The uniform company reported that they had a great influx of parents yesterday needing uniforms in sizes that were not in stock. Ms. Sullivan noted that as soon as the shipments come in on Tuesday or Wednesday they will be shipped to the parents. If your child falls under this category, please have them wear a plain green or blue polo, the khaki pants, and all black shoes. Make certain if you child has physical education that they wear rubber bottom all black shoes to protect the gymnasium floor.

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings All, There are only three modes of pick up: car, van, and enrichment. Parents you will not be allowed to walk up to get your child. You need to be in a vehicle and announce yourself using the PikMyKid application. EVERYONE needs to download the application. At the writing of this article, we only have 55 parents registered. Please see registration instructions below. Anyone who picks up your child, must be on the emergency card or have written permission from you. Please do not upload anyone into PikMyKid if they do not also have written authorization on file in the main office.

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings All, We do not want to upset our business neighbors so please do not park in their parking lots, especially directly in front the business 9800 Fallard Terrace. We share neighboring space with them and do not want to do anything to upset them. Thank you for your continued support .

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings All, We are operating with a cell phone and are housed in our sister school. If you need to reach us and are unable to get through via the cell phone, you can call the landline at CMIT MS/HS at 240-573-7250. Also, we have created another email address, secretary@cmitsouthes.org. Please use this email if you do not know who to direct your message to and it will be directed to the appropriate party. Email is the best way to reach CMIT Staff. Please allow 48 hours response for all communication. The newsletter is a major form of communication to all parents. Thank you for your patience while we transition into our new space. Warmest Regards, Stacy Williams

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

Attached is the most current Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook. Please read and review the contents with your child(ren). As new information and updates to the handbook become available, I will share them with you. Parents are expected to read and sign the final page entitled Code of Conduct Memorandum of Understanding and return it to school by Friday, September 7, 2018.

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings Families, If your son/daughter will need to take medication during the school day, the attached form will need to be completed by your child's doctor. The medication, along with the completed form, will be housed in the nurse's suite. Prince George's County Public Schools is responsible for furnishing nurses to schools. It is based on priority. A priority school is a school that has a diabetic, a student with a feeding tube, or a severe medical issue. Those schools will be furnished first with a registered nurse. Once those priority schools have been covered, the other schools will be granted a nurse dependent upon available clincial personnel. Our staff will have to participate in a host of SafeSchools Training modules to ensure we are trained to follow policies and procedures outlined by Prince George's County Public Schools. I will keep you updated as new information becomes available.

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter Principal

Please see attached parent registration and user guide in preparation for PikMyKid.

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings All, We will have a designated food allergy table for each lunch period. This table will be devoted to students who have food allergies. Make certain that you have alerted the school with any medical issues specific to your child. Our students' safety is of utmost importance.

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Fingerprinting Office Information: 1 4201 School Lane, Room 131, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 Tel: 301-952-6775 In-school volunteers for a day are required to undergo the background check. For all other volunteering opportunities, including field trips, chaperones must complete a full fingerprint background check and CPS clearance. Costs of these services are: Fingerprinting - $61 is a one-time and life-long permission to volunteer. CPS Clearance: $9 included in the fingerprinting cost. Individuals interested in volunteering in PGCPS are also required to complete SafeSchools online training program. The assigned course(s) must be completed prior to volunteering in PGCPS. Additional information can be found at https://www.pgcps.org/required-training/

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

School Hours: Earliest arrival : 7:35 AM Class starts: 8:05 AM Class ends: 2:15 PM Dismissal period: 2:15 PM- 2:55 PM Any student who has not been picked up by 2:55 pm will be escorted to the enrichment program where they will stay until their ride arrives. There is a flat rate of $10 for this drop in enrichment service. Breakfast is optional but encouraged for all growing tigers! It costs $1.60. (THIS IS A CHANGE!--Ms. Williams was misinformed.

