Hello Allen Families,
We are very excited to welcome back our students to campus this week! Please bring your patience and sense of humor when coming to campus to drop off and pick up your child. See more information here: https://allenelementary.org/arrival-and-dismissal/
Some safety reminders:
- CVESD will follow the state of California requirement of face masks when K-12 students and adults are together indoors regardless of vaccination status. Students are not required to wear masks outside.
- The California Dept. of Public Health explained that this is the best way to ensure that all kids can come back to school in-person and miss fewer days – especially when masks are combined with other safety measures such as testing, screening, disinfecting, and handwashing.
- The California Dept. of Public Health will decide by November 1st whether to update the face mask requirements in school settings and will continue to examine evidence such as whether or not vaccines are available for kids under 12, community case and hospitalization rates, and ongoing vaccine effectiveness for the community, county, and state.
Please note that the school may be limiting volunteers and visitors on campus (including parents) at various times in the school year in order to abide by the current guidance from the California Department of Public Health. We appreciate your cooperation and support. We ask that on the first day of school, parents should stay outside the school gates. We are limiting parent access on campus to the Preschool and Kindergarten Orientations that day to support our youngest students.
School resumes on Wednesday, July 21st for all students, in-person at Allen Elementary. School starts at 8:50 am for all K-6 students. Students in K-3 dismiss at 1:40 pm that day and students in grades 4-6 dismiss at 2 pm. Please continue to monitor this school blog for the latest information from Allen Elementary and the Chula Vista Elementary School District.
Teachers will send home information regarding our upcoming Curriculum Nights, which will occur within the first two weeks of school.
Have you downloaded the school calendar for the 2021-2022 academic year? Click this link to download it.
Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week
Please watch the short YouTube video below for Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week for the week of July 18th:
If you missed Mr. Greenwell’s Virtual Coffee Chat on Friday, July 16 at 8 am, below is a link with the most essential information:
Please see our revised and updated 2021-2022 Family Handbook here: Link to Handbook
A reminder of our school’s Core Values and Common Courtesies:
The Core Value this week is Caring. This week’s Common Courtesy is “Please.“
Students may earn an Allen Eagle Ticket for demonstrating the Core Values and Common Courtesies each day. Students can redeem these tickets at the Eagle’s Nest Store at the end of each quarter of the school year. Our staff is always looking for ways to celebrate our students!
If you need to conduct business with the school office, please contact the school office between the hours of 8 am and 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Please contact the office directly at (619) 479-3662 and we will arrange an appointment with you.
A Look Ahead:
Monday, July 19, 2021 – Notification to Families of Child’s Teacher/Classroom sent by email
Wednesday, July 21, 2021 – First Day of School for ALL students back on campus; Preschool and Kindergarten Orientations; Minimum Day schedule for all K-6 students
Thursday, July 22, 2021 – Minimum Day for all Kindergarten Students; full day for grades 1-6 (dismissal at 3:10 pm)
Friday, July 23, 2021 – Minimum Day for all K-6 students (dismissal at 1:40 pm for grades K-3 and at 2 pm for grades 4-6)
Friday, August 6, 2021 – Family First Friday (8 am to 8:30 am) – details coming soon!
Monday, August 9, 2021 – ELAC, SSC, and PTC Meetings – details coming soon!
School Office Hours
The school office reopened on July 12, 2021 after a brief summer break. The school office hours are 8 am to 3:30 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 possible.
We will continue to provide brief 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 regular updates.
Bus Schedule and Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Please see the new 2021-2022 bus schedule and arrival/dismissal procedures here.
Now Enrolling Students!
Enroll your child in our school now by going to https://www.cvesd.org/parents/welcome_to_enrollment!
See our school flyer below or download it here
Returning Computers, Library Book, & WiFi Hot Spots
If you did not yet return a school laptop, computer charger, library book, and wifi hot spot devices that were checked out by families this past year, please do so by contacting the school office. If your device was damaged while in your family’s possession, you may contact the school office at (619) 479-3662 to set up a payment plan to fix or replace the damaged device.
Safe Reopening Playbook for Parents
The Chula Vista Elementary School District is pleased to announce the release of the Safe Return to School Playbook for Parents. This document outlines procedures for our safe return to in-person instruction. Please review this “Parent Playbook ” thoroughly. As you may know, the California Department of Public Health states that multi-layered mitigation strategies are key to ensuring safe workplaces for teachers and other staff, as well as safe learning environments for children. As outlined in the playbook, our District plans to use this multi-layered mitigation approach. Please know that our district is committed to in-person learning this year and will follow the latest guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Is Your Child Immunization Ready?
While our school is taking full precautions to keep everyone safe at school and limit the spread of COVID-19 at school as much as possible, we wanted to remind you that there are other infectious diseases, such as measles and chicken pox, which can impact our school also. All of our children should be up to date on their immunization shots.
We ask all families to check with your child’s doctor now to get caught up on any required shots your child may have missed. If your child is 12 years or older, ask their doctor about how to get the COVID-19 shot. As you may be aware, doctors are taking extra steps to keep you and your family safe during in-person appointments. If your child does not have health insurance, please contact our school nurse, Nurse Linda, at (619) 479-3662 or visit 2-1-1 San Diego’s website at https://211sandiego.org/ to find a clinic that offers free or low-cost immunizations. Please visit the CDC website to view the recommended child and pre-teen/teen immunization schedules.
Thank you in advance for helping keep our students, staff, and community safe.
Verification of Residency Process
All students continuing at Allen Elementary must complete this process and update any information each school year. If your child will not be returning to Allen this school year, please notify the office at (619) 479-3662.
