December 1, 2015
CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK – Visit Christensen Elementary School on Facebook and “Like” our page for updates on upcoming events and happenings around our school.
***BREAKFAST STARTS AT 8:45 IN THE GYM. DO NOT BRING YOUR STUDENT IN BEFORE 8:45AM AS THERE IS NO SUPERVISION ***
Important Dates
December 2nd: **12:30pm Early Dismissal Wednesday**
December 9th & 16th: 2:30pm Early Dismissal Wednesday
December 10th: Report cards go home
December 15th: Music Concert – 3rd, 5th gr. & Marimba band @ 6:30pm
December 21st – Jan 1st NO SCHOOL- Winter Break
Jan. 4th: School resumes @ 9:30am to 4:00pm
Jan. 6th & 13th: 2:30pm Early Dismissal Wednesday
Custodian Appreciation week is Dec. 7th – 11th
Thank you Morgan and JJ for cleaning, scrubbing, mopping, repairing, restocking and supporting the staff & students here at Christensen Elementary. Our school is safe and clean because of all your hard work!
Music Concert – December 15th @ 6:30pm.
All 3rd graders, 5th graders, and Marimba Band members will be performing in the Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 15th. The evening concert for parents and families is at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. so plan to arrive after that. The students have been working very hard to prepare a wonderful show for you. So, mark your calendars, and plan to attend!
SCHOOL DELAY & CLOSURE INFORMATION
As the weather gets colder, it’s important that you develop plans for emergency school closures and limited or delayed bus runs. In case of an emergency or bad weather, school might be delayed or canceled. If the regular school schedule is changed, local radio and television stations will be notified. Emergencies may include inclement weather, power outages or a need to alter an individual school schedule. Remember… we are Franklin Pierce School District NOT Tacoma School District, we may have different operating schedules.
“School Closed” means that all schools will be closed for that one day only.
All school related activities will be canceled.
“Late start” means that all schools will start late by the amount of time specified for that one day only. School related activities may or may not be altered.
There are five ways you can find updated information on school schedules:
1. AUTO DIALER – The district has the ability to send out a recorded phone message to parents and staff of Franklin Pierce Schools. In the event of an unscheduled school closure or late start, the autodialer will be activated. Please make sure the school has a current phone number for you.
2. TV NEWS – Komo (4), King (5 & 6), KIRO (7), and KCPQ (13)
3. RADIO STATIONS –
a. AM STATIONS – KCIS (630), KIXI (880), KOMO (1000), KLAY (1180), KGY (1240), KENU (1330)
b. FP STATIONS – KPLU (88.5), KGRG (89.9), KVTI (90.9), KMPS (94.1), KUOW (94.9), KXXO (96.1), KGY (96.9), KIRO (97.3), KCMS (105.3)
4. INTERNET / TEXT - http://www.flashalert.net/news.html?=4380
Pre-register for this site before the bad weather begins and you will be notified anytime there is a delay or closure. You can sign up to receive email and/or text messages.
5. PHONE – 253/298-3300. Please, try the above options first. **NOTE: If the power is out at our school, our phones may also be out**
Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather – don’t forget a coat… all children go outside for recess every day. If your child has lost a coat this school year, please check our lost and found. Come and check out our lost and found, it is OVERFLOWING with students’ coats. All clothing left over Christmas Break will be donated to a non-profit organization.
HOLIDAY HELP - The holidays are fast approaching and many families need assistance during this time of year. The United Way has provided a great resource for our community with their resource helpline number, 211. This number can be used to inquire about community resources in Pierce County and for holiday assistance. Please contact this number if your family needs assistance for the holidays. If you are calling from a cell phone, please dial 1-877-211-9274 or visit their website at www.win211.org.
PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN (K,1,2) - Please pack an extra pair of clothes, to include underwear and socks, in your child’s backpack. Accidents do happen and we would like to be prepared. It is nice when a child can wear a pair of his or her own pants. The health room has a VERY limited supply.
