On January 26, 2017, the CMIT North PTO will host a Town Hall Meeting with special guest, PGCPS District 1 Board of Education Member, Mr. David Murray. We encourage all families of CMIT Academy to attend this special event. This is an opportunity for parents of our scholars to meet the new District 1 leaders and, ask questions about the vision for District 1, and understand how that vision can promote and support the success of all CMIT Academy Schools.

Questions for our guest must be submitted to the PTO via a five minute survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LZQW6NG no later than midnight January 18, 2017. Questions with similar inquiries will be summarized by the PTO into one topic noting common themes and interests. Let’s show support for our school and scholars.

Join us for our first Town Hall in the New Year!

CMIT North PTO

CMIT Elementary proudly acknowledges the Staff of the Month for December. Mrs. Breckenridge and Ms. Tolbert! Please help us congratulate them for this huge accomplishment!

Mrs. Breckenridge and Ms. Tolbert enjoy your reserved "VIP" premier parking for the next month!

Principal Riley

Last month before the break, our November Students of the Month enjoyed a special musical session of Karaoke and Kettlecorn with Mr. Ross. It is an honor for the students to receive Student of the Month and CMIT Elementary acknowledges this accomplishment and tries to give out special incentives for each month. Congratulations to the November Student of the Month recipients.

CMIT Staff

KINDERGARTEN
Miller – Kevin Espinoza
Santiago – Joseph Settles
Smith – Carmina Gooding
Valera – Munirat Ibrahim

FIRST GRADE
Hutchins – Christopher Young
Starks – Mikhail Durphy
Whyte – Alexandra Brockel
Rhodes – Maxwell Palmitesso

SECOND GRADE
Trippe – Michael Wiafe
Ahmed – Jacqueline Pannell
Brillantes – Giovanni Andasol-Reyes
Dougherty – Sean Caldwell

THIRD GRADE
Daniel – Akinola Akinsule
Fryson – Vy Huynh
Tolbert – Jordan Sanya
Nick – Caitlyn Wedderburn

FOURTH GRADE
Mogilski – Adrienne Wright
McCain – Christian Jenifer

FIFTH GRADE
Watkis – Ashlie Galley
Cooper (5th) – Olivia Gordon

CREATIVE ARTS
Avsar (Technology) – Zoe Johnson (Starks/1st)
Breckenridge (Art) – Peter Abang (Watkis/5th)
Hatcher (PE) – Faith Holden (Brillantes/2nd)
Inci (Lego) – Genesis Edwards (Cooper/5th)
Powell (Ecology) – Leah Smith (Watkis/5th)
Ross (Music) – Xavier Bowen (Tolbert/3rd)

Ecola Virgil

CMIT Elementary scholars will take following assessments in near future.

January 9th - February 15th: ACCESS testing (ELL students only).
January 17th - February 3rd: MAP - Winter testing (K-5)
January 17th - January 27th: FAST #2 Science Assessment (5th grade only)
January 17th - January 31th: OLSAT Testing (1st Grade only)

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

As the weather continues to play with our emotions, please be reminded that if it is 32' or above we do go outside for recess. Please ensure that your scholars come to school with an appropriate hat and coat (that closes). We would like to ensure that they are warm while playing outside.

Also if students are shuttle bus riders, we are still lining up outside for the bus. Please remind your driver that school dismissal begins at 2:20 pm. Many buses are not arriving until between 2:35 -2:45. That is up to 25 minutes standing outside waiting on them. (Our scholars are cold!)

As always thank you for your support.

Ms. Riley
Acting Principal

CMIT Elementary clubs are continued as scheduled in the second semester. The only exception is LEGO club. Lego club's student enrollment will be updated this week for the third quarter. New students will be chosen by a lottery from the current wait list. New LEGO club will begin on Monday, January 23rd, 2017.

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

This survey is about your child(ren)'s education and your ideas about how your school is using technology to improve teaching and learning.
We are also interested in how you and your child use technology for learning and communicating at home.

Please encourage your child to complete the Student Survey.
Your neighbors and co-workers can share their ideas by completing the Community and Business Partners survey, as well.

