Casimir Weekly Cougar Updates

Casimir hosted the TUSD public forum debate last Saturday! A huge shout out to all of our debaters: Sofia Roybal, Anora Karthik, Addison Aoki, Misa Rogers, Rupsana Chhetri, and Davy Low. Our debaters won a total of 6 out of our 9 rounds. Congratulations to Sofia Roybal and Anora Karthik for winning all 3 of their rounds and earning Casimir's first place trophy. Another big shout out to Ethan Van and Scarlett Leaupepe for entertaining the audience with a humorous duo interpretation.

CONGRATULATIONS CHOLE!!!!

Winner of Lunch with the Principal!!!

Our theater would like to extend our free summer academy program to next year's 7th and 8th graders as well as our in-coming freshman from your school. Please click the buttons below to view the 2025-2026 Summer Academy offerings and details and to fill out the interest form.

Parents and Guiardians, please fill out this TUSD Student Housing Questionnaire. Thanks!

Good afternoon TUSD families,

Thank you for filling out our interest form. We’re excited to announce that the application for the TUSD DevELOPment Academy is now open! This expanded learning enrichment program offers engaging, hands-on learning experiences after school in a safe and supportive environment.

Program Hours: After school until 6:00 p.m.

Priority Enrollment:
Students who meet any of the following criteria will be given priority and may qualify for a fee waiver:

• Homeless
• Foster youth
• Qualify for free/reduced-price meals
• English Language Learners

Important Notes for Families:

• Submitting an application does not guarantee placement.
• All information must be accurate. False or misleading information may lead to disenrollment.
• Monthly tuition is required unless a fee waiver has been officially approved.
• A new Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application must be submitted annually (beginning in July) to maintain eligibility.

Fees (Due at the beginning of each month):

• TK/K: $400/month
• 1st–5th Grade: $350/month
• Middle School: $350/month
• Early Childhood Academy (TK/K only): $60/month - Transitional care from TK/K dismissal until regular school day dismissal ~3:15pm

Apply now and secure your child’s opportunity for a fun and enriching after-school experience!

Get ready to make this summer unforgettable! Join us and discover exciting opportunities that will elevate your summer experience like never before!

This summer, it’s all about staying active, making friends, and having a blast while school’s out! If you're between the ages of 12-18, grab your FREE Teen Membership and dive into an unforgettable summer experience at any LA Y center from June 1 to August 15!

Get ready to explore tons of amazing amenities, including cutting-edge strength and cardio equipment, weight rooms, fitness studios, swimming pools, teen centers, basketball courts, and so much more!

Join in on the action with Y-hosted social gatherings, thrilling outdoor adventures, epic teen nights, and exclusive programming designed just for you! Plus, there are awesome volunteer opportunities with local partners to make your summer even more impactful.

Don’t miss out—embrace the summer vibes and make the most of it with a FREE Teen Membership to your local Y!

We are Very Pleased to announce that Afterschool Tutoring and homework help is now available twice a week in all subject areas!

📍 Location: Room 75
📅 Days: Every Tuesday and Wednesday
⏰ Time: 1 hour after school (3:20pm - 4:20pm)

If you need extra support with classwork or homework, this is a great opportunity to get help. All students are welcome to stop by on any Tuesday or Wednesday!

Mr. Merrihew and CJSF students are here to support you—hope to see you there!

Thank you!

Click the button below to see the monthly lunch menu.

Parents, please look through the latest edition of Helping Students Learn for articles about supporting your child's effort to fulfil end-of-year responsibilities, encouraging civil discussion, prompting your child to write, promoting summer reading, considering a contest for fun learning, what to do when your child wants fewer limits, using the summer to connect, easing high school anxiety, and applying the power of peers.

As you may have seen in the Back to School Highlights from Dr. Stowe, this year, we have unveiled an updated vision for our District. After more than 18 months of input, best practice research, and development, we have published our "Portrait of a Graduate." Our Portrait describes the key skills that we want every student to have developed by the time they graduate from Torrance Unified.

We look forward to sharing stories about how our teachers and staff are helping our students practice these elements at our school.

Make your opinions known and help shape the future of Torrance! The City is updating its General Plan to support housing goals, enhance safety, and promote environmental justice. There is still time to take an online survey to share your input. Visit survey

As our nation struggles with yet another tragic incident of school violence, we want to remind you again about the important tool we use to help keep our schools secure and our students safe: the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System offered through the Sandy Hook Promise.

This life-saving service empowers you, our students, and our community members to anonymously report any concerns, including potential threats, bullying, or individuals who may be at risk of harming themselves or others. There are three ways to make a report:

• Call the 24/7 crisis hotline counselors at 1-844-5-SayNow (1-844-572-9669)

• Download the mobile app at Google Play or Apple Store

• Submit a tip through their secure website

No matter how you report, Say Something ensures that every voice is heard and every concern can be addressed promptly.

We encourage you to remind your children about the importance of speaking up if they see or hear something troubling so that we can partner to address issues before they escalate. By working together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for everyone.