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

Greetings Parents, Please follow the attached instructions for downloading the PikMyKid application. Each parent & user will need to register on their own smartphone with their own information. Get Started The app is available for download. Search " Pikmykid" on your smartphone’s app store (GooglePlay, Windows or iTunes). Registration Once you have downloaded the PikMyKid phone app, you will press the “Sign Up” button and fill out the form OTP Code Each parent & user will need to register on their own smartphone with their own information. After you press submit, you will be sent an OTP code by text message. Please enter this code into the next screen. This will complete your registration process! Don't see your child? If you are a parent/guardian and see a blank screen, please contact support@pikmykid.com to correct the issue. It is likely that the school did not have your mobile number on file. Questions? Email support@pikmykid.com Be sure to include the name of your child’s school, the child’s name, and your mobile number - as well as outline any questions (i.e. Blank Screen, OTP code missing)

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Lesma Watson Watkis completed her certification in elementary education at Sam Sharpe and Mico Colleges in Jamaica. She later completed her bachelors in middle grades education at Western Carolina University. She received her Master of Science in reading and literacy from Walden University, and obtained her administrator certification from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Watkis is a certified educator in reading, special education, ESOL, and gifted and talented. In her leisure, she likes to read and cook. Since 2014, she has worked as a teacher and Instructional Lead for reading at CMIT Elementary in North Laurel. This year, she was appointed as the Assistant Principal at the new CMIT Elementary Charter School in Upper Marlboro. Her favorite quote, The Present is not Permanent, guides her in her daily interaction with students and adults alike. Things are always changing, therefore, whatever the situation-The Present is not Permanent.

Lesma Watson Watkis

Enrichment Welcome to the CMIT Elementary School! We are glad that you have chosen us to educate and prepare your children for college and career. Please READ the following carefully: - 1. Enrichment (Before and After Care) begins on September 4th. Zero Period students: - arrive 6:30-7:30 Due to the logistics of our building, please try and arrive before 7:00AM. This way you will not be caught up in the long line of the other parents. Drive and come to a STOP at the cafeteria door-Please sign in 2. The above applies to dismissal as well, whether you are a STAR (3-4 pm), or a SCHOLAR (3-6PM) Please sign out. 3. Please pack a snack for your student especially if they will be here until 6:00PM 4. If your child is in enrichment and he/she is on medication, please get two prescriptions, one for school and one for home. The medication for school will be secured for use when necessary. 5. Please adhere to the directions of the teachers/adults on duty during arrival and departure. 6. Read the newsletter and Class dojo for information on EARLY DISMISSAL due to emergencies, professional development and weather condition. We use the same Calendar as the PGCPS district https://www.pgcps.org/2018-2019-calendar-as-grid/ 7. A letter will come home next week with pertinent information as it relates to the program. 8. Sign up for Pikmykid for dismissal. This will make your life easier https://www.pikmykid.com/ 9. Finally, I would like to give you the chance to donate a new book to our Enrichment Library . Please label the book :- "Donated to CMIT Enrichment Program 2018". (place your name/child's name inside) Thanks so much for supporting us. I need 100 books by next week Friday:) Can we do it? Yes we can- Thank you so much for partnering with us. We welcome your suggestions, and comments, so that we can get better The PRESENT is NOT PERMANENT Welcome! Watkis, L. lwatkis@cmitsouthes.org

