Hello Allen Families and Staff,
Happy December!
A friendly reminder that it is now cold and flu season. COVID-19 continues to impact our community. We recommend testing regularly and getting flu shots and COVID booster shots. If your child is sick, please keep your child home and notify the school office at (619) 479-3662.
Be sure to check out our Q2 Calendar of Events below:
If you have questions for our staff or need assistance, please call at at (619) 479-3662. Office hours are 8 am to 3:30 pm, M-F.
Have you downloaded the Family Handbook for 2022-2023? Kindly review this with your child.
https://allenelementary.org/family-handbook/
Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week
Please watch Mr. Greenwell’s Message of the Week of December 4th, at the YouTube link below:
Please see our updated 2022-2023 Family Handbook here: Link to Family Handbook
A reminder of our school’s Core Values and Common Courtesies:
The Core Value for this upcoming week of school is Perseverance. The Common Courtesy for that week is “Good morning or Good Afternoon.“
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:
- Use “I feel…” statements to express yourself clearly.
- Set boundaries by saying “I don’t like that…” or “Please stop!”
- Move away from the student you have conflict with and…
- Seek 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? 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. It’s our District’s Anti-Bullying page.
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, at (619) 479-3662 and we will arrange an appointment with you.
A Look Ahead:
December 5 – 9, 2022 – Sixth Grade Camp
Thursday, December 8, 2022 – Family Focus Series at 6 pm at the District Offices – “A Parent’s Guide to Behavior”
Dec. 8 – 14: Optional Transitional Kindergarten Conferences (see Ms. Venegas for details)
Dec. 12 – 16: Winter Spirit Week and Scholastic Book Fair
Monday, December 12, 2022 – ELAC, SSC, and PTC meetings are all adjourned to January 23, 2023
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
- Family Winter Movie Night at 5:30 pm in MPR
- Family Focus Series: “Keeping Kids Safe Online” at 6 pm at the District Offices
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
- Preschool Parent Advisory Meeting at 9 am
- CVESD Board of Education meeting at 6 pm
Dec. 19 – Jan. 9: Winter Break
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – Classes resume with a minimum day (2 pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6)
Friday, January 13, 2023 – Family First Friday 8 am to 9 am
Partnership with Campus Clinic
The Chula Vista Elementary School District is proud to partner with Campus Clinic in order to provide essential healthcare services to its families. Currently, students at Allen have access to outbreak prevention screening, which includes COVID-19 testing, flu/RSV testing, and other rapid services. In the near future, Allen will host both mental health and primary care health services with a licensed medical professional, such as a Physician or Physician’s Assistant (PA). This is an opt-in program for the convenience of our families and staff.
Because of this partnership, Allen Elementary staff and students were asked to participate in a video production to spotlight these services. See that video below and keep reading the blog for more information regarding the healthcare services coming to Allen via Campus Clinic! To learn more about how to enroll your child in these free or reduced-cost services, click here.
CVESD Science Adoption Materials Input
The Chula Vista Elementary School District is in the science adoption pilot process. In a curriculum adoption process, it is critical that as many stakeholders as possible have access to viewing the potential programs and reviewing the print and digital materials. We want to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all of our students across the district and helps to prepare our students for 21st century careers. We welcome input from parents, community members, and staff!
The district’s Science Adoption Committee sorted through nearly 20 different programs and narrowed it down to two good options: Twig and STEMscopes materials are available in the school media center and library. The materials are available there so that staff, community, and family members can have access to the materials easily. Materials will be accessible at our school from Thanksgiving Break until mid-January. If there is a staff member or community member that would like to view all the units from the program, please contact our district Science Coordinator, Marlys Williamson by email at Marlys.Williamson@cvesd.org to schedule a time to view the materials at the district offices located at 84 East J. Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910.
Sweetwater Valley Civic Association Art Contest
Voting is now OPEN for the Bonita Elementary Schools Preserve & Protect Bonita Art Contest!
Vote for your favorite art that embodies the “Preserve & Protect Bonita CA” theme by students from Preschool through Sixth grade from Allen Elementary, Sunnyside Elementary, and Valley Vista Elementary Schools in Bonita, CA. The winning classroom will get pizza lunch with the Bonita Firefighters at the Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Station!
Vote NOW for your favorite art from Allen Elementary School!
**4 Vote Limitation Per IP Address
The art contest is on until December 15! Please vote for your favorite Allen Elementary art work on this website.
To vote, click on the picture to vote 1 time. Then, go back to the home page, click on the art contest link, and select the picture you wish to vote for… Your email address from the first vote should come up and you can click on it, and then place your second vote.
