CMIT South Elementary School

Dear CMIT South Elementary School Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well and filled with pride as we reflect on another successful week at our school. I am thrilled to share some highlights with you all:

Success in MISA Testing - Science for Fifth Graders:

I am delighted to announce the outstanding performance of our fifth-grade students in the MISA testing for science. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the students for their hard work, dedication, and focus during the testing period. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you!

Field Trip to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum:

Our students had an unforgettable experience during the recent field trip to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington D.C. I would like to express my gratitude to the staff, parents, and volunteers who made this trip possible. Your support and commitment to our students' educational experiences are truly appreciated.

Celebrating Pi Day - 3.14:

We recently celebrated Pi Day (3.14), a fun and educational day to explore the mathematical constant π. I hope our students had a great time engaging with various Pi-related activities and learning more about the significance of this mathematical concept.

Monthly PTO Meeting Participation:

I would like to thank all the families who participated in our monthly PTO meeting. Your involvement is crucial in building a strong school community, and your contributions are invaluable. Together, we can continue to support our students and school initiatives.

Upcoming Spring Break and Asynchronous Day:

As a reminder, spring break will be from March 25 through April 2, with April 3 designated as an asynchronous day. I encourage everyone to enjoy this well-deserved break, relax, and recharge for the remainder of the school year.

As we look forward to the upcoming events and the remainder of the school year, I want to express my gratitude for the unwavering support of our school community. Your dedication and involvement make CMIT South Elementary School a truly exceptional place for learning and growth.

Wishing you all a restful spring break and looking forward to our continued success.

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.

Happy week before spring break!

We are all excited to begin the new season with the Kinders. The weather is warming up and there are so many opportunities for outdoor learning and adventures. If you are interested in volunteering in our class to read a book or engage students in a spring activity or craft, please contact your child’s teacher. All volunteers must be fully approved to support within the classroom.

MESSAGE FROM PGCPS-

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction has developed several winter, spring, and summer enrichment packets (Grades K-12) as part of our program to support outstanding academic achievement for students.

Student enrichment packets and answer keys will be posted as a resource on our website and will remain posted all year.

While we encourage parents to have their students complete the packets for additional practice in the content areas for their grade level, we are not requiring teachers to provide feedback on the completion of these activities or to provide extra credit for work done.

Link- https://www.pgcps.org/offices/curriculum-and-instruction/enrichment-packets/spring-student-enrichment-packets

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

March 25-April 1st: Spring Break

April 2nd: Asynchronous Day

April 25th: Natural History Museum field trip (date confirmed)

Families,

As we move into new lessons, teachers are also reviewing skills and giving extra practice with ongoing skills. Please continue to provide extra practice for reading at home. March is Women’s Month-we congratulate all women this month. Thanks for always supporting the school.1st graders are inviting parents to come in and read this month; Please communicate with the classroom teacher.

Reading Updates:

Unit 5:

Genre: Persuasive Text

EQ: What are art and music classes important?

Vocabulary: think, learn, remember, concentrate

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

Phonics: Ng; nk words

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

Capitalize I and proper names

Math Updates:

Topic 8-Understanding place value

Ongoing skills: counting by 10’s, addition, subtraction, and word problems. Please teach students to tell the time. It is a difficult skill to learn even for ⅔ graders. Teach both ways to write and tell time.

Science Updates:

Living Things- How do people learn from animal and plant parts?

Social Studies Updates:

New Unit: Life today and long ago

Health Updates:

Drugs are Trouble -I take care of my body.

Note: As we wind down into the year, some H/W math packets may have all types of skills across contents

Reading and writing persuasive text.

Here is a video for practice

Social Studies Video:

Life Long Ago

Grade level blurb:

Hello Tiger Family! A few updates and reminders as we slide into spring break!

