The Tiger Times

Dear Amazing Tiger Families and Community,

What an absolutely incredible start to our school year! Your dedication, enthusiasm, and partnership have already made this year extraordinary. I am continually amazed by the resilience and joy our students bring to school each day, and equally impressed by the unwavering support you provide as parents and guardians. Together, we are creating something truly special at CMIT South Elementary.

As we continue building our respectful and inclusive Tiger community, I'm reminded of the powerful words of Maya Angelou: "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." This quote perfectly captures what I witness daily in our hallways—students, families, and staff members choosing kindness, showing respect for one another, and lifting each other up. When we approach each interaction with respect and compassion, we create an environment where every Tiger can soar to new heights.

🎉 Celebrating Our STEMTastic Journey

We've successfully completed Level 4 of our 180-level journey this year, and the energy is absolutely infectious! Our Tigers came ready to ROAR, and it's been remarkable watching students dive immediately into hands-on learning and collaborative problem-solving that defines our "Leveling Up the STEMTastic Way" approach.

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated parents, community volunteers, and outstanding staff who made our first week truly exceptional. Special recognition goes to the fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and PTO volunteers who provided invaluable support during arrival procedures—your presence made every student feel welcomed and secure. Thank you to all the families who were able to attend the Back to School Bash hosted by our PAWW-Nomenal PTO. What a STEMTasTic start to the year, Tigers! 🚀

🚗 Essential Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

To maintain our incredible momentum while prioritizing safety and maximizing learning time, please review these critical procedures:

Morning Arrival:

• Student unloading begins: 7:25 AM

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

• Gates close: 8:00 AM sharp

• Tardiness recorded: After 8:05 AM

Afternoon Dismissal:

• Dismissal begins: 2:25 PM

• REQUIRED: Complete KVS dismissal form: https://forms.gle/pYWDkRwyQJ5Xqmc26

• Contact your child's teacher if you need your KVS number

• Parents must remain in vehicles during pickup

Critical Safety Reminders:

• Dismissal changes must be communicated to office AND teacher before 1:00 PM

• NO early dismissals after 1:30 PM

• Students cannot be released in back parking lot—please follow established procedures

• Please try to schedule appointments outside school hours when possible

Complete arrival/dismissal details: View Full Guidelines

📋 Action Required: Essential Digital Forms

Please complete immediately for each student:

• ✅ Emergency Contact and Pick-Up List

• ✅ Student Publicity Release Form

• ✅ Parent Compact Form

• ✅ Free and Reduced Lunch Application

📱 Student Device Configuration Update

Our IT team is working diligently to configure all student devices for optimal integration with our educational platforms:

Device Setup Schedule:

• 5th Grade: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 ✅

• 4th Grade: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 ✅

• 3rd Grade: Thursday, August 28, 2025 ✅

• 2nd Grade: Friday, August 29, 2025 (in progress)

• 1st Grade: Tuesday, September 2, 2025

• Kindergarten: Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Important: All student devices must operate on Chrome OS systems for full compatibility. Please review our BYOD Guidelines for approved device specifications.

📝 New Student Absence Notification System

We've launched a streamlined absence notification system! Use our PGCPS/CMIT Student Absence Form to notify both teachers and office staff of your child's absence. This system allows convenient upload of doctor's notes when required.

Please complete a separate form for each student and for non-consecutive absences. Review the complete PGCPS attendance policy for additional information.

👔 Temporary Uniform Policy Adjustment

Due to distribution delays from All American Wear, we're implementing temporary uniform modifications:

Permitted Attire (until further notice):

• Bottoms: Navy blue or khaki pants, slacks, skirts, or skorts

• Tops: Solid white, blue, or green shirts

• P.E.: White or gray plain t-shirts with navy or black bottoms

• Shoes: 80% black

📅 Upcoming Events

Back-to-School Night

• Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2025

• Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

• Location: Student classrooms

• This event offers a valuable opportunity for you to connect with your child's teacher and gain insights into the curriculum for the year. Upon arrival, you'll be directed to your child's classroom, with staff available to guide you if needed. Each teacher will give a 40-minute presentation about the exciting learning journey ahead for your child and ways you can actively participate in their education. If you have multiple children at our school, you'll have the opportunity to rotate to another classroom for a second presentation. For those with only one child attending, you're welcome to leave after the first presentation.