As a California public school student, your child may be eligible to receive a CalKIDS scholarship of $500 to $1,500 for college or career training. Funded by the State of California, a CalKIDS scholarship can be used for qualified college and career training expenses such as tuition and fees, books and supplies, computer equipment, and some room and board expenses. Checking a student’s eligibility and claiming a CalKIDS scholarship is easy. It only takes a minute. All you need is your child’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), which can be found at the top of the page when you select your student in PowerSchool. For more information and to check your child’s eligibility, visit CalKIDS.org.

Our Board of Education voted to extend the free Metro GoPass program for a second year, and we are proud to offer this benefit to all our students. The program includes a Metro TAP (Transit Access Pass) card that offers FREE unlimited rides on Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) bus rail and subway lines, including Torrance Transit, Long Beach Transit, Culver CityBus, Gardena Transit (GTrans) and LADOT Dash.

If your student has a TAP card from last year, you will just need a new code, which you can pick up from our school office. We also have a stock of TAP cards for new riders or those who lost their old cards. New cards will need to be activated before being used. For more information, visit https://www.tusd.org/administrative-services/metro-gopass.

Quick Guide to Reporting Student Absences

If/When your student is absent please notify us via email by sending an absence note with the following information to cook.lindsay@tusd.org

Absence Notes should include:

1. Date

2. Name of your Child

3. Date of absence

4. Reason for absence (if out due to illness please specify what symptoms your child is having)

5. Parent/Guardian Name & Relationship (absence notes can only be accepted from Primary Guardians listed in PowerSchool)

6. Phone Number where you can be reached

If you have any questions or concerns you can always reach out to Ms. Lindsay our Attendance Clerk @ (310) 533-4498 ext. 4782

Our weekly In-N-Out winner is Liam Nguyenphuoc! Congratulations!

Please see Ms. Beasley after school to pick up your burger card.

The winner of the Tie Dye CJSF shirt autographed by Mr. Merrihew is Jason Kim! Congratulations!

The winners of the 8th grade panoramic photos are Noah Hanaoka and Tyce Yoshida! Congratulations!

The winners of the sticker pack are Chloe Suh Choate and Kacie Lau! Congratulations!

The winner of the JA Morant Funko Pop is Chance Hansen! Congratulations!

The winner of the Gotcha Store front of the line pass this week was Amber Stevens! Congratulations!

Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind is a campaign launched by the Governor's Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being that provides simple, diverse, and accessible ways for Californians of all ages to increase their physical activity and mental well-being. The benefits of a healthy body and mind can lead to a lifetime of optimal health and a thriving California.

Visit MoveYourBodyCalmYourMind.org today to:

• Learn more about the benefits of physical fitness and mental well-being
• Find simple ways to Move Your Body and Calm Your Mind
• Share quick tips and social posts to help us spread the word
• Discover ways to get involved

Who qualifies: Any person without insurance, no proof of Immigration status needed.

• MediCal: California residents
• Healthy Families: California residents, low income, no proof of immigration status needed
• Healthy Kids: California residents, low income, no proof of immigration status needed

What services are provided?

• Braces (Orthodontica care)

What is the cost?

• Free! No cost for braces for qualified participants.

For more information, please call: Hawthorne Dental & Braces

(310) 973-6428

Dear Parent / Caregiver,

This year school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.

SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.

Through the program, students learn:

● that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help

● how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend

● to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or

a friend

● who they can turn to at school for help

Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about

depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video,

students will complete a brief depression screening form. This form cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should seek help from a mental health professional.

At the end of class, students will complete an exit slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.

We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.

Presentation will occur on November 4 and 6th.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program please contact me at 310-533-4498 X 4711, Hunnel.stephanie@tusd.org or Janet Liu 310-533-4498 X 4728 any of our school counselors.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Hunnel School Counselor

Janet Liu School Therapist

Hello. My name is Stephanie Hunnel, and I am the Casimir Middle School counselor. I offer school-based counseling that focuses on academics, social, and emotional well-being.

Our mission is to provide a positive, safe, healthy, nurturing, and respectful environment where all students can become productive members of society.

Casimir offers the Wellness Center a safe place to hang out with friends, make new friends, and play board games with peers. Students are welcome to bring their lunches with them to hang out.

The Wellness Center is open daily for snack and lunch. All are welcome.

Hi, there! My name is Janet Liu, and I am the Casimir Middle School Mental Health Counselor. I offer short-term mental health services to help students address issues related to daily stress, anxiety, depression, peer relationships, grief and loss, and more.

The Wellness Center in Room 24 is a space available for students to relax, play games, socialize, and talk to the counselor. It is open everyday at lunch time.

If you need any help with this transition or with any other mental health difficulties, please reach out to the mental health team at Casimir:

Stephanie Hunnel - School Counselor

(310) 533-4498 ext. 4711

hunnel.stephanie@tusd.org

Janet Liu, AMFT
School Based Mental Health Therapist

liu.janet@tusd.org
(310) 533-4498 x4784

Be sure to follow @CasimirMiddleSchool on Instagram!

Please take a moment to join our Facebook Page! You can find us at @CasimirMiddle

6/11 - Last Day of School - Out at 12:40pm

6/11 - Promotion at NHS at 6:00pm

Website: https://www.tusd.org/schools/casimir
Location: 17220 Casimir Avenue, Torrance, CA, USA
Phone: (310) 533-4498
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasimirMiddle/