please remember that all payments must be made through the app—no cash should be sent to the school for this purpose. To set up an account, download the MySchoolBucks app using your child's student ID. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your prompt attention and continued support.

In partnership with Prince George's County Public Schools, Prince George's County Health Department and Hazel Health, your student can get physical and mental telehealth services at school or at home, at no cost to your family.

Click here for more information!

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.

Students in Saturday Academy are showing remarkable dedication and determination as they spend their weekends learning, practicing, and growing. Through focused lessons, collaboration, and perseverance, they are strengthening their skills and building confidence beyond the regular school week. Their hard work and commitment reflect a strong desire to succeed and make the most of every learning opportunity.

Please see the following link for weekly academic updates!

Academic Updates

As we welcome the month of March, we are focusing on our schoolwide character theme: courage. Courage isn’t about not feeling afraid — it’s about doing the right thing, trying something new, or speaking up even when it feels a little scary.

At school, we are encouraging students to show courage by:

• Trying challenging work without giving up.

• Asking for help when they need it.

• Standing up for themselves and others in a kind and respectful way.

• Learning from mistakes and trying again.

You can support this theme at home by:

• Talking about a time when you had to be brave.

• Praising effort when your child tries something new.

• Encouraging positive self-talk like, “I can try,” or “I won’t give up.”

• Reading books together that highlight characters who show courage.

When we work together to build courageous hearts and minds, our students grow not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well. Thank you for partnering with us to help our children shine!

Educationally,

Ms. Chandler

As we move through the month of March, our school is focusing on the theme of courage. Courage doesn’t always mean doing something big or bold—it can also mean trying a challenging book, sounding out a tricky word, or continuing to practice even when reading feels difficult. Every day, our students show courage as they grow as readers.

Families can help build reading courage at home by encouraging children to try new books, celebrating their effort, and reminding them that mistakes are part of learning. Reading together, asking questions about the story, and praising persistence can make a big difference in building both confidence and skills.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s reading journey. Please continue to encourage daily reading at home and be sure to check our newsletter below for important updates and reminders!

Warmly,

Mrs. A. Matthews

On Our Journey to Becoming a Green School!

We are excited to share that our school is officially in the process of applying to become a Green School! This important step reflects our commitment to sustainability, environmental responsibility, and empowering students to become informed environmental leaders.

As part of this journey, we will be highlighting influential African Americans in STEM who have advanced environmental literacy and environmental justice. Throughout the coming weeks, students will have the opportunity to share brief spotlights during morning announcements, recognizing scientists, engineers, and advocates whose work has helped protect our planet and strengthen our communities. These student-led highlights will celebrate contributions that inspire innovation, equity, and climate action.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our educators and students who have already participated in meaningful sustainability activities and completed outstanding projects. From reducing our carbon footprint to increasing environmental literacy across grade levels, your dedication and teamwork are making a real difference.

Together, we are building a culture of environmental awareness, responsibility, and action. Every recycling effort, energy-saving habit, research project, and classroom discussion moves us one step closer to our Green School goal.

Let’s continue working together to create a healthier, more sustainable future for our school and our community!

Grade Level Blurb:

Dear First Grade Families,

Welcome to another wonderful week of learning in first grade! We are excited to continue growing together as readers, writers, mathematicians, and problem-solvers. Our students are working hard each day, showing curiosity, kindness, and perseverance as they learn new skills and build confidence in the classroom.

Thank you for your continued support at home—it truly makes a difference in your child’s success. We encourage families to keep reading together, practicing important skills, and talking about what your child is learning at school.

Please be sure to read below for important updates, upcoming events, and reminders for the week. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to another great week of learning!

Updates:

1. Payment for our in-school Science Guys field trip has now CLOSED. No additional payments will be accepted.

Reminders:

1. Spelling homework is DUE Thursday, March 19th.

2. Students should be working on Topic 13 math homework.

3. Students should bring their yellow take home folder to school and home every day. Parents, please sign their behavior calendar in acknowledgment of daily behavior. Please also remove all papers on the "Keep at Home" side.

4. Check ParentVue regularly and review all graded work.

5. The weather has changed DRASTICALLY. Please ensure your scholar comes to school dressed in accordance with the weather. We go outside as long as the temps are about 32 degrees.

