Hello Allen Families and Staff,
Happy Winter Break! Happy Holidays to all who celebrate! We wish you a restful winter break. Students return from Winter Break on Tuesday, January 10th for a minimum day (2 pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6).
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. Please note that our school office remains closed over break and that staff will not respond to phone calls, emails, or Class Dojo messages over the break.
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 for Winter Break, at the YouTube link below:
Help our partners at the YMCA meet their fundraising goal as our students benefit greatly from services at Allen and at our local branch! Contribute here: https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/4298539
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 Responsibility. The Common Courtesy for that week is “Excuse Me…“
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:
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
Monday, January 16, 2023 – NO SCHOOL – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and optional Day of Service
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 – CVESD DAC/DELAC at 12 noon at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 – Q2 Awards Ceremony for grades TK-2 at 9 am in courtyard
Thursday, January 19, 2023 – Q2 Awards Ceremony for grades 3-6 and SEBS
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 – Black History Month begins
Thursday, February 2, 2023 – Groundhog Day
Friday, February 3, 2023 – Family First Friday from 8 am to 9 am (with free coffee for adults)
YMCA Day Camp
The South Bay Family YMCA is offering Day Camp over the Winter Break. While this will not be at Allen’s campus, it will be at a nearby school. See the attached flyer for more information.
Please contact the South Bay YMCA directly with questions or to register your child.
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.
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 next workshop is on January 12th at 6 pm and titled “12 Tips for Effective Parenting.”
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: “12 Tips for Effective Parenting”
Q2 Progress Reports – Friday, Dec. 16
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. This new report card was sent home on Friday, December 16th and can also be accessed online through the Home Access Center (see instructions below)!
The new Progress Report identifies academic achievement based on the California Common Core State Standards (CA 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. See the helpful guide below:
The Progress Report Addendums are intended to guide teachers and families with more information on each area, by grade level. Please download the appropriate Progress Report Addendum for your child/children below:
Our VAPA Visual Arts Newsletter for Q2 is here:
Optional MLK Jr. Day of Service – Jan. 16, 2023
MLK Day of Service is a federal holiday dedicated to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of his legacy and passion for serving others. Ella B. Allen Elementary School encourages its families, students, and staff to participate in an optional day of service to honor the memory and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 16, 2023.
Allen will celebrate and observe an optional day of service on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. While there will be no event on our school’s campus, we encourage students and their families to find a volunteer event already scheduled with another organization. Many beach cleanups, food banks, and neighborhood enhancement projects are scheduled around San Diego County on this day. Local information can be found here: https://www.handsonsandiego.org/mlkday
Legislation signed in 1983 marked the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a federal holiday. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Each year, on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is observed as a “day on, not a day off.” MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”
Allen community members can participate on their own by partnering with a community organization, doing a neighborhood clean up, or offering an act of service to others. Last year, many of our staff, students, and their families chose to participate and we hope to make this an annual tradition at Ella B. Allen Elementary School. More information can be found at MLKday.gov.
Please send all photos of your act of service to michelle.reza@cvesd.org. Please note that by emailing your photos to Ms. Reza, you give explicit permission for photos to be shared on our social media, including this school blog.
The Great Kindness Challenge
Allen Elementary will be participating again in the annual, worldwide Great Kindness Challenge! This is our third year as a school community. We invite all staff, students, and families at Allen to participate in the official Great Kindness Challenge week this January 23 – 27, 2023.
During the official Great Kindness Challenge week, students (grades PreK-6) are challenged to complete as many acts of kindness as possible, using the school provided, age-appropriate kindness checklist. With the checklist in hand, students show the world that KINDNESS MATTERS! Ella B. Allen Elementary School is a proud Kindess Certified School!
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. The Q2 Awards Ceremonies for students in TK through second grade will be on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 9 am. The Q2 Awards Ceremonies for students in grades three through six and our Social Emotional Behavioral Support (SEBS) program will be on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 9 am. Both awards ceremonies will be in person at Allen in the school courtyard.
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.
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
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 encouraged for all staff, students, parents, and visitors while indoors on campus. There is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other illnesses 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, January 18 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!
Our Board of Education recently approved our 2023-2024 School Calendar as well and we are pleased to share that it aligns well with Sweetwater as well. Find that document in the file below…
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 stay healthy and get the COVID-19 vaccine (and/or booster shots), as well as to test regularly. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is our number 1 concern!
Ella B. Allen Elementary School 