Please see the most recent letter from our Superintendent, Dr. Escobedo, if you have not yet read it: Click here.
A voluntary intensive support program will be coming to Allen Elementary in the coming months for a very limited number of students. Per guidelines from the state of California, priority for this in-person, voluntary support program will be given to students who are:
- Foster and homeless students
- Students with IEPs and 504 plans
- Students identified as English Learners
- Students who are significantly below grade level
Additional details will be shared with families who qualify for this intensive support in the coming weeks.
Eagles, don’t forget that there is NO SCHOOL this week due to the Thanksgiving vacation.
We hope you spend this break safely with your family. Please see the guidance below in this blog for recommendations from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services.. There will be no online classes or Distance Learning Support Program from Monday, Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 27. The school office remains closed as well. Classes resume on Monday, November 30th.
Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week
View Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week via the short YouTube video below:
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 Honesty. This week’s Common Courtesy is “Thank you.”
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 30 – Classes resume
Friday, December 4 – Virtual Family First Friday (Click link here to access this online meeting).
Monday, December 14 – Parent Meetings
- ELAC Meeting at 3 pm (Click link here)
- SSC Meeting at 3:30 pm (Click link here): Note, the link for the two meetings is the same so if you join SSC meeting early, you will be joining the ELAC meeting.
- PTC Meeting at 6 pm (Link here)
Thanksgiving and COVID-19
To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and keep families safe during Thanksgiving, the County of San Diego offers guidance for common activities:
Recommended
- Remote events with family and friends, such as a virtual Thanksgiving dinner, sharing recipes, a virtual turkey trot, or online game.
- Televised or live streaming events at home with members of your own household.
- Outdoor orchards, food markets, and seasonal craft fairs where state guidance is followed and people use hand sanitizer, wear face coverings, and maintain a 6-foot distance from others.
- Get your flu vaccine to protect yourself and minimize complications from the flu or COVID-19 viruses.
Not Recommended
- According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel considerations, traveling increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others.
- In-person sports events, parades, and movies where more than 3 households are present.
- In-person Black Friday or other shopping events where there may be large gatherings of people.
Not Allowed
- Under California Department of Public Health guidance, in-person events or parties with more than 3 households are not permitted, even if outdoors. Remember, the smaller the number of people, the safer.
- Carnivals, festivals, and live entertainment are not allowed because close interactions increase the risk of infection.
- In-person turkey trots or similar events are not allowed because participants need to walk or run close together, and it is difficult to maintain physical distancing.
Safer Alternatives
Many traditional Thanksgiving activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are safer, alternative ways to celebrate and include the following:
- Consider virtual connections through video calls or video-sharing, such as sending a pre-made Thanksgiving dinner or ingredients through online food delivery services and eat together virtually.
- Shop online rather than in person for Black Friday deals.
- Donate food to charities at drive-through mobile pantries, or through an online food bank fundraiser.
- Celebrate Green Friday by visiting a local park or preserve for family-friendly activities.
- Visit pick-your-own produce farms that follow California Department of Food and Agriculture guidelines.
Click here for additional information:
Green Friday 2020
Green Friday is scheduled for Friday, November 27, 2020, the day after Thanksgiving. In partnership with the County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, this event supports Thriving by encouraging San Diegans to enjoy active and educational outdoor experiences on a holiday that County Parks has coined Green Friday. Celebrate the outdoors with family-friendly activities in parks and preserves across the region.
From Story Trails and tree planting to virtual nature trivia and fitness meet-ups, the day’s events are both active and educational to balance recreation opportunities with efforts to protect and preserve land and local wildlife. All in-person outdoor activities require face coverings and social distancing.
Free COVID-19 Tests from SD County
COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our community. There are a number of 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:
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
- Please note that there will be no meal distribution at Allen on Monday, November 23rd. Meal distribution continues on Nov. 30th from 12 noon to 2 pm.
- 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.
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. The school encourages all legal parent/guardian of students designated as an English Learner to attend these meetings. 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, December 14th 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 Tuesday, December 15 at 6:00 pm. Please note that this meeting’s date was changed on November 18.
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 January 12, 2021 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 