Congratulations to Mr. McSparron for being chosen as CMIT Middle School's December Teacher of the Month. Mr. McSparron is a 6th grade Reading/Language Arts (RELA) teacher and serves the school as the RELA Department Chair. Mr. McSparron's leadership within the RELA department and the school is very valuable. He often leads discussion and provides feedback as we progress towards our school goals. Mr. McSparron is known for his structured classroom where students are encouraged to read and stay engaged in their work, as well as, in his very popular Dungeons and Dragons Club. Mr. McSparron is always calm, collected, and a voice of reason during challenging times. He is always willing to help a fellow teacher. CMIT Middle School is very proud to have Mr. McSparron as a vital member of our team!

Mr. Andrew Brauer, Principal

Dear Parents and Students, This year PGCPS has identified keys to student success. One key, attendance, has become the counties focus. This is because authoritative studies have shown that class attendance directly correlates with student success. Simply put, If you are not in the class you are missing important content and classwork. If you not already aware, please note the Tardy Policy for all middle school students. 5 Tardies will result in the parent or guardian being contacted. 10 Tardies will result in Saturday Detention. 15 Tardies will result in a loss of privileges for the quarter. This includes dances, casual days, field trips, and other quarterly activities. 20 Tardies will result in In School Suspension. The tally of tardies will reset each quarter. Please let your student know your expectations of them to be timely. Please contact Mrs. Linnenkamp with any questions at jlash@cmitacademy.org Middle School Administration

James Screven, Assistant Principal

The competition was fierce, but at the end of the day there was only one speller standing! A big congratulations goes to Hailey Anye for winning the 2019 CMIT School Spelling Bee. Hailey will go on to represent CMIT North at The Prince George’s County Annual Spelling Bee, which will be held Friday, March 15th , 2019, 7:00 p.m. at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. A huge congratulations also goes out to the runner up, Adaeze Akabude. Both girls did a tremendous job! Everyone is encouraged to come out and support our spellers as they compete at the next level.

Mr. McSparron, Bee Coordinator

PRS stands for Positive Reward System. Students earn points by doing things that help their teachers, the school or student community. It might be something as simple as helping a teacher hand out papers, intervening and stopping a friend from making a bad choice, or making High Honor Roll. Whatever, the reason we celebrate these students by tallying their points every month and awarding the winners. Our January's PRS point winners are..... 8th Grade - Christopher Jones 7th Grade - Kamran Amimi 6th Grade -Jonah Lewis Please join me in congratulating these students in their accomplishment.

James Screven, Assistant Principal

The Second group of parent workshops, to be held Saturday March 30th, will be expanded and even bigger than our fall event. We ask that parents who are interested in presenting or know someone interested in presenting contact Mr. James Screven at jscreven@cmitacademy.org. We are seeking presenters of topics that are of interest to our parent community and are school, education or child development oriented. All topics must be approved by CMIT administration. The following topics are planned thus far for the spring workshop series; Grading Policy for Parents, Transitioning Your Child to High School: from 6th to 8th grade, Unraveling the Mystery of PARCC and MAP Testing, Cell Phone Lock-down: How to get a Handle on Your Child's Cell Phone Use and Abuse. Additionally, we will have tables set up from local organizations to augment your child's CMIT experience. Please save the date if you plan on attending. More information to follow.

James Screven, Assistant Principal

Parents, Students and Teachers, On February 26, 2019, the Maryland legislators will vote on House Bill 156/Senate Bill 172 to create a fund for public charter school facilities to obtain and maintain their facilities. This legislation will allocate up to $1,600 per pupil for this purpose. If passed this bill will provide over $36 million in new funding for district schools statewide WHAT CAN YOU DO? Use the letter writing template below and send to you State Senators and Delegates to ask their support of this legislation by February 26, 2019. Be sure to insert the date, addressee information, and why passing this legislation is important to you. LETTER WRITING TEMPLATE (cut and paste): [INSERT DATE] [WRITE IN ADDRESSES] Dear X, I am writing you to share my support for House Bill 156/Senate Bill 172, the Public charter Schools Facilities Fund. This legislation which creates equitable facilities for public charter schools brings over $36 million in new funding for District schools across the state. Unlike traditional public schools, we do not have facilities funds to maintain our building. SHARE WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU. Please support HB 156/SB172, the Public Charter Schools Facility Fund. Thank you. Sincerely, ADDRESSEES FOR LETTER WRITING HB156/SB172 House Speaker Mike Busch H-101 State House Sate Circle Annapolis, MD 21401 Senate President Mike Miller H-107 Sate circle Annapolis, MD 21401 Delegate Maggie McIntosh 121 House Office Building 6 Bladen Street Annapolis, MD 21401 Senator Paul Pinsky 2 West Miller Senate Office building 11 Bladen Street Annapolis, MD 21401 You may also send the letter to your district leaders. To find you district leader visit http://www.mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmmain.aspx?pid=legisrpage&poptype=find&popid=