The survey will take 15 minutes or less to complete. Read the Overview page (https://sites.google.com/a/pgcps.org/speakup/about-speak-up) or visit the Project Tomorrow national site for more detailed information.

https://sites.google.com/a/pgcps.org/speakup/take-the-survey/parents

PGCPS

Ready, Set, CREATE!
On January 28th, 2017 CLF will host its annual STEMFair and 1st annual MakersFEST at CMIT Elementary. With STEMFair projects and research already underway the competition seems to be heating up! We are also highlighting those who choose not to compete but would like to show off their talents! The MakersFEST is a non-competitive showcase so everyone is invited to enter. All you have to do is fill out the MakersFEST Fundamental Form! This year CLF will also provide financial support on a first come first serve basis to those who may need it. If you find yourself short on supplies just contact clp@clfmd.org with a quote for the materials you need. Don’t forget to send progress pictures of your creation to clp@clfmd.org for printing. As a reward for entry, MakersFEST participants will be entered into a raffle to win cool prizes! Next year CLF plans to share these MakersFEST projects with the Maryland STEM Festival and the world! Come out and see the creativity of our future inventors on January 28th!
https://goo.gl/forms/4a7FOJ4ocNWYn6rC3

Cihan Bicer
CLF Student Activities Director

Dear Parents;

CMIT Elementary before and after school enrichment program is available from 6:30am - 7:30am and from 3:00pm - 6:00pm on regular school days to our scholars. If you are interested, you can enroll your child on our school website. For program details, contact Mr. Akpinar at programcoordinator@cmitelementary.org. For enrollment, please email to enrichment@clfmd.org.

Thank you.

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

Greetings CMIT Chorus Parents!

I am so proud of the CMIT Chorus members. They performed at PG Mall on Friday, December 9th and did a PHENOMENAL job. They were so excited to see people stop, listen, and enjoy the hard work and time they've put in over the past 2 months. Take a moment and view the pics and videos from the performance.

Also, as a reminder, we will had our CMIT Holiday Concert this Tuesday, December 13th @9:00am.

Rafealito Ross
General Music Teacher
CMIT Chorus Director

Parents;

Please ensure that you pick up your child(ren) on time from the enrichment program. If you are late, a late fee will apply and payment is due upon your arrival. You will be asked to make payment in the front office. Only credit/debit cards accepted.

Enrichment Program new hours for early dismissal days: 1:00pm - 4:00pm.

Please provide healthy snacks with your child if you are an enrichment parent. Students start to the program with snacks time. There is also a vending machine available in the cafeteria for enrichment students.

Emergency Drop off Fee,

Students who picked up after 3:00 pm will be charged a $20 emergency drop-in enrichment fee and payment is due upon your arrival.

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

From Master Fulmore;

At Kuk Sool Won™, we teach traditional Martial Arts values, with an upbeat, enthusiastic, modern approach. Kuk Sool combines kicking, punching, throwing, falling, joint locking, pressure point, and weapons techniques into a beautiful and dynamic hard/soft style which focuses on Discipline and Respect.

If interested, please contact club coordinator at laurel_ksw@comcast.net or 301-509-2030 for additional club details [including monthly fees].

Note: This Club has additional activities outside of school [including belt promotions every 3 months, tournaments, training seminars]. Only register if you are able to make these periodic commitments.

CMIT Elementary

CMIT Elementary scholars will take following assessments in near future.

January 9th - February 15th: ACCESS testing (ELL students only).
January 17th - February 3rd: MAP - Winter testing (K-5)
January 17th - January 27th: FAST #2 Science Assessment (5th grade only)

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

Hello,

I would like to share that Math Kangaroo competition date has been announced. It will be held on Thursday, March 16 2017. We are working on previous Math Kangaroo test questions and working so hard to ensure good results.

Mrs. Inci

Let’s fight the Flu together!

We are now in flu season and the best way to protect you and your family from the flu is to get vaccinated. Flu vaccines are offered at doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and by many employers. Other tips to fight the flu include:

Washing hands frequently
Covering coughs with your elbow
Sneezing into tissues
Eating a healthy meal
Exercising
Getting plenty of rest
Disinfecting frequently touched areas

Differentiating a cold from the flu can be difficult. Please use the chart above. If you are still unsure please contact your health care provider.

Please keep all sick children home until they are fever free, without medication for 24 hours. Students must not have any episodes of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours. Please also remember that your child needs to feel well enough to be in class and ready to learn. Have a safe and healthy holiday season!

Crystal Anthony, RN, BSN - CMIT Nurse

CMIT Nurse

I am excited to announce the 2016-2017 CMIT Steppers Step Team. Students in grades 3-5 came out to learn a combination step and execute it as a group. Students came ready to work and I am super excited to work with these scholars as we begin putting together routines and chants. Look out for us in the new year.

