It is vitally important that parents stay connected for timely updates. Family Portal Do you receive the Principal Updates? If not, ensure that you have enabled your Schoolmax Family Portal and ensure your email and phone numbers are up to date at https://family.sis.pgcps.org/schoolmax/reset.do;jsessionid=LHGFpD6fS210f1fPv2rdJCxL2LtFf7qxT3bz7G3BGDHwNmkNmQ2r!808515380?0uw3YEa.aU7zaju.xnn.xGOGO-Oh-SF%2BSS_G0_0q.GOdgwUVm3sEVzWgkz13ShDFFOSDDqGOq_OgwEkeUs3uYAEEsaU7.LUazsrgjumkz13-SgsUWVjUVm3mWgwkmpwUVm31mLUjsegMmr3gYEjWekr3%3Dx PGCPS Blackboard App. The PGCPS Blackboard App can be downloaded on your phone and will provide daily updates on Grades, Attendance, Alerts and more. Go to https://www1.pgcps.org/bbapp/ to see how to get the Blackboard App.

Andrew Brauer, Principal

Attention Parents! The Laurel Police would like to Welcome Back your students to the 2020-2021 School Year! We know it looks a little different this year! Some students are working virtually, some are back in the classrooms and some have a hybrid of the two. No matter how your student is learning this year, our officers have a socially distance surprise for them. If you have a student between the grades of Kindergarten through 12th Grade email us the name and grade level of your students and your address and our officers will leave a surprise at your door step for your students! Emails can be sent to lguenin@laurel.md.us Our officers will be handing out these surprises between the dates of September 1,2020 and September 12, 2020. The last date to send an email for this program will be Friday, September 11, 2020. ** ADDRESS MUST BE WITHIN THE CITY OF LAUREL CITY LIMITS, NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE.**

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 begin receiving alert letters this week. Despite the pandemic, these immunizations are still required by the state of Maryland for all 7th grade students. Students that require vaccine administration should contact their Primary Care Physician or your local urgent care facility. PGCPS will begin holding immunization clinics soon, however, students with a PCP should contact them first. Please remember to bring your most recent shot record to any appointments. Documents can be emailed to nurse@cmitacademy.org or faxed to 301-560-3461. Thank you for helping keep our students healthy and ready to learn.

CMIT Nurse

Dear Parents, We are getting settled into the new school year with distance learning and students are starting to complete assignments in their classes. It is beneficial for parents and students to check SchoolMax to keep on top of grades and see their progress. If you do not have an account, click on this link https://family.sis.pgcps.org to follow the steps to register for an account If you already have an account but you are unsure of what your password is or are locked out, please contact Mrs. Linnenkamp (jessica.lash@pgcps.org) to regain access to the family portal.

CMIT Administration

We understand that during this difficult time families may be struggling financially. The following list was created with this in mind and only the most essential items are included on this list. Scissors Pencils with erasers Pencil Sharpener Ruler Glue Bottle Glue Stick(s) Colored Pencils and/or Crayons Water Based Markers 3 Ring Binder (to be shared for all classes) Loose Leaf Lined Paper Composition Books or Spiral Notebooks 3-Hole Pocket Folder Highlighters Post it Notes Index Cards Pens

CMIT

Students in the 7th grade that have not submitted proof of their Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis vaccine (Tdap) and Meningococcal vaccine (MCV) will begin receiving reminder phone calls and emails this week. Despite the pandemic, these immunizations are still required by the state of Maryland for all 7th grade students. Students that require vaccine administration should contact their Primary Care Physician, the Prince George's County Health Department, or your local urgent care facility. PGCPS will begin holding immunization clinics soon, however, students with a PCP should contact them first. Please remember to bring your most recent shot record to any appointments. Documents can be emailed to nurse@cmitacademy.org or faxed to 301-560-3461. Thank you for helping keep our students healthy and ready to learn.

CMIT Nurse

Middle school students will begin testing next week on Thursday, September 10th during their regularly scheduled classes. The schedule for testing is below and subject to change. More information will be shared with them from their teachers. Attached is a letter regarding the assessments Math - Thursday, September 10th RELA - Friday, September 11th Science - Monday, September 14th Social Studies - Thursday/Friday, September 17th/18th During the 2020-2021 school year all district mandated assessments will be administered through the Pearson Test Platform via the Pearson TestNav application, which can be downloaded from the Pearson website. Below are the directions and tips for installing TestNav on a personal device that the student will use to take district assessments. NOTE - All Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) issued devices are preloaded with TestNav and are automatically updated by PGCPS, as required. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Linnenkamp at jessica.lash@pgcps.org

Attachment(s)

Mrs. Jessica Linnenkamp

Students eligible for meal benefits will continue to eat at no cost. The prior year eligibility benefits will expire on October 15th or when a new application is processed, whichever comes first. We are encouraging households to complete the application online. Please follow the link below to apply. https://www.pgcps.org/food-and-nutrition/cards/Apply-For-Free-or-Reduced-Price-Meals/

James Screven, Assistant Principal

We had a great first week of the school with CMIT MS scientists. Scholars added new scientific terms to their vocabulary list such as phenomenon and they enjoyed discussing the difference between scientists and engineers. Next week, scholars will explore more about scientists and engineers, and also scientific inquiry. Additionally, there is an art contest and the theme is to imagine a day without water. Since the contest related to science, I wanted to share with the CMIT community. If you are interested in, please check the website. https://www.wsscwater.com/artcontest

Esra Kocaslan-Inci Science Department Chair

Welcome to the Virtual Health Room for CMIT North MS! My goal is to provide parents and students with information that will be helpful during distance learning and beyond. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have about Immunizations, Mental Health, COVID-19, and other general and specific health topics. Stay Safe!

