CMS Cougar Communication

Dear Students, Parents, and Families,

It has been a great first couple of weeks at Christensen Middle School, and now it’s time to really dive into the academics! We encourage families to check in regularly on Schoology to stay up to date with grades and assignments, and to take a look at student planners to help ensure good study habits are developing.

As a reminder, Back to School Night is this Thursday, August 28, at 6:00 PM. The evening will begin with a short presentation in the MPR, followed by classroom visits. We hope you’ll join us to meet teachers and learn more about the year ahead. More information is below...

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your student’s success. We’re off to a strong start, and I’m excited for all that’s to come this year.

Brian Scharmann (he/him)
Principal
Christensen Middle School

Reminder to Christensen Parents: I'm here for your kids if they need support. Don't hesitate to reach out via email at dallen@lvjusd.org or call at (925) 606-4702 ext 6578 if you have any concerns or questions. I'll be introducing myself to students this week and giving them information on what I do and how to reach me if they have any questions or concerns, as well as talking to them about bullying and goal-setting. We're all looking forward to a great school year!

Dawn Allen, Counselor

Registration is now open for anyone interested in participating in our athletics programs this year! Here are the requirements for being cleared to participate in Christensen Middle School athletics:

1. Register for all sports that the athlete is planning on playing this year HERE.
2. All athletes planning on participating will need to have an updated physical. We require a signed physical by a doctor within the last 12 months. Here is a link to a physical form that can be used: LVJUSD Physical Form. Other forms signed by a doctor may be acceptable but must specifically clear athletes for participation in sports. Physical forms will only be accepted through Home Campus (link above).
3. CMS athletes must have received a 2.0 GPA on the previous trimester's final report card. Incoming 6th graders are not held to this requirement until an official grading period has been completed.

The tentative start dates for the athletic programs we offer are listed below. More specific information for each sport will be communicated through the morning announcements and this newsletter as each season approaches.

• Cross Country (Co-ed) - August
• Boys Basketball - August
• Girls Basketball - October
• Boys Volleyball - January
• Girls Volleyball - February
• Wrestling (Co-ed) - March
• Golf (Co-ed) - April/May
• Track and Field (Co-ed) - April/May

Please reach out to our Athletic Director, David Moore, at dmoore@lvjusd.org if you have any questions.

There will be an English Learners (ELAC) parents' meeting in Room 601 from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The agenda for our meeting can be found here: CMS 8/28/2025 ELAC Meeting Agenda.

CMS will host an in-person Back to School Night on Thursday, August 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Families will follow their student’s bell schedule, moving from class to class to tour the campus and meet their student’s teachers. Back to School Night Schedule.

Grab Pizza on Back to School Night & Support CMS AVID! Make your Back to School Night even better with dinner from Pizza Guys! On Thursday, August 28th from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Pizza Guys will donate 20% of sales to our AVID program when you mention CMS.

📍 1545 N. Vasco Road, Livermore, CA 94551

Since families will already be out and about, it’s the perfect night to skip cooking and support a great cause!

No school in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Community Service Day is Saturday, September 20th, from 8 am-1 pm. Volunteers can sign up to help beautify our schools, parks, and other areas around Livermore. Visit livermoreca.gov/CSD for more information. Click here for volunteer signups.

Join us for Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A on Tuesday, September 23, from 5–9 pm! Come enjoy food and fun while supporting the Christensen Middle School AVID Program.

Up to 20% of sales will be donated back to CMS to help support our students and their mission.

Location: Chick-fil-A, Livermore Avenue & 580.

Support CMS by joining us for our next PTA Dine Out at First Street Alehouse! Stop by on Tuesday, September 30, anytime between 11 am and 10 pm.

Located at 2106 First Street, First Street Alehouse will donate a portion of the day’s sales back to Christensen Middle School. Both dine-in and takeout orders count, so enjoy a great meal while giving back to our school!