Yanisha Daniel

CMIT follows PGCPS calendar. Parents are encouraged to register text or email alerts for school closings and emergencies by filling out the online form on PGCPS website: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/PGCPS/subscriber/new

Students and their families are asked not to schedule any vacations or trips to coincide with school days for the 2016-17 school year. Maryland state law requires that all students between the ages of 5-16 attend school regularly. Absences from and tardies to school is disruptive to the learning process. Studies have shown that students who attend school on a regular basis earn better grades and learn more than those who are frequently absent. Students will earn incentives for Perfect Attendance.

Please note that June 12, 2017 – June 15, 2017 are assigned as inclement weather make-up days and students may be required to attend school on those days, depending on the weather conditions throughout the Winter. Please do not any family vacations until after June 16, 2017.

Parents and students are asked to visit PGCPS website for 2016-17 calendar updates: http://www1.pgcps.org/calendar/

The state of Maryland recognizes the following as lawful (excused) absences from school:

-Death in the immediate family
-Illness of the student
-Quarantine
-Court summons
-Principal-approved activity
-Mental or physical incapacity
-Violent storms
-Observance of a religious holiday
-State of emergency

Ms. Riley
Acting Principal

Wellness newsletter

Attachment(s)

Ms. Riley
Acting Principal

Enrichment Program,

Please ensure that you pick up your child(ren) on time from the enrichment program. If you are late, a late fee will apply and payment is due upon your arrival. You will be asked to make payment in the front office. Only credit/debit cards accepted.

Enrichment Program new hours for early dismissal days: 1:00pm - 4:00pm.

Please provide healthy snacks with your child if you are an enrichment parent. Students start to the program with snacks time. There is also a vending machine available in the cafeteria for enrichment students.

Emergency Drop off Fee,

Students who picked up after 3:00 pm will be charged a $20 emergency drop-in enrichment fee and payment is due upon your arrival.

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

The MESA club is off to a great start. We will have our final
Club meeting of the year on Thursday December 22, 2016. Students should bring in the $10 club fee as soon as possible. Students should bring in a personal snack on club days. So far we have decided on groups for the different competitions. We have started our bridge design for our big competition. We have started creating our scratch game. We are very excited about this opportunity. Students may bring any STEM fair questions they have to our club meeting! Our club is at capacity with 20 students. Thank you for your interest in STEM!

Benora McCain

Our Chick-fil-A spirit night will be Thursday January 12, 2017. It will run from 3:00-9:00 pm. Look for missing cows hidden throughout the school. Turn them into Mrs. Mccain for a coupon you can redeem for free food at Chick-fil-A that day only. Our Chick-fil-A is at the Centre at Laurel, 13600 Baltimore Ave Ste 600, Laurel, MD 20707. I look forward to seeing you there.

Benora McCain

THE CMIT-ES 3rd Annual in school STEM Fair was held on January 4th and 5th. 133 students made it pass round one. Our school STEM fair has been postponed due to inclement weather. New date TBD. We Thank you to all the parents who helped with setting up for our STEM fair even though it was cancelled as we set up. Students who made it pass round one are listed below.


