CMIT South Elementary School
Dear CMIT South Elementary Tiger Parents and Guardians,
Your ongoing support and engagement are invaluable to our school community. As we reflect on the accomplishments of the past week, we eagerly anticipate the opportunities and growth that the coming week will bring.
NWEA MAP Growth Testing
Last week, we experienced some glitches with our internet system that affected our NWEA MAP Growth Reading and Math testing. While some classes were able to complete their tests, others were unable to do so. We will continue testing this week to ensure we gather baseline data for all students. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these technical challenges. The data we collect from these tests is crucial for tailoring our instruction to meet the needs of all our students, so it's important that we complete this process. If your child's class was unable to complete the test last week, their teacher will communicate the new testing schedule.
Parent University STEM Fair
Our Science Department is excited to present a Parent University STEM Fair on Monday, September 23, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. This event will provide an overview of STEM Fair dates, processes, and how to get started. You can attend either in-person or virtually. Keep an eye out for more Parent University events in the future!
New Bleachers
We're happy to announce that the long-awaited bleachers have been ordered. These will be used for our school performances and events.
Read-A-Thon Fundraiser
We have an upcoming fundraiser, the Read-A-Thon, scheduled for October 4 - 21, 2024. Our goal is to raise $20,000 to purchase book vending machines and digital audio-visual equipment for our school performances. Detailed information about the fundraiser will be distributed on October 4, 2024.
Upcoming Important Date
Please mark your calendars for the following important date:
- Friday, September 27, 2024: Teacher Planning Half-Day
- Students will be dismissed early at 11:25 a.m.
- Afterschool Enrichment programs will still take place:
- Stars program dismisses at 1:00 p.m.
- Scholars program dismisses at 3:00 p.m.
Please ensure you have arrangements in place for early pick-up or for your child to attend their regular afterschool Enrichment program if applicable.
As always, remember that the STEM Journey Begins Here at CMIT South Elementary! We're looking forward to a year filled with exciting learning opportunities, personal growth, and impressive achievements for all our scholars. Your support and partnership in this journey are invaluable.
Let's make this year a roaring success! 🦁📚
Wishing you all a 🐾 PawwRific 🐾 day and see you all Monday, September 23, 2024!
Please take a look at these September calendar reminders:
- 9/15 -10/15 - National Hispanic Heritage Month
- 9/18-9/19 - NWEA MAP Growth Testing for Reading and Math (Grades 1st-5th)
- 9/23 - Parent University - STEM Fair 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. (in-person and Virtual)
- 9/23 - DIBELS Testing Begins for K-3rd Grade
- 9/24 - MAP Growth Testing for Science (Grades 2nd-5th)
- 9/27 - Teacher Planning Half-Day – 3-Hr. Early Dismissal for Students (11:25 a.m.)
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.
As we get into testing season, here are some excellent resources to help you understand the data coming home and also how to best support your scholar with the resources we have available!
KVS is our school's dismissal tool for car riders. All parents MUST fill out their KVS number when picking up their scholar. It is imperative that numbers are entered once you reach the car line. If your scholar is a car rider, please take time to help him or her practice memorizing his or her number as this will make the dismissal process much quicker!
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.
Attendance in school each day is important. Let’s stay in school.
In order for an absence to be considered excused, a written note must accompany the student no later than three (3) days after return to school. The note should include:
- date(s) of absence
- scholar’s name
- Reason for absence
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.
School Meals
2024-25 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.
This week, I visited the 3rd grade classrooms and gave a brief overview of the school counselor's role. I reminded the students about the ways in which the school counselor can assist them throughout the year.
We then moved on to the lesson, which focused on bullying. The students learned the difference between being passive, assertive, and aggressive when confronting a bully. I will meet with our 4th grade scholars this upcoming week.
Congratulations To our new safety patrols!
Morning Arrival Patrols
-Ahnalia St. Louis
-Tamara Crooks
-Kodi Sampson
Afternoon Dismissal
-Tyson Cooper
-Jonas Bridgeman
-Christian Murphy
-Saniah Day
-Nylah Jones
-Uriah Pugh
-Madison Nelson
-Carson Miller
Welcome to the team!
Grade Level Blurb
Reminders:
Hispanic History Month Project is due Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Next week the testing window for Dibels opens, not all classes will be tested on the same day. Check with your scholar’s teacher for the date of testing for their class.
