Third Quarter has begun! It's a new month and our second semester. During the month of February, we will continue to learn and celebrate Black History Month, 2nd Quarter Honor Students, and STEM Fair winners. It has been a quick and busy school year with teachers planning, teaching and assessing while the students are eager to learn and ask questions. Additionally, we hope that you have received the weekly phone calls with updates and reminders.

Parents, please encourage students to complete all assignments and submit to teachers on time. Also, please encourage students to respect all adults and to act responsibly by remembering their hats, coats, gloves, lunch boxes, books, homework assignments, etc.


We are half way through the school year. Let's stay positive, work hard, and focus on how Tech Savvy Tigers ROAR (RESPECT others, OPT to be scholarly, ACT responsibly, REACT with kindness)!!!

Mrs Respass
Principal

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS OF THE MONTH for DECEMBER!

The CMIT-Elementary student of the month is chosen by the classroom teacher based on qualities such as character, leadership, and citizenship, not necessarily academics. The student of the month must be a diligent student, completing his/her assignments on time, showing strong effort to learn the subjects. The student of the month demonstrates excellent behavior inside and outside the classroom, is well mannered, and respectful to both peers and teachers. The student of the month displays excellent citizenship by aligning him/herself with the CMIT affirmation. Lastly, the student of the month shows exemplar character through his/her compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, responsibility, optimism, and loyalty in creating a positive school environment.

The Students of the Month will be recognized with a certificate, and will also receive special privileges (i.e. lunch with the principal, present morning announcements).

KINDERGARTEN:
Kenna Ambe, Michael Isichei, Nicholas Lewis, Jessica Magaslin

1ST GRADE
Aiden Carpenter, Haley Hunt, Gabriella Jones, Yonan Yihyeis

2ND GRADE:
Nicholas Derisca, Franklyn Galley, Danica Goodman, Mariah Short

3RD GRADE:
Alexander Akinmutumi and Sperra Vittor

4TH GRADE:
Audrey James and Imani Roane

5TH GRADE:
Justin Mensah and Cameron Taylor

ART:
Taqiyah Fasuyi

MUSIC:
Cameron Rogers

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
Cameron Taylor

TECHNOLOGY/LEGO:
Paul Baylor III and Vy Huynh

Mrs Respass
Principal

Congratulations to the Staff Members of the Month for DECEMBER:

MR. FISHER and MR. SCOTT

The Staff of the Month has presented an above and beyond attitude through his/her compassion for the students, responsibility, optimism, and loyalty in creating a positive school and learning environment. The following staff have been chosen in particular for GOING OVER and; BEYOND this year's theme - MISSION POSSIBLE: BUILDING TECH SAVVY TIGERS TO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!

Mrs Respass
Principal

Martial Arts Tournament Held at CMIT Elementary

Kuk Sool Won of the Washington, DC Area hosted its annual Intramural Tournament at CMIT Elementary on Saturday January 30, 2016. Students from the CMIT Academy and CMIT Elementary Martial arts Club participated in this tournament. All participants appreciated the support your classmates.

Traditional Martial Arts at CMIT
CMIT is offering classes in Kuk Sool Won™, a system of Traditional Korean Martial Arts that incorporates all styles of martial arts historically taught in Korea into one systematic method of learning. Kuk Sool Won™’s foundation is built on proper etiquette and discipline.

Students will learn how to effectively avoid conflict and only as a last resort how to properly defend themselves. We practice every Thursday from 3p to 4p, working to develop a complete Martial Artist.

Erkan Derin
Program Coordinator

2nd Quarter Report Cards are scheduled to release on February 11, 2016.

Mrs Respass
Principal

On February 10, 2016, we will have a Papa John's Spirit Day! You can order Papa John's pizza all day. You simply take the receipt off the box (with the purchase price) and attach it to the Papa John's sheets that will go home on Tuesday, February 9, 2016. All orders placed on the 10th of February will count. You may order from ANY Papa John's in Maryland, DC, or Virginia. Please consider having your entire office order for lunch. Return the Papa John's sheets to the school by February 12, 2016. The school will get a portion of the proceeds. Thank you!

Mrs. Benora McCain

The Prince George';s County Board of Education approved the revision of the 2015-16 school calendar that will change Friday, February 12, 2016 to a regular school day for all staff and students. The day was previously scheduled as a professional development day for teachers.

The change was made due to the six inclement weather days that were used from January 21, 2016 through January 29, 2016 due to extreme weather conditions.

While the existing calendar currently has built in four (4) inclement weather make-up days, this request will assist us in limiting the number of additional days added to the end of the school year.

Mrs Respass
Principal

Students enrolled in Grades 2 - 5 who have earned Principal's Honor Roll, Honor Roll, and/or Perfect Attendance will receive recognition and awards during a ceremony scheduled for February 17, 2016. Students should receive special invitations to notify parents.

The Awards Ceremony is held in the cafeteria of CMIT-ES. Times are TBA.