Thank you, CMIT North PTO

Where: The National Aquarium in Baltimore MD When: March 13, 2019 Cost: $17 Payment Due: February 28th on MySchoolBucks Chaperone Interest: https://goo.gl/forms/ZFPTmWE232xEALSG2 - Permission Slips can be returned to Mrs. Linnenkamp - Students may bring a bagged lunch or bring $15-$20 to purchase lunch - Students will wear their oxford shirt and tie

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Jessica Linnenkamp

Where: Medieval Times When: March 15, 2019 Cost: $50 (includes show, lunch, and transportation) Payment Due: Thursday, February 28th on My School Bucks Important Information: - Students will wear their oxford shirt and tie - If your student needs a vegetarian mean, please email Mrs. Linnenkamp (jlash@cmitacademy.org) - Please email Mrs. Linnenkamp if you are interested in chaperoning - Permission slips can be turned into Mrs. Linnenkamp

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CMIT Administration

Where: Skate Zone When: March 21, 2019 Cost: $32 (includes activities, lunch, and transportation) Payment Due: March 11, 2019 on My School Bucks Important Information: - Students can wear casual clothes - Lunch is included - Permission slips can be turned into Mrs. Linnenkamp

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CMIT Administration

The Kuk Sool Martial Arts club of CMIT Elementary, Middle, and High Schools is inviting parents, teachers, and students to magical performance. Where:T. Howard Duckett Rec Center Room A Address: 16601 Supplee Lane, Laurel, MD, 20707 When: Saturday, March 30th Time: Doors open 1pm, Showtime 1:30pm Why: To raise money for the students of Kuk Sool Won tournament participation! Who: For kids, teenagers, adults and parents, all ages welcomed! Starring: Mike Spade, a world class magician! Donation: $20 per person Purchase Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/magic-show-tickets-54958152313?aff=utm_source%3Deb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_event_email&utm_term=eventurl_textto This event is not connected to PGCPS or CLF and is the sole responsibility of Kuk Sool Won Tae Kwon Do Club.

Kuk Sool Won Club

We are at the midpoint of the third quarter and the students have been diligently working on studying how arguments are composed and developed in writing. Students have been able to see how three authors in newspaper editorials and a magazine article have posed a claim and supported their position on current issues and debatable topics in society. For the past two weeks, despite all the delays and closings, students have been able to read and view three texts to compose a response to a research simulation task. They will conduct an analysis of the author's purpose discussed in three print and non-print texts and discuss the similarities and differences in the information they each share. Please refer to the classwork assignments and resources posted on Google Classroom to plan for the peer reviews and final drafts the students will complete this week as a culmination of all the work they have put in for the past two weeks.

Mr. Conde RELA 7 Teacher

I want to thank the following students, Qaiyah-Simone Dawson, Carolyn Silva, Giselle Coplan and Emnet Theodro, whose creative and artistic skills are really amazing. When Ms Crespo and I were asked to supervise students during the decoration of our hallway for Black History Month, we didn't have to think twice in choosing the 7th grade to lead. We knew they would rise to the challenge and run with the ball. Now that we are putting the finishing touches on, we say with pride that it was a journey well spent.

Gemma Y Bognot CLARKE, Ph.D Grade 8 Science Teacher School STEM Fair Coordinator Science Department Chair

To become a scientist you need experience in experimentation. Hands-on laboratory science experiences are critical to learning. Students who engage in well-designed laboratory experiences develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, as well as gain exposure to reactions, materials, and lab equipment. Sustained investments in hands-on experiences help inspire students to further their education and prepare them for high-technology careers. Hands-on experiences significantly advance learning at all levels of science, when appropriately designed and guided by qualified educators. During this lab experiment, students directly and safely investigate cellular respiration and reactions, utilizing laboratory apparatus and instruments. These activities are essential for learning bio-chemistry and improving science literacy.