This week we would like to highlight some at-home math activities!
Bake together- Let your child become familiar with the purpose of measuring, the various measurements and an understanding of quantity. A
Count everything- Count the number of steps to the car, the number of toys in a box, or the number of candies in a jar.
Create a family math night- Designate a night as Family Night. Play board games and other games that use number cubes (dice), card games, dominoes, or puzzles
Reading
UNIT 1 WEEK 3- Going Places
Essential Question- What makes us want to visit a special place?
Phonological awareness: Middle Sounds; Recognize Alliteration; Blend and Segment, Onset and Rime
Phonics: Consonants Pp and Cc
High-Frequency Words: he, is, have
Spelling words found in weekly readings: library, movie, librarian, computers
Unit Vocabulary: map, move, land, special
Learning Goals:
Use text evidence to identify the main idea in informational text.
Develop understanding of types of books
Math
TOPIC 2 LESSON 1- Compare numbers 0 to 5
Essential Understanding: Good math thinkers use math they know to show and solve problems
Compare groups to see whether they are equal by matching
Tell whether one group is less or greater than the other by matching
Use objects, drawings, and numbers to compare numbers
Vocabulary: compare, equal, group. Model, same number as, greater than, less than
Science
TOPIC 1 LESSON 3- Change movement with pushes and pulls
Essential Question: What does motion mean?
Investigate how objects move
Tell ways that a push and pull can move an object
Use directional words to describe a movement
Vocabulary: motion
Social Studies
CHAPTER 1 LESSON 3- Rules and Laws (continued)
Essential Question- How do people best cooperate?
Recognize why we need rules and laws
Know the consequences of breaking the rules
Identify community laws
Compare past/present rules and laws
Vocabulary: community, rule, law
Health
SEPTEMBER TOPIC: Safety at play (continued)
Tell how to avoid certain unintentional injuries at play
Explain how to show respect for the safety of oneself and others when playing
Demonstrate safety routines and how you would respond to danger
Predict what happens when one plays in safe and unsafe ways
Vocabulary: stay, safe, helpers, danger, emergency
Grade Level Blurb:
We are almost halfway through quarter one! As we get close to the HALFWAY mark, please see the following updates and reminders!
Updates:
1. We are officially in testing season. iReady testing is complete with the exception of some make-up tests. We are wrapping up MAP testing and beginning DIBELS testing this week. Please see the following dates for when your scholar will take his/her DIBELS assessment:
9/23- Ms. Barboza
9/24- Ms. Torrence & Mrs. Valera
9/26- Mrs. Brown-Taylor
2. Parent conference sign-ups are LIVE on Class Dojo. Please sign up for one 15 minute slot and arrive ((on Zoom)) on time!
Reminders:
1. Grades are being entered into Synergy! Please be sure to check regularly for up-to-date grades. To access your parent portal account, please click here! For assistance with logging in, please find additional support and information here!
2. Math homework continues. Students should complete ONLY the page associated with the lesson taught in class that day. The associated lesson can be found on your class' digital agenda:
Ms. Brown-Taylor's Digital Agenda
3. Please check green folders nightly and sign behavior calendars to acknowledge daily behavior. Please also be sure to empty and review all papers on the "Keep at Home" side.
4. Please send a healthful, DRY snack for your scholar to enjoy at the end of the day.
5. As we head into cold and flu season, please be sure to listen to your scholar when they say they do not feel well. Students should be symptom and fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before returning to school. We are doing our best to keep our classroom safe and healthy, but we need your help! Please refer to the PGCPS sick policy for additional information:
https://www.pgcps.org/globalassets/offices/school-health/docs---school-health/When-to-Stay-Home-From-School-or-Work.pdf
Reading:
Unit 1 Week 2
This week in reading, we will focus on the question, "How can neighbors help each other?" Students will practice asking and answering questions and will evaluate the setting of a realistic fiction text as they read the story, Henry on Wheels. In this story, Henry rides his bike around the neighborhood and sees many things!
Phonics:
Letters/Sounds:
Ii, Cc, Nn, Pp
Heart Words
do, like, one, the, we
**Spelling tests will be given on Friday, September 27th. Homework will also be checked on this date. Students should complete 4 homework assignments this week for a total of 4 by Friday.