2nd Grade will be taking a field trip to The Botanical Gardens in Washington, DC. Monday, April 22nd. During this trip, students will explore plants in nature as it relates to our science unit of Plants and Animals. The cost for this trip is $17 and permission slips will be sent home today. All money, in exact cash or check, with permission slips are DUE no later than ­­­­April 15, 2024. Students will need to bring a DISPOSABLE bagged lunch. Please let your homeroom teacher know if your student will need a lunch provided and ask them about chaperone opportunities.

We are in the sick season! Please listen to your students when they say they do not feel good. Please be reminded that if your student will be absent for more than three days due to illness, they need a doctor's note to be excused. Refer to the PGCPS Policy below as far as symptoms and when to return to school: https://www.pgcps.org/offices/school-health/when-to-keep-your-child-home-from-school

Special thanks to all families who donated supplies for our Leprechaun traps and those who came to read!! We appreciate your continued support and partnership!

Please continue to review your class's digital agenda for homework updates. Your scholar should also have these written in their agenda as well.

Check SchoolMax often as the end of the third quarter is quickly approaching!

Reading Updates:

We are still talking about biographies in reading this week. We will be reading all about Antoni Gaudi and his beautiful architecture. Ask your scholar who Elizabeth Blackwell is as we learned about her last week!

Our spelling words will focus on open-syllable words. (V/CV) An open syllable ends with a vowel. The vowel usually has a long vowel sound. Ex. “lazy” “bacon” “human”

Math Updates:

We are working through Topic 9 - Numbers within 1000.. It is essential that your scholar ONLY completes the homework pages for the lesson that has been taught in school that day. Please utilize your homeroom teachers' Canvas site for additional support and resources.

Science Updates:

Your class should be on 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 teacher's Canvas site for additional support and resources.

Social Studies Updates:

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

We are just one week away from spring break and students have been working hard to make it to the finish line! A reminder that the last day of the third quarter is next Friday, March 22nd. All missing/makeup assignments should have been completed and turned in to your child’s teacher. Also a reminder that April 2nd is a half-day asynchronous day. Please be on the lookout for directions from your child’s teacher about how to complete assignments for that day.

Reading Updates:

Mathews/ Madison

Students have successfully

• Completed a reteaching and retake on the Nature’s Patchwork Quilt with most students drastically increasing their grade

• Finished their analytic writing assignment (Reflect and Share- Nature’s Patchwork Quilt) stating their opinion on why we must protect nature’s habitats supporting their thinking with text evidence

Kudos third grade developing writers!

In Reading we:

• Delved into Below Deck a Titanic Story and began working to complete a story map for this story

• Read to discover how different characters were heroes and what their motivations were in several texts.

• Discussed reading strategies: Confirming and Correcting Predictions and Analyzing how the Setting Affects the Plot

• Practiced identifying prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

• Worked to understand how the affixes changed the meaning of the words.

Extra practice for this skill has been assigned in IXL.

Fleet/Lewis:

This week we started talking about Biographies and the different elements of a biography. We discussed the different text structures and were able to learn why the author has different text structures in a story. We also were able to summarize the story.

Math Updates:

Fleet/Lewis:

Topic 8 and 9 Study Guide Answer Key

We are wrapping up Topic 8 and 9. Students will be taking their combined topic test on Tuesday, March 19th. A study guide has been sent home with students to prepare. In order to prepare for MCAP testing in April, we will be mixing and combining topics. Students will cover a topic in class and possibly have homework on a different topic that they can work on independently in order to expose them to all of the necessary topics.

Mathews/ Madison:

We have officially started Topic 9 (Fluently Add and Subtract Within 1,000). However, students will be introduced to other topics over the next few weeks as we prepare for state testing! We will be in “test mode” next week, as well as the two weeks that follow Spring Break.

Science Updates:

Fleet/Lewis: This week we have started Topic 6 and studied the survival of individuals and groups. Next week we will be reviewing those concepts 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.

Mathews/Madison: We have started Topic 5 (Inheritance and Traits)! Please note that as we prepare for state testing, our science curriculum will continue to be taught.