Residency verification will take place online this year. All students returning to any school in the Chula Vista Elementary School District for the 2021-2022 school year are required to show proof of residency at their school of attendance before the start of school in order for their child’s name to be placed on a class list.
Earlier in June, Powerschool sent an email containing a unique “Snap Code” for each of your children enrolled at Allen and a link to the website where you will be able to update information for your child and upload your residency for the 2021-2022 school year. Please make sure to check your emails so that you may complete this promptly. If you have not received your email, please email Ms. Reza at michelle.reza@cvesd.org.
If you have questions or need support with this new online process, please contact the school office by phone at (619) 479-3662 and one of our friendly staff members will assist you.
Preschool Information
There are still a few spots available in the afternoon session (12:30 to 3:30 pm) for this year’s Preschool Program at Allen! We encourage all interested families to contact the district’s Early Childhood Education office at (619) 425-2362 as they are able to share the most up-to-date information regarding this program.
Please find more information here: https://www.cvesd.org/parents/welcome_to_enrollment/early_childhood_education
Kinder & New Student Registration
Do you know someone new to our community? Tell them to enroll their children at Allen! This year, the District is utilizing a new online enrollment system that promises to make registration easier. Please spread the word to share how wonderful your child’s education at Allen Elementary has been! We are recruiting new students for Kindergarten and have a few open spots for students in grades 3, 4, and 5 this year.
Kindergarten and NEW student registration for the 2021-2022 school year is now available on an online system. There are no paper packets for this year’s registration. Those currently registered at our school DO NOT have to re-register. However, if you attend Allen on a Zone Transfer or interdistrict transfer, those documents will need to be renewed every year. All families will need to complete proof of residency also. CLICK HERE for further information and here to register on the district’s website.
The following groups of students need to complete the registration process:
- Kindergarten students who will be 5 years old on or before September 1st
- NEW students in grades 1st through 6th
- Questions? Email michelle.reza@cvesd.org.
- All inquiries and registration for the Preschool at Allen Elementary will be handled by the district’s Early Childhood Education office at (619) 425-2362 as they are able to share the most up-to-date information regarding this program.
COVID-19 Corner: Health Updates
Please follow all district and school safety guidelines at school. We encourage families to monitor the latest state guidelines from the County of San Diego and California Department of Public Health.
- CVESD will follow the state of California requirement of face masks when K-12 students and adults are together indoors regardless of vaccination status. Students are not required to wear masks outside.
- The California Dept. of Public Health explained that this is the best way to ensure that all kids can come back to school in-person and miss fewer days – especially when masks are combined with other safety measures such as testing, screening, disinfecting, and handwashing.
- The California Dept. of Public Health will decide by November 1st whether to update the face mask requirements in school settings and will continue to examine evidence such as whether or not vaccines are available for kids under 12, community case and hospitalization rates, and ongoing vaccine effectiveness for the community, county, and state.
If your child has a chronic health condition, such as allergies or asthma, please contact the school office for a form to have your child’s doctor complete and send it back to the school’s nurse. We recommend doing this in advance of a child showing symptoms.
If your child experiences any symptoms of COVID-19, please keep your child home, leaving only to get tested or seek medical attention. If an unvaccinated person presents with symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, that person will be immediately sent home and may only return with a negative PCR test and no more symptoms. All schools in CVESD must follow the County of San Diego COVID-19 Decision Tree (see below) for persons with symptoms associated with COVID-19.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19 and should stay home:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Please see the latest COVID-19 Decision Tree below:
Parent-Teacher Club (PTC) Corner
Visit the PTC website at AllenPTC.org to become a member of the PTC and make a donation to support the latest initiative at the school. Allen’s PTC is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the school’s educational mission through funding programs and initiatives.
Allen’s next PTC meeting is Monday, August 9th at 6 pm. Details regarding this meeting will be released soon, but we anticipate that we will meet in person in room 201 and will also have a Zoom link available.
Please help support Allen’s PTC by shopping at smile.amazon.com! AmazonSmile has the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping as the Amazon you know and already use. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases to the Allen Elementary PTC when you shop. Make sure to shop on smile.amazon.com and choose Allen Elementary School Parents Teachers Club Inc as your charity. Thank you!
AmazonSmile customers can now support Ella B. Allen Elementary School’s PTC in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.
- Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
- Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
Please choose Allen Elementary School Parents Teachers Club Inc by clicking this link for your Amazon purchases: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/95-4403426
Meetings for Parents, Guardian, and Families
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.
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 Family First Friday will be on Friday, August 6, 2021 at 8 am.
We encourage parents and legal guardians to join this meeting with a cup of hot coffee or tea and listen to Mr. Greenwell give an update on the school year and meet other amazing Allen families.
English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC)
Ella B. Allen’s next ELAC Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 9th at 3 pm. The school encourages all legal parent/guardian of students designated as an English Learner to attend these meetings.
School Site Council (SSC)
Allen School’s next SSC Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 9th at 3:30 pm.
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, August 9th in room 201 (yes, in-person) and online at 6 pm. Please also check out the new PTC website to become a member and make a donation: AllenPTC.org
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 regularly scheduled CVESD Board of Education meeting is Wednesday, August 11th at 6 pm. Limited in-person access is permitted, but check the district’s website for more information on this.
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 in August (Date: TBD) at 12 noon. You can access the meeting here at the district’s website.
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.
Calendar for the 2021-2022 School Year
This year’s School Calendar (2021-2022) is available online! Click this link to download it. All students will be on campus for in-person learning in July 2021.
Be well Eagles! Stay safe: We encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine when you are eligible to do so. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is our number 1 concern!
Ella B. Allen Elementary School 