Lesma Watson Watkis

The Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation received the official CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY for our Chesapeake Math & IT Academy South Elementary in Upper Marlboro, MD! On behalf of all of us at CLF: Mr. Spear Lancaster, our CLF Co-Founder & Hon. President, the CLF Board, Principal Carter, members of her team at CMIT South Elementary, CLF Project Manager, Mr. Derin, & our CLF Executive Team led by CEO, Mr. Hakki Karaman, we would all like to offer well deserved recognition for these teams for all the required planning, preparations, time, and sacrifice that has made our 2nd Elementary & 6th STEAM academy in Maryland a reality! Whoever first said, "If you build it, they will come" might have been predicting a CLF school. Our schools offered 950 openings to 7,650 applicants during the 2018 public-charter lottery season alone. The positive impact from what we are accomplishing together, on generations of MD families, is truly beyond measure! This marks the 6th replication/expansion for our non-profit education management company and the 2nd Elementary school in our STEAM fleet of CMIT Academies serving in Prince George’s County, Maryland. We know many new families have been anxiously awaiting this day. As another exciting chapter begins for them and our CLF schools, we would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the incredible team efforts of our Prince George's Community! Many more organizations and individuals helped with this project than we can mention here, but we must send our sincere thanks to Prince George's County & our immediate Business Neighbors, our friends at the Prince George's County Sheriff's Department, our Parks & Rec, our District 5 County Councilman Mr. Mel Franklin & District 1 Councilwoman, Mrs. Mary Lehman, as well as our friends at the Prince George’s County Permits Office, our partners at PGCPS BOE and PGCPS, PEPCO, Comcast, talents of AriumAE, and STEMamazing construction work accomplished by Jeff Kasman's team at KasCon, & of course our sister school community of CMIT South MS/HS, our PTOs & Volunteers, our education business partners, sponsors, and every parent, teacher, and student that is now a FOUNDER of this new program; not mention, YOU, too, for helping to make this new K-5 STEAM academy possible! We extend our thanks to our Business & Residential Communities across Prince George's County, as well as to all those not named here that represent those many organizations labor force we rely on to get the jobs done. You all put unity in commUNITY. Congratulations CMIT South Elementary, CLF, PGCPS, & all our Prince George's County Communities served by this accomplishment for generations to come! We at CLF & CMIT look forward to serving your children, continuing to provide our students & families a world-class K-12 public STEAM educational experience, and producing Maryland's future innovators! Warmest regards, Mark J. Sutherland Community Partnerships Director Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation 6151 Chevy Chase Dr. Laurel, MD 20707 T. (301) 776.2300 x.104 E. msutherland@clfmd.org www.clfmd.org

Patrice Harrell-Carter, Principal

Thank you for your patience! The white oxford shirt is NOT required for K-2 this school year 2018/19. Originally, the Oxford was required for all grades, however, due to a miscommunication with our uniform suppliers, the white shirts have not been available for K-2 grades. Therefore we will NOT require the white oxford this year. If you have already purchased a shirt, your student is still welcome to wear it, however, it is not required." Thank you again and have a great day! Stacy Williams www.cmitelementary.org

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

Arrival/Dismissal Procedures Parents who are picking up their children are required to follow the outlined traffic pattern. We will have plenty of staff members outside to help the younger students in and out of the vehicle. If at all possible, please place your child on the right side of the rear car seat. This will make transitioning them easier and will not disrupt the flow of traffic. (see graphic below) Arrival: The Carline Cars will enter the parking lot (front of the school) and turn to the left. Proceed around the school building. When cars get closer to the cafeteria area, the car doors will open and students will walk briskly into the cafeteria. If you son/daughter attends before care, you will follow the same outlined procedure. All students who ride independently owned buses/vans, will be also follow the same traffic flow. However, the buses or vans will have a designated spot/section on the left side of the back of the school building. A staff member will let the students know when they are able to depart the buses/vans to ensure safety. We will encourage the buses/vans to arrive early so when students depart the buses they will not interfere with the traffic flow. Student safety is important to us. Dismissal: The Carline 2:15-2:35 pm (estimated time) This application is an aid for the dismissal process. Once you arrive on at school, you will use the application to “announce” yourself. Your child’s name will show in a cue on our computer screens. Staff members will be in the hallway to ensure the students get to the cafeteria and they will be dismissed from there. For more information about the program, access the following website: https://www.pikmykid.com/

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

Please see the attached letter: The Department of Student Services/Office of School Health is sending you this memorandum to inform you that your school has not been assigned a school nurse for the 2018-2019 school year. The Office of School Health held multiple job fairs, conducted interviews, and tried to fill all nursing vacancies for the 2018-2019 school year; however, they have not been able to find enough qualified nurses. Contractual nurses will be utilized as available to fill these vacancies while the Office of School Health, in collaboration with the Department of Human Resources, continues recruiting efforts. To ensure the health/medical needs of your students are addressed, you will be contacted by the Nurse Manager assigned to your school prior to the first day of school. The Nurse Manager will work with you to develop a plan of support. A letter, including one in Spanish and French, is attached to this memorandum, which is to be shared with your parent community on September 4, 2018. I want to assure you that every effort is being made to fill the nursing vacancies with qualified staff members. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Karen Bates, Office of School Health Supervisor, at 301-749-4722 or Kbates@pgcps.org. Thank you for your cooperation regarding this matter.