STEM FINALISTS FOR 2017 STEM FAIR Total: 133 students

KG Grade STEM Finalists

Macfoy Isaiah

Imeokparia Isa

White London

Lewis A'vielle

Dawson Chloe

Black Isaiah

Robertson Kayden

Foster Kaitlin

Butler McKenzi

Chaudhry Asad

Hodge Carter

Jenkins Janae

Harper Londynn

Settles Joseph

Covington Chanler

Brady Hailee

Meadows Mason

Allen Charles

Akinmutimi Andrew

Rhonda

Johnson Amaya

Nunez Guerra Enzo

Toliver Michael

Meadows Carter

Fanelli Jonathan

Warner Brown


1st Grade STEM Finalists

JOHNSON JOHN

SIMMONS MAKHI

FAULKNER KHALEAH

DILLARD XAVIER

JOHNSON ZOE

SIMON-EBUGHU MICHAEL

MAGSALIN JESSICA

KELLEY ZANE

DIAGNE LAMINE

MEDINA KYRON LUKE

Logan Kai

MONTEAU JEREMY

HODGE AIDEN

SMITH KENDAL

BROCKEL ALEXANDRA

ISICHEI MICHAEL

HICKS MICAH

ADELEKE ADEDAMOLA

OTTMAN CHRISTIAN

FASUYI RAQIB

NDUBUEZE VICTORIA

BURKS ADRIANNE


2nd Grade STEM Finalists

Archer, Victoria

Swann, Bryan

Covington, Kendyl

Clack, Brianna

Asafo-Agyei, Arianna

Henry, Joshua

Ganthier, Jahdai

Shim, Victoria

Hammond, Favor

Yiheyis, Yonan

Nguyen, Jaden

Landrum, David

Gill, Ava

Caler, Sarah-Grace

Green, Darnell

Anson, Connor

Jones, Jamel

Caldwell, Sean

Stark, Hailey

Mosley, Dewayne


3rd Grade STEM Finalists

SIMON-EBUGHU MARTIN

ABDALLA JADEN

RUSSELL SYDNEY

WILLIS MATTHEW

HALL KENNETH

BROWN KADEN

FORD JAYDEN

TAPPIN AMARIS

SAHIBZADA KAMRAAN

PUGH DARRIUS

PEARSON OMARI

SMITH EBEN

AKABUDE IFEOMA

DIXON MYLES

WAYTES CAYLA

WALELIGNE REDIAT

HOWARD NEHEMIAH

SMITH CHAZZ

BAYO OMARU

CALHOUN FRANK

FRYSON WARREN


4th Grade STEM Finalists

WARD Zachary

REYNOLDS ASHTON

IKECHUKWU MUNACHI

Sherrod Christian

Carpenter Alexander

BROCKEL WILLIAM

EDWARDS ASAI'YAH

MOSLEY ZAHRIA

AKINMUTIMI ALEXANDER

ALBURY BRYCE

CHAUDHRY HUDA

MILLINE BRANDON

HADEN MARQUES

WRIGHT ADRIENNE

VIRGIL MORGAN

FOX JAELYN

CORDERO VEA

CHUKWU SARAH

MBAKOP RYHANNA

JACKSON DANTE

Christian Jenifer

Moriah Oshinnaye


5th Grade STEM Finalists

SAM-BOMAH NAIMA

MARTE VALERIE

EVERETT BREA

DOSTER MADISON

DEDIOS MAHALIA

MOSLEY FATIMA

HOUEY ADDISYN

WRAY DAILYN

NOEL ARIANA

WIGFALL CORY

BARRIER BRYCE

SMITH LEAH

HARRIS KHYLE

BOYD KEFIRA

JENKINS GEORDON

JAMES AUDREY

OKUNUGA OLUWABUSOYE

MENSAH MIKAYLA

CALDWELL SAMUEL

EDWARDS GENESIS

GORDON OLIVIA

HILTON-BEY NEHEMIAH

Mrs. McCain
Ms. Ahmed

It's not too late! Send in you Papa Johns receipts. Monday morning will be the absolute last day. You can email it to Mrs. Mccain at bmccain@cmitelementary.org. Thank you for all you support!

Benora McCain

Great job to everyone that completed a STEM Fair Project! We are so impressed with how much work and effort were put into this project. It was also awesome to see the students engaged in experiments and research!

This week in Kindergarten...
English Language Arts
We will read the story "Farfallina and Marcel." It is a story about two friends and how their friendship evolves over time. We will be discussing plot and working with initial and final /f/.

Mathematics
We are SUBTRACTING to five! Students will be learning how to take away and find what is left. We will be learning the minus sign and reviewing the equal sign as well!

Science
Students will be learning about non-living things! They will identify characteristics of living thing and how to use that to identify non-living things.

High Frequency Words
Here are our sight words we have learned so far. Remember to practice reading and writing these words regularly! (When reading at home, if you see these words, have your child point it out!) All of the words we will learn this year are available on our grade level website under "Sight Words."

I, am, little, to, a, have, is, the, we, my, like, he, for, me, with, she, see, look

REMINDERS
- Homework is due on FRIDAY each week. Remember to look for their new homework packet on Fridays. Homework that is not submitted by the due date will be given a ZERO.
- Please read regularly! Remember that just 20 minutes a day can boost your child's reading levels!
- As the weather gets colder, remember that we still go outside for recess when the weather is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately!
- If you would like to chaperone any future field trips, you must have a fingerprint background check. This can be obtained from the Fingerprint office at the county building 14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD Monday-Friday from 8:00am-3:45pm. For more information or to contact the fingerprinting office, please look at the fingerprint office website: http://www1.pgcps.org/fingerprinting/
- Please remember to send an extra pair of uniform clothes to keep in your child's cubbie at school in the event of accidents or spills.
- Uniform is enforced daily, including uninterrupted black shoes. Please go to http://cmitelementary.org/uniform-policy/ for more information.

