Christensen Courier
October 1st, 2026
- October 5 ~ NO SCHOOL - Teacher training day
- October 6 through 9 ~ Conferences - 11:55 am EARLY RELEASE
- October 14 ~ 90 Minute Early Release: 1:55 pm
- October 21 ~ 90 Minute Early Release: 1:55 pm
- October 23 ~ Picture Day (see below for details)
- October 23 ~ Trunk or Tread 5:30-7:00 pm
- October 28 ~ 90 Minute Early Release: 1:55 pm
- November 1 ~ Daylight Savings Ends - turn your clocks back 1 hour
At Christensen, we love celebrating our students! At the same time, our school follows Smart Snacks and district nutrition guidelines for foods and beverages provided to students during the school day. These guidelines support healthy choices, student wellness, and a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
Birthday & Classroom Celebrations
Food provided for birthdays, classroom celebrations, incentives, or student rewards must meet Smart Snacks requirements. This means families should not send traditional cupcakes, donuts, candy, cake, sugary drinks, or other non-approved treats to be distributed to students during the school day.
Please do not send ANY food or treats for the class without first checking with your child's teacher or the school office.
There are still many options that meet Smart Snacks requirements, including certain fruits, whole-grain snacks, crackers, granola bars, baked snacks, yogurt, cheese, cookies, muffins, and other approved items. The specific product and serving size matter, so please check the approved list before purchasing items for a classroom celebration.
Smart Snacks Resources for Families:
Christensen/FPSD Approved Smart Snacks List: [district-approved list]
Smart Snacks Product Calculator: Use the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's USDA-verified calculator to check whether a specific product meets Smart Snacks requirements.
Consider a Non-Food Celebration!
We also encourage families to celebrate students without food. Fun alternatives include:
Stickers, pencils, erasers, or bookmarks
Donating a book to the classroom in celebration
Asking the teacher about a special classroom activity or game
A birthday card or classroom recognition
Other teacher-approved activities or small non-food items
These expectations apply to food being provided or shared with other students. Families may continue to send appropriate lunches and snacks for their own child.
Fall Conferences ~ October 6th-9th
Students will have early dismissal at 11:55 am during this week. Sack lunches will be served and busses will run 3.5 hours earlier than a regular dismissal day. Please make arrangements ahead of time for an daycare needs.
Please make sure to schedule a conference time with your child's teacher.
Come to the Bookfair!
Scholastic Book fair will be held in our library the week of Conferences, after school Tuesday through Friday. Stop by before or after you student's conference and purchase a book to support the Christensen library.
Bookfair hours:
Tuesday, 10/6 ~ 12:00 - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, 10/7 ~ 12:00 - 4:00 pm
Thursday, 10/8 ~ 12:00 - 4:00 pm
Friday, 10/9 ~ 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Friday, October 23rd is Picture Day for our students at Christensen. Look for Photo Order Envelopes to come home the week of the 12th. Picture envelopes should be returned on picture day with exact cash enclosed or a check made payable to QSP. You may also order pictures online with a credit card at CHRI26
QSP asks that students do not wear green on picture day!
If your child misses picture day, we will have a retake day on November 23rd.
• Drop‑off begins: 8:40 a.m.
• School starts: 8:55 · Dismissal: 3:25 p.m.
• Use the front drop‑off lane; follow staff directions and remain in your vehicle to keep the line moving. Park only in designated spaces; the bus crescent must stay
clear.
• Breakfast: Students enter via the gym to pick up breakfast, then go directly to class. If students are not eating breakfast, they should head directly to their class, not stopping anywhere else. Students who do not grab breakfast will not be allowed back into the gym.
• Parent pickup by car: Begins after all buses have exited (~3:30 p.m.); staff will call students from the gym to your car. Vehicles must wait until buses have departed.
• Parent pickup in person: At the front gate doors at dismissal; a staff member will call your student from the gym.
• Ensure all pickup adults are listed in Skyward; report any transportation changes to the office by 3:00 p.m.
We would love to have our families join us as volunteers throughout the school day! If you are available to lend a helping hand, we have several opportunities:
- Morning Arrival: 8:30–9:00ish
Help welcome students and support a smooth start to the school day. - Recess & Lunch: 10:50–1:00
Help supervise students and provide an extra set of eyes and hands during recess and lunch. - End-of-Day Dismissal: 3:15–3:40
Help support a safe and smooth dismissal as students head home.
Interested in volunteering? Please complete our Volunteer Application as soon as possible. If you are interested in chaperoning field trips or volunteering in any other capacity that may come up during the school year, you will need to be approved before participating.
Please keep in mind that volunteer applications may take up to two weeks to process. We don't want you to miss out on a volunteer opportunity because your application hasn't been approved yet, so we encourage you to apply early!
Once you receive your approval email, please contact the school office to inquire about current volunteer opportunities and sign-up options.
Thank you for being an important part of our school community and for helping support our students
Franklin Pierce Schools uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
If you haven't already, yo can activate your account by going to www.parentsquare.com/signin or look for your activation email.
Franklin Pierce School offers lunch and breakfast at no cost to all students.
FPS provides meal alternatives for students with medical needs. Please contact our school nurse to obtain the necessary form. We will work with the kitchen staff to make sure that your student has a nutritious meal each day that is safe for them to eat.
Christensen hosts a before and after school care program on-site for our students. The care is provided by Right at School. Right at School provides a safe environment to learn, to play, and to grow. Click here for more information and to register.
SPYA is offering co-ed volleyball, co-ed flag football and Jr Cheer for the Fall 2026 season. This is a great opportunity for your student to meet new friends and move! Registration is available on the SPYA website.
Christensen Elementary School
Email: christensen@fpschools.org
Website: christensen.fpschools.org
Location: 10232 Barnes Ln S, Tacoma, WA, 98444
Phone: 253-298-3300