It’s the fourth week of quarter 2! Don’t forget that there is NO SCHOOL next week due to the Thanksgiving vacation.
We hope you spend this break safely with your family. There will be no online classes or Distance Learning Support Program from Monday, Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 27. Classes resume on Monday, November 30th.
Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week
Join the Allen PTC and Make a Donation: Visit the PTC website at AllenPTC.org to become a member of the PTC and make a donation. Allen’s PTC is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the school’s educational mission through funding programs and initiatives. Use an Amazon Smile account to place your orders on Amazon and help our PTC! Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible Amazon Smile purchases to the charities selected by you! It doesn’t increase the cost of the product and is a one-time, simple extra click to your Amazon purchases initially. Please choose Allen Elementary School Parents Teachers Club Inc by clicking this link for your Amazon purchases: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/95-4403426
A reminder of our school’s Core Values and Common Courtesies:
This week’s Core Value is Caring. This week’s Common Courtesy is “Please.”
If you need to conduct business with the school office, please contact the school office between the hours of 8 am and 3 pm, Monday through Friday. Anyone coming to the school office must follow all safety protocols, including wearing a facial covering. Please contact the office directly and we will arrange an appointment with you.
A friendly reminder that school starts online for all students at 8:50 am. Attendance and student engagement continue to be tracked and monitored, according to state law and AB 77 and SB 98. Please contact the school office at (619) 479-3662 if your child is having trouble accessing class online.
A Look Ahead:
Monday, November 16
- SSC Meeting to review and approve the School Plan for Student Achievement at 3:30 pm (Click link here to access to access this meeting)
November 23 – 27: Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)
Monday, November 30 – Classes resume
Friday, December 4 – Virtual Family First Friday
COVID-19 Tests (Antibody & Viral Testing)
COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our community. Our district recently announced that the next round of voluntary, optional Antibody and Viral Testing for COVID-19 begins Monday, November 16 and rotates to additional school sites through Friday, November 20.
In addition to CVESD students and their families, all staff members are invited to participate. Staff are encouraged to access locations wherever and whenever it is most convenient. The voluntary testing at each campus is by appointment, but walk-ins are accepted. Download the schedule of locations and hours below:
- The antibody test consists of a light fingerprick; results as quickly as 15 minutes for those who stay around for their results.
- The viral test is the shallow nose swab test, not the deep into the brain type; results available within three business days.
Please know that all people being tested will need to provide a government-issued identification card and your insurance card. You have the option of only doing one of the tests or both, and they are at no cost to you (covered through health insurance or covered under the CARES Act for those who do not have insurance). Again, these tests are free.
Those participating for the first time will have the opportunity to take the antibody test, while those who already had an antibody test are encouraged to return for the viral test. The goal of testing multiple times a couple weeks apart is to show any emerging trends about virus spread in our communities. You can test at any participating campus location.
To schedule an appointment and learn more details, click here: http://bit.ly/VSCOVID or cut and paste the following into your web browser: https://kahalabiosciences.com/cvesd-safe/
If you are unable to get tested next week at one of our District campuses, there are a number of off-campus testing sites in the South County, thanks to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. See the attached list of those sites as well below:
Balancing Screen Time with Your Kids
The Chula Vista Elementary School District is pleased to share this online event, Balancing Screen Time with Your Kids, with nationally-recognized local author Arlene Pellicane:
Date: Tuesday, November 17
Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Virtual Platform: ZOOM Link: https://bit.ly/cvesdscreentime
Topics covered:
- All tech is not created equal.
- Why are certain technologies more dangerous to your child’s development than others?
- What is happening in my child’s brain when s(he) is playing a video game?
- How can you introduce screen-free activities after school?
- What questions should you ask before giving your child a smartphone or allowing social media?
- You are more influential than you think – the power of a parent to guide a child successfully through the pandemic!
SciTech Free Enrichment Program for Girls
The Fleet Science Center is bringing its after school SciTech Program to our school! Spaces are limited to 30 female students in Grades 4-6. Students will be selected to engage in weekly hands-on science investigations on everything from solar car design to household chemistry. Through these virtual project-based learning workshops, students will make concrete connections to everyday life while developing creative thinking and problem-solving skills that they will use throughout their lives. Students that participate in SciTech will receive:
- Opportunities for science awareness
- Video content that introduces the challenge designed specifically for SciTech
- Provided materials ranging from craft supplies to science specialty items selected by our SciTech Educator
- Designated live virtual weekly meetings to share experiment results and ask questions
- Access to an interactive and social community to keep classmates, teacher, and SciTech Educator all connected and engaged outside of their weekly sessions
Questions about this program should be directed to Ms. Farlow at melissa.farlow@cvesd.org.