• Parking: Given the popularity of this event, we kindly ask for your patience and cooperation with parking. Please use available spaces first. Once full, cars should park in the 1st and 2nd lanes, keeping the 3rd lane clear for exiting vehicles. Please carpool when possible; overflow parking available at CMIT South MS/HS

First PTO Meeting

• Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025

• Time: 6:00 PM

• Location: School cafeteria

• Connect with our Tiger community at cmitsouthespto.org (Don’t forget to join)

🌟 Looking Forward Together

Thank you for choosing to partner with us in your Tigers' educational journey. Together, we're not just starting a school year—we're launching dreams, igniting unlimited potential, and building the foundation for lifelong learning. Every day brings new opportunities for your child to develop critical thinking skills, creative problem-solving abilities, and the confidence to tackle any challenge with respect and determination.

Remember: We are Leveling Up the STEMTastic Way! Let's make this year extraordinary, transformational, and filled with achievements that exceed every expectation while always treating one another with the respect and kindness that makes our Tiger community truly special.

With Tiger Pride and Endless Gratitude,

Tauheedah N. Simmons-Lewis

Your PAWW-RIFIC PRINCIPAL

CMIT SOUTH ELEMENTARY

Kindergarten Meets the School Counselor

This week, our kindergarten students were introduced to the role of the school counselor through the story The Color Monster. Just like the Color Monster learns to recognize and sort his feelings, students discovered that the counselor is someone who helps them do the same at school. To make the lesson personal, each child created their own Color Monster to show the feelings they experience. This fun and creative activity helped our youngest learners see that all emotions are important—and that the counselor is here to listen, support, and guide them.

Grade Level Updates:

Welcome to the CMIT Family! We are so happy to have met you all at our orientation and we have enjoyed working with your scholars during our first week of school. We have a few friendly reminders to help make the transition to Kindergarten much easier for your family and the teachers.

• Please make sure you have sent in an extra pair of clothing (bottoms, shirt, socks, and underwear

• When your child has been absent please communicate to the teacher and complete the online document submission form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lp2fJsfDLjWNINllvX10OKjiGDn443yAB8Hq8BMBa-E/viewform

• Send in a refillable water bottle to school daily

• Label all lunchboxes, water bottles, jackets, and CMIT sweaters/fleeces. This is a MUST in order to properly find lost items.

• Communication is key! Thank you for messaging with important questions and updates.

• We will continue practicing routines and procedures for the next few weeks as students are becoming more acclimated with the classroom environment.

Reading Updates:

UNIT 1 WEEK 1- Going Places

• Reading Diagnostic and Baseline Assessment

Essential Question- What makes a place special?

WEEK 1- How does imagination make a place seem different?

• Phonological awareness: Initial and Final

• Sounds; Recognize Alliteration

• Phonics: Consonants Mm and Tt

• High-Frequency Words: I , am , the

• Spelling words found in weekly readings: cube, circle, triangle square

• Unit Vocabulary: map, move, land, special

Learning Goals:

• Talk with others about what makes a

• place special.

• Read realistic fiction and understand its

• elements

• Demonstrate phonological awareness.

• Listen actively and ask questions to understand information.

• Use text evidence to discuss characters in literary text.

Math Updates:

• Math Diagnostic and Baseline Assessment

TOPIC 12: Identify and Describe Shapes

Essential Understanding: How can two- and three- dimensional shapes be identified and described?

• Recognize that shapes can be found in two different types flat or solid

• Describe shapes based on attributes

• Express the locations of objects/ shapes using relative location phrases.

• Practice using academic math vocabulary to compare 3-dimensional shapes and real life objects

Vocabulary: two-dimensional shapes (flat), 3-dimensional shapes (solid), sort, circle, triangle, side, vertex/vertices (corner), rectangle, square, hexagon, cube, cylinder, cone, sphere, in front of, behind, next to, above, below, beside

Science Updates:

TOPIC 3: Needs of Living Things

Experience 1 Question: What do plants need?

• Discover the needs of plants

• Learn plants survive and grow when needs are met

• Observe what happens to plants in different environments

Vocabulary: need, survive, grow, space, describe

Social Studies Updates:

CHAPTER 1 LESSON 1- Where we learn

• Identify ways children act at school

• Recognize why people share and make good choices

• Analyze what it means to take turns

Vocabulary: school, learn, choices

Health Updates:

SEPTEMBER TOPIC: How to Stay Safe

• Understanding safety rules at home and school

• Acknowledging safety helpers at home, school, and community

Vocabulary: stay, safe, helpers, danger, emergency

Grade Level Updates:

• Each second grade scholar received a purple communication folder which will serve as the safe transport of any paperwork/important documents to be shared between school and home. Each folder is labeled with the scholar’s name. Inside there will be a designated space for documents that should “Stay at Home” or “Return to School”. We expect these folders to be used throughout the duration of the second grade school year so we encourage having a conversation with your scholar about the importance of keeping up with the folder.