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Hours-Sasscer Building-walk in, no appointment necessary 14201 School Lane Upper Marlboro, Md. 20772 Summer hours Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM to 5:15 PM Regular hours Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:45 PM Fingerprinting and Child Protective Services Clearance $61.00 Credit card, money order, cash and company checks are accepted forms of payment Fingerprint/CPS Check $61.00 Hughes Barney Investigations-9315 Largo Drive West #100 Upper Marlboro, Md. 20774         301-333-1728 Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Additional hours Monday and Wednesday 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM by appointment only 1 st and 3 rd Saturday of the month 8:00 to noon by appointment only http://hbinvestigations.com E. House Executive Security Professionals Inc.  4147 Auth Place #420  Suitland, Md. 20746 301-899-2828 Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Additional hours Tuesday and Thursday 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM by appointment only 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month 8:00 to noon by appointment only https://www.eh-esp.com Commercial Background Checks $15.00 (on line only) https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/stores/catalog/getproduct?requestAction=&client Key=ZZHVZTLU9O052WP&productKey=ZZIDZRUT78044CS Individuals interested in volunteering in PGCPS are also required to complete SafeSchools online training program. The assigned course(s) must be completed prior to volunteering in PGCPS. Additional information can be found at https://www.pgcps.org/required-training/

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

The first week of school is finally upon us and I cannot wait to get started! But first, I wanted to send out some important announcements: School arrival is at 7:35am, and school dismissal is 2:15pm. There are no walk-ups and students must be dismissed via car, van, or must be attendees of the after school enrichment program. Additionally, I ask that you please label your child's supplies that are being brought in. For ClassDojo, I will be sending a code via email on Sunday in order for all parents to sign up. On the first day of class I will be reviewing safety procedures with the students and will introduce them to the daily routine and procedures of the classroom. This school year will be great and I look forward to Tuesday!

Ms. Nicholls

Hello! Tuesday is coming fast and there is a couple things that need to be addressed. Arrival time is at 7:35am. Departure is at 2:15pm. Please make sure you are signed up on the Pikmykid up app and have your number displayed in your car. Make sure your child knows if they are going home by van, car, or to enrichment. These are the only options for dismissal. Some families have not received their uniforms. The following attire is okay to wear for the first week: blue, green, or white polo with khaki pants and black shoes. All folders should be labeled with your child's name. Please make sure they have at least three sharpened pencils for the first day. I am so excited to meet all my third graders! It is going to be a great year!

-Ms. Pavignano

Greetings Parents & Guardians, It is with much contemplation that we have decided not to have parents bring in cupcakes for birthday celebrations. With the rise in food allergies and other health concerns, we would much rather these celebrations be held at home. We do not want to disrupt instructional time nor have the lunch monitors have to facilitate such celebrations. As an alternative, parents can bring in non-food items to help to celebrate their son/daughter's birthdays. Such items could be passed out at the end of the school day.

The Administrative Team

Hello Everyone! My name is Stacy Williams and I will be the Receptionist at CMIT South ES. I was born and raised in Washington, DC and currently living in St. Charles County, MD. I am extremely excited to share this amazing experience with my CMIT family. "TOGETHER WE ARE ONE". In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I am a mother of two, Damiya and Elijah! I also enjoy skating, cooking (as well as baking), sports (Dallas fan), going to the beach, traveling, and feeding the homeless at churches as well as outside events throughout my community. I look forward to an amazing year at our new school! Enjoy the rest of your summer! -Stacy W

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

Welcome to Technology Class! My name is Fatma AK. This will be my second year in Maryland and at CMIT Elementary Schools. I have an ESL degree, studied computer after college and earned Microsoft Office Certificate. I taught Microsoft Office and other programs at elementary and middle schools in other states. I travelled a lot internationally. I love meeting people and learning about different cultures. Working with children and helping them succeed in school is my passion. I'm so excited be working with your children this year!

