Hello Allen Families and Staff,
Only nine more days of school remain in the 2021-2022 school year! Let’s make every moment count.
Did you know that May is Military Appreciation Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage and History Month? Learn more about each of these by clicking on the links above!
Our sixth grade students had the opportunity to attend some field trips this past week.
Some friendly reminders regarding COVID-19 procedures:
- If you have a COVID Positive Case in your home, please always notify the school office of an absence or positive case. If you are reporting a positive case to us in the office, please email allenschool@cvesd.org. You may also call us at (619) 479-3662.
- Masks continue to be optional, yet recommended on campus for all students and adults, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are still strongly encouraged for indoor use by the California Department of Public Health.
- If your child is experiencing any symptoms, please keep them at home and notify the school office at (619) 479-3662.
- If you have someone who is known positive in your household, please also keep your child home and notify the office so that we may further support.
- Symptomatic students may return to school with improving symptoms provided they get a negative test and the results are shown to school office staff. The test taken to return to school can be one PCR test or two antigen tests taken 12 hours apart or any test taken 5 days after symptoms onset, for a return to school on day 6. Parents and guardians who do not want to test their children may choose to keep their children at home for ten days, and those students may return on day 11.
- Independent Study Contracts are available for students who have tested positive or who must isolate/quarantine. We thank you for your patience and kindness towards our staff as we weather this pandemic together.
Questions about COVID-19? Want information on the free testing locations? Please see our updated page here: https://allenelementary.org/safety-and-health/
Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week
Watch Mr. Greenwell’s video update for the week of May 22 here:
Make Up testing is happening in the last week of May! While most students have finished their testing, we want to ensure a quiet and calm testing environment for our students who need to finish still.
Below is the most current schedule which contains all grade levels and the assessments that they will be taking. We recommend that students get a full night of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast to prepare for district and state tests. Please speak to your children about doing their best on these tests. The use of cell phones and other electronic communication devices (such as Apple Watches) are strictly forbidden during state testing. Please see below for more detailed information regarding our school’s testing calendar.
Thank you for ensuring your child does not miss school on test days. If a child does miss days of testing, that child will be required to make up any missed assessments before attending fun, end of the year activities.
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 for this week is Honesty. The Common Courtesy for this week is “Thank you...“
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!
Kindness counts! Wondering how to support children if they experience a problem with another student? We suggest using “I feel…” statements, moving away from others, and seeking help from an adult nearby. Our staff prides itself in actively monitoring students at all times. What our staff has noticed is that students are learning how to interact with one another and having some problems or conflict. This is not bullying. It may be due to trauma and other sudden social-emotional issues with a child. What is bullying? Check out this document:
See the helpful graphic below:
If you have a concern about another child’s behaviors impacting your child, we suggest you first contact your child’s teacher. Afterwards, please see this page here.
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, May 23, 2022
- Zoo Presentation for 4th Grade at 9am
- Some students visit the Eagle’s Nest Store
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 – Online Parent Workshop at 6 pm [link at http://www.cvesd.org]
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
- Some students visit the Eagle’s Nest Store
- Class of 2020 Reunion at Allen Elementary, 4- 6 pm (see below)
- Optimist Award at 6 pm
Thursday, May 26, 2022
- Sixth grade goes to the Zoo and overnight trip at the Fleet Science Center
- First grade animal research project expo at 9:15 am in the courtyard
- CVESD BAC Meeting at 6 pm
Friday, May 27, 2022
- Awards Ceremony for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades at 9 am in courtyard
- Awards Ceremony for Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grades at 10 am in courtyard
Monday, May 30, 2022 – NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 – Possible PTC Meeting at 6 pm online [Link will be shared here]
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 – Sixth Grade Promotion at 9:15 am
Thursday, June 2, 2022 – Sixth Grade Field Trip to Rohr Park (Picnic and Yearbooks Signing)
Friday, June 3, 2022
- Last Day of School
- Family First Friday and coffee cart at 8 am
- Next Steps Ceremony (Blum/Davies) – more details will be shared by your child’s teacher for Kindergarten and K/1 combo class students
Monday, June 13, 2022 – PTC Meeting at 6 pm online
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 – School office closes at 12 noon
July TBA, 2022 – School office reopens (8 am to 3:30 pm)
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 – School begins; minimum day dismissal
Sixth Grade Promotion
Sixth grade promotion will be Wednesday, June 1st at 9:15 am at Allen Elementary. This outdoor event will be held in the Allen Courtyard. Family members are welcome to attend, though we ask that families refrain from bringing balloons or large signs as they block the view of other families. More information will be shared by Mr. Manaig, Ms. Linderman, and Ms. Michel.
Please see the letter below from Mr. Greenwell regarding 6th grade activities if you have not yet done so:
Parent Workshops
We invite parents to join other parents in the district for our Spring Workshop series. These workshops will all be conducted virtually, online, from 6 pm to 7 pm. Please open the file below for more information. The links to these meetings will be shared at the district’s website, www.cvesd.org.
Class of 2020 Reunion at Allen Elementary
Allen Elementary’s 6th Grade Class of 2020 is about to graduate 8th grade. This is a great time to bring everyone back for a little reunion and graduation celebration.
The Class of 2020 wasn’t able to have a party as originally planned, so we’re taking this opportunity to invite the Class of 2020 graduates back to Allen for a mini-reunion and celebration!
We hope that members of the Class of 2020 can join us for some food, fun, and a few opportunity drawing prizes! We will be celebrating outdoors as per district guidelines. This event will be on Wednesday, May 25th at Allen at 4 pm. Parents and students from the class of 2020 are welcome to attend.
Please register below at the link and enter # of attendees so we can get a headcount on food:
Free, MTS Youth Opportunity Pass
A new program is being launched to help provide free public transit for San Diego’s youth: The SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program is designed to make transportation easier for San Diego County children (those 18 years of age and under), as well as encourage ridership.
Free MTS and NCTD rides under the Youth Opportunity Pass program will begin May 1 and will continue to be available until June 30, 2023.
To take part in the program, children 18 and under will have to sign up for a Youth PRONTO app account or a Youth PRONTO card. Information on PRONTO can be found at https://bit.ly/3rv3ONd.
This program is being funded by $6.13 million from SANDAG, in a partnership with San Diego County.
Zone Transfers & New Student Registration
Please complete this Zone Transfer (or ZT) process ASAP to keep your child at our school, or families risk losing their child’s spot at our school if a new family moves into the neighborhood. Please also remember that a Zone Transfer or Intradistrict Transfer may be denied if a child’s behavior or attendance require improvement.
NEW STUDENT registration began on March 2 online for the following:
- Kindergartners who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2022.
- NEW students in grades 1st through 6th
- All registrations will take place online. There will be no paper packets. To register please visit our district website: www.cvesd.org
Allen Elementary has plenty of space in our Kindergarten class for next year, but has limited openings in our other grades. Please contact our office for questions about space availability at (619) 479-3662.
Verification of Residency will begin at the end of May 2022 for all students who will continue to attend Allen Elementary in the upcoming school year. A friendly reminder that this yearly process is required by CA state law. Details will be sent home later in May.
If your child will NOT return to Allen Elementary in the 2022-2023 school year, please email michelle.reza@cvesd.org or john.greenwell@cvesd.org. Outgoing sixth grade students do not need to notify the office staff that they are attending middle school next year.
Optional, Weekly COVID Clinic Testing
The free, “opt-in” COVID-19 testing program continues every Thursday as part of our district’s efforts to keep classrooms open and support our families with testing requirements for the state of California.
UPDATE as of 4/17/22:
Please watch this detailed video: https://vimeo.com/699606532
If COVID Clinic tested you or your child in the past: We will continue to test all registered students who have opted-in to this program, free of charge. The government requires our school and Covid Clinic to ask if parents have insurance or are uninsured. Please fill out the form below. YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED!
https://secure.covidclinic.org/insurance/
Please watch this detailed video: https://vimeo.com/699606532
IMPORTANT: If we have provided COVID-19 testing for you or your dependents during the COVID-19 pandemic, read this. A new California law (SB 510) took effect January 1, 2022, and requires California private insurance plans to pay for ALL COVID-19 testing received by you and your dependents at any time during the COVID-19 pandemic, at no cost to you. Additionally, federal funding via HRSA will no longer cover testing for those without insurance. To make sure you and your dependents receive the benefit of this new law, and so you do not receive a bill from us for COVID-19 testing, we need your insurance information now. Once you provide us with accurate insurance information, we will bill and accept payment from your insurance plan (at no out-of-pocket cost to you or your dependents) for any COVID-19 testing received from us in the past or in the future. But without your accurate insurance information, we cannot help you and your dependents to receive the benefit of this new law.
Please contact Covid Clinic at k12@covidclinic.org with any questions. Thank you.
If you still need the link to give consent, it can be found here: https://school.covidclinic.org/register.
- Please know that giving consent for the COVID Clinic kiosks (at Clear View, Castle Park, or Eastlake) also automatically gives consent for your child to be tested via Allen’s weekly on-site testing.
We hope that you will choose to opt in and participate in this weekly testing program. No child will be tested without proper parental consent in this program.
- Please double check that you have completed the registration process correctly and placed an order for your child to be tested. Once these two steps have been completed, there is no need to update this each week. If you previously gave consent for your child to participate and have changed your mind, please notify COVID Clinic directly via email at k12@covidclinic.org before Tuesday morning at 8 am. Please be sure to state your name and your child’s name, as well as their school in that message.
