CMS Cougar Communication

Hello CMS Students and Families,

I hope you’re doing well! With Spring Break just around the corner, things are getting busy at CMS. Be sure to check out all the information below so you don’t miss any of the exciting springtime happenings!

The next Cougar Communication will be sent on Sunday, 4/6 as we prepare to return from Spring Break. I hope you find the following information helpful.

Here's to a great week,

Brian Scharmann (he/him)

Principal
Christensen Middle School

Please support the Christensen Middle School Library Follett Titlewish online fundraiser from March 7, 2025, to March 28, 2025. One hundred percent of the money raised will go directly to purchasing new reading material for the CMS library.

We are asking you to participate and help us raise $2,200. We are going to use this money to purchase books requested by students who helped identify gaps in our collection. In addition, students requested new books they would like to see in our library. The proceeds from this campaign will immediately go to purchasing materials that students can enjoy this school year! This is our only library fundraiser of the year, and your support will make an impact on our community and help keep our students reading for years to come.

To help us meet our goal, please visit https://www.titlewish.com/1096137 and click the Donate button. Thank you for helping us provide Christensen Middle School students with the best education possible!

An important note to parents ...

As parents, it’s important to help your child develop a strong sense of self-worth that isn’t tied to comparisons with others, especially in today’s social media-driven world. Start by encouraging open conversations about how social media often presents a curated, unrealistic version of life. Remind them that people tend to share their highlights, not their struggles. Help your child focus on their own unique strengths and achievements by praising their efforts and celebrating their progress, no matter how small. Encourage gratitude by having them reflect on what they appreciate in their own lives, which can shift their perspective from comparison to contentment. Finally, model healthy habits yourself—show them how to set boundaries with social media, practice self-compassion, and focus on personal growth rather than external validation. By fostering these habits, you can empower your child to embrace their individuality and build confidence that lasts. Most importantly, enjoy every little moment with them, even during what can be some oh so challenging years. They grow up so quickly :)

Dawn Allen, Counselor

If your student wants to participate in golf (April), or track and field (April), please make sure they have done the following:

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. Physical forms will only be accepted through athleticclearance.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.

Our 8th graders are nearing a major milestone as they prepare to leave middle school and step into their next adventure. To celebrate, we’re organizing a special 8th Grade Promotion Dance—an evening filled with fun, friends, and lasting memories!

To make this event truly spectacular, we’re asking 8th-grade families to consider a flat contribution of $40 per student (though any amount is appreciated). 100% of donations will go toward food, entertainment, and decorations to create an unforgettable night for our students.

Make your contribution here: my.cheddarup.com/c/8th-grade-promotion-dance-copy

If you can give a little extra to support other families, your generosity would mean so much.

Thank you for helping us send off our 8th graders in style!

CMS 2025-2026 Course Selection Request Window will be open March 14-28, 2025. More information is available on the CMS website: https://christensen.livermoreschools.org/academics/course-selectionelectives

UC Berkeley’s Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) Pathway Scholarship offers a full-tuition scholarship for one Secondary Division on-site summer course, plus access to an academic counselor and special learning opportunities.

Who’s eligible?
✔️ Current 7th–11th grade students
✔️ Hardworking, academically motivated, and resilient students
✔️ Those with a demonstrated financial need (e.g., FRLP eligibility)

Deadline to apply: March 17!

For more details or to nominate a student, visit atdp.berkeley.edu/pathway or contact atdpoffice@berkeley.edu. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity! 🚀

Mark your calendars for the CMS AVID Dine-Out Night at Pizza Guys (1545 N. Vasco Road) on March 19th, from 11 AM to 8 PM. Enjoy delicious pizza while supporting a great cause—20% of sales will be donated back to our school! Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you there!

Kaiser will present on how grief affects children of all ages in different ways and provide valuable insight into how parents can help their children navigate loss with care and understanding. Link to Flyer is available for anyone to view. Please share with all families.

Incoming 6th Grade Parent Information Night, 6-7 p.m.

CMS Spring Personality Picture Day Is Coming! Dorian Studio photographers will be at CMS on Wednesday, March 26. To minimize class disruption, only students with a completed picture day envelope or an online order receipt will have an individual photo taken during PE.

Please visit the Dorian Studio website for ordering information.

💐

Are you a passionate young writer with a love for poetry and a vision for change? The 2025 Youth Poet Laureate program is now accepting applications! This prestigious opportunity recognizes talented youth who use their voices to inspire, uplift, and make a difference in their communities. If you're between the eligible ages and have a strong portfolio of original work, this could be your chance to shine!

Don't miss out—apply now and take the next step in your poetic journey! Check out the flyer for more details.