Awards Committee

The STEM Fair was held on January 8, 2016. For those students who placed 1st through 10th along with receiving Honorable Mention and the Most Creative Awards, students will be recognized and receive prizes and awards on February 17, 2016.

The STEM Fair Awards Ceremony is an invitation only event for Kindergarten and 1st grades. Parents will receive an invite to announce times and location.

STEM Fair Committee

February 15, 2016----------------------------------Schools and Offices Closed for President's Day
February 17, 2016----------------------------------2nd Quarter and STEM Fair Awards Ceremony
February 23, 2016----------------------------------Chick Fil-A Spirit Night sponsored by PTO 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Contee Road)
February 26, 2016----------------------------------DRESS DOWN DAY/TIGER WINTER JAM 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Mrs. Respass
Principal

Yearbook Sales have begun! This year's yearbookwill have almost twice as many pages but the same low cost as last year! Flyers will be sent home soon but the best option is to order online. If you order online soon, you will receive the early-bird discount AND the online discount!

Please visit ybpay.lifetouch.com and enter Yearbook ID Code: 12368416

Thank you for your support! Please contact Mrs. Breckenridge at mbreckenridge@cmitelementary.org with any questions.

Have a great day!

Mrs. Breckenridge
Yearbook Sponsor

Students in fifth grade have a Black History project to complete for the month of February. Students are required to complete a research paper for ELA and a presentation for Science. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ezOQGwZoFTiNTuXIC-h0n_Hf_-1HpJck5Gel5fNYrZc/edit?usp=sharing

In science we will learn about cells, the water cycle, ecosystems, etc. Our Month is very busy. Please do not schedule Doctor's Appointments during February. In math we are learning about coordinates, ratios, equations, and going back to review fractions and decimals. The video below may help your child understand concepts taught.

https://youtu.be/-zafJKbMPA8
https://youtu.be/Ad9l__0-Lqg
https://youtu.be/i3NeMVBcXXU
https://youtu.be/dq9Myb0eggM

Mrs. Benora McCain

CMIT-ES STUDENTS HAVE A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND SHOWCASE THEIR CREATIVITY IN WRITING (GRADES 3-5) OR ART (KINDERGARTEN-GRADE 2).

PLEASE SEE REQUIREMENTS BELOW AND CHECK WITH YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER FOR DEADLINES.

Submission Requirements

Essay (Grades 3-12): Select an African American who has made a significant contribution to humanity. Explain how this contribution has impacted your life.

Contest Rules
_____ At least 250 words, but shall not exceed 1000 words
_____ Typed and double-spaced
_____ Font Options:
• Times New Roman
• Garamond
• Arial
_____ Original work only
_____ Cite Sources (MS and HS)
_____ Cite Resource used (Elementary)
_____ Submitted to School: TBD by Teacher

Scoring Rubric
_____ Select an African American who made a significant contribution
_____ Identify the contribution to humanity
_____ Explain the contribution
_____ Describe how the contribution impacts your life
_____ Well-organized; free from grammatical errors


Poster (Grades K-2): Choose an African American who has made a significant contribution to humanity. Illustrate and bring a poster to life using creativity and originality.
Scoring Rubric
_____ Poster should be 18x14 inches
_____ Illustrate a significant African American
_____ Illustrate the contribution
_____ Colorful, creative original works
_____ Poster should have a caption of at least three sentences, but no more than 10 to include Who? What? and How you feel about it?


Awards Reception

Winners will be selected by CLF and the Awards Reception will occur March 10, 2016 from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Black History Month Committee & CLF

Transportation: Student Drop Off /Pick Up and Early Departure
Note: The parents/guardians are responsible for the daily transportation of their child(ren). CMIT-Elementary does not provide transportation during student arrival or student dismissal. Please update the authorized person(s),including the bus company or the childcare business, that will pick up your child(ren)by submitting an email or written notice to the School Registrar, Crystal.Dubon@pgcps.org and the Principal’s Secretary, Stefanie.Powers@pgcps.org.

Q: What is the earliest that I may drop off my child?
A: 7:30 a.m.

Q: Where should we drop off students in the morning?
A: All car riders should be driven to the rear of the building and dropped off at the cafeteria entrance. Parents must remain in the car in order to keep the process constant and mobile. Carpoolers that include 3 or more students may be dropped off at the main office entrance along with the bus riders.

Q: What is the earliest time that I may pick up my student?
A: Student dismissal begins around 2:30 p.m.

Q: What is the latest time that I may pick up my student?
A: Student dismissal ends at 2:55 p.m. Otherwise, students will be sent to Enrichment and charged Enrichment late fees.

Q: Where should we pick up students in the afternoon?
A: All car riders should be picked up in the rear of the building at the cafeteria entrance. Parents must remain in the car in order to keep the process mobile. Please notice the flow of traffic and refrain from stopping in the middle of the pathway. If you need to buckle in your students we ask that you do not block the flow of pick up so that we can dismiss all students in a timely manner.

