CMS Cougar Communication

Hello CMS Students and Families,

As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, we embrace the beauty of the fall season here at CMS. This is a time for new beginnings and exciting events! Don’t forget that our ASB fundraiser wraps up this week, so make sure to support our students before it closes.

Looking ahead, mark your calendars for our upcoming non-student days on Friday, 10/4 and Friday, 11/1, giving our students a well-deserved break. And get ready to dance! We have an exciting dance planned for Friday, 10/11. We can't wait to see everyone there, celebrating the season together!

More information about this and everything else coming up at CMS can be found below...

The next Cougar Communication will be delivered to your inbox on Sunday 10/6. I hope you find the following information to be helpful.

Here's to a great week,

Brian Scharmann (he/him)
Principal
Christensen Middle School

• Only 30% of American families eat dinner together every night.
• Regular family dinners are associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety.
• Family dinners lasting at least 20 minutes provide the most benefits.
• 75% of tweens/teens say they talk to their parents about personal issues during family dinners.
• Kids who regularly eat dinner with their families are 40% more likely to get mostly A's and B's in school.
• Kids who have frequent family dinners are 2X as likely to say they confide in their parents!

Dinners together can be challenging due to sports and work schedules, etc., but it's worth taking the time to set this as a goal even if it's not daily. Enjoy!

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 at athleticclearance.com.
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. Phsyical forms will only be accepted throughathleticclearance.com.
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.

To Celebrate the Oct. 11th Tangled Dance we will have another Spirit Week! 10/7-10/11

• Monday 10/7: House Color Day
• Tuesday 10/8: Crazy Hair Day
• Wednesday 10/9: Rapunzel's Favorite Colors -Wear Pink and/or Purple
• Thursday 10/10: PJ's With Pascal - Comfy Day
• Friday 10/11: Spirit Shirt or CMS Colors Day

Youth Suicide Prevention (Sept 24, 7 - 8pm in English AND offered IN-PERSON at Junction Ave on Sept 24, from 8:45am-9:45am in Spanish, facilitated by Crisis Support Services of Alameda County) This presentation is geared towards parents of secondary students.

The CMS English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) will meet virtually on October 1, 2024 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. To join the meeting, please use the following link: https://meet.google.com/gfh-mxvx-tkm.

ELAC Meeting on October 1_2024 flyer English
Folleto de la reunion de ELAC del 1 de octubre_2024 en espanol
CMS ELAC Agenda 2, October 1, 2024

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Professional Development Day/Non-Student Day, No School

The CMS ASB-sponsored dance for CMS students will take place on Friday, October 11, 2024, from 7-9 p.m. in the Quad (weather permitting).

Students attending the dance may wear costumes to the event; however, all costumes must conform to the school’s dress code policy. Student faces must be visible—no masks. The costumes should not be obstructive, revealing, offensive or violent and should not contain sharp or pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another person. Students with props that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon, masks, items that would make a person uncomfortable should leave them at home. Inappropriate props will be kept in the office.

The dance event participation will be added electronically to the student’s ID account number prior to the dance for those students who purchase the item online at our RevTrak web store from October 4-10, 2024, for $7 or pay $10 cash or check in person during lunch time October 8-10 only. The opportunity to purchase online will expire on October 10 at 11:55 p.m. The shopping cart icon located on the CMS website is your link to RevTrak. Dance event participation will not be sold on Friday or the day of the dance.

Students who earned a 4.0 GPA on their CMS June 2024 Trimester 3 report card will have the dance admission added to their ID card account automatically. RevTrak cannot honor free dance admission for 4.0 GPA students.

Students must present their current photo ID card at the door to enter the dance. Dance eligibility guidelines will be enforced. Students can request a replacement ID card in the school office Mondays through Thursdays.

Leadership will sell refreshments and snacks during the dance. Please send small denomination paper currency with your student if they plan to purchase food.

Parents should plan to pick up their child no later than 9:15 p.m.