• We have many field trips planned. If you would like to chaperone any of the field trips, or volunteer with us this school year, please complete the necessary steps as outlined by Ms Reese in Class Dojo.

• We will begin our Student of the Week next week

Reading Updates:

• We have completed our baseline assessment for Reading and we will begin instruction starting next week.

• Please look for a weekly spelling packet to come home with spelling words. We will have regular spelling tests with the words presented in the spelling packet.

• Each day we will have routine phonics instruction followed by reading instruction beginning with an introduction to the genre Realistic Fiction. As we learn more about Realistic Fiction, please engage with conversation about the elements of Realistic Fiction (a story that is made up but could actually happen).

• We are focusing this year on writing, please encourage writing while your scholar is home as we encourage writing in school.

Math Updates:

• We have completed our baseline assessment for Math and we will begin instruction starting next week.

• Please look for math packets to come home with additional practice pages to follow along the lessons taught in school. The additional practice pages provide insight on how the skill is being taught in the classroom to help guide practice at home.

Science Updates:

• We have completed our baseline assessment for Science and we will begin instruction starting next week. In the upcoming weeks we will begin our topic: Modeling Earth’s Surface. Take this time to identify different landforms you may see outside including hills, plains and different bodies of water like ponds and lakes.

Social Studies Updates:

• We have completed our baseline assessment for Social Studies and we will begin instruction starting next week. In the upcoming weeks we will begin our first chapter: Families Today and in the Past. Take this time to talk to your scholar about their family: immediate and extended. Show pictures and discuss family members they may see today and those from the past.

Health Updates:

• We will begin our first monthly topic with The Great Body Shop in September. The topic is titled “Let’s Stay Safe” and will cover many ideas including: where to go for emergencies, how to stay safe inside and outside of the home, and what foods are good to eat. You can engage in conversations about these different topics with your scholar while at home this month.

Grade Level Updates:

Third Grade got off to a great start this week! It was nice meeting everyone at the "Sneak Peek." Now, let's take a peek into this week's classes:

Language Arts and Social Studies:

In Ms. Howard's Class:

This week, we focused on building a strong foundation for learning by practicing our classroom rules and procedures. Students also learned about Sentence SWAG (Starts with a capital, Written neatly, A space between words, and Given punctuation at the end). Ask your child to show you how they can write a “SWAG sentence!"

In Ms. Madison’s Class:

This week, we have been practicing routines and procedures! These routines include our morning work, writing prompts, transitioning from one place to another, independent work, and working in groups. We also learned about growth mindset and why it is important to have it in 3rd Grade! Please remember that our All About Me project is due next Friday!

Math And Science:

In Ms. Hendy's Class:

This week in math, we focused on building both our classroom community and our math habits. We started by learning our rules, procedures, and daily schedule, which will help us stay organized and make the most of our learning time. We also practiced how to behave responsibly in the classroom, as well as during recess and lunch, so that we show respect in every space we share. To practice kindness with one another, we played a “Find Someone Who” activity, which helped us get to know our classmates and see what we have in common.

In our math work, we began using math language to talk about numbers in new ways. We went on a “Number Adventure,” where students solved challenges and shared strategies, showing how math can be fun and creative. We also completed “All About Me” math pages, which let students share their interests, goals, and favorite numbers while practicing math vocabulary. To add a creative touch, we designed math-themed name tags that included fun number facts about ourselves, and we made an astronaut craft to remind us that math is an adventure that can launch us into new discoveries. It was a wonderful first week of learning and growing together!

In Mrs. Flores' Class:

We started our week by reviewing our class expectations and procedures. All of my homeroom students completed a robot-themed "All A-bot Me" for our bulletin board. The students then investigated 'teamwork.' That investigation concluded in a jigsaw puzzle activity within each seating group. Later in the week, we explored talking with a fun read aloud. This activity ended in the students and me making an anchor chart to serve as a reminder of what we learned.

In Math, we completed a couple of review activities. The Lego 3D graph (from Sneak Peek) was converted to a paper and pencil graph. Spider Bot was the clear winner.

In Science, we started discussing the Scientific Method. We then applied those steps to a simple science investigation on popcorn.

