Sunday Update (15 Jan. 2023)

Hello Allen Families and Staff,

We had a great first week back from Winter Break! A friendly reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Monday, January 16, 2023 in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. We hope that you spend part of your holiday with an intentional activity that honors the memory of Dr. King. We encourage families to participate in an optional, off campus Day of Service. See below for more information.

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 for this upcoming week at the YouTube link below:

Please download our Q3 Calendar of Events here:

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

Do you receive School Messenger emails and communication from our district? Be sure to check www.cvesd.org and bookmark our district’s website and follow its social media:

Please see our updated 2022-2023 Family Handbook here: Link to Family Handbook

A reminder of our school’s Core Values and Common Courtesies:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s Common Courtesies

The Core Value for this upcoming week of school is Caring. The Common Courtesy for this week 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!

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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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:

Monday, January 16, 2023NO SCHOOL – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and optional Day of Service (off campus)

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 at 9 am in courtyard
  • Family Focus Series: “Hiding in Plain Sight: An Overview of Human Trafficking” at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

January 23 – 27, 2023: The Great Kindness Challenge and Spirit Week at Allen Elementary

Monday, January 23, 2023 – Parent Meetings (in person in MPR and online)

  • Kids Heart Challenge kickoff at school
  • ELAC at 3 pm
  • SSC at 3:30 pm
  • PTC at 6 pm
  • YMCA DASH/Junior Academy Cooking Class begins after school (and ends on Friday, 1/27)

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 – CVESD Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Thursday, January 26, 2023 – CVESD Black Learners Advisory Committee (B-LAC) at 6 pm at Hedenkamp Elementary

Monday, January 30, 2023 – Sees Candy Fundraiser begins

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

  • Black History Month begins
  • Virtual TK/Kinder Registration Townhall Meeting 6-8 pm [link at www.cvesd.org]

Thursday, February 2, 2023 – Groundhog Day

Friday, February 3, 2023 – Family First Friday from 8 am to 9 am (with free coffee for adults) and PTC Spirit Booth

Tuesday, February, 7, 2023 – CVESD DAC/DELAC at 12 noon at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Monday, February 13, 2023 – Parent Meetings (in person in MPR and online)

  • ELAC at 3 pm
  • SSC at 3:30 pm
  • PTC at 6 pm

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 – 3rd grade students visit the San Diego Zoo

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 – 5th grade students visit the USS Midway Museum

Thursday, February 16, 2023

  • Kids Heart Challenge during the school day
  • Family Focus Series: “10 Things Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl” at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Friday, February 17, 2023NO SCHOOL – Presidents Day Weekend

Monday, February 20, 2023NO SCHOOL – Presidents Day Weekend

Thursday, February, 23, 2023 – Spring Photography Day and Bus Evacuation Drill at Allen

Friday, February 24, 2023 – PTC’s Out of this World Family Dance (5 – 7 pm) at Allen

February 27 – March 3, 2023: Read Across America Week and Spirit Week

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 – 4th grade students visit the Living Coast Discovery Center

Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – Women’s History Month begins

Friday, March 3, 2023 – Family First Friday from 8 am to 9 am (with free coffee for adults) and PTC Spirit Booth

March 6 – 10, 2023: Scholastic Spring Book Fair (BOGO)

March 9 – 16, 2023: Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences (dismissal at 2 pm for all students in grades TK-6)

Monday, March 13, 2023 – Parent Meetings (in person in MPR and online)

  • ELAC at 3 pm
  • SSC at 3:30 pm
  • PTC at 6 pm

Friday, March 17, 2023Green Spirit Day and dismiss for Spring Break

March 20 – 31, 2023: Spring Break – NO SCHOOL

Monday, April 3, 2023 – Classes resume (with a 2 pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6)

Sees Candy Fundraiser

Allen’s PTC needs your sweet support! We’re selling yummy See’s Candies for our latest fundraiser.

Visit our shop to pick and choose your favorites and buy your candy online. It’s that easy!

Happy shopping, and thanks for your support!

CVESD Co-Ed Sports Update

Basketball: Mrs. Farlow (a 3rd grade teacher) invites all 4th – 6th grade students to try out for the Allen School CoEd Basketball Team. Students on this team play games against other schools within Chula Vista Elementary School District. The only requirement to tryout is to complete the CVESD Release to Participate Waiver. The season runs from February 15 – May 25, 2023 with games and practices on Mondays,Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Tryouts are 1/23 (Monday) & 1/24 (Tuesday) after school from 3:20-4:30 pm. Students must attend both days of tryouts to be eligible for the team. Students should wear athletic attire and athletic shoes for try outs. Please contact Mrs. Farlow by email at melissa.farlow@cvesd.org with questions.

