CMS Cougar Communication

Hello CMS Students and Families,

Our 10th Annual CMS PTA FunD Run fundraiser is coming up, and we need your help to make it a success! This event supports programs and activities for all of our students. Please check out the details below and consider contributing to this exciting event!

Also note that the 2024-2025 Trimester 1 Progress (P1) report cards were sent on October 1 to parent/guardian emails that the District has on file. Parents will click the embedded "Digital Document" link to download the report. You are encouraged to store the document in a secure location on your personal electronic device. This "Digital Document" link expires seven (7) days after the email was sent. Please check your spam folder if you do not see a message in your inbox. Contact the school office if you need assistance accessing the digital report card.

The next Cougar Communication will be delivered to your inbox on Sunday 10/20. I hope you find the following information to be helpful.

Here's to a great week,

Brian Scharmann (he/him)
Principal
Christensen Middle School

Hi Parents! October is National Depression & Health Screening Month. Despite common misperceptions, having a mental health illness is not a choice, a weakness, or a character flaw. It is not something that just “passes” or can be “snapped out of” with willpower. The specific causes are often unknown, but various factors can increase someone’s risk for mental illness including family history, brain chemistry, and significant life events such as experiencing a trauma or death of a loved one. Go to our district website for resources: Mental Health Resources

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

This webinar will provide parents/guardians with practical tips to help navigate challenging behaviors. Logical consequences instead of punishment, encouraging children rather than simply praising them, and helping them set up the right structure for success will all be discussed.

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

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 lunchtime from 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.

Please note that backpacks and outside food or drinks are not permitted at school dances. For everyone's safety and enjoyment, all personal belongings should be left at home, and refreshments will be available for purchase at the event. 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.

The CMS website is getting a fresh new look! We’re thrilled to announce that the redesigned site will officially relaunch on Wednesday, 10/16. Be sure to check it out for an improved user experience and updated content!

The CMS PTA 10th Annual funD run is coming up soon! Our PTA relies on this major fundraiser to continue to fund the great things they do for our school. The funD run is scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024, during PE class. Here are some pointers to help get you started so that we can reach our goal of $10,000. If we reach that goal, the CMS PTA will provide a special treat for the entire school!

• Register your student here: https://www.pledgestar.com/cms/ Students who register will receive a fitness pass. Instructions are on the website.
• Check out all the prizes that students can earn when they raise funds on the registration page.

This year the CMS PTA has already provided a staff appreciation breakfast, funded classroom supplies, contributed to the Reflections art program, and provided a reward for the June 2024 honor roll students. All Fund Run donations go directly to our school to help our students and staff. We cannot do it without your help.

Please start collecting pledges today, and your student will earn various awesome prizes, based on how much money they raise.

In addition to raising funds, we need volunteers to help cheer students on during the funD run. You do not need to be a District-cleared volunteer. Simply click here to sign up at evite. To sign in in the office as a visitor, make sure you have your physical driver’s license or ID with you for scanning into our visitor sign in system. After you check in, the office staff will direct you to the event location. We also encourage you to bring fun signs to hold or hang up during the event.

Thank you in advance for supporting our wonderful CMS programs! If you have any questions, please email the PTA at cmscougarspta@gmail.com.

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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.

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

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Lincoln Syth

• 7th grader - Tyce Harper

• 8th grader - Caleb Aguilar

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

Congratulations to:

• 6th grader - Logan Nielsen
• 7th grader - Jayden Suarez
• 8th grader - Ariana Engineer

On Tuesday, 9/24, our CMS AVID classes visited Las Positas College and CSU East Bay. Students had a fantastic time exploring the campuses and learning about college life. We are especially grateful for the warm hospitality we received at Las Positas College!

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.

We’re excited to announce that CMS will continue its partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) to offer the Girls Who Cod* 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.

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.

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!

LVJUSD Halloween Costume Protocols

• No weapons or replica weapons
• No blood or gore
• No skates or roller blades
• Costume masks may be worn during parades only
• In keeping with our District’s student dress code policy (BP 5332), no costumes shall include: “clothing, accessories, and jewelry shall be free of writing, pictures, symbols or any other insignia which are crude, vulgar, profane, obscene, libelous, slanderous, or sexually suggestive. Clothing, accessories, or jewelry that degrade any cultural, religious, or ethnic values, that advocate racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice or discrimination, or that promote sex, the use of tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, or any unlawful acts are prohibited.”

On Monday, we served over 6,300 delicious lunches, bringing smiles to many faces! Our dedicated team is committed to providing healthy meals that kids actually enjoy, ensuring every bite is both nutritious and tasty. A huge thank you to everyone involved for making this possible! Here’s to many more happy lunch moments to come! 🎉

Rise and shine! Did you know we’ve got SO many breakfast options that they wouldn't all fit on this flyer? Whether you crave fluffy pancakes, delicious muffins, breakfast bars, or gooey cinnamon rolls, we’ve got something to satisfy every morning mood. Swing by and discover your new favorite way to start the day! 🍳🥞🧁✨

Nominate an outstanding student innovator today! Nominations can be made by individuals nominating themselves or students being nominated by educators, mentors, parents, or administrators. Characteristics of a Dreammaker & Risktaker include:

• Accomplishing an important and impactful project, program, or initiative that is innovative. It could be a technical innovation, invention, social innovation, artistic creation, etc.
• Having grit! How have they demonstrated resilience, courage, passion, creativity in regards to their innovation

Share ITV’s Facebook or Instagram stories on school social media.

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 City of Livermore’s *Teen Poet of the First Semester Contest* is now open! Winners will receive certificates from the city and a $25 gift card to a downtown merchant. If a CMS student wins, Mr. Scharmann will also Doordash them lunch!

Encourage your student to submit their work and show off their creative talents.

Good luck to all our CMS poets!

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