Thank you to all the parents that were able to attend the lovely recognition dinner that CLF provided to all the STEM fair and Makers Fair winners.

It was truly a beautiful event and honor to be in the room with so many scholars.

The students looked as if they were preparing to walk the on the red carpet and presented themselves in such a way that all adults in the room were in admiration of all the hard work.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Thank you to the parents who shared pictures with us.

Ms. Riley
Acting Principal

Lets give a BIG Round of applause to all of our scholars who were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments.

Our scholars continue to work hard at their studies and I know you couldn't be more proud.

Lets keep up the good work.

Thank you to the parents who shared their photos with us.

Ms. Riley
Acting Principal

CMIT Elementary scholars will take following assessments in near future.

March 13th - 31st: MISA (New Science Assessment for 5th graders)

*** MAP Winter test parent reports and 3rd grade TAG Fall assessment report will be sent out on Friday, February 17th with students. Please check your child's backpack on this day for those reports.

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

We had an amazing STEM fair this year. Our winners are listed below.

These Winners received their prizes last week!

Kindergarten
1st Enzo Nunez Guerra
2nd Janae Jenkins
3rd Charles Allen
4th Warner Brown
5th Andrew Akinmutimi
Unique Isaiah Black

1st grade
Grand prize Zane Kelly
1st Christian Ottman
2nd ALEXANDRA BROCKEL
3rd AIDEN HODGE
4th LAMINE DIAGNE
5th ADEDAMOLA ADELEKE
Unique Kyron Luke

2nd grade
1st CONNOR ANSON
2nd JAMEL JONES
3rd VICTORIA SHIM
4th AVA GILL
5th SARAH CALER
Unique DARNELL GREEN
Unique Dewayne Mosley


3rd grade

1st KENNETH HALL
2nd OMARI PEARSON
3rd AMARIS TAPPIN
4th IFEOMA AKABUDE
5th MYLES DIXON
Unique DARRIUS PUGH

4th

1st BRANDON MILLINE
2nd MORIAH OSHINNAIYE
3rd ASHTON REYNOLDS
4th Zachary WARD
5th HUDA CHAUDHRY

Unique ZAHRIA MOSLEY
Unique BRYCE ALBURY
Best board JAELYN FOX
Most creative ALexander Akinmutimi
Most creative William Brockel

5th
Grand Prize MADISON DOSTER
1st DAILYN WRAY
2nd ARIANA NOEL
3rd VALERIE MARTE
4th NAIMA SAM-BOMAH
5th NEHEMIAH HILTON-BEY
Unique Cory WIgfall
Unique Kefira Boyd

I am excited about all the hard work these scholars put in. Congratulations!

Mrs. McCain

Students should bring in their $10 club fee as soon as possible. It is time to get all of our supplies. Students should bring in a personal snack on club days. We have our first amusement park ride completed. We Participated in the Makerfest! We had an amazing time. We will work on our bridges this week!

Benora McCain

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.

Clubs;

Please be on time to pick your child up after the clubs. Clubs end at 3.55. If you are late, your child will be sent to the Enrichment at 4.00pm and enrichment drop off fee will apply.

Arif Akpinar
Program Coordinator

Please support the homeless. One of our very own families would like to collect homeless hygiene care packs in bookbags to distribute to our community. If you remember, we completed this for the holidays and it was a huge success. Please consider sending in items from February 6th until Valentines Day. On Valentines day students may dress down and bring in care bags in hand. A donation drop box will be located at the front office February 6th-15th. Thank you for all your support!

Benora McCain

What a great week! Thank you to the parents who donated their time (and patience) to join us at Port Discovery. If you are interested in chaperoning on our field trips, you must obtain your fingerprint clearance.

We also investigated worms! Students observed and recorded their observations through drawings and writing. They are becoming great scientists!

This week in Kindergarten...
English Language Arts
We will continue to work with the story "Rooster's Off to See the World." It is a story about a Rooster who goes on an adventure and finds friends along the way. We will be retelling a story in sequence and and identifying initial /h/ sound.