We completed introductory activities and delved a little into our content areas. Overall, it was a good first week!

To find out more details on our activities, be sure to visit our class website: flores3.weebly.com. I also have a few pictures to post :)

**Reminder: Back to School Night is September 10, 2025**

Happy Weekend Team 4Ward

We have made it through the first week of Fourth Grade and we are very excited for the growth that our scholars will make this year. Our scholars had a busy week not only learning new teachers but learning a new schedule. We appreciate all the support, kind words, and supplies that have been provided by our families so far this school year. We are working to “Level Up” our data this school year with a big focus being in writing across all subject areas.

We have a lot to get accomplished this school year and a set amount of days to do it in. This year we are looking forward to field trips, door decorating contests, class parties, and other events this school year. In order for this school year to be successful we need the support of our Tiger Parents throughout the year. Please speak with your scholar each night about what went well today and something that they can improve. Ensure that your scholar’s computer is charged and brought to school daily. Also please be sure to monitor your scholar's YouTube and cellphones. As our students grow older and gain more independence it is imperative that our expectations match the changing world.

Team Name: 4ward We are moving minds forward and leveling up the STEMTasTic Way!

Introducing the team:

Section 4.1- Ms. Crusoe’s Curators- “Collecting Knowledge, Shaping the Future”

Section 4.2- Ms. Felton’s Force- “Strength in Learning”

Section 4.3- Mrs. Weldon’s Wildflowers- “Bloom Where You’re Planted”

Section 4.4- Mrs. Pearson’s Pathfinders- “Blazing New Trails”

Educationally Yours,

4th Grade Team

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday September 10, 2025- i-Ready Testing Math

• Wednesday September 10, 2025- Back to School Night

• Thursday September 11, 2025- i-Ready Testing Reading

• Friday September 12, 2025- Early Dismissal for Students

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.

iXL:

iXL is a computer based math and reading program that is available for all of our scholars. This program helps students to practice various math and reading skills on their instructional level. Grade level letter is F but if students are struggling with a skill they are able to practice that same skill but on another letter level.

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 share a note with the homeroom teacher and attendance managers 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.

Communications:

Students must bring their agenda book each day. Teachers will note the agenda book and it should be signed nightly by the adult at home.

Please allow up to 48 business hours for all responses to emails and Classdojo messages. Teachers are not actively monitoring their emails during the day because we are engaged in instruction. Emails are not monitored over the weekend or in the evening hours when teachers have gone home. If the message sent relates to dismissal changes please call the school directly to leave a message with the front office.

Grading:

Please check Synergy weekly to see scholar’s updated grades. Canvas is a Learning Management System in which scholars utilize to complete assignments and get access to materials.The grades provided in Synergy are those that will be used to calculate progress reports and report cards.

Parent Teacher Conferences:

Conferences with teachers are available with families as needed. Please reach out to the homeroom teacher about scheduling a parent teacher conference.

Reading Updates:

At the conclusion of last year, students were given the textbook for this year to take home. Please allow your scholar to reread the text of the week at home to support their understanding and discover things that were missed in previous readings.

This Week:

This week students starting building a literacy community by learning the expectations and norms for the reading learning environments. Students worked on the skill of turn and talk and accountable talk to help build up their discussion abilities. In fourth grade there are plenty of opportunities for students to engage in discussions to grow their learning. Students concluded the week by completing their SAVVAS Baseline Reading Diagnostic.

Next Week:

Students will begin to have weekly homework assignments given on the first day of the week and due by Friday. We will also begin reading our first story in our anthology “Reaching for the Moon.” In this autobiography students will read about astronaut Buzz Aldrin and how the events of his life led him to becoming the first person on the moon. Students will monitor their inner conversations while noting the text and determine the author’s purpose for writing this text. Students will also begin working with suffixes, subjects and predicates, and begin their personal narratives.

Math Updates:

We had a great first week in 4th grade math! Scholars spent time getting familiar with our classroom math routines and expectations. We also took our first math fluency timed test, which gave us a quick snapshot of where everyone is starting with basic facts. In addition, students completed the SAVVAS baseline diagnostic, which will help guide our instruction moving forward.

Next week, we’re excited to begin diving into our curriculum and exploring new math concepts together!

Looking forward to a fantastic year of learning and growth!