- Please note that the district does not want to test students and staff via this program who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days as they will likely test positive again via this PCR test. An at-home rapid or antigen test is a better option to use if you would like your child to return to school from an absence.
Free COVID-19 Testing
Testing is for staff and students at these locations. Testing hours may shift over Spring Break.
*** We recommend that you check www.cvesd.org for the most updated times. The Chula Vista Elementary School District is offering free COVID-19 testing for students and staff at the following locations:
Education Services and Support Center at 84 East J Street, Chula Vista 91910
- Monday – Thursday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (line closes to walk ups at 3:40 PM)
- Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (line closes to walk ups at 3:40 PM)
Hedenkamp Elementary School at 930 East Palomar Street, Chula Vista 91913
- Monday – Thursday 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM (line closes to walk ups at 2:30 PM)
- Friday 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (line closes to walk ups at 2:30 PM)
Three more PCR testing sites are now available via COVID Clinic, outside of the weekly testing opportunity at Allen. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday, at EastLake Elementary, ClearView Elementary, and Castle Park Elementary.
Are you unsure if you should bring your child to school and/or test them for COVID-19? Click here for an easy-to-view handout. We highly recommend getting a COVID-19 test at a free County facility, at a medical provider, or at our District Office (Education Services and Support Center). If showing symptoms, a person will need a PCR/NAAT test. Otherwise, an antigen/rapid test will suffice. If you are unable to get a COVID-19 test from your healthcare provider, free testing is available at several locations across San Diego County. Click here to view a complete listing of no-cost testing options.
Please contact the school office at (619) 479-3662 with questions. Please note that if a child presents with any COVID-19 symptoms, we are required to send that student home until symptoms improve and families provide a negative test result.
We are happy to provide an independent study contract for families negatively impacted by the surge of COVID-19 cases in our community. Please contact the school office for help with this.
Please know that we will communicate with parents on the latest guidance from state, county, and district officials regarding the safety of students on Allen Elementary’s campus as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Equity and Access for All Students
Learn more about the school and district’s commitment to equity and access for all children! View this page here: https://allenelementary.org/equity-and-access/
COVID-19 Corner: Health and Safety
Vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 are now available. Please understand that the state of California may in the future be requiring children to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to attend a public school, just as they already do for other diseases (polio, mumps, rubella, etc..). This decision is not a school-based or district-based decision, but rather a state government decision.
The CVESD Board of Education encourages the use of masks on all sites within the Chula Vista Elementary School District, regardless of vaccination status. Masks, although not required, are strongly encouraged for all staff, students, parents, and visitors while indoors on campus. There is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place where people are present. The school and district strive to reduce this impact to staff, students, and families.
If your child has a chronic health condition, such as allergies or asthma, please contact the school office and download the form below 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 and contact the school office at (619) 479-3662. If any person (regardless of vaccination status) presents with symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, that person will be immediately sent home and may only return with a negative test and no more symptoms. All schools in CVESD must follow the latest 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 here: LINK to Newest Decision Tree
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.
Please help support Allen’s PTC by shopping at smile.amazon.com! AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases to the Allen Elementary PTC when you shop on smile.amazon.com and choose Allen Elementary School Parents Teachers Club Inc as your charity.
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 Families & Staff
Allen School needs parents and legal 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, June 3, 2022 at 8 am. This meeting will be in person at school with a coffee cart available in front of the school.
We encourage parents and legal guardians to join this meeting with a cup of hot coffee or a cold cup of cold brew on nitro 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 will be in August 2022. Check back here for more information in July 2022.
The school encourages all legal parent/guardian of students designated as an English Learner to attend both of these meetings.
School Site Council (SSC)
Ella B. Allen’s next SSC Meeting will be in August 2022. Check back here for more information in July 2022.
All SSC members are welcome to attend ELAC meetings for additional information.
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 usually 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 Tuesday, May 31st 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, June 15th 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 2022 at 12 noon. This meeting will be in person at the CVESD Education Services and Support Center (ESSC) in room C. The address is 84 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA. 91910.
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 2022-2023 School Year
Next year’s School Calendar (2022-2023) is available online! Click this link to download it.
Students in our District are scheduled to start the 2022-2023 school year on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 and end the school year on Friday, June 2, 2023.
Student Starting Date: July 20, 2022
Student Ending Date: June 2, 2023
Key breaks include:
- Fall Break: September 26 – October 7, 2022
- Thanksgiving Break: November 21 – November 25, 2022
- Winter Break: December 19, 2022 – January 6, 2023
- Spring Break: March 20 – March 31, 2023
Be well Eagles! Stay safe: As a California public school, we encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to test regularly. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is our number 1 concern!
Ella B. Allen Elementary School 