Fatma Ak

Due to parking limitations, CMIT South ES parents are not able to walk their students in to the building during arrival periods. Students will be received by members of CMIT South ES staff and escorted into the building. The arrival policy and procedures are put in place to promote student safety. The staff not only has limited parking space but we are surrounded around other businesses that we do not want to upset. We agreed to keep to a "kiss and ride" flow. CMIT South ES appreciate your support and understanding while we transition into a new environment that's new to us all. Thank you again for your patience, understanding, and assistance! We are looking forward to an awesome school-year 2018-2019. Thank You, Stacy W

Stacy Williams, Receptionist swilliams@cmitsouthes.org

Greetings All, According to a new policy with Prince George's County Public Schools, we are not able to add copy paper on the school supply lists. Since this list was created prior to knowing the updated policy, and it is listed on our school supply list, please disregard.

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

My name is Ms. Michelle Phillips and I am teaching Second Grade Reading/ Language Arts and Social Studies. I hail from the Bronx, New York and graduated from Virginia State University with my BS in Education. I have a passion for teaching and believe that learning is a lifelong journey. I previously taught second grade last year. I feel that second grade is the best age to shape young minds and make a positive impact. I am very excited about this year and all the possibilities of exploring learning in new ways. Here are a few fun facts about me. My hobbies are basketball, traveling, shopping, scrapbooking, journaling, and listening to jazz music. My favorite stores to shop at are Target, Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby. I like to create things for my classroom and bring everything to life. My favorite foods and beverages are Vanilla Coke and Chick fila. My birthday is September 28th and I love the season of Fall most of all!

Ms. Phillips

Greetings All, Please see the attached welcoming letter from one of our neighboring businesses. We were ecstatic about the extension of kindness.

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings Families, Please see the school supply lists. This information can also be found on our website. Look for the link that is scrolling across the screen.

Attachment(s)

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings CMIT South Elementary Families, In order to begin using the newsletter application, we need subscribers. Please follow the directions to subscribe to the newsletter. 1. Access the website: http://cmitsouthelementary.org/ 2. Select News 3. Select Newsletter 4. Select CMIT South Elementary 5. Select Subscribe 6. Input your email address, first name, last name 7. Select 'I Am Not A Robot' 8. Follow the prompts to prove you are not a robot 9. Now, you are all set to receive the newsletter weekly!

Patrice Harrell-Carter
Principal

Greetings Parents, Please follow us on the following social media websites: Follow us on Twitter: @cmitsouth Follow us on Instagram: cmitsouth_es Follow us on Facebook: Cmitsouth ES As well, make sure you notify the school if you do not want your child's picture posted. The pictures that will be selected to post will be morally proper and include appropriate messaging that highlights the school in a positive way.

Patrice Harrell-Carter Principal

"CMIT South ES recognizes that the strength of our community originates in and radiates from our Parent-Teacher Organization. We would LOVE for you to get involved! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5G_f_9BgdIo5HoGjjGA62lIXW2fB-XWVgUlUQecIwB9yRTg/viewform

Ms. Waters

With great anticipation parents it is almost that time of the year to entrust your little people in the hands of strangers. However, take a moment and reflect back to the anxiety you felt going off to high school or college and meeting your teachers for the first time. Hopefully, you were excited! That is the level of excitement we are bringing to your little tigers. For the parents of kindergarteners know we truly understand your fears and anxiety, of your babies first day. I am the mother of three, Mrs. Carter is the mother of three, and Mrs. Watkis is also the mother of three, so we have all walked in your shoes and have had the same level of anxiety and fears as you are encountering. These shoes of knowing this is the beginning of your babies becoming more independent, making new friends, learning new things and truly exploring the world can truly be overwhelming. Take a moment relax, and breathe, knowing your little ones are stepping out into a world of excellence; excellent administrative leadership, excellent teachers, an excellent school with excellent parental support. Remember as a team we will be able to make this an excellent year for your student. The attached picture shows a little changes within the growth of education. The title Guidance Counselors is no longer, the new title is Professional School Counselors. Reason for the change is to incorporate a higher level of professionalism. Not only will your student encounter greatness in the classroom, they will also encounter a great level of professionalism from each educator. Parents, rest assure as we work together in the development of your the mind and growth of your mini adults, we will provide you with exceptional professionalism. So, let's get excited to create the best foundation for our little tigers.

DM Davis