CMS Cougar Communication

Dear Students, Parents, and Families,

As we head toward the end of November, I want to take a moment to share how grateful I am for our entire CMS community. This time of year naturally encourages us to pause and reflect, and I’m reminded every day of how fortunate we are to learn and grow alongside such wonderful students, dedicated staff, and supportive families.

Looking ahead, please note that school will not be in session the week of Monday November 24 for the Thanksgiving break. I hope the time off gives your family a chance to rest, enjoy time together, and recharge.

Thank you again for being such a meaningful part of our CMS family. I’m truly grateful for each of you and for the privilege of serving this community.

With gratitude,

Brian Scharmann (he/him)
Principal
Christensen Middle School

Each year, Livermore police officers partner with local schools to bring holiday joy to students and families in need through the Shop With a Cop program. We’re proud to share that Christensen’s own Mr. Scharmann and Ms. Gomes help coordinate this incredible districtwide effort.

This annual event pairs students with officers for a fun morning of shopping, smiles, and community connection, ensuring that every child can experience the magic of the season. If you’d like to contribute to making this year’s event possible, donations can be made directly through the GoFundMe link below:

Donate to Shop With a Cop 2025

Your generosity helps brighten the holidays for local children and strengthens the spirit of kindness that makes Livermore such a special community.

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.

Hi Parents,

Middle schoolers are navigating big emotions and changes, and one of the best ways parents can support them is simply by listening. Here are a few tips to help strengthen that connection:

• Be Present: Put down your phone or pause what you're doing. Even 5 minutes of focused attention goes a long way.

• Listen to Understand, Not to Fix: Sometimes kids just need to vent. Try responding with, “That sounds really tough—tell me more,” instead of jumping to solutions.

• Stay Curious, Not Critical: Ask open-ended questions like “What was the best part of your day?” This shows interest without pressure.

• Validate Their Feelings: Even if their worries seem small, they're real to your child. A simple “I can see why you'd feel that way” builds trust.

By being a calm, nonjudgmental listener, you give your child the confidence to keep coming to you—now and in the years ahead.

Dawn Allen, Counselor

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Support our incredible CMS Special Olympics athletes by grabbing dinner at Dave’s Hot Chicken on Friday, December 12, from 4–8 PM!

Head to 4213 First Street, Livermore, and show the flyer or use the code GIVE when ordering through the Dave’s app or website at daveshotchicken.com. Dave’s will generously donate 20% of your order back to CMS Special Olympics.

Every order helps our student-athletes continue to shine—on and off the field. Thank you for supporting our Cougars and making a difference in our community!

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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. Agenda to follow...

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

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 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, agenda to follow.

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.

Congratulations to our End of Trimester - TOP COUGAR KUDOS RECIPIENTS! These students received the most COUGAR KUDOS for showing our core values! Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Blade Vigil, Keyla Monroy, Jake Palmer
• 7th grader - Zoey Morgan, Noah Schwantje, Ruben Harrison
• 8th grader - Leila Bauman, Jamie Murtha, Taylor Houser

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 - Lylah Kotowski

• 7th grader - Valentino Morales

• 8th grader - Payton Ryan

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

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s PTA Pumpkin Decorating Contest! We loved seeing all of the creative and festive entries. Congratulations to our winners:

• 1st Place ($40 Amazon Gift Card): Rose Moniz
• 2nd Place ($25 Amazon Gift Card): Carmen Newton
• 3rd Place (Starbucks Gift Card): Elizabeth Medeiros

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 celebrate the outstanding efforts of 6th grade core teacher Sydney Mendoza. Sydney has gone above and beyond in creating a warm, structured, and engaging classroom environment where students feel valued and excited to learn. Her thoughtful approach to lesson design supports both academic growth and social-emotional development, helping students build confidence as they transition into middle school. Sydney’s dedication, creativity, and genuine care for her students exemplify the spirit of excellence and compassion that defines CMS. Congratulations, Sydney, on this well-deserved recognition—we are so grateful to have you as part of the CMS family!

Ms. Rhodes classes recently led a winter coat drive to support Disabled American Veterans, and our students showed up in a big way. The students of 803 helped collect and bag up a large number of gently used winter coats that will be donated to the Disabled American Veterans organization to help keep veterans warm this season. We are proud of their generosity and leadership, and grateful to all of the families who contributed to this meaningful effort.

Our AVID students recently wrapped up a hugely successful food drive in support of Tri Valley Haven, and we are excited to share that they collected a total of 904 food items. Students organized, boxed, and delivered all donations to Tri Valley Haven last Friday, helping ensure that local families have access to essential pantry items as we head into the holiday season. The pictures below capture just a bit of their hard work and teamwork. Thank you to every student and family who contributed, and a big shoutout to our AVID classes for leading this meaningful project with so much heart.

This week’s CMS Staff Spotlight is Mr. Harper, our awesome PE teacher who has been part of the CMS family for 5 years! When he’s not teaching, he enjoys using his free time to watch his kids play sports—even though he says there isn’t a ton of it!

A few fun facts: His favorite movie comes from the Lord of the Rings series. If he weren’t in education, he’d be a professional athlete. His advice to his middle school self? “Play more than one sport!”. He loves trying all the good food spots around Livermore.

Give a big CMS shoutout to Mr. Harper!

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.

As always, we have our Sandwich/Salad Menu and our Cafe Menu (featuring Grab and Go Options), in addition to our rotating hot entrees.

Students in grades 3–8 are invited to dance down First Street with the Livermore High School Dance Team during the Livermore Holiday Parade on Friday, December 6!

Participants will receive poms, a holiday sweater, and a fun clinic session (only one practice required). Space is limited, and registration closes October 23, so don’t wait to sign up!

All proceeds benefit the LHS Dance Team. For more details or to register, scan the QR code on the flyer or contact vcastro@lvjusd.org

• 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.

The City of Livermore and Poet Laureate Peggy Schimmelman invite students to enter the Livermore Teen Poet of the First Semester contest! This semester’s theme is “Tomorrow.”

What will happen tomorrow? What do you hope, know, or fear will happen? Use your imagination—any style or interpretation of the theme will be considered.

• Deadline: December 5, 2025
• Who Can Enter: Middle and High School students
• How to Submit: Email your poem to PLLivermore@gmail.com
• . Include your name, private (non-LVJUSD) email address, grade level, school, and teacher. One poem per student. (No AI-generated poems, please.)
• Recognition: Winning poets will receive a Certificate of Achievement from the City of Livermore. With the poet’s permission, selected poems may be published locally and displayed in the Livermore Civic Center Library.

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