April 27, 2015
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**BREAKFAST STARTS AT 8:45 IN THE GYM. THE MAIN GATE WILL BE OPEN AT 8:45AM, PLEASE DROP YOUR CHILD OFF AFTER 8:45AM AS THERE WILL BE ADULT SUPERVISION AT THAT TIME**
Important Dates:
April 28th: Child Reach @ Franciscan WIC, Lakewood, 798-3822
April 29th: 2:30pm Early Dismissal Wednesday
May 5th: Spring Concert – Kinder & Marimba band, 2:45pm/school & 6:30pm/families
May 6th & 13th: 2:30pm Early Dismissal Wednesday
May 12th: Child Reach @ University Place Library, 798-3822
May 14th: Child Reach @ Bonney Lake Library, 798-3822
May 21st: Last day of Cougar club
May 22nd & 25th: NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day Observation
May 26th – 29th: Conference Week - 12:30pm Dismissal
Christensen’s teachers are among the most caring, talented and amazing teachers. The week of May 4th – 9th we will honor their commitment to educating & equipping our future leaders.
May’s character trait is: SELF-DISCIPLINE
Self-discipline is the ability to control yourself and your behavior for personal improvement. You need a lot of self-discipline when trying to reach a goal, and it involves making choices that are hard to make sometimes. When you are able to discipline yourself, you are in control of your choices which usually means more success!
Kindergarten and New Student Registration startedMonday, March 30th and ends Friday, May 29th.Registration hours are between 10:30am to 2:30pm daily. Kindergarteners must be five years of age by August31st, 2015. On-line registrationis available at Click on the Student/Parent tab and then New Student Registration.
If you live outside of the Franklin Pierce Schools boundaries, and your child will attend Christensen because of daycare, a district waiver form is needed from your home resident school district. Current students within our catchment area are automatically enrolled for next year. New enrollees must provide a copy of their child’s birth certificate, immunization records, and proof of residency (dated within the last 30 days).
OVERLOAD STUDENTS
All students who attended Christensen this year because their home school was too full will return to their home school for the 15/16 school year. Letters have been mailed home with instructions on how to get your student registered. If you have questions, please call the office at 253-298-3300.
OUT OF DISTRICT STUDENTS
If you live outside of FPSD/Christensen boundaries you must re-apply to Christensen every school year, even if your child attends daycare in Christensen’s boundaries. Our district has changed the policy and daycare families must apply for approval every school year. Letters will be coming soon. All requests must be complete and submitted before May 29th, 2015. NO EXCEPTIONS.Letters of approval/denial will be sent out no later than Aug. 31st.
Last day of Cougar club isThursday, May 21st.The schedule is still Mon – Thurs. 4pm to 6pm. On 2:30pm early release days cougar club is done at 5:00pm. For Questions contact Ms. Federico @ 253-298-3378.
Parents: Christensen Elementary has a student dress code. PleaseDO NOTsend your student to school wearing tank tops (tops must have sleeves), shorts that are too short, flip flops, sagging pants, short skirts, short shirts (must cover stomach area when hands are raised), no high heeled shoes and no shoes with wheels.
The Franklin Pierce School District has free preschool programs for children who turned 3 or 4 by August 31, 2015. Applications are still being accepted for Head Start and ECEAP for 2015-2016. To qualify, families must live in the Franklin Pierce School District or have daycare in the district and meet federal or state low income guidelines. Both programs provide wonderful educational experiences, meals, health services, transportation and parent involvement opportunities. Interested families may contact the Early Learning Center at 253-298-4675 to apply or find the application online at fpschoolselc.ss6.sharpschool.com and go to “Departments” then,” Head Start/ECEAP”, then “Applications.
Franklin Pierce Schools Community Preschool
The Community Preschool has space available now for Fall.
4 year olds and mature 3 year olds (toilet trained) are welcome to apply. This is an integrated classroom for students with and without disabilities.
When: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays (morning & afternoon classes)
Where: Franklin Pierce Early Learning Cntr – 215 S. 166th St., Spanaway, WA 98387
How Much: $194.45/month – Scholarship rates available based on income
Parents must transport. Call 298-4675 for more info. or check
out the Franklin Pierce School website. Download applications at:
Free Developmental Screening for preschoolers!
For children living in the Franklin Pierce District, free screening for children ages 3 to 5 is provided through the Child Find program. The next Child Find screening will be August 17th. The purpose of the screening is to determine if your child is in need of special education services. Their skills in communication, fine and gross motor, school readiness, social and behavior, and hearing are screened to see if further testing is needed. Please call Tricia at 253-298-4675 to schedule an appointment.
Birth to Three Screenings
Families of children below age 3 who have concerns about their child’s development can call our district Family Resource Coordinator, Lori Holbrook, at 253-298-4670. She will come to your home and discuss your concerns and the child’s need for developmental screening and/or evaluation.
OVERDUE OR LOST LIBRARY BOOKS
If your child has an overdue book or a fine that is not paid, he/she will not be able to participate in any parties or end of the year activities such as field day or a field trip. Overdue and lost notices were sent home in April and will be sent home again this month, please encourage your child to find and return any books that are checked out.
INTERNET SAFETY: Teaching Children to Be Responsible Citizens in the Digital World
Results from a recent survey completed by our 5th grade students’ show just how intertwined our children’s lives are with technology, the Internet, and social media. Nearly 57% of our 5th graders reported that they have their own smartphone; 20% to almost 70% regularly access various social media sites through their own profiles, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, gaming systems (PlayStation, Xbox, etc.), and others. More alarming, the survey also indicates that cyberbullying is an increasing risk among our children. As technology becomes more and more a part of everyday living and function, it is absolutely necessary that parents are aware of and understand the risks their children are vulnerable to while online. NetSmartz is an incredibly helpful resource for parents and children that offers support and education on all things Internet and technology. Visit for information and free activities, games and handouts. Prepare your children now to prevent consequences later!
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES –Student led conferences are the week of May 26th – May 29th. School will be dismissed at 12:30pm. The conferences led by your child & teacher celebrates the goals they have accomplished this year and what they need to continue to work towards. Please remember to bring your son/daughter to the conference.
VOLUNTEERS –The end of the school year is coming up. We need volunteers to help with celebrations and field day. You must be cleared through the Washington State Patrol before helping. If you are available and would like to volunteer, pick up a volunteer packet at the main office. Please note it could take up to two weeks to get approved, so turn in your application as soon as possible.
TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURES- If you would like your child to go home on a different bus or get picked up by a different person, YOU MUST WRITE A NOTE!! If the office doesn’t have a note your child will go home the way he/she normally does. If you have transportation issues, call them directly at 253-298-3865.
IF CHRISTENSEN ELEMENTARY’S NUMBER SHOWS UP ON YOUR CALLER ID
If you ever get a call from Christensen Elementary, please listen to the entire voicemail we leave, before calling the school. Regardless of who called, the main office number will show up on the caller ID. The office gets many calls from parents saying “the school called” but have no idea who the caller was. ” With more than 430 students and 50 staff members, we often don’t know why a student’s home was called. All staff members will leave a detailed message on your voicemail if they call your home or need a call back from the parent.
PTA is looking for new members to assist with popcorn on Fridays and additional activities. Membership is only $10. Please stop by the office and pick up a volunteer application. Allow a week for processing. NO VOLUNTEERS = NO POPCORN OR SMENCILS FOR THE KIDS.
Any parent or family member wishing to volunteer in the classroom or eat lunch with your
student must first complete and return a volunteer application to the office.