2025 Science Odyssey:

• Save the date! The 2025 Science Odyssey will be held on April 9th-10th at Joe Michell TK-8! This is an incredible opportunity for students in grades TK-12 to showcase their passion for science and engineering with our community. Principals and teachers, please mark your calendars and share the attached flyers with your students and families.

• April 9, 2025: Student presentations are due to judges (exact times TBD)
• April 10, 2025: Science Odyssey Showcase
  Join us from 5:00 - 7:00 pm for student project exhibits, a planetarium show, a Trashion Show, live music, and community partner exhibits

• Ways to Participate:

• Science Odyssey Project for Judging – Open to students in grades 1-12. Registration is now open and closes on Friday, February 28th.
• Trashion Show – Open to students in grades K-12. Registration is now open and closes on Wednesday, March 26th.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.livermoreschools.org/scienceodyssey. Flyers with registration details for both the Science Odyssey projects and the Trashion Show are included in the attachments folder.

🌿✨ Calling All Future Fashion Designers! ✨🌿

Get ready to strut your stuff at the 6th Annual Trashion Show, part of the 2025 LVJUSD Science Odyssey! On April 10th at Joe Michell K-8 School, students K-12 will showcase their creativity by designing outfits made from recycled, repurposed, and found materials.

Categories include: 👗 High Fashion – Think Project Runway with a recycled twist! 🦸 Fantasy/Fiction – Bring your favorite characters to life! 🌍 Around the World – Celebrate global cultures through sustainable style!

Prizes will be awarded for Most Creative and Best Use of Recycled Materials in each category.

Check-in begins at 4:30 PM, the show starts at 5:30 PM, and awards will be presented at 6:30 PM.

Registration is open now through March 26th on the District website. Don’t miss your chance to turn trash into treasure! ♻️👠

We’ve got some exciting news that we can’t wait to share! It’s time for the ultimate showdown: the Staff vs. Student Volleyball Game!

Join us for a fun-filled and action-packed event where the teachers and staff will go head-to-head with the students in a friendly, competitive volleyball match. Whether you’re playing or cheering from the sidelines, it’s going to be a blast for everyone involved!

Date: Friday, April 11th

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location: Christensen Middle School Gym

Entry Fee: $2 per person (to support the CMS AVID Program)

Team Fee: $12 per team, $2 per person (If playing on a team, student will not have to pay the entry fee)

Note: Only CMS students are eligible to play. CMS families are welcome to come cheer and enjoy the fun!

Important Info:

• No in-and-out privileges—once you're in, you're in!
• Food and drinks will be available for purchase (cash only), so bring your appetite!
• If you're interested in playing, look out for an email from Mr. Scharmann to sign yourself and some friends up to form a team!
• Winning teams will receive a mile pass per person—limited to one mile pass per person!
• 
  

This is the perfect opportunity to show off your volleyball skills, get in the game spirit, and enjoy a bit of friendly rivalry. Don’t forget to bring your school spirit, and feel free to dress in your best school colors or team gear!

We can’t wait to see you there, cheering on your favorite team or showing us how it’s done on the court!

See you soon, and let’s make this game one to remember!

Quest Science Center presents the 7th Annual Tri-Valley Innovation Fair to be held on Saturday, April 12, from 10am - 5pm at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. All ages are welcome. Admission is FREE. A flyer in English and Spanish is available for anyone to view.

Get ready for an unforgettable night of music, dance, and delicious food at SASA's Desi Dhamaka 2025! Mark your calendars for April 12th and join us from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. at Livermore High’s Athletic Complex for an evening celebrating South Asian culture.

Enjoy exciting performances, indulge in flavorful cuisine, and experience the vibrant energy of Desi culture. Tickets are just $10 and can be purchased through the Cowboy Webstore or at the event.

Don’t miss out on this spectacular night—bring your friends and come celebrate with us!

he CMS PTA Dance Committee is hosting a fundraiser at Hop Devine to support the 8th Grade Dance! Join us on April 17th from 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM at 1708 N. Vasco and enjoy delicious food and craft cocktails while supporting a great cause.

Hop Devine will generously donate 15% of your bill to the fundraiser—just be sure to let your server know you're there for the event!

Come dine and help make this year's 8th Grade Dance a memorable one!

The Society of Women Engineers at UC Berkeley invites middle school (6th-8th grade) female and non-binary identifying students to Tech Day, a free, day-long conference designed to introduce and inspire young minds in the world of technology.

• 📅 Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
• 📍 Location: UC Berkeley Campus

Through engaging workshops, hands-on activities, and mentorship opportunities, participants will gain valuable exposure to STEM fields and connect with like-minded peers and professionals.

• Apply now: tinyurl.com/Sp25TechDayApplication
• Stay updated: tinyurl.com/Sp25TechDayNewsletter
• For more details, visit: swe.berkeley.edu/techday.html

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the possibilities of a future in technology!