Family Focus Series
The next event in our Family Focus Series will help families to learn more about pressing topics such as bullying, social and emotional well-being, and more! Free childcare and dinner are provided for all attendees.
The first workshop is on December 8th at 6 pm and titled “A Parent’s Guide to Behavior.”
Questions? Email Angelica.maldonado@cvesd.org.
- Bullying Basics: What Families Need to Know
- In person, 6:00 pm, dinner served, at 84 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910
- Free childcare provided. Topic: “A Parent’s Guide to Behavior”
Q2 Progress Reports and ELD Report Cards
Students in Chula Vista Elementary School District receive Progress Reports in Quarter 2, Quarter 3, and Quarter 4. Reporting student progress is an essential part of the communication and partnership between home and school. We would like to inform you that CVESD has adopted a new progress report which includes a revised rubric for progress towards standards. The new progress towards standards rubric allows teachers to document a wider range of academic growth for students.
The new Progress Report identifies academic achievement based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and documents growth towards end of year expectations in the following areas: English Language Arts, History/Social Science, Mathematics, and Science. These content areas are assigned a score based off a 4-point rubric. More information will be shared with parents and families in the next week!
Photos From Winter Art Night
On December 1st, the Allen PTC sponsored a Winter Family Art Night. Guest artist, Isela Gonzalez, and her team, guided Allen families and staff through a winter painting activity. Thank you to all who helped create beautiful art and memories together at this event!
Scholastic Book Fair
The Book Fair is coming to Allen next week! The Book Fair is being hosted by our PTC and will be in the MPR from Dec. 12 – 16. We recommend setting up an e-Wallet account to create a secure way for your child to make purchases while at school. The video below will help you set up the e-Wallet…
Winter Spirit Week
Allen Elementary is excited to announce its annual Winter Spirit Week! See the helpful graphic below for more information…
Winter Break Reminders
Winter Break begins when we dismiss on Friday, December 16 at 2 pm! Students return on Tuesday, January 10 for a 2 pm dismissal for grades TK-6.
Parent Meetings Adjourned to Jan. 2023
The December 2022 ELAC, SSC, and PTC meetings will be adjourned to January 23, 2023. Please open the attached document for more details:
Optional Spanish Class Afterschool
Sing and Speak Spanish classes at Allen are again available! There are a handful of spots for younger students in the Level 1a class. If enough older students register, the group will open another class. For more information check out their website: www.singandspeakspanish.com
This fun and dynamic Spanish program is opening a new Friday section of Oral Spanish.
- Focused on speaking skills
- 1 hour after school: 2:05-3:05pm
- 20 weeks
Home Access Center
Did you know that you can download the most recent copy of your child’s report card and their most recent ELPAC or CAASPP test scores online for free? Please use the district’s Home Access Center to do this!
Download instructions below:
Excellent Attendance Awards Coming Soon!
School attendance is a predicator of job success in the future. Please ensure your child is at school, on time, every day! For every day of school missed, it takes 3 days for children to try and catch up. Please plan vacations, doctor appointments, and dentist appointments during school breaks. Our school will be rewarding students for excellent attendance at our Q2 awards ceremony.
Know the Signs of Illness
A friendly reminder that if your child is sick, please contact the school office and keep your child home.
This information is being shared with our community, courtesy of Sharp Rees-Stealy. With millions of people returning to their daily activities and traveling once again, it’s important to recognize that COVID-19 and the flu aren’t the only currently spreading diseases that can cause severe illness in infants. In San Diego, there’s been a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases and it’s crucial you keep sick people away from children.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes cold-like symptoms. While most people recover quickly from RSV, it is the most common cause of bronchiolitis, the inflammation of lung airways, and pneumonia in infants. It can also cause serious illness in older adults.
While almost all children will have had RSV at least once by the time they turn 2, it can be serious for some children. Ask the people you spend time with to avoid getting close to an infant if they are feeling sick.
Know the signs of RSV
RSV is spread when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes. The virus can survive on surfaces, such as doorknobs and handrails, and is shared through direct physical contact, such as cuddling and kissing. People with RSV are usually contagious for up to eight days, though some can continue spreading the virus for up to one month, even when they are no longer showing signs of illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common symptoms of RSV include:
- Runny nose
- Decrease in appetite
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Fever
- Wheezing
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV — typically seen in January and February — leads to approximately 58,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 each year in the U.S. Locally, Rady Children’s Hospital reported more than half of the children currently in the hospital’s ICU are being treated for RSV.
Stop the spread of RSV
Keep small children and infants away from those who are sick. Wash hands with soap and water often. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
If you are showing signs of the virus, the CDC reports you can prevent spreading RSV by doing the following:
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve — never use your hands.
