Happy August to all our Allen families and friends! This week’s update is full of information.
Superintendent’s Update
The Superintendent of the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) has committed to providing staff and families a newsletter every two weeks. If you did not read the newsletter that was sent out this week, you may find in the post from July 29th on this blog or click here:
Messages from the Superintendent
Summer Learning Camp
A small number of students per grade level were invited to attend a virtual, online Summer Learning Camp (SLC) this week. This camp will be during the hours of 8:00-11:30 and held daily Monday through Friday from August 10, 2020 to August 21, 2020. This program will incorporate daily one-on-one instruction and small group intervention with teachers online. More invites than spaces available went out this week, so please follow the directions provided by our team to secure your child’s spot.
Summer Learning Camp will provide instruction in reading and mathematics to students who may benefit from additional intervention. Each child’s individual literacy skills and numeracy skills will be assessed and addressed during this ten-day camp. This experience is intended for a limited number of students: Only those students needing additional support in reading foundational skills and mathematics will be invited to attend.
We are excited to offer this virtual Summer Learning Camp next week!
Recovery Intercession
The Special Education and Pupil Services Department is also offering a Recovery Intersession for all Special Education students. This is another individualized, online opportunity for invited students. A highlight of this program will be additional small group and one-on-one instruction tailored for students’ needs.
The school day will mirror that of the Summer Learning Camp and be 3 hours and 30 minutes from 8:00-11:30 and held daily, Monday through Friday, from August 10, 2020 to August 21, 2020. Since this special opportunity is not part of a child’s IEP, transportation will not be provided, and the school will not hold IEP meetings or conduct IEP assessments. Again, this program is intended for students with IEPs and is available by invite only.
Sleepy Students?
How many hours of sleep does your child receive each night? While each individual child has different sleep needs, children in elementary and middle school (ages 6 to 12), should get between 9 and 12 hours of sleep each night. In fact some scientific studies have shown that students who go to by by 8 pm every night are more successful than those who go to bed at 9 pm! Ensuring that your child goes to bed at a reasonable hour will set them up for success for managing stress and being successful in school.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports these sleep guidelines and encourages parents to make sure their children develop good sleep habits right from the start.
- Make sufficient sleep a family priority. Understand the importance of getting enough sleep and how sleep affects the overall health of you and your children. Remember that you are a role model to your child; set a good example. Staying up all night with your teen to edit his or her paper or pulling an all-nighter for work yourself isn’t really sending the right message. Making sleep a priority for yourself shows your children that it’s part of living a healthy lifestyle—like eating right and exercising regularly.
- Keep to a regular daily routine. The same waking time, meal times, nap time, and play times will help your child feel secure and comfortable, and help with a smooth bedtime. For young children, it helps to start early with a bedtime routine such as brush, book, bed. Make sure the sleep routines you use can be used anywhere, so you can help your child get to sleep wherever you may be.
- Be active during the day. Make sure your kids have interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air. See Energy Out: Daily Physical Activity Recommendations for more information.
- Monitor screen time. The AAP recommends keeping all screens—TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, and phones out of children’s bedrooms, especially at night. To prevent sleep disruption, turn off all screens at least 60 minutes/1 hour before bedtime. Create a Family Media Use Plan and set boundaries about use before bedtime.
- Create a sleep-supportive and safe bedroom and home environment. Dim the lights prior to bedtime and control the temperature in the home. Don’t fill up your child’s bed with toys. Keep your child’s bed a place to sleep, rather than a place to play. One or two things—a favorite doll or bear, a security blanket—are okay and can help ease separation anxiety. See Suitable Sleeping Sites for more information specifically for babies under 12 months of age.
- Realize that teens require more sleep, not less. sleep-wake cycles begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty. At the same time, most high schools require students to get to school earlier and earlier. The AAP has been advocating for middle and high schools delay the start of class to 8:30 a.m. or later. It is important that parents and local school boards work together to implement high school start times that allow teens to get the healthy sleep they need. See the AAP policy statement, School Start Times for Adolescents, for more information.
- Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle of juice, milk, or formula. Water is okay. Anything other than water in the bottle can cause baby bottle tooth decay. Feed or nurse your baby, and then put him or her down to sleep.