The CMS English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) will meet virtually on April 29, 2025 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. To join the meeting, please use the following link: https://meet.google.com/gfh-mxvx-tkm.

The agenda is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pNK17o4oGuxT5BRCaErG5g0StgJxr2jbZq5RGZBE8P4/edit?usp=sharing

The CMS School Site Council (SSC) will meet virtually on May 6, 2025 fat 3:00PM.

To join the meeting, please use the following link: https://meet.google.com/rzo-ktsz-kha.

Agenda to follow.

Craving Chipotle? Mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 14th, from 5-9 PM at 4691 1st St, Livermore, CA! When you dine in or order online for pickup using code P936KTK, 25% of event sales will be donated to the AVID program at Christensen Middle School. Your support helps provide resources and opportunities for our students. Remember, delivery orders and gift cards don’t qualify—so swing by and enjoy a meal for a great cause!

Thank you for making a difference!

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

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Mavin Khaled

• 7th grader - Savannah Stein

• 8th grader - Sara Munoz-Zambrano

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

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Ruben Harrison

• 7th grader - Kali Schott

• 8th grader - Abby Sanchez

Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, our advanced band and orchestra participated in the CMEA competition—and they did an incredible job! Competing against multiple middle schools, both groups earned the highest scores among their peers. Our advanced band received an overall Excellent rating, with one Superior, while our advanced orchestra impressed the judges with an overall Superior rating across the board! Their dedication and hard work truly shone through, and we couldn’t be prouder. Check out some pictures from the event and join us in celebrating their success!

We are thrilled to celebrate Sunil Sajja for winning the LVJUSD Spelling Bee and proudly representing CMS! Sunil’s dedication, hard work, and spelling prowess truly shined in this competition. We can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next—way to go, Sunil! 🎉

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.

We’re excited to offer breakfast service to help students fuel up for a successful day! Breakfast is available at the following times:

• 7:00 AM – 7:25 AM
• 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM

Please note that service ends promptly at these times to ensure students have enough time to get to class. We appreciate your support in encouraging punctuality so everyone can start the day on the right foot!

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

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 Code 16490. 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.

Calling all students who love nature and getting their hands dirty—our CMS Garden Group is welcoming new members!

The group meets every Tuesday during both lunches in the school garden area. No gardening experience is needed—just an interest in plants and making our campus a greener, more beautiful place.

Students interested in joining can complete this Google Form to sign up. We hope to see you out in the garden soon! 🌱

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.

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.

Support the CMS AVID program by attending a Giants game!

Here is some information about the fundraiser:

• Monday - Thursday games in April and May (some exclusions apply)
• Seating Areas: View Reserve and Bleachers
• $15 tickets

• Link: https://fevo-enterprise.com/group/GiantsschoolfundraisingNG
• Promo Code: christensenms

The latest edition of the CMS 8th Grade Class of 2025 Events newsletter with specific dates and details for our 8th graders is available here: https://secure.smore.com/n/qn0ycu.

🥗

There has been a lot of discussion recently about e-scooter and e-bike safety. To help clarify rider requirements and potential penalties for not following the rules of the road, the Livermore Police Department has created an informational pamphlet.

Check out this resource from the California Department of Public Health. It is an interactive platform for students to identify their emotions and create a healthy plan to address those emotions. There are also resource links.

Calling all young poets! The City of Livermore and Poet Laureate Peggy Schimmelman invite middle and high school students (ages 13+) to participate in the Teen Poet of the 2nd Semester Contest.

Theme: "On the Outside." Interpret this however you like—being outdoors, feeling excluded, keeping a secret— get creative! Any style of poetry is welcome.

🏆 Winner Receives:

• ✔ A certificate from the City
• ✔ A $25 gift card to a downtown business
• ✔ Public recognition (featured in print, social media, and a public library display)

📅 Deadline: May 2, 2025

🌳 Bonus Opportunity!
Submit a poem mentioning “My favorite tree” by March 31, and it may be featured at the City’s Arbor Day celebration, with a chance to read your poem at the event!

📩 How to Enter: Email your poem to Poet_Laureate@LivermoreCA.gov using a personal email (school emails cannot be accepted). Include your name, grade, school, and teacher’s name.

Don’t miss this chance to showcase your poetry—get writing and submit your poem today! 🎉

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

😎

program the CMS PTA has been running for the past five years. It's a great program that supports the fine arts at CMS. The theme for next year is Made By Me and CMS usually starts collecting entries in early November. We can't continue CMS PTA Reflections without your help. The chairperson's job is more behind the scenes and so appreciated. It's also a great way to be more involved in your child's school. If interested, please email cmscougarspta@gmail.com. The current CMS Reflections chair is happy to get you started, but has an exiting 8th grader and cannot continue being a CMS chairperson.

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