- Thoroughly wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Avoid close contact — kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and utensils — with others.
- Clean contaminated surfaces.
Most importantly, refrain from kissing infants and other high-risk children, such as children with chronic lung or heart conditions and children with weakened immune systems, while you have cold-like symptoms.
Talk to your child’s doctor if they are showing signs of RSV. There is no specific treatment for RSV, though it is important to keep sick children well-hydrated and manage their fever and discomfort due to RSV. Always consult your child’s care provider before giving them medicine or medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. Please contact our school office if your child must stay home due to illness at (619) 479-3662.
Free Campus Clinic Testing
Families may come to the school office, Monday- Friday, between 8 am and 3:30 pm to receive a free COVID-19 antigen test. The testing is not required. Please report all positive cases to our school office at (619) 479-3662.
Weekly, voluntary testing will continue on our school campus via Campus Clinic each week. Parents and legal guardians must opt-in to the program and no child will be tested without proper consent. If families would like to watch a video on the registration process, they can visit: https://campusclinic.org/how-to/. For community testing at the kiosks, individuals will need to register on-site. You only need to register one time for a test through the kiosk
As we all know, the fall and winter months are often accompanied by cold & flu season. In alignment with our district’s commitment to keeping your children healthy and in school, we are excited to expand Campus Clinic’s testing services by adding the flu combo test to our weekly COVID-19 testing program. This combo test is designed to provide results for symptomatic individuals for some of the most common fall and winter illnesses, such as Flu A, Flu B, RSV, and COVID-19.
We hope these additional results bring you peace of mind as our community gathers with family and friends during the upcoming holidays. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the information above, please call or email our Campus Success team.
Campus Success; 8:00am -4:00pm PST
855.286.2577
support@campusclinic.org
www.campusclinic.org
Again, for this free testing support, please email: support@campusclinic.org.
COVID-19 Corner: Health and Safety
Vaccines for children 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.
Masks, although not required at this time, 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. It is a current public health recommendation for all eligible people to get COVID-19 booster shots.
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
The standing PTC Meeting link is here: PTC MEETING LINK 2022-2023
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 usually reserved for our Family First Friday, Allen’s version of Coffee with the Principal. Our next Family First Friday will be on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023 from 8 am to 9 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 free 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 on January 23, 2023 at 3 pm. This meeting will be both online and in person at Allen in the MPR. Online link here.
The school encourages all legal parent/guardian of students designated as an English Learner to attend these meetings.
School Site Council (SSC)
Ella B. Allen’s next SSC Meeting will be on January 23, 2023 at 3:30 pm. Please note that if you join early, you’ll be attending the ELAC meeting already in progress. This meeting will be both online and in person at Allen in the MPR. Online link here.
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. 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. This meeting will be both online and in person at Allen in the MPR. Link: via this link. The next PTC meeting is January 23 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, December 14 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 on January 17, 2023 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.
The link below contains 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: https://www.cvesd.org/parents/getting-involved/dac-delac
CVESD B-LAC Meeting
District Black Learners Advisory Council (B-LAC)
The B-LAC is composed of parents, staff, and community representatives from around the district. The B-LAC provides and monitors the ongoing support for Black/African American students and families in the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) to ensure unbiased practices/policies, equitable educational outcomes, and equal access to a quality education. The group meets regularly during the school year, once a month. Most meetings occur on Thursdays from 6 – 7 pm. The next meeting is January 26 at 6 pm and will be in person at Hedenkamp Elementary (930 East Palomar Street, Chula Vista, CA 91913). For more information and to download the schedule of these meetings, clink the link: https://www.cvesd.org/parents/getting-involved/black-learners-advisory-council—b–lac
CVESD BAC Meeting
District Budget Advisory Council (CVESD BAC)
The District’s Budget Advisory Council (BAC) is composed of parents, staff, and community representatives from around the district. The BAC monitors the financial statements and fiduciary obligations of the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD). Although it usually only meets 5 – 6 times a year, the BAC’s meetings are useful in understanding how state and federal monies support student learning at a local level. January 25th at 6 pm is the next BAC meeting. 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.
Calendar for the 2022-2023 School Year
The 2022-2023 School Calendar is available online! Click this link to download it. Please reference this when planning vacations or scheduling appointments with your children that may require them to miss school. Excellent attendance is important in student success!
Students in our district will end the current academic year on Friday, June 2, 2023.
Be well Eagles! Stay safe: As a California public school, we encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine (and/or booster shots), and to test regularly. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is our number 1 concern!
Ella B. Allen Elementary School 