On Monday, 2/22/2021, the CMIT North MS PTO hosted a Town Hall with Principal Brauer. The focus was to inform the community of steps that have been taken to prepare the school for reopening and to describe what in-person hybrid learning will look like. You can see the recorded Town Hall by clicking on the link and entering the Access Password: 9I%Zp913 (Copy and paste to eliminate any type-os) Meeting Recording: https://zoom.us/rec/share/zxOHsWXiz3sfI9mvk24gsw4909TBRaSUyGaUaEU4DpNe6mYCtffYWRSjzKKW7Tsf.7HThUmU79OYOM1LL Please contact the Front Office with any questions. 301-350-6051 or ronina.hodges@pgcps.org.

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Andrew Brauer, Principal

Parents Please Complete the In Person Hybrid Learning Survey if you have not done so already. We are reaching out to you through this survey to gather your intentions regarding your child or children returning to in-person hybrid instruction when schools reopen for the remainder of the school year. Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is providing the option for parents and guardians to choose between continuing with at-home full distance learning or returning to in-person hybrid instruction. Hybrid instruction means part time in-person instruction and part time at-home learning. Students will be in school for two days each week. Information on full distance learning, in-person hybrid instruction and the school reopening plan can be found on the PGCPS website. When responding to this survey, you are committing to how your child will receive instruction for the remainder of the school year. Responses to this survey may not be altered once submitted. If the virtual option is selected, your child must remain distance learning for the remainder of the school year. Please take the time to answer the survey. You will be prompted to complete a survey for each child within your household. The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, February 28, 2021. If a parent/guardian does not complete the survey by the February 28, 2021 deadline, the system will select your child for in-person hybrid instruction through the last day of school. Survey Links: English:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Reopen_PGCPS_English French:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Reopen_PGCPS_French Spanish:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Reopen_PGCPS_Spanish

Mr. Andrew Brauer Principal

Students in the 7th grade that have not submitted proof of their Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis vaccine (Tdap) and Meningococcal vaccine (MCV) will need to do so prior to the start of the hybrid learning model. Proof of these vaccinations is a State of Maryland requirement that has not been waived during the pandemic. Parents were contacted via phone last week to remind them of their student's non-compliance with the state requirement. Emails were also sent to student's and parent's email accounts. Students that require vaccine administration should contact their Primary Care Physician. If you need assistance with community resources please contact the nurse office and leave a voice message at 240-547-4545 or send an email to crystal.anthony@pgcps.org. Please remember to bring your most recent shot record to any appointments. Documents can be emailed to crystal.anthony@pgcps.org or faxed to 301-560-3461. Thank you for helping keep our students healthy and ready to learn.

CMIT Nurse

New Hours for Parent Support Centers Begin March 1 | Nuevo horario para los Centros de Apoyo para los Padres a partir del 1 de marzo | Les nouvelles heures d'ouverture des Centres de soutien aux parents commencent le 1er mars Beginning Monday, March 1, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) distance learning Parent Support Centers will operate on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 - 8 p.m. Appointments may be scheduled online at https://www.pgcps.org/reopen-pgcps/distance-learning/parent-centers or by calling 240-696-3315. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ A partir del 1 de marzo, los Centros de Apoyo para los Padres durante el aprendizaje a distancia de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Prince George operarán los lunes y miércoles de 5:00 p. m. a 8:00 p. m. Se puede hacer una cita en línea o llamando al 240-696-3315. https://www.pgcps.org/reopen-pgcps/distance-learning/parent-centers ________________________________________________________________________________________________ À partir du lundi 1er mars, les Centres de soutien parental pour l'apprentissage à distance des Écoles publiques du comté de Prince George (PGCPS) seront ouverts les lundis et mercredis de 17h à 20 heures. Vous pouvez prendre rendez-vous en ligne ou par téléphone au 240-696-3315. https://www.pgcps.org/reopen-pgcps/distance-learning/parent-centers

CMIT North MS Administration

Dear CMIT North Middle School Family, Many areas of the world are still experiencing the outbreak of COVID-19. As you know, the Prince Georges County School District has made the difficult decision to reopen buildings and move forward with a hybrid model. This effort is aimed to get students back into the classroom and back to a traditional form of learning. Although, a great number of our parents is considering not sending their child back in the building, CMIT North will remain committed to serving the CMIT community and provide ongoing guidance and resources through this unprecedented situation. What does this mean for school counseling? Those students who rely on the counselor for support are encouraged to reach out via email, if possible, or by calling the school on Mondays and Wednesdays to leave a message. The counselor will routinely be checking with the school and emails. In times such as these, I find the guidance department in a unique position to offer support to the CMIT North community. The guidance department is trained with crisis response skills and also have strong relationships with many of our students and families. While the support the guidance department can offer is limited in this current climate, the CMIT guidance department is eager to help. If you have any questions or general concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. The CMIT guidance department aims to support all students in the areas of career, academic and social/emotional development. While the counselor continues the means to do so remotely, CMIT North guidance department encourage students and their families to seek out additional resources related to their needs. If families need community resources to help address certain concerns, please reach out to the guidance department for resources. Before we are educators, counselors, administrators and parents to our own children, we are humans. CMIT will successfully continue to navigate this matter, as we have done with the pandemic this past year. Here are some gentle reminders as we continue to move forward: 1. Separate what is in your control from what is not. Remember steps you can take, such as washing your hands thoroughly, practicing social distancing, limiting your consumption of news and taking your vitamins. 2. Do what helps you feel safe. This will vary from person to person. Perhaps calling a friend or family member, watching a funny movie or being creative is helpful. Just take care not to isolate yourself. 3. Challenge yourself to stay present. You may find yourself worrying not only about the current situation but also what’s to come. Gently give yourself permission to come back to the present moment. Notice the sights and sounds around you. Practicing mindfulness activities is one way to stay grounded. 4. Stay connected with your circle. Pick up the phone and talk to a trusted friend about how you are feeling. If you are particularly anxious, or struggling with your mental health, it is okay to reach out to a mental health professional for help. You don’t have to be alone with your worry the Prince Georges County Crisis Team is a great resource. They can be contacted at (301) 429-2185.

