CMS Cougar Communication

Hello CMS Students and Families,

As we step into a brand-new calendar year, let’s take a moment to celebrate all we’ve accomplished together. The dedication, hard work, and positive spirit of our CMS community truly make Christensen Middle School a special place.

The new year brings fresh opportunities for growth, learning, and exciting adventures ahead. Let’s keep that energy alive as we dive into 2025 with enthusiasm and focus. Stay tuned for updates, activities, and celebrations as we continue to make this year one to remember.

The next Cougar Communication will be sent on Sunday, 1/19. I hope you find the following information to be helpful.

Here's to a great week,

Brian Scharmann (he/him)

Principal
Christensen Middle School

Boys volleyball will be starting the week after Winter break. Athletes who want to tryout need to be registered at homecampus.com/login and have an updated physical dated within the last calendar year. Athletes not cleared, will not be able to tryout. Open gym will be held January 6th and 7th from 2:45pm-3:45pm and tryouts will be on January 8th and 9th. Please let Mr. Moore or Mrs. Hilton know if you have any questions.

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The next School Site Council meeting of the year will be held virtually on Tuesday, January 14th, at 3:00 PM. To join the meeting, please use the following link: https://meet.google.com/rzo-ktsz-kha.

Agenda.

January 15 - CMS Winter Concert-Orchestra, 7 p.m., CMS Gym
January 16 - CMS Winter Concert - Band, 7 p.m., CMS Gym

There is no school on January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.

The CMS English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) will meet virtually on January 21, 2025 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. To join the meeting, please use the following link: https://meet.google.com/gfh-mxvx-tkm.

Our next General Meeting of the CMS PTA will be on Wednesday 1/22 at 6:00PM. More information and agenda to follow.

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CMS ASB Dance, 6:30-8:30 p.m. More information will be posted when available.

Registration is open for the Livermore Granada Boosters’ annual “Race to the Flagpole” event. The January 25th event is open to all ages and abilities and offers options to run a mile, 5K, or 10K. Proceeds from the registration fees will benefit the Livermore Granada Boosters. REGISTER HERE

There is no school on February 17, in observance of Presidents' Day.

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

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Mason Miller

• 7th grader - Piper Jackson

• 8th grader - Kevin Newton

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 7, 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.

CMS is excited to offer the AMC 8 Math test after school on Friday 1/24/2025 for students who are interested. A new practice test will be available for pick up each week in the office beginning the week of 10/28 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/oQFfsihKV3HF5EV39

We’re excited to announce that CMS will continue its partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) to offer the Girls Who Code club this year! Meetings will be held every Thursday after school from 2:45-4:00 PM in Room 204, starting on Thursday, October 10th.

Although it’s called Girls Who Code, students of any gender are welcome to join. If your student is interested, they can sign up using this Google Form.

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.

Practices are held on Mondays after school in room 905. E Mail Ms. Giorgio at mgiorgio@lvjusd.org for more information.

The Livermore Public Library will run the Winter Reading Program for the third year in a row. This program is intended to encourage all students to continue reading during their winter break holidays. From December 1 to January 15, participants track their time spent reading or listening to books and earn raffle tickets for fun prizes like a candy vending machine, a projector, Kindle, pizza oven, and more. The more they read, the more tickets they get. They can track reading online, via the free Beanstack App, or on paper gameboards available at the library.

The Education Office of the Consulate General of Spain and the California Department of Education would like to invite all California students to participate in the 2024–2025 “Escribo en Español” writing contest. “Escribo en Español” encourages students in grades three through grade twelve to further their Spanish writing skills by providing awards for the best prose and poetry. The theme for this year’s contest is “El planeta en peligro." All the necessary documents to participate can be found here. If you have any additional questions, please direct them to Sonia Cabrerizo Diago e Inés García Sal by email at escriboenespanol@educacion.gob.es.

The California Coastal Commission invites all California students in grades K-12 to submit artwork or poetry with a California coastal or marine theme. Entries can be submitted online by 5pm on January 31, 2025. For rules, prize information, and entry form, please see here.

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