Join us on Wednesday, October 8, for our next PTA Dine Out at Melo’s Pizza & Pasta! Stop by anytime between 11 am and 9 pm at 4433 First Street in Livermore.

Melo’s will be giving 20% of sales back to Christensen Middle School, and both dine-in and takeout orders count. Enjoy a delicious meal and support CMS at the same time!

Mark your calendars for our next PTA Dine Out at Pizza Guys! Join us on Friday, October 17, from 11 am to 8 pm at the Vasco Road location (1545 N. Vasco Road).

When you order, 20% of sales will come back to support Christensen Middle School. It’s a delicious way to give back to our school community—don’t miss it!

Make dinner easy and support the AVID Program at Christensen Middle School! Join us at Chipotle on Wednesday, November 5, from 5–9 pm at 4691 1st Street in Livermore.

Chipotle will donate 25% of event sales back to CMS AVID. To participate, order online for pickup using code 83LHMQM or show the flyer in the restaurant.

Please note: Delivery orders and gift card purchases do not count toward the fundraise

Congratulations to our Cougar Kudos winners this week! These students were recognized for consistently demonstrating the CMS Core Values of Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be Kind.

• 6th Grade: Mia Benavidez

• 7th Grade: Stephen Jaspan

• 8th Grade: Jackson Daley

We are so proud of these students for setting a great example for their peers—way to go, Cougars!

Thanks to the generosity of our PTA, Christensen Middle School now has five new sets of parking lot banners proudly displaying our PBIS Core Values: respectful, responsible, safe, and kind. These banners not only reinforce the expectations we hold for our school community but also add beauty and color to our campus. We are grateful to our PTA for their continued support in helping us create a welcoming and positive environment for all students, staff, and families.

By joining the CMS PTA, you help make events like this possible and directly support our students, staff, and school community. Membership is just $16 for the year, and every membership strengthens our ability to fund activities, events, and projects that benefit CMS. You can join online at https://christensen.livermoreschools.org/get-involved/pta!

This summer, Christensen Middle School partnered with Kyle Noll, a senior at Monte Vista High School and a 7th-year Boy Scout from Troop 815 in Danville, on his Eagle Scout project. Kyle transformed a previously underused area of our campus into a welcoming space for students and staff to enjoy during breaks, while also improving the gardening area near our special education classrooms.

The project included building two brand-new picnic tables, repairing and reinforcing two planter beds, and sanding and staining two existing picnic tables to match the new ones. Although the hands-on work was completed over two weekends, Kyle dedicated many months to planning, review, and preparation to bring his vision to life.

We are grateful to Kyle for choosing CMS as the site for his Eagle Scout project. His hard work and leadership have created an upgraded outdoor space that our students and staff will enjoy for years to come.

To help kick off the new school year, the CMS PTA hosted a grab-and-go breakfast for staff on Friday, August 15. The spread of snacks, fruit, and drinks was a thoughtful way to celebrate the first week back and show appreciation for all the hard work our teachers and staff do for our students. Thank you, PTA, for starting our year off with such a warm welcome!

By joining the CMS PTA, you help make events like this possible and directly support our students, staff, and school community. Membership is just $16 for the year, and every membership strengthens our ability to fund activities, events, and projects that benefit CMS. You can join online at https://christensen.livermoreschools.org/get-involved/pta!

A P.E. uniform is required. All students are expected to have a gray t-shirt and royal blue shorts or purchase the Christensen P.E. attire at a very reasonable cost. (A gray t-shirt, royal blue shorts, gray sweatshirt, and gray sweatpants without logos are also acceptable.) Athletic shoes with white/light soles are also required.

T-shirts - $10.00 (Youth Large, Adult S-XXL) Shorts - $10.00 (Youth XL, Adult S-XXL)

To purchase any or all of the above items online, please visit the Christensen Middle School Web Store by clicking on the shopping cart icon https://christensen.livermoreschools.org/. To pick up your prepaid merchandise, please bring a copy of your receipt to the CMS front office.