Science Updates:

We kicked off our new science journey with some fun “getting to know you” science crafts and completed the Savvas 4th Grade Science Readiness Assessment to see where each student is starting from. Next week our 4th graders are kicking off an exciting new unit on Energy and Motion! They’ll explore how energy moves through objects and environments, whether it’s sound waves traveling across a room or heat warming different materials. Along the way, they’ll build vocabulary like transfer, sound, light, and heat, and strengthen skills in observation, reading, writing, and collaboration.

Social Studies Updates:

This week, students focused on learning and practicing classroom procedures. They also participated in team-building activities, which helped strengthen collaboration and community in our classroom. Together, these experiences gave students a clear understanding of expectations for 4th grade and how our routines will help us have a successful year.

Next week, students will begin learning about the five regions of the United States. We will explore the unique landforms in each region and discuss how geography shapes the way people live.

Grade Level Updates:

Dear Families,

The first week of fifth grade was a great success! Students jumped right into learning, built classroom routines, and started exploring exciting new topics across subjects. Here’s a snapshot of what we covered this week:

Reading Updates:

We began our first unit on “Journeys” and explored the essential question:

“How does a journey change people?”

Students will continue to reflect on this question as they read and make connections.

Social Studies Updates:

We introduced the topic of The First Americans, with a focus on how geography affects the way people live. Students began thinking about how land, climate, and resources shaped early life.

Math Updates:

Students were introduced to place value and learned new vocabulary words like digit, period, and place value. They also practiced comparing whole numbers using greater than ( > ) and less than ( < ) signs.

Science Updates:

Students completed the Science Readiness Test, which helps us see what they already know as we begin the year’s investigations.

Health Updates:

We started with an introduction to First Aid and discussed the importance of making good decisions for a healthy lifestyle.

✨ Thank you for your continued support at home. We are excited about all the learning adventures ahead this year!

Warmly,

The Fifth Grade Team

General CARTS Message:

Welcome back to another creative year! New this year is Mr. Dickens in Technology, Mr. Adu in Physical Education, Ms. Brown in LEGO, and Ms. Washington in Media/Library. Please remember to check your student's Canvas assignments and Synergy grades regularly!

Art:

We’ll be hitting the ground running this first week. Our first artwork will be a small self-portrait so they can see how much their art skills improve by the end of year when they make a big one. That means the art word of this week is proportion. Proportion is the size of objects in relation to each other. For example, the standard proportions of an adult man is 8 heads tall and an adult woman is 71/2 heads tall!

P.E.:

This week is all about introductions. Introductions to the teacher, each other, and the school! We are also going to be focusing heavily on reinforcement of classroom procedures to ensure a safe and sound classroom environment for everybody.

Technology:

Welcome to Technology Class!

Empowering Students to Learn, Create, and Connect

Dear Families,

I'm excited to welcome your child to this year’s K–5 Technology Class! In our digital world, technology is more than just screens and devices — it’s a powerful tool for learning, creating, problem-solving, and connecting with others in meaningful ways.

This year, our class will focus on digital citizenship, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. At the heart of everything we do is our class pledge, which guides how we use technology responsibly and respectfully:

Through engaging, age-appropriate lessons, students will explore:

• Digital safety and responsibility

• Basic coding and computational thinking

• Typing and digital communication skills

• Creative design using multimedia tools

• Research and information literacy

• Problem-solving through STEM challenges and projects

My goal is to help students build a strong foundation in both digital skills and character — preparing them to be safe, respectful, and empowered users of technology at school and beyond.

Thank you for supporting your child’s learning journey. I look forward to a fantastic year of discovery, innovation, and growth!

Music:

Welcome Back Tigers!

Welcome back to a brand-new school year! I am excited to begin this journey with each of you as we explore the wonderful world of music together. This year promises to be full of learning, creativity, and growth as we discover new skills, strengthen our talents, and share the joy that music brings.

Parents, thank you for your continued support and encouragement—it makes a world of difference. Students, come ready to learn, participate, and most importantly, have fun making music! Be sure to click on the link to see your child’s syllabus and remember each student needs a folder and a journal for music this year. Third grade will need recorders this year.

Let’s work together to make this a year filled with harmony, rhythm, and unforgettable experiences. I look forward to seeing you in class and making beautiful music together!

Musically yours,

Dr. Michelle Duncan

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

Auditions:

3rd - 5th Grade- Be on the look out for County Chorus Audition dates.

2025-2026 School Calendar

School Meals

School Violence Resources and Support

PGCPS TV

CMIT South ES Enrichment Program

Vendor Managed Child Care

Parent Handbook

Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

Synergy ParentVUE Support for Parents and Guardians

Student Absence Form