The Kindergarten Team
www.kindergarten.cmitelementary.org

Kindergarten wishes you and your family a wonderful holiday and restful Winter Break! Don't forget to work on your presentations for the STEM Fair! It is due on Tuesday, January 3rd! If you have questions, please contact your teacher before Thursday to ensure a response!

This week in Kindergarten...
English Language Arts
We will read the story "George Washington Visits." It is a story about a young boy's encounter with General Washington. We will be comparing and contrasting the past and present and working with initial and final /d/.

Mathematics
We are adding! Students will be learning how to join groups to find a total. We will be learning the plus sign and equal sign as well! Students will also be identifying how many more they will need to get to 10!
Please note: students should still practice finding 1 and 2 fewer. (This will be integral when we transition to subtraction after Winter Break!) Be sure to get some extra practice at home! An easy way to incorporate this at home is during dinner prep or at the grocery. For example, "I have eight apples, but I need 2 more (or 2 fewer). How many will that be? Can you do that for me?" This will help make Subtraction and Addition much easier later in the year!

Science
Students will be learning about motion and magnets. What types of motion are there? What is force? How do we apply force?

High Frequency Words
Here are our sight words we have learned so far. Remember to practice reading and writing these words regularly! (When reading at home, if you see these words, have your child point it out!) All of the words we will learn this year are available on our grade level website under "Sight Words."

I, am, little, to, a, have, is, the, we, my, like, he, for, me, with, she

REMINDERS
- Homework for Winter Break and the week we return will be distributed on Thursday, December 22 and will be due on Friday, January 7!
- Homework is due on FRIDAY each week. Remember to look for their new homework packet on Fridays. Homework that is not submitted by the due date will be given a ZERO.
- Please read regularly! Remember that just 20 minutes a day can boost your child's reading levels!
- As the weather gets colder, remember that we still go outside for recess when the weather is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately!
- If you would like to chaperone any future field trips, you must have a fingerprint background check. This can be obtained from the Fingerprint office at the county building 14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD Monday-Friday from 8:00am-3:45pm. For more information or to contact the fingerprinting office, please look at the fingerprint office website: http://www1.pgcps.org/fingerprinting/
- Please remember to send an extra pair of uniform clothes to keep in your child's cubbie at school in the event of accidents or spills.
- Uniform is enforced daily, including uninterrupted black shoes. Please go to http://cmitelementary.org/uniform-policy/ for more information.

The Kindergarten Team
www.kindergarten.cmitelementary.org

Tacky the Penguin
Reading skills – Prediction, retelling, connections and opinion
Phonics – long o spelled oa
Sight words – Find, long, get, made, may
Vocabulary Words– Penguin, graceful, different, iceberg, tacky, cannonball, song, marched
Grammar Skills – irregular plural nouns

Math
First grade will be starting chapter 8 next week. Chapter 8 is working on place value, tens and ones.

Social Studies
We will be learning about different cultures.

Science
First grade will be starting sound.

My Number Journal Project
The projects are due on Friday, January 13, 2017

1st grade team

We are so proud of the wonderful 2nd grade STEM projects submitted this week!

Congratulations to all students who worked so hard, and especially to our finalists!

Finalists by class:

Ms. Ahmed's Class: Ava Gill, Sarah Grace Caler, Jaden Nguyen, Jamel Jones, Darnell Green, Yonan Yiheyis, David Landrum

Mrs. Dougherty's Class: Hailey Starks, Dewayne Mosley, Sean Caldwell, Connor Anson

Mr. Trippe's Class: Bryan Swann, Brianna Clack, Arianna Asafo, Joshua Henry,Victoria Shim

Mr. Brilliantes' Class: Victoria Archer, Kendyl Covington, Jahdai Ganthier, Favor Hammond

*Please make sure to log on to your ClassDojo for updates on specific class news.

Also, we will be conducting DRA Winter testing in the upcoming weeks, which helps determine current reading levels for your child. Make sure to practice some form of reading with your child and entering this on the reading logs every night.

Ms. Ahmed

Student of the Week
Our student of the week is Gabby Jones. I interviewed Gabby and learned her favorite color is red, favorite subject is technology, and her favorite sport football. Gabby is a very hard worker. She completes all of her assignments with tons of effort! She is always willing to help. Thank you Gabby, for all you do!

New Year’s Resolutions
Hailey S. – I will use Sumdog to learn math!
Aaron – I will workout more.
Jamal – I will be nice to other people because I will treat others how I want to be treated.
Gabby – To play more video games!
Samuel – To eat more broccoli.
Connor – To eat healthy foods.