Soccer: Ms. Millikin (a 5th grade teacher) invites all 4th – 6th  grade students to try out for the Allen School CoEd Basketball Team. Students on this team play games against other schools within Chula Vista Elementary School District. The only requirement to tryout is to complete the CVESD Release to Participate Waiver. The season runs from February 15 – May 25, 2023 with games & practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tryouts are 1/25 (Wednesday) & 1/26 (Thursday) after school from 3:20-4:30 pm. Students must attend both days of tryouts to be eligible for the team. Students should wear athletic attire and cleats (if possible) or athletic shoe at tryouts.  Please contact Ms. Millikin at erin.millikin@cvesd.org with questions.

Ms. Godoy Awarded A Fortissimo Award

Allen Elementary is thrilled to share this great news! Our music teacher, Hyrami Godoy, is being honored by the state of California and the CVESD Board of Education via the Fortissimo Awards.

The California Music Educators Association, Southern Border Section, released the names of their 2022 Fortissimo Award winners which include six Chula Vista Elementary School District educators. The Fortissimo Awards honor music educators, school administrators, and industry leaders for exceptional work in music education throughout San Diego and Imperial County. The Fortissimo award winners for the 2022-23 school year include four music educators, one classroom teacher, and one school principal from the District.

The Fortissimo Awards are selected through an open nomination process, followed by a selection process from the CMEA-SBS Executive Board. The CVESD award winners are:

  • Melody Belcher, Ed.D., Lauderbach Elementary, Outstanding Administrator Award
  • Hyrami Godoy, Allen and Montgomery Elementary, Ernest R. Yee Illuminating Culture Award 
  • Jessandra Kono, Marshall and McMillin Elementary, Newcomer Award 
  • Stella Paredes, Valle Lindo Elementary, Classroom Teacher Award 
  • Jesse Rogers, Rosebank Elementary, Peripole General Music Educator Award
  • Emma Schopler, Lauderbach Elementary, Elementary Specialist Award 

“Congratulations to all CVESD award winners,” said Superintendent Eduardo Reyes, Ed.D. “Art education is essential as it enriches the lives of students and the community every day. The arts strengthen students’ social development and prepare our students for success in the 21st century.”

The Chula Vista Elementary School District has an award-winning visual and performing arts program (VAPA) for its students. Every student receives regular access to an arts education during the school day. Visual and performing arts program teachers across the District provide music, dance, theater, and media/visual arts classes. The investment in VAPA was among the services funded by the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan.

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 19th at 6 pm and titled “Hiding in Plain Sight: An Overview of Human Trafficking.”

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.

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 is 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, all students in 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!

Please download the appropriate checklist below. Students will receive one paper copy from their teacher.

Students in grades Preschool, TK, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade are recommended to use the Junior Edition. Students in grades 3-6 are encouraged to use the School Edition.

Q2 Awards Ceremonies This Week!

Our school will be rewarding students for excellent attendance and academic improvement 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. We will also be recognizing our students who are being Reclassified as Fluent English Proficient students (R-FEP). Both awards ceremonies will be in person at Allen in the school courtyard.

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.

Kindness Spirit Week

As part of our celebration of The Great Kindness Challenge, Allen Elementary is also hosting a Kindness Spirit Week. Students will have special spirit days that will include some special activities to promote a culture of kindness, diversity, inclusion, and respect.

Check out our Spirit Days below!

TK/Kinder Registration Meeting

The CVESD Student Placement department, in collaboration with the Early Education Department, will host an online, virtual TK/Kinder Registration Townhall Meeting on Wednesday, February 1st from 6-8 pm. The link for the meeting can be found on www.cvesd.org and in the flyer below, via a scanned QR code.

YMCA Campaign

Students and families in our area benefit from free and reduced services from the YMCA of San Diego. Help give back by joining the YMCA Campaign for 2023! This year’s campaign theme is “Open Hearts, Open Doors.” 

You can make a tax-deductible donation securely here: https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/4298539

Zone Transfers and Registration Information

It’s almost that time again! Everyone attending Allen Elementary on a CVESD Zone Transfer will receive an email in the last week of January with a specific link to renew the Zone Transfer for their child for the 2023-2024 school year.  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 will begin on February 15 online for the following:

  • Kindergartners who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023.
  • 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 beginning on February 15: www.cvesd.org

Allen Elementary has plenty of space in our Preschool, TK, and Kindergarten classes for next year, but has limited openings in our upper grades. Please contact our office for questions about space availability at (619) 479-3662. More information will be posted on our district’s website at www.cvesd.org in February 2023.

  • Please note:
    • TK students will not need a renewal zone transfer link as they will need to register at their neighborhood school for Kindergarten. Our district’s Early Childhood Education department supports Preschool and TK enrollment. Please contact them directly at (619) 425-9600 Ext.181725.
    • The Renewal Zone Transfer Form is independent of the “New Zone Transfer Form.”
    • Students who will be transitioning to Sweetwater Union High School District for seventh grade (middle school) do not need to notify CVESD about this, but will need to complete registration processes with that district via https://www.sweetwaterschools.org/.