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2451 Portola Ave. Classroom 25 Livermore Ca 94551
Stop by the Native American Center on Indigenous People’s day. This event will be filled with cultural enrichment along with information about the resources that the Native American Center provides to the community. For more information: thenson@lvjusd.org

Our first School Site Council meeting of the year will be held virtually on Tuesday, October 15th, at 3:00 PM. To join the meeting, please use the following link: https://meet.google.com/rzo-ktsz-kha.

CMS Site Council Agenda for the 10/15/2024 meeting.

In recognition of National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month, we, along with our partners at the City of Livermore, Livermore PD, Livermore Public Library, and LARPD, have planned a week-long celebration from October 14-18, 2024 to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in our schools and community.

💰🏃... more information to follow!

😎

Congratulations to our PBIS students of the week! These students were selected for being RESPECTFUL!

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Jeanalie Monroy

• 7th grader - Isabella Morales

• 8th grader - Elizabeth Clippinger

Congratulations to our PBIS students of the week! These students were selected for being RESPONSIBLE!

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Jhett Whatley
• 7th grader - Jeffrey Winfrey

• 8th grader - Drake Manwell

Please take a moment to give a Shout Out to a deserving CMS staff member. Please complete this 3 question Google Form to give a Shout Out. Gratitudes will be shared with staff in our weekly internal newsletter.

Homework Club will be offered on Wednesdays from 1:30PM to 2:30PM. Homework club meets in the MPR and is a quiet place to get work done with support offered by CMS staff members.

The only way to guarantee your CMS 2024-2025 yearbook order is to purchase one from the Herff Jones Yearbook Order Center.

The price is $35 until February 1st. The prices include shipping to CMS in June. There will only be a limited number of copies available for purchase after this date.

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. Yearbook sales will end on April 14, 2025.

If you want to verify your yearbook order, please visit the Herff Jones 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.

Do you love spending time outdoors? Would you like to join a team of students, parents, and staff to help create a habitat for local native plants and wildlife? We're forming a team to plan the planting of the first Miyawaki Forest in the Tri-Valley right here at CMS!

To learn more, check out this short video. If you are interested, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan our work for the year.

If you are interested in participating in MATHCOUNTS this year, plese take a moment to complete this short Google form so that we can communicate to all that are interested.

MathCounts is a middle school mathematics competition that builds problem-solving skills and fosters achievement through an in-person "bee" style contest held in January. The CMS Math Team will meet and practice in preparation to compete against other schools in our district.

Neon Clear is an after-school program that presents students with unique and thought-provoking, interactive lessons on Fridays after school for one hour in room 204. Examples of some of the topics to be covered are Artificial Intelligence, The Genetics of Human Longevity, and Applied Hacking, where students will learn to code in python, create electronics projects, and extract DNA from plants. This opportunity will be limited to the first 25 participants, so be sure to sign up right away if you are interested. Neon Clear will meet on Fridays after school, beginning Friday, September 6.

Students interested in joining should complete this short Google form using their school account: Register Now

Neon Clear Sizzle Reel
This year in Neon Clear 2024

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. To pick up your prepaid merchandise, please bring a copy of your receipt to the CMS office.

CMS is starting the CMS Miyawaki Forest Team with the help of Ann Brown, from the Tri-Valley Air Quality Climate Alliance and the CMS PTA. With the help of a team of students, parents, and staff, they will plan and provide a habitat for local native plants and wildlife right on CMS campus!

You can help plant a legacy for your student and family by sponsoring a tree or shrub in the new CMS Miyawaki Forest! Your contribution will help students create a thriving mini-forest of California native flora right in the Quad!

Preparation began this summer, tuned for volunteer dates. CMS will be the first site in the Tri-Valley to create this solution to biodiversity loss, poor air quality, water conservation, heat islands, and climate disruption. Every tree or shrub planted by students will give them hope and agency to be a solutionary!

The Team is seeking donations to help fund the planting of the first “Miyawaki Forest” in the Tri-Valley right here at CMS. Donations to help supply the team with the tools and plant life they need to make this amazing educational experience happen at several sponsorship levels can be made at our Cheddar Up CMS Miyawaki Forest Fundraiser site.