Positive Thinking
We created positive affirmations posters and put them up in the hallway. Here are some of our positive sentences:

I am a winner.
I am helpful.
I am awesome.
I feel happy.
I am funny.
I am thankful.

What are we learning?
This week we will be reviewing what we have learned so far.

We are looking forward to having some of our parents come in next week to read and work with us!

By: Gabby Jones and Shayne Thomas

Happy Holidays Parents,

As we are moving closer to the end of the year, our scholars are synthesizing their learning and making deeper connections. Over the break encourage scholars to read a book that he or she would not normally read or visit the library to research how the Spanish and French explorers help shape our country or have your scholar help bake cookies by reading the directions and measurements. So much fun learning can happen over the break. We cannot wait to hear how scholars continue their learning incorporating Math, Science, Social Studies and Reading in their day to day activities.

This week in Reading, students will be revisiting character traits and opinion writing. In Social Studies we will continue to look at how the French and Spanish Explorations help shape our country. In Math and Science, students will continue discussing the effects of different forces on an object’s motion and interpreting data.

Check out the following link for 50 fun activities to do over the holiday break.

http://thankyouhoneyblog.com/50-family-fun-activities-to-do-over-the-holiday-break/

Have a safe and happy holiday. See you in the new year!

Yanisha Daniel

Students started off our new year strong. Most completed dynamic STEM fair projects. Students will pick up with math and science homework packets January 9, 2017. Students will have their SLO post assessment Friday January 13, 2017. Our December students of the month are Christian J. and Adrienne W. These students have demonstrated academic excellence. STEM fair has been a postponed. Stay tuned for updates.

Benora McCain

As we prepare for Winter Break, students should all be working to complete their STEM Fair projects and research papers. Research papers should follow the rubric provided in the STEM Booklet on page IV. Please keep the research papers to a reasonable length, and ensure that students are doing the writing themselves. Remember, students should be able to explain their projects to the judges, so make sure you practice your presentations at home!

We would like to congratulate Zach Ward for being the only fourth grader to receive a 100% on their Math Test. GREAT JOB Zach! Keep up the great work! Congratulations to all other students for working hard and doing their BEST!

As this will be our last newsletter before Winter Break, we wish all families a safe and happy holiday! See you next year!

Pictures show:- Dailyn presenting a lesson on Sacrifice, and Imani presenting her science project. Other students looked on.
Welcome back to all our parents and students.
This semester, students are researching and presenting on a variety of topics during our character education block each day. I have seen some very interesting presentations already. Our scholars are excellent students with great leadership skills.
Parents, you should be proud of your children. Please continue to mold and shape their lives. The future will be shaped with students who are prepared.
Our fifth graders also presented their STEM projects this week. They did an excellent job. Parents, we thank you for your support.

Lesma Watson Watkis

K-2 are having fun and learning about different animal habitats such as lions, birds, bees, fish, and reptiles.

Norris Powell

CALLING ALL STUDENTS:
WE WILL BE HAVING A YEARBOOK COVER CONTEST!

Stock images are so boring and with the creative thinkers that we have at our fabulous little school I am absolutely certain that our tigers will come up with an amazing yearbook cover!

The cover MUST include: Chesapeake Math and IT Elementary, 2016-2017, and your scholar's name ON THE BACK

Who can submit a yearbook cover design entry? Any current K-5 student at CMIT Elementary.

Who do I submit my cover idea to? Please submit all cover artwork to Mrs. Breckenridge.

When is it due? All entries are due by January 10th.

What do I do? Create a yearbook cover that shows what it means to be a TECH SAVVY TIGER.

What media can I use? All 2D forms of art are welcome! Graphic designs are also welcome and may be emailed to Mrs. Breckenridge at mbreckenridge@cmitelementary.org

How will the winner be chosen? The teachers will anonymously vote on an artwork that shows craftsmanship and CMIT pride.

When will the winner be announced? The winner will be announced January 12th.

What does the winner get? The winner will receive a free yearbook! If students collaborate only 1 prize will be given, for example if siblings work together they will receive 1 yearbook.

Last details: The winner will need to sign a release to allow the art to be on the cover. Please write your scholar's name and homeroom teacher's name on the back of the art. Student names cannot be on the front of the art. If you need some help guiding your scholar with using the elements of art and principles of design please check out this packet (I wish I could print a student set of this for my classroom and have them bound as a book. It is super helpful!) http://awesomeartists.com/ART/AWESOMEARTISTS_PDFs_ETC/ABCsOfART_BOOKLET_B&W_ElementsAndPrinciplesOfDesign_2015.pdf

Also, if your scholar needs help brainstorming and planning you may google search student made yearbook cover.