Attachment(s)

Nurse Anthony

Hello parents and family members! In order to maximize our use of time during Back to School Night (Tuesday, September 8th), please complete the google form (link below) prior to Monday, September 7th. Frequently asked questions will be answered during Back to School Night. If you are unable to attend, please check out our FAQ in the next school newsletter. You can complete this form as many times as needed. You may also edit your responses. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday. https://forms.gle/aiFV1cSfa2W2rsic7

Ms. Fagan and Ms. Wake

Hello CMIT Family! My name is Alba Yolima Hinton, I am the newest Spanish Teacher at CMIT North. I am originally from Colombia (South America). I graduated from “Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia” as a Foreign Language Teacher and Educational Management Specialist. I have worked as an English and French Teacher in Colombia for over 3 years. I recently got married and I am enjoying my husband and new family. Some of my hobbies are cooking, exercising, and spending time with family and friends. I am passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation. I am looking forward to working and sharing my culture, knowledge, and experience with the faculty and students.

Mrs. Alba Hinton, Spanish Teacher

September 8th - Open school night. This is an opportunity to hear from your student's teachers and learn about their curriculum. (time To Be Announced) September 10th - PTO meeting. (Time To Be Announced) September 17th - Town Hall Meeting (Time To Be Announced)

James Screven, Assistant Principal

Parents and Guardians Welcome Back! I hope you all had a great summer and I'm looking forward to working with our new and returning parents. We would greatly appreciate it if parents would take a moment and complete the Student Publicity Release Form required by PGCPS. Please click on the link below to access form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9euZ2WjFK5cW_Y1Io3XwLs6zlVgYQR28hR0c1k3pjTPdrvg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Principal Secretary

Parents and Students, Know that if you are experiencing a technical issue with your Chromebook, we are here to support you. Please follow all of the other prescribed methods to make sure there is a hardware or usability problem (e.g. signing into PGCPS clever to access zoom, closing all other non PGCPS sign ins, checking your home's internet router for activity). If all else fails and the teacher could not resolve, use the link below to access CMIT/CLF computer support form for help. https://forms.gle/oM8UPbP25hxmp3fm9

James Screven, Assistant Principal

Now that the first week is behind us and many of the issues that deterred us such as, computer and internet issues, access to PGCPS software programs and even last minute changes to a few schedules have been resolved. We can now focus on the important issue of attendance. Many students are still struggling with the expectation set by the county and CMIT staff as it relates to attendance. We must be clear that all students are expected to attend everyday, every class. Wednesday is designated for small group instruction which does not excuse students from attendance but gives students the opportunity to ask questions, get extra help, clarify an assignment. Wednesdays will have attendance determined by attending a session with a general education teacher, special education teacher (should you have an IEP), a related services teacher such as for speech or OT (should you receive those services) or through the completion of an assignment left bu every teacher in Google classroom or through a third party provider like IXL, Newsela Kahn Academy, Duolingo etc. Attendance issues do pop up due to illness, doctors appointment, death in the family or other legal and legitimate reason. We ask that you let the classroom teacher and the school secretary now as soon as possible so that we may notify teachers as needed. Please email the school secretary at receptionist@cmitacdemy.org to detail absence reason, accompanied by student name. Please be aware of the issues that can surround absenteeism. It has been statistically validated that students with 4 or more absences in a quarter tend to perform below their peers in grades and standardized tests and that students with 6 or more absences have a greater failing rate than students with better attendance. PGCPS policy , as it relates to attendance is as follows: Students who have 3 or more absences are considered to have an attendance issue and therefore administration may require that a doctors note be presented to explain the reason(s) for absences. Students that have 10% or greater absences in a quarter (5 days or more) will require a doctors note to the principal and a SIT (Student Intervention Team) meeting be held with the parent and student. In this time of distance learning, attendance is even more vital to assure that gaps are not being created in their education that may impede them from ultimate success in college and career.

James Screven, Assistant Principal

This year we are fortunate to bring on Board Ms Jasmine Walker to our Student Support Team. Ms. Jasmine Walker is a native of Washington DC. She is excited to have an opportunity to utilize her education and past work experience at CMIT North Middle School. Ms Walker holds both an Associate's Degree and a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation from Essex County College. Prior to her position at CMIT Middle School Ms. Walker held the position of Sixth-Grade Counselor at The Seed School of Maryland. While there Ms. Walker provided guidance for students while assisting them in preparation for college and careers. During her time there she received numerous praise from staff members for holding students accountable, managing multiple tasks, and exceeding expectations. Aspects of her past position, which is of great asset to our CMIT family, include: mentoring young ladies, facilitating focus groups and promoting healthier lifestyles for all ages. In addition to her middle school duties Ms Walker will assume the after school position of Girl'sTrack Coach at CMIT High School. Her goal for this school year is to promote a positive environment for students to include academic achievements, self-direction while building a rapport with the students. Please join us in welcoming Ms.Jasmine Walker to our school community.

James Screven, Assistant Principal

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.