Cougar Character Trait for the month of December is: Cooperation
For the month of December, we will be working on the character trait Cooperation. When we cooperate, we work as a team to reach a common goal. We share ideas with respect and use our strengths and talents to contribute to the workload. You can see cooperation all over the place, from ants in a colony to construction workers building a skyscraper. We also see cooperation every day at Christensen and in our homes. How do you cooperate at school or at home? Most anything we accomplish is with the help of others, so remember to do your share and work as part of a team!
CHILD FIND - Free developmental screening for children 3-5 who live in the Franklin Pierce School District. We check: hearing, vision, readiness for kindergarten, speech and language, motor skills, and behavior. Monthly screenings for 2015-2016 / Jan. 14, Feb. 11, March 11, and April 15. Call Tricia for an appointment at Franklin Pierce School District, Learning Support Services (253) 298-4675.
Remember, starting in kindergarten, a high rate of absences can significantly affect a child’s academic success. For every day missed a child loses 6 hours of instruction that is nearly impossible to make up. This lost time can leave children unable to read fluently by the end of 3rd grade (an indicator of future academic success.) Please send your child to school on time, every day. It matters! STUDENT ABSENCES – If your child is ill and unable to attend school or cannot attend for other reasons, please call to inform us of the reason before our 10:30 a.m. attendance calling. You may also leave a message on our 24-hour voice mail. If we have not heard from you and your child is not in attendance, we will call your home to check on the absence. This is done to en-sure your child’s safety. We must receive verification of your child’s absence either by phone or by a note when your child re-turns. If we do not hear from you, an unexcused absence will be recorded. We really want our students present at school. We appreciate your help with this matter.
No phone call, no note = unexcused absence
FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE: WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL
Fever: Temperature over 100 degrees, please keep them home until fever free for 24 hours.
Eyes: Any green or yellow drainage
Ears: Any drainage or significant ear pain
Nose: Thick yellow or green discharge
Throat: Severe or persistent pain, difficulty swallowing, loss of voice, white spots on back of the throat
Mouth: Significant dental pain or infection
Chest: Deep or constant cough
Skin: New, undiagnosed rash.
Abdomen: Vomiting or diarrhea (keep home until free of symptoms for 24 hours). If your child returns to school with a lingering cough or nasal congestion, send him or her with tissues and advise him or her to drink extra fluids. Please remember that no over the counter medicine can be brought to school without a doctor’s note. Also understand that all children must go outside for recess when they return. We do not have an area for students to be supervised inside. Thanks for dressing your children for the weather.
Franklin Pierce Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to Dr. Shaun Carey, Compliance Coordinator for State and Civil Rights Laws; Wendy Malich, Title IX Officer; or William Rasplica, 504/ADA Coordinator at 315 129th ST S, Tacoma, WA 98444-5099 or at (253)298-3000.
WATCHDOGS - Calling all Dads, Stepdads, Grandpas, Uncles, & Father Figures of Christensen students! This is a great opportunity to get involved here at Christensen and make a difference for ALL of our students! If you are a father (or stepdad, grandfather, uncle, guardian, friend) of a Christensen student, please consider becoming one of our WatchDOGS. Please stop by the office to fill out a volunteer application.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR POPCORN FRIDAYS…..NO VOLUNTEERS = NO POPCORN OR SMENCILS FOR THE KIDS. Popcorn volunteers needed. We cannot do popcorn this year…unless we have volunteers that are able to get ‘er done. Popcorn Friday’s are a great way to support your school community. Please complete your volunteer application on-line by completing the below steps. Popcorn sells for .25 cents and Smencils (pencils that smell) for $1.00 each.
· Go to the Franklin Pierce School District Website: www.fpschools.org
· Drop down from the ‘For Parents’ tab
· Click on FPS Volunteer Application System
· Either. . . Have our office make a copy of your driver’s license OR take a picture of your driver’s license and upload it with your application.