Mathematics
We are learning to compose and decompose numbers! Students will be expanding on their basic addition and subtraction to now create sums and writing number sentences to match these sums. We will be continuing this over the next few weeks!

Science
Students will be finishing their K-W-L charts on worms and completing a cumulative writing on living and nonliving things. We will also be introducing the Water Cycle and continuing with the cycle next week!

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, they, you, of, are, that, do

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

Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink
Reading skills – prediction, problem and solution, connection and opinion
Spelling – oo as in food
Sight words – Name, sentence man, think, say
Vocabulary Words– Valentine Cards, friends, cookie, rose, chocolate, violets, lace, heart
Grammar Skills – Subject verb agreement

Math
First grade will be working on chapter 14 next week. Chapter 14 is working 2D shapes.

Social Studies
We will be learning about maps and globes.

Science
First grade will be starting to work on light waves.

Black History Month Poster
The project is due on February 16, 2017

Assembly on Friday, February 17, 2017 at 8:30 a.m.
Our students will be singing about Martin, parents are welcomed.

First Grade Team

This month is Healthy Heart Awareness Month as we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14th let's also remember to eat healthy and take care of our hearts. Also be sure to read over the letter sent home last week by our nurse. If your child has any symptoms that were listed, please take the proper precautions to get them the help they need and keep others from becoming ill.

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOM?
This week in Science students will develop models to describe organisms that have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

In math students will complete Pizza Fraction Projects that are due on 2-17-17, as we continue to understand a fraction as a number on the number line and represent fractions on a number line diagram.

Reading/Writing focus is to continue to work on the research writing simulation, as it relates to the focus on endangered animals that we have been discussing for the last two weeks in Science. Students are also beginning a novel study with the novel, Lowji Discovers America. Students will describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Social Studies the students will collect and examine information about people, places, or events of the past using pictures, photographs, maps, audio or visual tapes, and or documents. They will also compare family life in the local community by considering jobs, communication, and transportation.

Reminder 3rd grade students have been asked to complete a Black History Poster for the Black History Contest. We are encouraging all of our students to complete this poster. Click on link for more information https://dochub.com/benoramccain69c5/ErJVXX/clf-sponsored-essay-and-poster-contest?dt=aq9d1h5zh2ymh430

We would like to highlight our very own Zachery Angelo Akyeampong for doing a super fantastic job as the MC for the Black History presentation on February 3rd.

The Third Grade Team

We are loving our new schedule. This new schedule has specific time slots for small groups. Teachers are scaffolding learning in small groups. Please review the website for updates. http://grade4.cmitelementary.org/.
Our black history presentations are due February 17th. Any black history essay submissions are also due this day. Students should be taking the online practice PARCC assessment for fourth grade math and reading. This will help them become familiar with the testing tools and questions.

Benora McCain

The pictures show 5th graders modeling interactive learning as they worked in small groups, collaborated, and took the role as teacher in preparation for Topic 7 Assessment. CMIT-ES, Great by Choice!

Reminders:
1. Saturday Academy meets 9:00a.m-11:55a.m (Invites Only for Math & Reading)
2. Topic 7 Assessment Tuesday, Feb. 14th
3. February 20th – Presidents Day (No School)
4. i-Ready: Students should complete each lesson once started in order for the system to record their duration
5. Students should bring headphones to school for online lessons

PGCPS’ Live Math Homework Helpline:
http://www1.pgcps.org/countonus/

Scholars|Parents: Please visit our grade level website for next week’s pacing guide. http://grade5.cmitelementary.org

Ms. Cooper

Please make sure that you are following the testing schedule. We have several assessments coming up and we want to stay prepared. Below are 10 tips to help us prepare to do our best.

1. Have a Positive Attitude
Approach the big test as you'd approach a giant jigsaw puzzle. It might be tough, but you can do it! A positive attitude goes a long way toward success.

2. Make a Plan
The week before the test, ask your teacher what the test is going to cover. Is it from the textbook only? Class notes? Can you use your calculator? If you've been absent, talk to friends about material you may have missed. Make a list of the most important topics to be covered and use that as a guide when you study. Circle items that you know will require extra time. Be sure to plan extra time to study the most challenging topics.