Some themes from this year to help your brainstorming: Tech savvy, super heroes, the power of yet, college and career readiness

Have fun and make it amazing!

Stay Creative!

Regards,
Mrs. Breckenridge

Megan Breckenridge

Here is the information on how to share your school related photos to be considered for the yearbook. Please be sure to include names and details about the event in the description.

Encourage your scholar to come up with a catchy caption!

Website: community.lifetouch.com
Community Image Upload Site Access Code: KQGAZC

Megan Breckenridge

Happy New Year!

Please stop by my website for the latest PE news!

http://pe.cmitelementary.org/

Mr. Hatcher
Physical Education

Pikachu says "Please share our CMIT Elementary School Art Wish List so we can replenish our art supplies for second semester!" Our highest needed items are paint brushes, new Elmers glue bottles, and broad Crayola markers (the markers and glue can be purchased anywhere!). Please consider sending something or sharing our wish list. All purchased items will be shipped directly to the school and will be used by all of our scholars! Lastly, clay is my absolute favorite media to teach and it is also on the list.

Thank you so much for your support!

CMIT Elementary Art Wish List
Link: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/U7XK6HO2UMBJ

Lastly please take some time to sit down with your scholar and make art. Make thank you note collages, color in the snow with old squeeze bottles of colorful water, cut stuff (practice using the scissors the correct way), glue stuff (practice "a dot does a lot"), practice coloring slowly and carefully with markers and practice clicking the kids shut. Most importantly make it fun! (If your scholar is overwhelmed easily try focusing on 1 supply at a time.)

Have a fantastic winter break tigers!

Megan Breckenridge

Winter is here! Please remember to bring or wear sneakers for Physical Education. Thank you.

Mr. Hatcher
Physical Education

Dear Parents,

We had a great week of computer programming during our HOUR OF CODE week. Every class from Kindergarten through 5th grade participated and cumulatively our CMIT Elementary students wrote 45,000+ lines of code! What a great opportunity to learn computer science, see the code behind computer applications, and understand why these are important skills for the 21st century learner! Despite a few technology snags earlier in the week due to the high volume of participants worldwide for this 4th annual Hour of Code, the overwhelming positive response was undeniable.

Many students have asked about access at home with some of the activities.
Here is what CMIT Elementary students will do to improve their coding skills;

RESOURCES: MINECRAFT https://code.org/mc
The Minecraft course gives you the chance to explore the coding behind on of the world's most popular video games. Choose between Steve or Alex and explore all of your favorite aspects of Minecraft from the eyes of a game developer.

RESOURCES: STAR WARS https://code.org/starwars
The Star Wars course is your chance to build a galaxy with code. User learn basic coding through blocks or JavaScript and work toward coding their own Star Wars game!



Happy Coding!!
Mrs. Avsar -Technology Teacher

Hello CMIT Family,

I hope all is well. I would like to inform you about our Robotics Club. We did a great job with scholars and have completed four missions so far. As you know we will participate First Lego League(FLL) this year and I just would like to share with you tournament date. Our tournament will be held Prince George County Community College Saturday, February 4th.

I would like to thank my robotics club 5th-Grade students,
Peter Abang
Jonathan Pannell
Tony Tinsley
Nehemiah Hilton-Bey
Cory Wigfall
Stanislaus Vittor
Malik Capers

Lego Teacher
Mr. INCI
Sincerely,

Happy New Year from CMIT Elementary PTO! We hope you all had a wonderful winter break and are ready to get back into the swing of things. Here are a few upcoming events we have planned for you all this winter.

CMIT PTO

January 12th - Chick-fil-a In exchange for the PTO flooding you with fundraiser after fundraiser. We decided on doing 4 spirit nights, the Chick-fil-A in Laurel provides endless support to our school, including but not limited to, free kids meal coupons for honor rolls students, awards for the STEM fair and lunch for Teacher Appreciation Week. A portion of your purchase at each spirit night goes directly to your PTO. Look for the sticker! All Chick-fil-A spirit nights are at the Laurel Location at the cross of Contee Road and Route 1 from 3:00 to 9:00PM.

February 7th - PTO Meeting at 6PM in the CMIT Elementary Cafeteria. Refreshments will be provided. There will be a call in option for all meeting except the September meeting. Please refer to our website for updates on call in options and childcare during future meetings.