- Don’t start giving solids before about 6 months of age. Starting solid food sooner will not help your baby sleep through the night. In fact, if you give your baby solids before their system can digest them, he or she may sleep worse because of a tummy ache.
- Avoid overscheduling. In addition to homework, many children today have scheduled evening activities (i.e., sports games, lessons, appointments, etc.) that pose challenges to getting a good night’s sleep. Take time to wind down and give your children the downtime that they need.
- Learn to recognize sleep problems. The most common sleep problems in children include difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, snoring, stalling and resisting going to bed, sleep apnea, and loud or heavy breathing while sleeping.
- Talk to your child’s teacher or child care provider about your child’s alertness during the day. Sleep problems may manifest in the daytime, too. A child with not enough, or poor quality sleep may have difficulty paying attention or “zoning out” in school. Let your child’s teacher know that you want to be made aware of any reports of your child falling asleep in school, as well as any learning or behavior problems.
- Talk to your child’s pediatrician about sleep. Discuss your child’s sleep habits and problems with your pediatrician, as most sleep problems are easily treated. He or she may ask you to keep a sleep log or have additional suggestions to improving your child’s sleep habits.
Pizza Hut’s Camp Book It Program
Reading independently is the number one thing students can do to keep their brains active! To help incentivize this, we wanted to share information about Pizza Hut’s Book It Program. Parents can now sign up for the first ever Camp BOOK IT! and keep rewarding your children all summer long. Track and reward your kids’ reading for July and August in the program’s digital dashboard. When they meet their monthly reading goal, they’ll receive a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza® from Pizza Hut.
Check out https://www.bookitprogram.com/book-it-for-parents for more details and to sign up for this free program.
School Office Hours and Residency Verification
The school office remains closed to the public. Beginning August 12, 2020, the school office hours will be 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. If you have any questions, you may contact the school office at (619) 479-3662 and we will respond as soon as the office reopens. We will start the Residency Verification process shortly after the office reopens: Check back here for updates.
Online Student Registration
Please spread the word to share how wonderful Allen Elementary is! Online registration for all new incoming students to Allen is on the district’s website! This process is only for families new to Allen Elementary and all incoming kindergarten students. While the school office remains closed to the public until August 12th, registration is happening online. Questions? Email michelle.reza@cvesd.org.
Click the link here for more information regarding zone transfers (within CVESD) and interdistrict transfers (from outside CVESD). Current Ella B. Allen Elementary students do NOT need to re-register online. They are automatically enrolled for 2020-2021 school year; however, if your child attends Allen on a Zone Transfer or Interdistrict Transfer that must be renewed each year. Residency Verification will occur in the coming weeks.
If your child will NOT return to Allen Elementary in 2020-2021 academic year, kindly send a courtesy email to both michelle.reza@cvesd.org and john.greenwell@cvesd.org.
Meetings for Parents/Guardians
Allen’s PTC Meetings will continue to be held virtually online in accordance with state and county health guidelines until further notice. Allen PTC Meetings generally occur on the second Monday of each month at 6 pm. The next PTC meeting is Monday, August 10 at 6:00 pm.
Please email the Principal at john.greenwell@cvesd.org in advance of the meeting for the link to the online PTC meetings.
The district’s Board of Education meetings are also being held online and generally occur the second Wednesday of each month. The next CVESD Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, August 12 at 6:00 pm.
To access these public meetings, please click the link here: https://www.cvesd.org/board_of_education/board_meetings
State Guidance on COVID-19 and Schools
We would like to provide the guidance from the state of California regarding K-12 education by sharing the information posted on this website: https://covid19.ca.gov/education/#top
We will continue to provide weekly updates on this blog every Sunday. Please continue to check the district’s website, http://www.cvesd.org, and the school blog at http://www.allenelementary.org for weekly updates.
Health and Safety Reminders
COVID-19 presents real health risks to our community. Please continue to stay safe: Wash your hands, wear a mask or facial covering, and maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet when around people from outside your household.
Be well Eagles! We miss you.
Ella B. Allen Elementary School 