Math:
Continued...
Topic 1
Students are wrapping up topic 1! Homework will be collected and assessments given, tentatively, Monday, September 30th. Please stay tuned to Class Dojo and your class' agenda in case dates need to be adjusted.
Science:
Continued...
Topic 1
Students will describe sound, make sound, and explain the uses of sound.
Social Studies:
Continued...
Topic 1
Students will focus on what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens.
Health:
Continued...
Students have begun learning about safety this month. They are focusing on following rules and directions, how to identify safe and unsafe situations, and about different hazards (fighting, poisons, matches, and fire safety).
Grade Level Blurb
This was another amazing week. Thank you for sending your scholars to school ready to learn. This is Hispanic Heritage month please check in with your scholars classroom teacher to find out their country. Let's make sure the SECOND GRADE wins it all. Scholars will continue to take their MAP Growth Assessments. Stem Fair Packets are being sent home.
Reading:
Students will be reading Informational Text this week. Students will use text evidence and text features to support answers. Phonics this week will be centered around rhyming words.
Math:
Scholars are reviewing Topic 1 and preparing to test. Topic 2 will cover equal groups. Students will learn about arrays.
Science:
Science will cover how each property of matter is used.
Social Studies:
This week in My World students will focus on the history of a family. Also, they will learn about different cultures.
Health:
Scholars are learning a variety of ways to be safe.
Grade Level Blurb:
This week has largely been dedicated to testing! Ms. Hendy and Ms. Howard’s classes completed i-Ready testing, and all classes took the MAP-R test on Friday. Testing will continue next week with MAP-M, MAP-S, and testing makeup days. Please note that we will have a 3-hr. early dismissal next Friday!
Reading:
Students continued outlining their personal narratives for writing! Additionally, we reviewed content from the previous week and have continued reading Why the Sky is Far Away.
Math:
Students have been introduced to repeated subtraction as the foundation for division. All classes have also reviewed multiplication concepts such as repeated addition and arrays!
Science:
All classes have been introduced to the Scientific Method, the concept of gravity (in alignment with Unit 1: Forces and Motion), and STEM project packets have been sent home to three out of four homerooms - if you are in Ms. Madison’s homeroom, please check Class Dojo for more information!
Social Studies:
All classes have continued lessons from Chapter 1, Lesson 1: Land and Water! Specifically, we have continued discussions on landforms and bodies of water. Students have been introduced to the five (5) major geographical regions of the United States (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West), as well as the landforms and bodies of water that can be found in each of them!
Grade Level Blurb:
Greetings Tiger Family,
I hope everyone was able to stay dry during this rainy week. We have had a busy week here in 4th grade. This week we had technical difficulties which delayed our MAP Testing. We were able to get two days of testing and completed and will resume testing in the upcoming week. As we finish up testing we will share students’ data with families when all students have finished. Also we have reached the halfway point of the 1st quarter and progress report grades will be updated this week. Please ensure that you are checking Syngery weekly to stay up to date with your scholar’s progress.
This month we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Each class has been assigned a Spanish speaking country to learn about and participate in the door decorating contest. Students will also learn about people of Hispanic origin that made a difference in the lives of others here in America and around the world.
Countries:
Crusoe- Cuba
Felton- Costa Rica
Holloway- Uruguay
Ramsey- Panama
Parent Teacher Conferences:
On Monday October 7, 2024 we will have parent teacher conferences. You will be able to meet with both of your scholar’s teachers. All conferences will be virtually using Zoom. Teachers will share their process for signing up for conferences within the next few weeks. We will prioritize students with the most need for conferences (failing grades, performing grade levels behind on diagnostics, and behavior). But teachers will make themselves available for conferences throughout the year.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday September 23, 2024 MAP Make-Up Testing
Tuesday September 24, 2024- MAP Science
Wednesday September 25, 2024- PTO Meeting
Friday September 27, 2024- 3 Hour Early Dismissal for Students
Monday October 7,2024- Parent Teacher Conferences
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.
Fourth Grade Reminders:
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 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.
If your scholar is absent, please share a note with the homeroom teacher within 3 days of your scholar returning back to school. 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.
Reading Updates:
Students have been given a copy of both Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 of their reading textbooks to be kept at home. They also received a pack of trade books that are to remain at home as well. Students should revisit the text of the week and can Please check your scholars backpack to ensure that they are not carrying these books back and forth to school.
