Greetings Allen families and friends! Here is the latest Sunday Update, full of information.
Mr. Greenwell’s Message
Please watch this short video clip for a message from our Principal, John Greenwell.
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 yet read the most recent newsletter from July 29th, you may find the newsletter here:
Messages from the Superintendent
Summer Learning Camp & Recovery Intercession
Our virtual, online Summer Learning Camp (SLC) and Recovery Intercession programs begin this Monday for invited students only. No classes will occur at Allen’s campus due to the public health order. The programs will be held online, via Microsoft TEAMS. These programs will occur during the hours of 8:00-11:30 am and held daily Monday through Friday from August 10, 2020 to August 21, 2020. Both programs will incorporate daily one-on-one instruction and small group intervention with teachers online.
Summer Learning Camp will provide instruction in reading and mathematics to a small number of 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 a very small number of students needing additional support in reading foundational skills and mathematics were invited to attend and we currently have a waitlist for this program. We regret that we could not offer this program to more families at Allen.
The Recovery Intersession program also begins this Monday for all Special Education students. A highlight of this program will be additional small group and one-on-one instruction tailored for students’ needs, based on each child’s individualized learning goals. 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 only a small number of students were invited to participate in this program.
Please review these norms with your child for both programs.
Preparing for Distance Learning
As you already know, the school year will begin with online instruction on Aug. 31, as campuses in CVESD remain closed due to the spread of COVID-19 across the community. Meanwhile, we continue to plan for the physical reopening of schools once it is safe to do so, with guidance from experts in science and public health. In order to prepare your child for the enhanced distance learning he/she will need to do, we’d like to offer these helpful tips from the SDCOE:
Parent Helpline and Tech Support
Parents may call the Parent Help Line for Tech Support at (619) 409-6638 Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. This help line offers technical assistance with district programs such as Microsoft TEAMS, iReady, and Achieve 3000. Parents may need to leave a message during peak times, but please be reassured that someone will contact you as soon as possible if you leave your name and phone number on your voice message.
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 Hour Update
Due to public health orders, the school office remains closed to the public, even though office staff will be back from summer break on August 12th. Beginning August 12, 2020, the school office staff will be available by phone 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. Please contact the school office at (619) 479-3662 and we will respond in a timely manner. We will start the Residency Verification after August 13th. Please call the office for assistance with this process after the 13th.
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 online or in person after August 13th. Please contact the office with pressing questions regarding this year’s Residency Verification. More details will be shared in next week’s updates.
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
August PTC Meeting
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. Parents will have the opportunity to connect with other parents at Allen.
The next PTC meeting is tomorrow, 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.
CVESD Board of Education Meeting
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 this 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
CVESD DAC/DELAC Meeting
The district will continue to conduct all meetings online until further notice, including all DAC/DELAC meetings. DAC is the District Advisory Committee. DELAC is the District English Learner Advisory Committee. Both of these groups are designed to support and inform parents in a shared communication setting with the district. Parents learn with other parents and district leadership at the DAC/DELAC meetings.
The first DAC/DELAC Meeting will be on August 18th from 12 noon to 2 pm.
Below is a schedule of all DAC/DELAC meetings for the upcoming school year. I recommend all parents download this schedule if they are interested in learning more about theses district meetings.
School Site Council and ELAC
Allen School needs parents and guardians to support our school through important parent groups, such as the PTC (Parent Teacher Club), the School Site Council (often referred to as SSC), and the English Language Advisory Committee (often referred to as ELAC). The site-based groups work with the Principal, staff, and other community members to ensure that community voice is part of the shared decision making process of a public school. More details about how you can get involved will be shared in the coming weeks!
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 