About Mr. Scharmen

About the Teacher

I am excited to be teaching my 31st year in the Cupertino Union School District and my 27th year here at Kennedy Middle School, four years prior at Dilworth Elementary.

I am also the Kennedy Leadership class teacher, leading 7th and 8th grade students in planning, developing, and running events and programs at Kennedy to benefit the school and the world beyond. Throughout my years at Kennedy, I've also been a WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Advisor - a program designed to train selected 8th grade students in helping our incoming 6th graders make meaningful connections with each other and learn how to be successful in Middle School. I have also coached after-school sports including basketball, soccer, and volleyball, as well as helping with the after school golf program at nearby Deep Cliff Golf Course.

I have been part of the Kennedy Community Team, a group of teachers dedicated to work with PTA and Admin to plan and implement activities at Kennedy to bring surrounding families together in positive ways. I've worked with the team these past several years to help bring two big Community Events to Kennedy: The annual Kennedy Fall Festival (most every September/October) and the Kennedy Community 5K Color Run (a few years ago).

I've co-sponsored several clubs here at Kennedy such as the Improv Club, Anime Club, Scrapbooking Club, MV FBLA, and Club EXTREME - a club which met after school for activities like Ultimate Frisbee and Rock Climbing. I also am one of the founders/advisers of the end-of-year dance assembly "Kennedy's Best Dance Crew" which features student dance crews competing for the top prize while other students run the tech and stage components. This assembly ran for five straight years.

I have been fortunate to help chaperone a few school-related travel trips, including some past Washington DC trips. I've led a group of students to Florida on a "space" theme trip that took us to Kennedy Space Center, Disney World's Epcot Center and Magic Kingdom, as well as the Museum of Science and Industry.

As for my educational background, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Theology from William Jessup University with a Youth Ministry emphasis. I received my Teaching Credential from Bethany College. Prior to my involvement in public education, I spent several years leading  and directing Jr. High and High School students at a church in south San Jose - which means for the past 36+ years I have been working with teens and young people in San Jose and Cupertino!