CMIT South Elementary School

Weekly Newsletter from Principal Ronald Miller

Date: March 24, 2024

Greetings CMIT South Elementary Tiger Community,

As we approach the much-anticipated spring break, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to each and every one of you for a restful and rejuvenating time away from school. From Monday, March 25th to April 2nd, 2024, our building will be closed, allowing our students and staff the opportunity to recharge and spend quality time with loved ones. Classes will resume on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.

Before we embark on our break, I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our incredible volunteers. This week, we've witnessed an overwhelming display of support from volunteers in various capacities, including the cafeteria, classrooms, STEM fair, and Picture Day. Your dedication and generosity have truly made a difference in the lives of our students and staff. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our school community.

As we reflect on the past week, let us remember the importance of collaboration and community in fostering a nurturing educational environment. Together, we continue to uphold our shared values of excellence, respect, and inclusivity, ensuring that every member of our school community feels valued and supported.

During spring break, I encourage everyone to take some time to rest, recharge, and engage in activities that bring joy and relaxation. Whether you're traveling, spending time with family and friends, or simply enjoying some quiet moments of solitude, I hope you find renewed energy and inspiration for the weeks ahead.

Wishing you all a safe, enjoyable, and restful spring break. I look forward to welcoming our students and staff back on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, as we continue our journey of learning and growth together.

Sincerely,

Mr. Ronald A. Miller, Jr.

Principal

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Elementary

Prince George’s County Public Schools

Hazel Health Services Coming to CMIT South Elementary

What is Hazel Health?

Hazel Health has partnered with Prince George's County Public Schools to provide access to quality healthcare services for all students, at no cost to families, this school year. Students can be referred by the school counselor or their parent/guardian. A designated person at the school or a parent/guardian can initiate a video visit with a Hazel health care provider while your child is at school or at home to provide either physical or mental health services. Therapy sessions with Hazel Health are a safe space and are private and confidential.

How can your child receive services?

Waitlists for mental health services for children are sometimes long or sometimes as parents it's tough to find the time to take our children to appointments which makes it difficult for them to receive the immediate support they need. Hazel Health is geared to bridge that gap. Students are able to receive these services free, virtually and while in school. If you have any questions please feel free to visit their website https://www.hazel.co/ or reach out to me.

Grade level blurb:

We are wrapping up the 3rd quarter and starting our much deserved SPRING BREAK! We hope that everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable break. See you all on April 3rd!

VOCABULARY PARADE: Friday, April 12, 2024.

Our third annual Vocabulary Parade is on its way! Soon, each student will pick a word, from the provided grade level vocabulary word list, to represent. Students are encouraged to make a costume, hat, or poster. Put your thinking caps on! How would you show the word ADRIFT? or

POROUS? or ZIGZAG? From A to Z, students will depict vocabulary words in a creative way. A “Costume Design Sheet” has been sent home to help your child plan his/her costume. Your child will be asked for their word, a definition, and a sketch of their costume. Thank you for helping us make vocabulary instruction into a Parade of Words!

Vocabulary terms may be found at the links below. Utilize one of these terms or be as creative as you would like.

MATH VOCAB K-12

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS VOCAB K-12

Consider the opportunity to listen to a read aloud at the following link:

In-School Vocabulary Parades - Debra Frasier

FIELD TRIP:

April 25th: Natural History Museum field trip

Permission slips will be sent home 4/3 and we will collect money beginning on 4/4. Cost for each student AND chaperone is $15. Please inform your child’s teacher if you would like to attend.

ASYNCHRONOUS DAY:

Work has been given in the last homework packet. Entire packet is due on 4/3.

Grade level blurb:

Spring is Here! And 1st graders know it. Families, this is a good time to establish new habits for independent reading. Set a time aside each day (same time) for students to read at least for twenty-thirty minutes before they have fun. They will be better off having done this, since regular study habits support reading fluency and build interests and motivation for reading.

Please stay safe. Watch our scholars and take good care of them.

Reading Updates:

Unit 4

Essential Question: Why are art and music classes important?

Persuasive Text

Vocabulary Words: think, learn, remember, concentrate

Sight Words: grow, full, ground, find, under

Phonics: Ng, nk words

Spelling Words: ring, sing, pink, think, bring, song,thing, rink, grow, around

Language & Conventions: Capitalize I and proper nouns.

Math Updates:

Unit 9

Comparing two-digit numbers

Grade level blurb:

Can you believe we are in the final stretch of the 2nd grade?! Please have a safe and healthy Spring Break. We look forward to having an amazing 4th quarter! The updates below will be for when we return for break.

Reading Updates:

Unit 4 Week 3 will focus on the realistic fiction text “A Garden of Happiness” we will specifically focus on determining theme and creating new understandings.

The spelling words will focus on the suffixes -ly, -ful,-er,-less, -or

Math Updates:

We will wrap up Topic 9 when we return to school. Take time to utilize the homework packet for additional support and practice.

Science Updates:

Your class should be in Topic 5 - Plants and Animals. In this topic we will focus on plant and animal life cycles, what they need to survive and how animals can help plants reproduce. Please utilize your homeroom teachers Canvas site for additional supports and resources.