Social Studies Updates:

Mathews/Madison: We discussed early exploration in North America. Students jump started this topic by developing skits with their group on where they would choose to explore and why. Students really enjoyed this activity. Students also reviewed the academic vocabulary to gain a better understanding of the text.

Fleet/Lewis:

In Social Studies we were able to start and complete half of Chapter 4, learning about our nation government, how it was form, how it works, and the different departments and people that make up our very own U.S Government.

Health Updates:

The theme for March is “Say No to Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs.” Students will focus on describing the importance of saying no to smoking, drinking, and drugs, drugs and the law, understand addiction, and setting goals for drug-free living.

Grade level blurb:

Hello Tiger Family,

I hope that everyone is doing well. We are now entering our final week of the 3rd quarter. We are so very proud of the hard work that our scholars have shown this quarter. The last day of the quarter is Friday March 22,2024. All make up work was required to be submitted by Friday March 15, 2024. Please be reminded that make-up work is provided only if a student has an excused absence. This is also the last day before Spring Break. Tuesday April 2, 2024 is an Asysnohours Day for students. Our scholars will receive their activities for this day before they leave for Spring Break.

We are now in Women’s History Month and students will receive 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!

Smithsonian Natural History Museum Field Trip

We had a great time at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Our students had an opportunity to see in person some of the animals we read about in Unit 2 Adaptations in our reading class. We thank all the parents that were able to join us. We look forward to see our chaperones on the next trip!

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:

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 this week answered the question of how do our experiences help us see the world differently by writing about the experience of the character of “Sugar.” In this realistic fiction students were able to plot the major events and fully describe how the character grew and changed in the story. Students showed their mastery and understanding of the text completing a writing response and story quiz.

Next Week: Students will read an autobiography about blues superstar Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. This story is written by Troy and shares the story of how he got his nickname. Students will read closely to monitor their inner conversation, analyze the illustrations, identify the plot of the story and finally describe the character of Troy. Students are seeking to answer how does music bring people together.

Math Updates:

This week students continued working on Topic 5, 4.NBT.B.6. Our focus this week, how to interpret remainders and different strategies to solve division equations. Next week we'll be diving deeper into the various strategies for solving division problems including, partial quotients and area models for division problems! Learning this skill will require understanding of estimating quotients and of remainders, and of 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.

Students were also assigned a Pick-a-Project for Topic 5. This project will count as an assessment grade and be due 3/20/24. No late assignments will be accepted for this project.

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

Science Updates:

In Science this week students dove deeper into Topic 2, exploring nonrenewable and renewable resources and how humans use them in everyday life. The conversations were rich with examples!

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

Social Studies Updates:

This week: Students began Chapter 4 “The Nation’s Economy.” In this chapter students are discovering how the economy meets our wants and needs. The first lesson explored what the economy is. Students discussed producers and consumers, making financial choice, types of economies, and how the government helps the economy.

Next Week: Students will 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.

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 one week until Spring Break so let’s keep going!

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!

We have our Honor Roll Assembly for Q2 next week on Tuesday, March 19 on Zoom. We hope you are able to join and celebrate our students’ hard work! Also, REPORT CARDS are coming soon for Q3! The last day to turn in any late work was Friday, March 15. 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.

Reading Updates:

We are working on unit 3 week 3 and our section is about legends and dramas. We also have our new 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! Students also took their MISA assessments this week! We are so proud of our students’ hard work!

Social Studies Updates:

We are working on chapter 5 now about the American Revolution. We are finishing Chapter 5 lesson 3 this week about the events after the revolution!

Lego:

This week in Legos and Robotics, 5th and 4th grade completed a Community quiz. Grades K-3 broke down the Wonderland display and sorted items.

PE:

Hello,

This week in PE we had our intro to overhand throwing. Students also practiced giving feedback to peers to improve their skill set.

Updates from the Art Room!

Q: How do you engage second graders at a STEM school on March 14th?

A: Tell them that it’s Pi Day!

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