Please write your child’s last name across the back of their P.E. shirt and on the nametag on the front of their shorts. No other writing is permitted on the clothes students wear in P.E.

Support CMS teachers by helping fund their classroom projects through DonorsChoose! Each contribution, big or small, directly supports learning opportunities and resources for our students. Check out the current projects and consider making a donation to make a difference in our classrooms.

• Ms. Garner's AVID Project
• Ms. Garner's Classroom Supply Essentials
• Ms. Manganaan's Classroom Supply Essentials

Get ready for some fun! Students will have the chance to purchase temporary tattoos for staff members to wear. Tattoos are just $1 each and will be sold at both lunches on Monday (9/8), Tuesday (9/9), and Wednesday (9/10).

All tattoos purchased will be worn by staff on Friday, September 12, 2025—and they must keep them visible throughout the day!

Come join the fun while supporting AVID!

The Student Transit Pass Program provides FREE Youth Clipper Cards to eligible middle and high school students. The Youth Clipper card provides unlimited free rides on LAVTA/Wheels. Students can add cash value to the Clipper card for 50% off BART fares and youth discounts on other transit systems that use Clipper. The pass makes it easier for students to travel to and from school.

All students attending middle and high schools in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District are eligible to receive a free Clipper card good for unlimited rides on Wheels and Rapid buses during the 2025-2026 school year.

The Student Transit Pass Clipper Card CMS students received this year or in past years is valid through the student’s high school graduation date if the student remains enrolled in a participating Alameda County school and is under the age of 19.

New Christensen students should complete the online application for a Youth Clipper Card at https://stpp.formstack.com/forms/lvjusd_christensen. All fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required including Parent or Guardian Signature. The office will verify the information submitted online and on the printed applications received in the office.

When CMS receives the youth clipper cards, the office will contact the students regarding the distribution of the cards.

Why This Matters
Completing your Household Eligibility Form (Universal Benefits Application or Meal Application) can unlock valuable benefits for eligible families, including:

• Up to $240 per student in SunBucks

• Reduced SAT, IB, and AP testing fees

• Discounts on photo packages, PG&E, and internet services

Step 1: Check if You Need to Apply
It only takes one minute, visit our website!

• Not every family needs to fill out an application.

• Only complete one application per family if you qualify.

Step 2: Apply Online
Use the QR code below:

Need Help?
Paper copies are available if you need assistance or have difficulty with technology please contact our office at 925-606-4702.

The order window for families to purchase Chromebook insurance through School Device Coverage (SDC) is open through October. Once the window closes, no new policies may be purchased until the beginning of next school year. The policies are between SDC and the family, any changes to the student device (swapped for repair) must be communicated to SDC by the parents. Refer to the website for more information! English Flier Spanish Flier

Who doesn’t like options? Our Secondary Menu is full of options!

• Rotating Hot Entrees. See the full menu here:
• Cafe Menu: Daily Grab and Go Options. Here’s the Menu

Salad and Sandwich Menu: Daily Offering of Wraps, Salads, and Sandwiches. Here’s the Menu

Fresh Baked Bagels every Tuesday & Thursday, at all Secondary Sites.

Cereal is available for breakfast every day through September!

We encourage parents, guardians, school staff and community members to join the CMS PTA. Please go to the Join Andrew Christensen PTA website (https://jointotem.com/ca/livermore/andrew-christensen-pta/join/register).

Show your support for our students by joining the CMS PTA. Our mission is to provide a positive middle school experience for every student and we are committed to putting students first. Members are not required to attend any meetings, but are encouraged to. Only PTA members can vote at the general meetings.

We appreciate your support.

Show your school spirit with new CMS spirit wear while helping raise money for the CMS PTA. Order at www.1stplacespiritwear.com

😎

Email: bscharmann@lvjusd.org
Website: https://www.livermoreschools.org/Domain/101
Location: 5757 Haggin Oaks Avenue, Livermore, CA, USA
Phone: 925-606-4702