We will be making plant heads to watch the plant life cycle to see how grass grows! We will also be observing the butterfly life cycle.

Social Studies Updates:

Your class should be in Topic 4 - People who supply our goods and services. In this topic we will focus on needs, wants and choices, food producers and challenges they may face. Please utilize your homeroom teachers Canvas site for additional supports and resources.

Health Updates:

We are learning about babies and how they changed over time! Kids are so deeply interested in this topic. We will also be focusing on how their family is essential to their development and what makes them unique!

Grade level blurb:

Happy Spring Break Parents! Please be reminded that April 2,2024 is a half asynchronous day for students. We were excited to celebrate all of the scholars at the awards ceremony. Important Testing Information: As of now, students are scheduled to take MCAP the week of April 29th-May 3. Please plan to have students at school on time everyday during the week of testing. If students miss one day of testing, they will automatically be scheduled for make-up for the duration of testing. Bathroom Usage: Please encourage students to follow bathroom expectations. We are encouraging students to practice independence for bathroom breaks but some students are using this time to play and vandalize the bathroom. We want to keep this community space clean. Thank you for helping tigers to remain successful!

Reading Updates:

Fleet/Lewis:

This week we explored different styles of Poems and discussed the difference between Rhyme, Rhyme Scheme, Rhythm, and Onomatopoeia poems. We also talked about how authors use sound devices and imagery to convey the meaning of the poems.

Madison/Mathews:

This week we:

• Took the quiz for Unit 3 Week1.

• Began unlocking the prompt for the Below Deck Analytic Writing Assignment and began searching for text evidence that supported the characteristics of a hero in the story.

• Completed review activities on prefixes and suffixes.

• Took a spelling quiz.

Please check the assessment grade for Nature’s Patchwork Reflect and Share. If students did not complete this assignment or did not do well, the RELA Spring Break packet can be submitted for extra credit to help increase their grade. The packets have been distributed to students and also uploaded to class dojo.

Math Updates:

Fleet/Lewis:

This week we have completed Topic 8 and 9 Assessment. Scores have been updated on Canvas and are entered into SchoolMax. We have also started working on Topic 11 which is solving two-step word problems with all operations. We will begin official MCAP test prep when we return to school from Spring Break.

Madison/Mathews:

This week we are working on test preparation. Students completed a MCAP practice test. We are reviewing fractions. Students can review this topic in IXL. Spring Break packets have been distributed and have also been uploaded to class dojo for your convenience.

Science Updates:

Fleet/Lewis:

This week we have been reviewing survival of individuals and groups and learning about how plants and animals survive when their environments change. As of now, students will take their topic 6 assessment after we return from spring break. An official date and study guide will be given ahead of time.

Madison/Mathews:

This week we worked on inheriting traits from parents. We will continue with this topic when we return. This can also be found in the Spring Break Packet.

Social Studies Updates:

Fleet/Lewis:

In Socials Studies we finished Chapter 4 discussing the different symbols, landmarks, and celebrations of the U.S. and why they are important. The Spring Break packet will be due when re return.

Madison/Mathews:

This week we finished the Lesson on Early Exploration. Students will finish their group presentations when we return and prepare for the end of the unit assessment.

Health Updates:

In the month of April we will be discussing “Things You May Catch.” Students will compare communicable and non-communicable disease, your body’s defense system, keeping clean and healthy, and how medicines help prevent and cure illness.

Grade level blurb:

Hello Tiger Family,

I hope that everyone is doing well. We have made it to the end of the 3rd Quarter! We are so very proud of all the hard work this quarter. Teachers are actively publishing grades for the 3rd Quarter. Final grades for the quarter will be available for viewing the morning of April 3rd. We hope that everyone has a great Spring Break and enjoy this time with family and friends. There is a PGCPS Spring Enrichment packet that is posted on the county website. Students are able to complete these packets for practice since their chromebooks have been collected. This packet will not be graded nor will extra credit be earned for completing them.

We are now in Women’s History Month and students have received lessons about amazing women who have made a difference in the world. Spend time with your scholar discussing some of the women in your life and family that have done great things!

Upcoming Dates:

• Tuesday April 2, 2024 Asynchronous Day

• April 8-12, 2024 MCAP Spirit Week

• April 12, 2024- Vocabulary Parade

• April 16- 20, 2024 MCAP Testing for 4th Grade

Asynchronous Day:

This is the last asynchronous day of the school year. There is no physical or virtual school on Tuesday April 2, 2024. Students have been given MCAP Math and Reading packets to complete on this day. Students are expected to return the packets on Wednesday April 3, 2024. The return of packets will be used as a way to take attendance for the asynchronous day.

Vocabulary Parade:

Students have been provided with vocabulary words and packets in order to prepare for the parade. This activity is not mandatory and it will not be graded. If a student chooses not to participate they will be unable to walk in the parade on Friday April 12, 2024.

MCAP Testing

4th graders will begin taking the MCAP Assessment beginning Tuesday April 16- 20 with their homeroom teachers. Students will be taking two sessions each day. It is imperative that students arrive at school each day of testing by 8:00. If students miss just one session they will have to go into a make-up group which means they will miss class time to do make up testing. To prepare we will have students complete practice tests online and we will also discuss good testing strategies. Use this time to discuss with your scholar the importance of taking their time and trying their best on this assessment. The school will also have an MCAP Night that will share more information about the upcoming assessments and answer any questions you may have.

Fourth Grade Reminders:

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. Please check Schoolmax 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 Schoolmax 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.

Each week we suggest checking your scholars browser history and YouTube history. This is to make sure that your scholar isn’t going to a site or watching videos that you would not approve. Teachers are limited to only seeing activity on your scholar’s screen when they are in class. We utilize a system called Hapara that allows us to prevent access to certain sites. We are asking that you check your scholar's computer history weekly.

Reading Updates:

This Week: Students began reading our new story “Trombone Shorty.” In this autobiography written by Troy Andrews an internationally known trombone player. In this story students are learning about how Troy got his nickname “Trombone Shorty” and where he got his love of music growing up in New Orleans. Students were able to note the text this week. They also created an illustration and caption to go along with a portion of text. Finally students had a chance to apply some of the vocabulary that they learned in the text.

After Spring Break: Students will continue to read closely the story “Trombone Shorty.”We will work on the skill of the author's purpose as students write an essay about Troy’s purpose for writing this story. Students will also analyze the illustrations given to explain how they help to understand the text. We are going to begin our preparations for MCAP. We will begin discussions with students about test taking strategies and practicing using the online platform for MCAP.

Math Updates:

This week students are closing Topic 5, 4.NBT.B.6. Our focus this week, using the various division strategies to solve multi step word problems. Diving deeper into our application of estimating quotients and remainders, and connecting models and symbols. You can expect to see work that provides practice in dividing whole numbers by one-digit divisors using strategies other than the standard algorithm and checking that the answer is reasonable using estimation.

Please check SchoolMax and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments.

Science Updates:

In Science we will be closing Topic 2, and preparing for our Topic test. Please check Schoolmax and Canvas with your scholar to ensure completion of assignments.

Social Studies Updates:

This week: Students read lesson 2: Trade and Markets. In this lesson students will learn how businesses supply goods and services to meet demand. We will also explore how businesses are able to make a profit.

After Spring Break, students will read lesson 3: People and the Economy and explain how both individuals and families make economic decisions.

Health Updates:

In health we are learning about our Digestive Systems! How does our digestive system contribute to the overall function of our bodies? What can we do to promote a healthy digestive system?

Grade level blurb:

Hi everyone! We are in the month of March, and we are focusing on our character trait, courage! We want to show courage in any way we can! We are also celebrating Women’s History Month this month so we are learning about influential women throughout history!

We have MADE IT to Spring Break!! We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful break with plenty of time to relax!!

We are getting prepared to plan our trip to Camp Schmidt at the end of the year for our 5th grade students and we are so excited! We are going to need lots of parent volunteers, both men and women, so if you are interested in coming, please reach out to Ms. McDonagh. The date will be June 3-4, so stay tuned for further info!

Our 5th grade promotion ceremony is planned for Friday, June 7 at 9:00am! We will have lots of information coming out about this soon, but we are so excited to honor and celebrate our hardworking scholars! Please keep this date available!

REPORT CARDS are coming soon for Q3! Please check the assignment calendar on our google site to see what upcoming assignments students may have. We have been having tests, quizzes, and homework, so we want to make sure students are keeping up with their work. Students should click on their homeroom teacher’s name to see their assignments. Here is the link to the 5th grade website for those who need it: https://sites.google.com/pgcps.org/5thgradeclasssite/home

Reminder that we are happy to have volunteers come in to assist us with different things throughout the year, so if you are interested, please make sure your volunteer requirements are completed. We would love it if people wanted to come in and volunteer during lunch times for students, so let us know if you are interested.

After spring break, students have an asynchronous work day on April 2, so please keep an eye out for assignments for that day. This is how they will be marked “present.”

MCAP testing is coming soon!! 5th grade will be testing April 23-26 for math and reading. Teachers are posting resources for students to start preparing and studying academic vocabulary. Please help students prepare for this assessment in any way possible! We will send out more details shortly.

Reading Updates:

We finished unit 3 week 3 and our section is about legends and dramas. We also finished our spelling words for this section!

Math Updates:

Students are in unit 9 of Math which is about dividing fractions. Homework will be posted on the assignment calendar as we get started so keep an eye out!

Science Updates:

Students are working on unit 5 of Science, about the human impact on Earth’s systems. Homework will be posted on the assignment calendar as we get started so keep an eye out!

Social Studies Updates:

We are working on chapter 5 now about the American Revolution. We finished Chapter 5 lesson 4 this week about the events after the revolution!

Updates from the Art Room!

It’s almost that time of year for the PGCPS Student Art Exhibition! I am currently looking through all of the artwork I saved over the last several months to see which ten made the cut. Here is the flyer to let you know to save the dates. In the coming weeks, I will tell you which students are in the show!

Lego:

This week is Legos and Robotics, we started with part 1 of building our robotic hand. The students are creating a robotic hand that functions similar to a human hand.

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