Q: What is the latest time that I may pick up my student for early departure?
A: Students should be picked up from the Main Office no later than 2:10 p.m. To expedite the process, please send an email to the classroom teacher, the receptionist, Mrs. Virgil, EVirgil@cmitelementary.org the School Registrar, Crystal.Dubon@pgcps.org and the Principal’s Secretary Stefanie.Powers@pgcps.org or submit a handwritten note in order to expedite the process. No advanced notice is needed.

Q: What is the process for walkers?
A: CMIT-Elementary does not recognize walkers since there are no residences within walking distance. Please call the Main Office at 240.573.7240 if you have unique circumstances relevant to the pick up of your child. Please consider that CMIT-Elementary does have a student body of 450 and we are unable to accommodate 450 different unique circumstances.

Uniform Policy
Q: How do I order uniforms?
A: All uniform shirts and tops are handled by the Abstractees. Please call 410.360.1527. All khaki or navy uniform bottoms may be purchased at any retail store that sells uniform pants, shorts (except cargo pants), skorts, etc. Full dresses are not allowed for females. The CMIT-ES logo must show during the school day. The website for Abstractees is http://cmit.abstracttees.com.

Q: When will the uniform policy be enforced?
A: The uniform policy will begin during the first week of school. Please ensure that students are wearing a burgundy or royal blue polo until official uniform tops are received prior to September 21, 2015.

Q: When does the student wear the Physical Education uniform?
A: Please confirm the day of the week that the students enrolled in Grades 3 – 5 will have the Physical Education class. Then, students report to school and wear the gym uniform all day. Parents may wish to send the students with wipes for sanitary purposes.

Q: Must the uniform shoe have all black?
A: Yes, the shoe worn with the uniform must be black. Students must also wear uninterrupted black during the Physical Education class. No white, no red or any color besides black should appear in the shoes.

Visitations and Volunteers
Q: How does a parent make an appointment to visit a class?
A: Please email EVirgil@cmitelementary.org to request an appointment. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response to the email. All classroom observations will be limited to 15 minutes.

Q: How does a parent volunteer for classroom assistance, chaperone of field trips, etc?
A: Please email the classroom teacher to express an interest in volunteering. The classroom teacher will contact the parent to establish a date, time, and the nature of the task(s). however, we ask that parents participate in a brief orientation sponsored by the PTO prior to volunteering. Please contact the PTO at cmitespto@gmail.com for assistance.

Parent’s Corner

Parent Teacher Conferences
Q: How is a Parent Teacher Conference scheduled?
A: Please email the classroom teacher to request a conference date. The parent will have no more than 30 minutes to meet with the teacher. The conference date scheduled by PGCPS is November 11, 2015. Any other conference requests must be scheduled with the teacher.

Parent Teacher Organization
Q: When will the Parent Teacher Organization Meet?
A: The PTO is scheduled to meet the first Thursday of the month from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. except when a holiday, school closing and/or early dismissal has been scheduled. The following dates have been designated for PTO meetings: September 3, 2015; October 8, 2015; November 5, 2015; December 3, 2015; January 7, 2016; February 4, 2016; March 3, 2016; April 7, 2016; May 5, 2016; and June 2, 2016.
Student Academic Performance

Q: How do I know if my student is missing assignments and/or homework? How do I follow up on my student’s progress in the class?
A: Please check the School Max website first. If there are further questions, call 240.573.7240 to leave the teacher a voicemail message and/or email the teacher for information on your child’s academic progress.

Q: To whom do I express my concerns about academics?
A: Please contact the teacher first. If the teacher fails to respond, then contact the Program Coordinator, ProgramCoordinator@cmitelementary.org. The next line of communication is the Trespass@cmitelementary.org.

Home Visits
Q: When will the home visits begin?
A: Parents should submit a request to the teacher. A teacher and/or staff member will contact the parent to schedule a date and time that is convenient for the parent and the CMIT Staff. Note: The home visits are scheduled during afterschool hours if you did not experience a home visit during the summer.

Student Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast/Lunch
Q: What time does breakfast begin?
A: Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. in the cafeteria. Students arriving at 7:50 a.m. or later should have breakfast prior to being dropped off.

Q: How much are the breakfast/lunch?
A:

ELEMENTARY (Kindergarten - 5)
	Daily	Weekly	Monthly
Reduced Price Breakfast	$0.30	$1.50	$6.00
Full Price Breakfast	$1.60	$8.00	$32.00
Reduced Price Lunch	$0.40	$2.00	$8.00
Full Price Lunch	$2.75	$13.75	$55.00

Q: How do I pay for the breakfast/lunch?
A:

METHODS OF PAYMENT
Cash	Send Cash payment to the school cafeteria so your child’s account can be updated.
Online Payments using a debit or credit card	Visit www.MySchoolBucks.com to set up, review, and add money to your child’s account. The account balance follows the student as long as they are enrolled in a Prince George’s County Public School.

Q: Where can I find the menu for the breakfast/lunch?
A: Please click on the link for the School Menu.