CMS Cougar Communication

Dear Students, Parents, and Families,

We hope our students and families enjoyed a restful and joyful winter break. As we begin a new year, we are excited to welcome students back to Christensen Middle School on Monday, 1/5.

The start of a new year is a wonderful opportunity to reset routines, reconnect with classmates, and refocus on learning and growth. Our staff is ready to welcome students back and support a strong return to classrooms as we head into the second half of the school year.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our CMS community. We look forward to a positive and productive start to 2026 together.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our CMS community.

Brian Scharmann (he/him)
Principal
Christensen Middle School

We have recently made several improvements to enhance safety in our parking lot and support students, families, and staff during arrival and dismissal. These updates include a fresh coat of highly visible paint on the crosswalk, new pedestrian safety signage, and clearer markings to help drivers and walkers navigate the space more safely.

These changes are designed to increase visibility, slow traffic, and reinforce shared responsibility in keeping our campus safe. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as we continue to make improvements that support a safe and welcoming school environment for all.

Thank you for helping us model safe habits for our students and for being attentive while traveling through our parking lot.

Hi Parents,

If you are interested in documentaries that raise awareness about the impact of social media, screen time, and digital use on children and families, I have compiled a short list of options you may find helpful:

• The Social Dilemma

• Childhood 2.0

• Screened Out

• Plugged In

• Disconnected

As with all media recommendations, I encourage parents to preview these documentaries in advance to ensure the content aligns with your values and comfort level.

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.

• 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.

We’re planning to host a CMS Career Day this spring (date TBD), and we’d love your help finding volunteers from a variety of careers—especially those our students have said they want to learn more about.

In case you missed it, a Volunteer Interest Form was sent to families on 12/22. If you—or someone you know (family, friends, or community partners)—would be interested in speaking with students about your career, we encourage you to complete and share the form.

Student interest survey results are guiding our planning, and we’re excited to bring this experience to CMS. Thank you for your support!

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This presentation is designed to help parents of 8th graders better understand the transition from middle to high school. LVJUSD administrators will discuss the: bell schedules, course selection process, graduation requirements, educational programs and pathways, extracurricular activities, and mental health and wellness resources at the high schools. Please share with families of 8th graders.

The first CMS School Site Council meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, January 13 at 3:00 PM.

Join us at this link: Google Meet.

CMS School Site Council Meeting Agenda 1/13/2026

Our Winter Orchestra Concert will be held in the Gym from 6:30PM-7:30PM.

As we approach the midpoint of the school year, it may feel early to begin thinking about your student’s freshman year of high school. However, the course registration process for the 2026–2027 school year begins soon, and we want to ensure you have the information and support you need every step of the way.

The Livermore High Freshman Expo will be on Wednesday, January 14th from 6:00-7:00 pm in the Athletic Complex on Cowboy Alley. The Course registration window, where students make their course requests for the 2026-2027 school year, will be open from January 12th – 23rd.

The Freshman Expo is an opportunity to learn about our course offerings, academic pathways, and student support programs. Families will be able to speak with teachers and staff, ask questions, and get assistance with the online registration process. We are committed to guiding you and your student through this process so that it feels smooth, supportive, and informative.

You will receive a follow-up email with more detailed information about course registration and the Freshman Expo on January 5th. Until then, feel free to look through the LHS Course Catalog (linked here) or use the attached Expo Flier as a reminder.

LHS 2026 EXPO NIGHT Flyer

Link to the Course Registration and Expo Website

Our Winter Orchestra Band will be held in the Gym from 6:30PM-7:30PM on Thursday 1/15.

Note the date of this concert has been changed from Wednesday 1/14 to Thursday 1/15.

There will be no school on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

There will be a virtual English Learners (ELAC) parents' meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 1/20.

Join us at this link: Google Meet.

• ELAC Flyer 1_20_2026
• CMS ELAC Agenda 1_20_2026
• Anuncio del Comité Asesor del Condado de CMS (ELAC)

The CMS PTA General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:00 PM and will be held online. We invite all CMS families and community members to join us to stay informed, share ideas, and support our school community. Please use the following link to join the meeting: CMS PTA General Meeting Google Meet.

CMS is excited to offer the AMC 8 Math test after school on Thursday 1/22/2026 for students who are interested. A new practice test will be delivered each week to students who have registered all the way up to the test.

There will be no cost for students to take the AMC 8, but pre-registration is required.