This Week: This week we began reading a biography called “Rare Treasures.” This is the story of Mary Anning, an English scientist who was known for discovering fossils. As students are reading closely they will monitor their inner conversations by thinking deeply about the text. We also worked on the skill of the main idea and making connections to information given visually. Students also worked to build their vocabulary by working with synonyms and antonyms of words.
Next Week: We will continue to read closely the text “Reaching for the Moon.” By reading closely students are able to notice something different from the previous read. We will continue to work on the skill of determining the main idea and supporting it with details given in the text. Students will also generate questions about the text that supports the main idea.
Math Updates:
This week we are wrapping up Topic 1. We will complete our final lessons and have a math assessment following the topic close. Please check your Scholar’s agenda book for their classes specific date.
Please check Synergy and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments.
Science Updates:
This week we began exploring Topic 1 Energy and Motion. In this topic we will learn about energy, how it is related to motion, its different forms of energy, how it is transferred as well as examples of kinetic and potential energy as well as how they are used in everyday life.
Social Studies Updates:
This week: Students learned about their Hispanic Heritage Countries and explored their unique cultures, histories, and contributions to the world.
Next week: Students will explore the United States by diving into its five distinct regions: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. Each region has its own unique geography, climate, culture, and history.
Health Updates:
In health we are learning about our Incredible Ears! How does the ear work? How do our ears and brain make connections to each other?
Let’s keep up the great work! Our students are making wonderful progress, and we are excited for the learning ahead in the coming weeks.
Reading:
This week, students explored historical fiction, focusing on how authors blend historical facts with creative storytelling. In addition, we worked on improving sentence structure, emphasizing how well-constructed sentences enhance the narrative flow in this genre.
Math:
We are wrapping up our place value assessment, focusing on digit values, rounding, and number comparison. To reinforce these concepts, students will pick a project that applies place value in a creative way, such as creating real-world problems or interactive activities. This will help solidify their understanding before we move on to the next topic.
Science: This week, students reviewed matter and its properties through hands-on experiments. We revisited the states of matter and how scientists model changes in states.
Social Studies: In social studies, we continued our unit on Native Americans, exploring how geography influenced their cultures and traditions. Next, we’ll look at how European colonization affected these communities.
Upcoming: MAP Testing
We will be taking the MAP test in reading and math this week. Please ensure students get a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast to help them do their best.
P.E.
Hello Families,
This week in PE we continued our unit on locomotor skills. We learned how to combine 2 skills together to make new movements.
Music:
Announcements:
Julliard Opportunities
Additional Opportunities for Students Ages 8-18
Have students who aren’t yet ready to apply for college? Juilliard offers year-round opportunities for students as young as 8 years old. Follow the links below to explore program and application information as well as financial aid opportunities available for many of our programs, including the tuition-free Music Advancement Program.
Pre-College and the Music Advancement Program (MAP), two Saturday music programs in our Preparatory Division designed for ages 8-18 and held at our Lincoln Center campus in New York City. Learn more at juilliard.edu/prep.
A variety of summer programs including Juilliard Summer, a series of intensives at Juilliard’s campus designed for high school musicians interested in pursuing advanced music study at the college level. Learn about recent summer programs at juilliard.edu/summer and check back this fall for summer 2025 details.
Year-round virtual and in-person Music Theory and Ear Training courses with the potential for high school students to earn college credit. Learn More: juilliard.edu/extension/highschool.
Prince George’s County Honors Chorus
Auditions will take place in class September 23 - 26th! Students will need to sing the traditional rendition of Happy Birthday.
What we’re working on:
Kindergarten - Review Steady Beat, Learn Fast & Slow
1st Grade - Continue Reading, Writing & Creating Simple Rhythms
2nd Grade - Review Reading, Writing & Creating Simple Rhythms, Learn Meter Signature
3rd Grade - Review standard notation, magic dot. Create rhythms in 6/8.
4th Grade - Review Triplets, Learn 16th Notes
5th Grade - Review Triplets & 16th Notes, Learn Dotted Quarter Eighth Pattern, and Ties
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: Hunter Green, Navy Blue
• School Mascot: "Roary" the Tiger
• School Website: http://www.cmitsouthes.org
For more information