This free Science Enrichment for Girls will be on Wednesdays, starting on November 18, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Families must make the commitment to attend each week. Sessions will be held online, virtually. All supplies required for students are included in this free program.
For more details:
Sine Kwento at the Bonita Museum
SINE KWENTO Filipino Stories in Film is an exhibit at the Bonita Museum. This exhibit is a celebration of Filipino culture and cinema. Created in collaboration with San Diego Filipino Cinema (link: http://sdfilipinocinema.org/about/) and curated by film makers Benito Bautista and Emma Francisco, this exhibit honors the past by celebrating the history of Philippine Cinema. The exhibition takes visitors from the beginnings of Philippine cinema into the modern age of media and content creation by Filipino American vloggers in San Diego, California. The month-long exhibit ends on Nov. 30th and will include film production artifacts like screenplays, film equipment, costumes, film production photos used in some of the films featured in the exhibition.
To make an appointment to see this exhibition, please call the Bonita Museum at 619 267-5141, Wednesday through Saturday 10am to 3pm. For more information: https://bonitahistoricalsociety.org/sine-kwento/
The CVESD Caring Crew and YOU!
We would like to remind our entire community that following the four pillars of health can prevent the spread of COVID-19. As we prepare for the eventual return of some students to campus in phases, our District and school will be enforcing the four core principles (also known as four pillars) for the prevention of COVID-19. These include:
- Daily Health Screenings
- Mask Wearing
- Physical Distancing, and
- Frequent Hand Washing.
Please speak to your children about the importance of following these four core principles.
School Meals Program
Meal distribution will occur every Monday from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm for all students. Pick up the 5 days worth of meals at the front of the school. Please drive to the front of the school, open your trunk, and be prepared to carry meals from our CNS staff to your car.
Would you like your child to eat school meals this year? The school encourages all families who may need assistance to apply for free and reduced meals via the district website. These forms must be completed again every year, so please do not wait to fill them out! Find the forms and information at the district link here:
If you are unsure if your family needs to fill out this application, please contact our school office at (619) 479-3662 between 8 am and 3 pm.
Distance Learning Resources
Looking for resources for distance learning such as the online waivers for a school laptop or district-provided wifi hot spot device? Click here or find the “Programs” tab in the menu at the top of this page and click “Distance Learning.”
Meetings for Parents and Legal Guardians
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.
English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC)
Ella B. Allen’s next ELAC Meeting will be held on Monday, December 14th at 3 pm and will be held online. Public elections will be held for officer positions at this meeting. Officers must be the legal parent/guardian of a student designated as an English Learner. Click here or please email michelle.reza@cvesd.org for the meeting link at least one day prior to access this online meeting.
School Site Council (SSC)
Allen School’s next SSC Meeting is Monday, November 16th at 3:30 pm and will be held online. Click here or please email michelle.reza@cvesd.org for the meeting link at least one day prior to access this online meeting.
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL (SSC) is composed of five elected parent/community representatives and five elected staff/teacher representatives. The role of the SSC is to develop, approve, and monitor the School Plan for Student Achievement.
With a few exceptions, meetings are held the second Monday of every month. Until further notice, meetings will be held online. All parents and staff are welcome to attend. Council members serve for two year terms.
Parent Teacher Club (PTC) Meeting
Allen’s PTC meets the second Monday of every month at 6pm. Until further notice, all meetings will be held online via this link. The next PTC meeting is Monday, December 14th at 6 pm. Please also check out the new PTC website to become a member and make a donation: AllenPTC.org
Virtual Family First Friday Meeting
The first Friday of every month is reserved for our Family First Friday, Allen’s version of Coffee with the Principal. Our next Virtual Family First Friday will be on December 4th at 8 am. Click here to access this meeting on December 4th. We encourage parents and legal guardians to join an online meeting with a cup of hot coffee or tea and listen to Mr. Greenwell give an update on the school year. The link will be in an email shared with parents. You may also email michelle.reza@cvesd.org for the meeting link at least one day prior to access this online meeting.
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 Wednesday, November 18 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
District Advisory Council (DAC)
The DAC is composed of parent and staff representatives from each School Site Council. It meets regularly during the school year in open public forum to share information, study instructional issues, approve school planning schedules, and make recommendations to the Board of Education on specific items. District meetings take place once a month, mid-afternoon. Most meetings occur on Tuesdays from 12 – 2 pm, with a parent training beforehand. This is an elected position to serve a one-year term.
District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC)
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 next DAC/DELAC Meeting will be on November 17th 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.
Be well Eagles! We love you and we miss you.
Ella B. Allen Elementary School 