February 3rd through 9th – Valentine’s Gram Sales (Delivered on February 14th) Show someone you care and send a special Valentine Day treat via PTO. Only $1 per gram and its for a good cause.

At our last meeting, it was decided to discontinue use of All American Wear as our school uniform provider. We heard pitches from both Flynn O'Hara and Risse Brothers, provided below are the links to what each store is currently offering.

Flynn O'Hara has provided the following link for CMIT shopping: www.flynnohara.com/school/md170

Parents can order from Risse Brothers on www.RisseBrothers.com.

Risse Brothers and Flynn & O'Hara both offer the following:

o Personalized web option for online ordering (starting late next week)
o Store fronts for in person shopping (starting late next week)
o Refunds and exchanges for unused items
o Guaranteed items including no pilling, fading or seam tears for at least one school year
o In-store embroidery and screen printing allowing for items to be embroidered/screen printed as you shop

We ask that you also visit the store fronts:

Flynn O'Hara is located at 8807 Annapolis Rd, Lanham, MD 20706
Risse Brothers 9700 Martin Luther King Jr Hwy B, Lanham, MD 20706

This is so we all can make an educated decision when voting on who our new vendor will be in February.

Thank you Ms. Bowen for sharing this with us... Check it out its about the background checks for volunteering at the school..

Dear Parent/Guardian:

On August 18, 2016, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) updated the Volunteer Services policy. The policy now includes mandatory background checks and training for all volunteers, including parents and guardians. In an effort to help parents receive the mandatory background checks and training, the Heather Hills Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization (HHES PTO) partnered with the PGCPS’s Department of Family and Community Engagement to sponsor a Fingerprinting and Volunteer Training at HHES. This opportunity was open to all PGCPS parents/ guardians and volunteers.

Per the updated policy (Administrative Procedure 4216.6), volunteers, mentors and chaperones do not have to complete a fingerprint background check if they are escorted and under the supervision of a PGCPS employee at all times while on campus for a onetime event, such as parents volunteering for career day, book fairs, school dances, etc. However, those who are exempted from completing the fingerprint background check, must still undergo a commercial background check and provide a copy of their government issued identification to be scanned into the Raptor Visitor Management System, as required by Administrative Procedure 0500, when visiting school property.

The volunteer clearance process consists of a mandatory completion of a Child Protective Services (CPS) form and a Fingerprint Background check. Any parent/guardian of a student eligible for free and reduced meals is entitled to receive a fingerprint background "free of charge.” The parent/ guardian must provide proof of eligibility in the form of a letter from PGCPS. The letter must be presented at the time of service. Parents/Guardians of students ineligible for free and reduced meals, will need to provide payment in the amount of $56.57. Acceptable forms of payment include, cash (exact change preferred), money order or credit card (American Express not accepted).

PTO

Register your Giant Card- -Please register your Giant Card for the A+ school rewards. You can register online the school's ID is 18383

Remember to smile...to support us shop smile.amazon.com and select Chesapeake Math and IT Elementary PTO as your charitable organization.

Don't forget to please submit your BoxTops you can also drop them off in the boxes at the front desk. Every clip counts. Please don't forget to print out the attached sheet.

Attachment(s)

Check our website http://www.cmitelementarypto.com/

Subscribe to our calendars and Like us on Facebook:

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 , 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: 7:35 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: Student dismissal ends at 2:55 p.m. Otherwise, students will be sent to Enrichment and CHARGED ENRICHMENT DROP IN FEES (PAYABLE UPON PICK UP).

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 and the School Secretary, Crystal.Dubon@pgcps.org and the Principal’s Secretary Stefanie.Powers@pgcps.org or submit a handwritten note in order to expedite the process.

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 500 and we are unable to accommodate 500 different unique circumstances.

Uniform Policy
Q: How do I order uniforms?
A: All uniform shirts and tops are handled by the All American Wear. Please call 301-459-5000. All khaki or navy uniform bottoms may be purchased here or 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.

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 19, 2016.

Q: When does the student wear the Physical Education uniform?
A: Please confirm the day of the week that the students enrolled in 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 ALL BLACK. Any tennis shoes can be worn for PE and PE only.

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, 2016. 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 on Tuesdays 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 13, 2016; October 4, 2016; December 6, 2016; February 7, 2017; ; April 4, 2017; and June 6, 2017.
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, email the teacher for information on your child’s academic progress or call 240.573.7240 to leave the teacher a voicemail message.

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 administration.

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.

Student Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast/Lunch
Q: What time does breakfast begin?
A: Breakfast is served from 7:35 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.