Gemma Y Bognot CLARKE, Ph.D Grade 8 Science Teacher School STEM Fair Coordinator Science Department Chair

Dear Parents and Students, Please see below information for the Middle School Boys and Girls Soccer interest Meeting for Spring season; MS Soccer - Boys and Girls INTEREST MEETING When: Monday, Feb 25, 2019 Time : 3 pm to 3:30 pm Location: Middle school cafeteria Pick up time: 3:35 pm SHARP This meeting should be attended by those who are interested in trying out for this year's middle school soccer boys and girls teams. Boys who are interested in playing and attended the first interest meeting on February 19th do not have to attend this meeting. In order to try out for the MS Soccer teams, a player must have a physical exam form completed. Below is a link to the forms that must be completed. Please complete all registration items and upload a scanned copy of your physical to http://www.formreleaf.com Steps for completing registration on FormReLeaf can be found on the http://cmitacademy.org/middleschool/physical-examination/ Instructions document. If you have specific questions about the meeting, tryouts, practice, game dates and times, please contact the program's head coaches. Girls Head Coach - Chris McNair cmcnair@cmitacademy.org Boys Head Coach - Miguel Penarrieta mpenarrieta@cmitacademy.org If you have any other general athletic related questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at msathletics@cmitacademy.org We look forward to seeing all of you at the meeting. Thank you,

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MS Athletic Department

Dear CMIT families, CMIT North Girls Basketball teams are hosting an International Women's day clothing drive to donate clothes for the less fortunate. Clothes are being accepted from February 25, 2019, through March 8, 2019. We are accepting, gently worn clothes, all sizes, and genders, no stains, tears, broken zippers, missing buttons, etc. Drop off for materials will be held in CMIT highschool lobby as well as CMIT middle school lobby. All items will be donated to local shelters. Donations are highly appreciated, Thank you! -CMIT Girls Basketball team

MS Athletic Department

Please join us for our next PTO Meeting. Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019 Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm Location: CMIT Middle School, 6100 Frost Place, Laurel, MD 20707 Call in Option Below: 1. Dial In to the Conference (United States): (515) 739-1454 Access Code: 531867 International Dial-in Numbers: https://www.freeconferencecall.com/wall/cmitnorthpto#international 2. Join Online Meeting: Online Meeting Link: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/cmitnorthpto Online Meeting ID: cmitnorthpto Online Instructions: At the scheduled date and time of the meeting, dial in to the conference line. When prompted, enter the access code followed by hash (#). To join the online meeting, click the online meeting link and follow the prompts. For questions please contact the following: General - information@cmitnorthpto.org Membership - membership@cmitnorthpto.org Fundraising - fundraising@cmitnorthpto.org Class of 2019 (Graduation Packages) - Classof2019@cmitnorthpto.org

CMIT North PTO

PGCPS requires that a SIT (Student Intervention Team) meet for various reasons. It could be to address a student's persistent behaviors that interfere with the learning environment. Another reason for SIT to meet would be an identified downturn in a student's academic achievement across several core classes potentially causing them to repeat a grade. Lastly, attendance, which the county has identified as a factor in student success, can trigger the need for a SIT team meeting. Whatever the reason, SIT meets to identify reasons and implement interventions that will help a student be more successful. The Student Intervention Team is comprised of administrators, professional school counselors, special educators, teachers, parents and students. If you should receive a SIT invitation for your student, your input as a parent is welcome and wanted. However, depending on the reason and circumstances for meeting, alternates to parent attendance may be considered. We, as an administration, are looking for ways in which to put interventions in place, so that discipline is not the only recourse for our students. In this way, we hope to service our students better and help them realize their fullest potential.

James Screven, Assistant Principal

Maryland public charter schools currently do not receive funding for facilities. This is funding that all other Maryland public schools receive and your tax money supports. House Bill 156/Senate Bill 172 has been proposed by Governor Larry Hogan and would support equitable funding for Maryland's public charter schools. The passage of this bill would increase funding to schools like CMIT by $1600 per pupil. That means the money we currently use for facilities at CMIT would go back into the classroom where it belongs. This bill directly affects your children and needs your support. Please review the attached document for information on how to voice your support with a letter to your representatives.

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Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation

Q: Is CMIT North MS a public school? 

A: Yes We are a public charter school who is staffed by PGCPS teachers and administration, along with CLF staff. We 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 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.

Q: Do you offer everything the big middle and high schools 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, boy's softball, boy's baseball,  boys and girls track/field at the high school. With that said we recently (2017) won the girls county basketball championship and made it to the playoffs in soccer. Our High school recently opened a multi-million dollar, state of the art gym complex. 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. Services hours are delivered by special education teachers but are limited to literacy and math courses.