Yurhance Johnson, Professional School Counselor

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits. This year's theme is "Personalize Your Plate." There is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and health. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds and tastes! And a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can tailor a healthful eating plan that is as special as you are. Each week, for the Month of March, I will be sharing information on Nutrition. This week, I have included a nutrition quiz and some smart snacking tips for teens and adults. Let's use this month to help us refocus on our health!

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CMIT Nurse

Students from Chesapeake Math and IT Academy North Middle School never stops from seeking knowledge despite the pandemic. Interactive simulations brought powerful learning experience to life science students in eight grade to understand DNA replication and protein synthesis. In the Building DNA Gizmo, students constructed a DNA molecule, examined its double-helix structure, and then went through the DNA replication process. They learned how each component fits into a DNA molecule, and saw how a unique, self-replicating code can be created. In the RNA and Protein Synthesis Gizmo, students used both DNA and RNA to construct a protein out of amino acids. Students learned about the many steps involved in protein synthesis including: unzipping of DNA, formation of mRNA, attaching of mRNA to the ribosome, and linking of amino acids to form a protein. The pictures above show sample students' work and collage pictures of the interactive activities.

Mrs. Crespo-Montano (Science Teacher)

Biology students not only learn science principles but also apply art on it. Students summarized the processes in cell transport through poster presentation. Cell transport refers to the movement of substances across the cell membrane. There are two major types of cell transport; namely, passive transport and active transport. Active transport like sodium-potassium pump, endocytosis, and exocytosis moves molecules and ions against concentration gradient and that is from lower concentration to higher concentration with the help of energy. On the other hand, passive transport like simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis moves molecules and ions from a higher concentration to lower concentration without any energy. The pictures above show the students' work.  

Mrs. Crespo-Montano (Science Teacher)

Doing lab work and understanding science principles in this distance learning is not  a hindrance to the students in Chesapeake Math and IT Academy North Middle School. Biology students from the University of Michigan explored and understood the principles of homeostasis by conducting virtual labs.   Students learned solutes, solvents, solutions and how different concentrations affect homeostasis in cells. Students summarized the procedure of the virtual lab by creating a methodology flowchart. The pictures above show some of the students' work.

Mrs. Crespo-Montano (Science Teacher)

Greets Scholars & Parents, I hope all is well. Last week was a great week for most of the 6th and 7th grade students. Most submitted completed classroom assignments. 25% of the 6th Grades who took Chapter 2 test on Building Charter had a score of 100 - Keep up the great work!!! Next week 7th graders will be taking their 2nd test on Wednesday March 3 6th graders will continue to in Chapter 3 on Bullying and Cyberbullying Looking forward to continued improvement for all students.

Mrs. Curry "We must reject not only the stereotypes that others hold of us, but also the stereotypes that we hold of ourselves" - Shirly Chisholm

Dear CMIT Families, Students celebrated Black History Month by reflecting on the life and role of famous African-American figures. They combined research skills, creativity, and coding concepts (i.e., simple events, advanced costume handling, input/output) to create an interactive project that celebrates the life and achievements of an African-American figure of their choice. Additionally, students expanded on their projects while experimenting with new code blocks. In this process, students developed debugging and logical reasoning skills. They enjoyed Tell Their Story in the technology classroom.

Mr. INCI / Technology Teacher 7th & 8th Grades

Q: Is CMIT North MS a public school? 

A: Yes We are a public charter school who is staffed by PGCPS teachers and administration, and support staff who work along side of a limited CLF staff. We have access to PGCPS support but also benefit from additional guidance, management and financial support from Chesapeake Light House Foundation, whose educational concept this school is based on. 

Q: Do siblings get preference in applying to CMIT?

A: The process of gaining entry to any charter school in Prince George's County is through a lottery. However, siblings of already attending CMIT students are weighted differently during the lottery process. This different weighting gives preference to siblings. 

Q: What makes CMIT different then any other school in the district? 

A: Although we are a PGCPS public charter, we are given some autonomy over curriculum. This autonomy allows us to fast track students, who are academically ready, through selected high school courses in math, foreign language, science and technology. It is that fast tracking that opens up opportunity to more advanced  coursework on the college level while still in high school.  Additionally, we offer students supports and enrichments to every student, not available at most schools. Lastly, we are a uniform school which takes away the distraction, the competition and the social stratification that is brought on by non uniform dress in a school. 

Our test scores oustrip not only county averages but also state avaerages. This, along with other metrics has made us a 5 star school. 

Q: Do you offer everything the big middle and high school's offer? 

A: Unlike many school in Maryland, we do not have a  full spectrum offerings in sports.  Instead, our focus is on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). Therefore, our sports offerings are more limited.  We offer, boys and girls soccer, basketball, girl's softball, boy's baseball and club lacrosse in the middle school. Additionally, boys and girls basketball, track/field and volleyball at the high school level. With that said we recently (2017) won the girls county basketball championship and made it to the playoffs in soccer. Our high school opened a multi-million dollar, state of the art gym complex, competitive with all schools of their size. The middle school has also added an indoor gym space.  Lastly, we do offer special educational services, but becuase we are a school of choice, the amount of service hours we can provide is limited to 7.5 hours a week, split between literacy and math. Services hours are delivered by special education teachers but are limited to literacy and math courses.