CMS Cougar Communication

Dear Students, Parents, and Families,

As we prepare to welcome our students back to campus for Student Orientation on Tuesday, August 6th, I want to extend a warm welcome to all our families, both new and returning. We are excited for another year of learning, growth, and community at CMS!

Please take a moment to complete the online annual enrollment update if you haven’t already. Your timely update help us ensure a smooth start to the school year. If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. We are here to help. Students will not be able to pick up their schedule until the update is complete and all Library fines are cleared.

Also, I would strongly encourage all families to consider the Chromebook insurance program as it provides peace of mind for a relatively low cost.

Lastly, we urge you to become involved at Christensen! All parents are encouraged to join our PTA. Joining PTA can be done with a few clicks on the CMS Website. There are many ways to be involved in PTA activities, both big and small, depending on the amount of time you have. We would love to have you!

We look forward to seeing you later this week at orientation,

Brian Scharmann (he/him)
Principal
Christensen Middle School

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
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
• Wrestling (Co-ed) - March
• Girls Volleyball - February
• 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.

All Christensen students and their parents are invited to attend our orientation. This is the first

opportunity students have to pick up their schedules prior to the first day of school. Parents are

encouraged to accompany their child to our orientation. If you are unable to attend the student

orientation, but have completed the online enrollment update process, come to the office during

regular office hours after orientation day to pick up student class schedules.

Please report to the quad at the times indicated below:

• Last names beginning with A through C: 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
• Last names beginning with D through G: 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
• Last names beginning with H through L: 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
• Last names beginning with M through O: 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Last names beginning with P through S: 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• Last names beginning with T through Z: 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

We realize that the start of a new school year can be a stressful time, particularly for students who are new to our campus. As such, our campus will be unlocked and open to CMS families on Monday 8/12 from 4:00PM - 7:00PM . This is an optional opportunity for students who would like to visit one last time to become more comfortable with the location of their classes before the first day of school.

The first day of school will be Tuesday, August 13, 2024, and will follow our Wednesday bell schedule.

PERIOD 0 7:30 – 8:10
PERIOD 1 8:25 – 9:05
PERIOD 2 9:09 – 9:49

BREAK 9:49 – 9:55

PERIOD 3 9:59 – 10:44

PERIOD 4A 10:48 – 11:28
PERIOD 4B 11:23 – 12:03

4A LUNCH 10:44 – 11:19
4B LUNCH 11:28 – 12:03

PERIOD 5 12:07 – 12:47
PERIOD 6 12:51 – 1:31

Beginning August 14, students will follow the CMS Bell Schedule.

All students will be photographed during their PE class on August 16. Picture day information and online ordering are now available by visiting mydorian.com. The online ordering portal will be available beginning July 26 and up to four (4) days after picture day.

Parents and guardians are invited to the Welcome Back General PTA Meeting at 6:OOPM in the Multipurpose Room (MPR).

CMS will host an in-person Back to School Night on Thursday 8/29 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM. Families will follow their student's bell schedule and move from class to class to visit our campus and meet their student's teachers.

No school in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

On or after July 30, you will receive a personalized Powerschool Annual Student Update email for each of your students from the email address registration@lvjusd.k12.ca.us. Annual student updates include important information regarding parent, guardian, and emergency contacts; medical and health updates; and acknowledgments of parents’ rights and District policies and procedures.

If you do not receive your online enrollment instructions by August 1 or need assistance, please contact the CMS office at 925-606-4702. If you do not have computer access, a computer is available in the CMS office.

Also, if your family has moved over the summer, please call the office as soon as possible. Be aware that if you wait until the day of orientation to complete the enrollment update, you may experience a delay in receiving your child’s schedule.

To provide you with the best customer service possible, we respectfully ask that you complete the enrollment update as soon as possible. The online enrollment update process must be completed before students receive their schedules.

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 and present it at the PE clothes area on Orientation Day.

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.

California Assembly Bill 354 requires that all students entering grades 7-12 provide proof of a Tdap booster (Whooping Cough) before starting the 2024-2025 school year. All students must provide proof of immunization to the nurse’s office at your school. You may email a copy of your child’s immunization record to Mrs. Laronde at flaronde@lvjusd.org or drop a copy off in the CMS office Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You will NOT receive your schedule in August without having the appropriate booster shot record on file.

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 begins this summer. Stay tuned for the volunteer date. 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!

We are excited to announce that our baseball fundraiser is back for the 2024 season!

Here is some information about the fundraiser:

• Seating Areas: View Reserve and Bleachers
• $10 tickets with $5 going back to the school

• Link: https://fevo.me/4bBhgni
  
• Promo Code: ChristensenMS

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

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 2024/25 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.

👩🏻‍🍳

Since the onset of COVID-19, our district has always followed the K-12 COVID-19 school protocols guidance put forth by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and as such, we wanted to inform you of this most recent change.

Starting this 2024-25 school year, the CDPH has discontinued its school-specific COVID-19 guidance. COVID-19 is now categorized amongst other respiratory viruses, such as influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with common illness management and prevention strategies. The CDPH website provides additional information on respiratory viruses and links to resources from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on prevention strategies. Note: Those who have health conditions that put them at higher risk should take extra precautions to stay healthy.

Our district’s Illness Exclusion Protocols are available on our website and outline more severe and contagious symptoms that should keep a student home from school. While we know the importance of school attendance on student learning and achievement, students who are sick should stay home and return when symptoms are improving or have subsided. You know your child best; as an educational partner, we just ask that you inform your school site if and when your child will not be at school.

Our Health Services team is a great resource for questions about illnesses and other health related concerns. Contact your school site to get connected to one of our school nurses or health technicians.

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