• Sponsor an Eco-System for $100
• Sponsor a Mini Forest for $50
• Sponsor a Grove for $25
• Sponsor a Tree for $15
• Sponsor a Shrub for $10

Thank you for your support!

When to Stay Home From School

• Regarding COVID-19: Starting this 2024-25 school year, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has discontinued its school-specific COVID-19 guidance. COVID-19 is now categorized among other respiratory viruses, such as influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with common illness management and prevention strategies. Please follow the protocols listed below when determining if your student should stay home from school if sick with COVID-19 or any other illness.

Students will enjoy school and be better able to learn if they are well. It is important to protect the health of students from risk posed by infectious diseases that are transmitted within the school setting. Some serious health conditions can cause danger to the safety and health of students.

A student will be sent home if they are vomiting, has a fever, or is believed to be suffering from a recognized contagious or infectious disease. A student shall not be permitted to return until school personnel are satisfied that the student is no longer contagious or infectious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend that a student stay home for 24 hours after the fever has subsided. This means that a student must be fever free without the use of fever-reducing medication for 24 hours before they can return to school. A temperature of 100 degrees orally or 99 degrees auxiliary is considered a fever and a student will be sent home.

Please keep students home if they have any of the following:

• A fever of 100 degrees or higher within the past 24 hours

• A runny nose when mucus is thick and green or yellow when accompanied by a fever

• A rash of unknown origin or contagious rash (requires documentation from a physician stating that a student may return to school)

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting within the previous 24 hours

• Severe headache

• Conjunctivitis - red, irritated or burning eyes with watery or mucous thickened drainage

• Lice - the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District has a no live lice policy. Please keep your child home until free of live lice. Students must be cleared through the office prior to returning to class after being treated for lice.

It is our goal to follow safe health practices at school in compliance with California Education Code, Alameda County Public Health Department and Center for Disease Control to ensure optimal health for all students and staff. Please contact your school nurse with any questions.

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Order your Livermore Unity Day t-shirt by September 30 to wear for Unity Day on October 16 in recognition of National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month! TSG has partnered with LVJUSD, City of Livermore, Livermore Police Department and LARPD to offer youth and adult tees (and even infant onesies!) with our community’s Unity Day logo emphasizing kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Share this opportunity with your families and staff. Orders will be shipped directly to the shipping address so no coordination at school sites is necessary. Combine orders with friends/family/colleagues and ship to one address to save on shipping. Questions? Contact skenison@lvjusd.org.

Did you know, Child Nutrition has a variety of options everyday for breakfast?

The Child Nutrition Department is proud to spotlight our Chipotle Chicken Wrap in this week’s new menu item spotlight. It is now being served every Thursday and Friday on Middle and High School campuses. Click our Flier for more information.

Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy, 2024-25 Competitions - Open to students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 respectively. Deadline October 31, 2024.

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.

All students in grades 1-12 are issued a LVJUSD Chromebook as an essential learning tool. We recognize that accidental damage can occur as devices travel with students between home and school, and remain in their possession during school breaks and over the summer. We are pleased to offer parents the ability to protect your student’s Chromebook with optional insurance coverage from School Device Coverage. Replacement costs without insurance can be as costly as $315 per device. A $22 annual policy provides coverage for your student’s LVJUSD-issued Chromebook and covers the following:

• Accidental damage
• Cracked Screen
• Liquid Submersion
• Fire
• Flood
• Loss and Theft
• Power Adapter Replacement (one-time)

Not covered:

• Standard Wear and Tear

• Cosmetic Damage

• Abuse

Policies can be purchased online at https://schooldevicecoverage.com/signup. Policies purchased for the 2024-25 school year will provide coverage from the date of purchase through August 12, 2025. More information can be found on our district website or on your school’s homepage

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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Artists, dancers, photographers, musicians, and writers! Next year's PTA Reflections theme is, "Accepting Imperfection." If you will be a student at CMS next year, you can already start creating a piece to submit in November of 2024. You can find more information on the CMS Reflections program here or click entry form. Entries that receive an Excellence and move onto Peralta judging will receive a $25 gift certificate from the CMS PTA.

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