Reading Updates:

Students will explore elements of persuasive text by evaluating Thumbs Up for Art and Music.

Phonics:

We will learn more about the consonant sounds -ng and -nk.

Math Updates:

This week, we will continue working through Topic 13 on time and money!

First grade families can easily support learning about time and money during everyday routines! When talking about time, practice identifying the hour and half-hour on analog clocks around your home and discuss daily schedules (ex: “What time do we eat dinner?” or “What time is bedtime?”).

For money, let your child help count coins, sort them by type, and talk about their value. When shopping, encourage them to look at prices and think about how many coins or dollars they would need.

Real-life practice makes these skills meaningful and fun. Thank you for reinforcing classroom learning at home!

Science Updates:

In science, we will begin topic 1 on light and sound!

Social Studies Updates:

We are wrapping up Chapter 3- Symbols and Traditions of the United States. In this topic, students have learned about American symbols, documents, songs, and heroes.

Health Updates:

We are moving into our new unit on emotions. Students will learn more about what it means to be happy, sad, and everything in between.

Grade Level Blurb:

Greetings Team 4Ward,

We hope this message finds you well. As the weather warms and we get closer to Spring Break it's imperative that we continue to remind our scholars of expectations around behavior and work completion as we move into the second half of the 3rd quarter. Progress Report grades have been updated and are available for your review. Please continue to monitor Synergy to stay informed regarding your scholar’s grades.

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. Our Student Government Association has launched activities this week. Student leaders are already planning ways to support classmates and school spirit. We’re excited to see their ideas come to life and welcome family support at upcoming events.

💻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.

Warmly,

Team 4Ward

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Friday March 20, 2026 Snow Makeup Day School will be open

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 will continue in Unit 2 by reading the text “Animal Mimics.” In this text students have explored ways that living things mimic other living things to survive. In this text we have analyzed the text structure the author uses to organize the text. Identifying text structure helps students to organize the information that is presented. The structure of this text is cause and effect. Students found examples using signal words within the text. This week’s word study focuses on the vowel diphthongs, these are two letters that when combined make the “oi” or the “ow” sound when given in a word.

Next Week:

We will finish reading the text “Animal Mimics.” In this text students will explore ways that living things mimic other living things to survive. We will complete an informational writing activity that focuses on how adaptations help animals survive. We will also have our word study assessment on vowel diphthongs.

We will also begin reading our next story “Minn of the Mississippi.” In this realistic fiction we will explore how a snapping turtle named “Minn” adaptations allow it to survive living near the Mississippi River. We will read to identify the story plot which allows us to summarize the story. The word study for this story are irregular plurals.

Math Updates:

In math, scholars are continuing to strengthen their number sense and problem-solving skills while working with division and multi-step problem solving.

Students have been learning to divide multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers using a variety of strategies, including:

• Area models

• Partial quotients

• Traditional long division

• Using multiplication to check division

A major focus has been helping scholars explain their thinking and justify their solutions using math vocabulary and written responses in their math journals.

Students are also practicing how to:

• Break apart multi-step word problems

• Identify important information in a problem

• Choose the correct operation

• Explain their mathematical reasoning

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.

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, we complete the last lesson in Chapter 3 which focuses on our rights and responsibilities as citizens. Students discovered how citizens participate in government and how this participation supports the community. We discussed the differences between rights and responsibilities and how we exercise them in our communities.

Next week, students will begin working on their quest by identifying an issue in their community. Once the issue is identified, they will be ready to write their letter. Students should remember to clearly identify the issue, explain why it is important, and describe how their local government can help address the problem.

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/

🐾 March 1, 2026

🐾 February 22, 2026

🐾 February 15, 2026

🐾 February 8, 2026

🐾 February 1, 2026

🐾 January 25, 2026

🐾 January 18, 2026

🐾 January 11, 2026

🐾 January 4, 2026

🐾 December 21, 2025

🐾 December 14, 2025

🐾 December 7, 2025

🐾 November 23, 2025

🐾 November 16, 2025

🐾 November 9, 2025

🐾 November 2, 2025

🐾 October 26, 2025

🐾 October 19, 2025

🐾 October 12, 2025

🐾 October 5, 2025

🐾 September 28, 2025

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🐾 September 14, 2025

🐾 September 7, 2025

🐾 August 31, 2025