For those who are interested in taking the AMC 8 with us, students must complete this short Google form from their LVJUSD Google account: https://forms.gle/rFP8ax4M1ZtyUBru5.

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🕺💃 More info to follow...

If you enjoy problem-solving and want to challenge yourself in math, check out MATHCOUNTS! This nationwide competition — supported locally by the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District — gives middle school students a chance to build math skills, compete, and lay a foundation for future STEM paths.

The 2026 MathCounts competition for our district will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026. You can learn more and register using the link below:
LVJUSD MathCounts Information and Registration

To get ready for the competition (or just to have fun with challenging math problems), join Math Club at CMS! Math Club is open to all students and meets every Monday after school from 2:40–3:40 PM in Room 905. We work together to solve MathCounts-style problems, hold practice competitions, and build teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Sign up to run a 10K, 5K, or 1-mile fun run in Livermore Granada Boosters Race to the Flagpole. This annual tradition serves as the organizations largest fundraiser to support the award of student athlete scholarships.

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.

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Penelope Fisher

• 7th grader - Jordyn High

• 8th grader - Grant Perotti

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

Thank you to all of our CMS students who participated in the PTA Gingerbread Decorating Contest. The creativity, craftsmanship, and holiday spirit on display in the library were truly impressive, and the online voting made it even more fun.

Congratulations to our winners:

• 1st Place, Grant Perotti, $40 Amazon Gift Card
• 2nd Place, Osman Oliva, $20 Amazon Gift Card
• 3rd Place, Elizabeth Medeiros, $10 Starbucks Gift Card

We are grateful to the CMS PTA for organizing this festive event and to everyone who took the time to vote and support our students. Activities like this bring joy, creativity, and connection to our campus community.

Great work, CMS, and thank you for sharing your holiday spirit.

Local real estate agent, and former LVJUSD teacher, Deborah Byrnes has partnered with us to recognize a CMS staff member each month for their contributions and service to our school community.

This month, we honor Marissa Mendez, a paraeducator at CMS, for her ongoing dedication and positive impact on our students and staff. Marissa consistently demonstrates adaptability, flexibility, and initiative in her work, meeting students’ needs with patience, care, and professionalism. She builds meaningful relationships, steps in wherever support is needed, and is a dependable and valued member of her team. Her willingness to adjust, problem solve, and support both students and colleagues helps create a positive and inclusive learning environment each day.

We appreciate you, Marissa, and thank you for the important work you do for our CMS community.

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.

We’re excited to share that the Girls Who Code Club is back at Christensen Middle School! In partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL), this club offers students a fun and supportive environment to explore coding, collaborate with peers, and learn from LLNL mentors.

Meetings will take place every Tuesday after school from 2:45–4:00 PM in Room 204, beginning Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

Although it’s called Girls Who Code, students of any gender are welcome to join. To participate, students must use their LVJUSD Google account to complete the interest form:

Girls Who Code Interest Form

We can’t wait to see our CMS coders back in action!

Math Club at CMS is open to all students and meets every Monday after school from 2:40‑3:40 in Room 905. In Math Club, we work together to tackle challenging problems from MathCounts, and we also hold practice competitions to help prepare students who want to compete district‑wide. It’s a great place to build problem‑solving skills, make math fun, and deepen understanding — come join us and be part of a team!

The only way to guarantee your CMS 2025-2026 yearbook order is to purchase one from the Varsity Yearbook Order Center.

The price is $35 until February 1. The price will increase after February 1 to $40. Yearbook sales will end on April 6, 2026. There will only be a limited number of copies available for purchase after this date. The prices include shipping to CMS in June.

Books will be sold directly through the publisher. Use a credit card to order your yearbook. Go to www.YearbookOrderCenter.com or call 1-866-287-3096 and use School Code16490.

If you want to verify your yearbook order, please visit the Varsity yearbook website at www.yearbookordercenter.com. Click Find Your Order. You will enter the email address used when you placed your order. The school number is 16490.

LVJUSD Special Education Parent Newsletter

Encourage students to register on the Beanstack app (see QR code on flyer) or visit a local branch to pick up a paper game board. Readers earn raffle tickets for time spent reading and can enter to win a variety of prizes.

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.

• February 25, 2026 Student presentations are due to judges - times TBD
• February 26, 2026 Student project exhibits, a planetarium show, trashion show, live music and community partner exhibits will be held at Joe Michell TK-8 between 5-7 pm.

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

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