3. The Night Before
Cramming doesn't work. If you've followed a study plan, the night before the test you should do a quick review and get to bed early. Remember, your brain and body need sleep to function well, so don't stay up late!

4. The Morning of the Test
Did you know that you think better when you have a full stomach? So don't skip breakfast the morning of the test. Get to school early and do a ten-minute power study right before the test, so your brain is turned on and tuned up.

5. Test Time
Before the test begins, make sure you have everything you'll need - scratch paper, extra pencils, your calculator (if you're allowed to use it). Understand how the test is scored: Do you lose points for incorrect answers? Or is it better to make guesses when you're not sure of the answer? Read the instructions! You want to make sure you are marking answers correctly.

6. Manage Your Time
Scan through the test quickly before starting. Answering the easy questions first can be a time saver and a confidence builder. Plus, it saves more time in the end for you to focus on the hard stuff.

7. I'm Stuck!
Those tricky problems can knock you off balance. Don't get worried or frustrated. Reread the question to make sure you understand it, and then try to solve it the best way you know how. If you're still stuck, circle it and move on. You can come back to it later. What if you have no idea about the answer? Review your options and make the best guess you can, but only if you don't lose points for wrong answers.

8. Multiple-Choice Questions
The process of elimination can help you choose the correct answer in a multiple-choice question. Start by crossing off the answers that couldn't be right. Then spend your time focusing on the possible correct choices before selecting your answer.

9. Neatness Counts
If your 4s look like 9s, it could be a problem. Be sure that your writing is legible and that you erase your mistakes. For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces carefully.

10. I'm Done!
Not so fast - when you complete the last item on the test, remember that you're not done yet. First, check the clock and go back to review your answers, making sure that you didn't make any careless mistakes (such as putting the right answer in the wrong place or skipping a question). Spend the last remaining minutes going over the hardest problems before you turn in your test.

Special Education Team
Mrs. Bello and Ms. McVeigh

Chess club group picture prior to Thursday after-school practice. Opening strategies are refined and check-mate tactics are perfected.

Norris Powell

Hello,
Go Tigers!!!!!
We had great time with our robotics club students last week on Saturday. We left seven schools behind as CMIT Elementary school and my club students worked really hard for this event. I would like to thank those students.
Jonathan Pannell
Malik Capers
Nehemiah Hilton-Bey
Peter Abang
Tony Tinsley
Stanislaus Vittor
Cory Wigfall

Mr. Inci
Lego Teacher

At the February 7th PTO Meeting the PTO voted to move forward with Risse Brothers and All American Wear for next school year's uniform needs. Flynn O'Hara will continue to carry CMIT logo polo shirts, sweaters and fleeces through June. All American Wear has provided the attached coupon good through the end of February.

Flynn O'Hara has provided the following link for CMIT shopping: www.flynnohara.com/school/md170
Flynn O'Hara is located at 8807 Annapolis Rd, Lanham, MD 20706

Parents can order from Risse Brothers on www.RisseBrothers.com.
Risse Brothers 9700 Martin Luther King Jr Hwy B, Lanham, MD 20706

All American Wear 5001-B Forbes Blvd Lanham MD 20706

Attachment(s)

PTO

Over 700 grams will be delivered on Tuesday, February 14th. The PTO will go one final walk through to classrooms on Monday to collect any final orders. Candy gram orders will not be accepted on Tuesday.

PTO

The PTO is excited to announce the St. Patty's Day After School Dance Party from 3-5PM on March 17th. The PTO is requesting donated bottles of water, individually bagged chips, bananas, oranges, granola bars and juice boxes. Items can be left at the front desk.
Tickets are $8 on/before March 16th and $10 on March 17th. Flyer with more information is attached.

Attachment(s)

PTO

March 2nd from 3-8PM at the Contee Road/Rte. 1 location. Don't forget to mention CMIT!

PTO

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.