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 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.

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.

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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, Feb. 3, 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. Our Allen PTC will also have their monthly Spirit Gear Booth with great items for sale!

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 February 23 at 6 pm and will be in person at Fahari Jeffers Elementary (1145 Camino Prado, 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!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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Allen Update (9 Jan. 2023)

Welcome back from Winter Break, Eagles! Tuesday, Jan. 10th is a minimum day with a 2 pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6.

Bus Loop Reminder

Over the Winter Break, the school was able to split the traffic next to our beautiful new mural on the west side of our campus. Please do not block the bus lane. All parent drop off and pick up should be in front of the 800 building and then exit the traffic loop on the left side of the bus lane.

Rainy Day Reminder

Please remember to pay attention to the weather forecast and dress your child appropriately for school each day. Allen Elementary has few indoor spaces in the event of inclement weather. Children eat meals and play outside most days, including rainy days.

Co-Ed Sports Team Reminders

Mrs. Farlow (a 3rd grade teacher) invites all 4th – 6th grade students to try out for the Allen School CoEd Basketball Team. Students on this team play games against other schools within Chula Vista Elementary School District. The only requirement to tryout is to complete the CVESD Release to Participate Waiver. The season runs from February 15 – May 25, 2023 with games and practices on Mondays,Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Tryouts are 1/23 (Monday) & 1/24 (Tuesday) after school from 3:20-4:30 pm. Students must attend both days of tryouts to be eligible for the team. Students should wear athletic attire and athletic shoes for try outs. Please contact Mrs. Farlow by email at melissa.farlow@cvesd.org with questions.

Ms. Millikin (a 5th grade teacher) invites all 4th – 6th  grade students to try out for the Allen School CoEd Basketball Team. Students on this team play games against other schools within Chula Vista Elementary School District. The only requirement to tryout is to complete the CVESD Release to Participate Waiver. The season runs from February 15 – May 25, 2023 with games & practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tryouts are 1/25 (Wednesday) & 1/26 (Thursday) after school from 3:20-4:30 pm. Students must attend both days of tryouts to be eligible for the team. Students should wear athletic attire and cleats (if possible) or athletic shoe at tryouts.  Please contact Ms. Millikin at erin.millikin@cvesd.org with questions.

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Sunday Update (8 Jan. 2023)

Hello Allen Families and Staff,

Happy New Year! We wish you a safe and healthy 2023!

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 winter 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:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s 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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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:

Now – Jan. 9: Winter Break

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – Classes resume with a minimum day (2 pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6)

Thursday, January 12, 2023

  • 4th grade students visits Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala
  • Family Focus Series: “12 Tips for Effective Parenting” at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Friday, January 13, 2023 – Family First Friday (free coffee for adults) and PTC Spirit Booth, 8 am to 9 am

Monday, January 16, 2023NO SCHOOL – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and optional Day of Service (off campus)

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 at 9 am in courtyard
  • Family Focus Series: “Hiding in Plain Sight: An Overview of Human Trafficking” at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

January 23 – 27, 2023: The Great Kindness Challenge at Allen Elementary

Monday, January 23, 2023 – Parent Meetings (in person in MPR and online)

  • ELAC at 3 pm
  • SSC at 3:30 pm
  • PTC at 6 pm
  • YMCA DASH/Junior Academy Cooking Class begins after school (and ends on Friday, 1/27)

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 – CVESD Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Thursday, January 26, 2023 – CVESD Black Learners Advisory Committee (B-LAC) at 6 pm at Hedenkamp Elementary

Monday, January 30, 2023 – Sees Candy Fundraiser begins

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) and PTC Spirit Booth

Tuesday, February, 7, 2023 – CVESD DAC/DELAC at 12 noon at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Monday, February 13, 2023 – Parent Meetings (in person in MPR and online)

  • ELAC at 3 pm
  • SSC at 3:30 pm
  • PTC at 6 pm

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 – 3rd grade students visit the San Diego Zoo

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 – 5th grade students visit the USS Midway Museum

Thursday, February 16, 2023

  • 3rd grade students visit the San Diego Children’s Museum
  • Kids Heart Challenge during the school day
  • Family Focus Series: “10 Things Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl” at 6 pm at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista

Friday, February 17, 2023NO SCHOOL – Presidents Day Weekend

Monday, February 20, 2023NO SCHOOL – Presidents Day Weekend

Thursday, February, 23, 2023 – Spring Photography Day and Bus Evacuation Drill at Allen

Friday, February 24, 2023 – PTC’s Out of this World Family Dance (5 – 7 pm) at Allen

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 – 4th grade students visit the Living Coast Discovery Center

Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – Women’s History Month begins

Friday, March 3, 2023 – Family First Friday from 8 am to 9 am (with free coffee for adults) and PTC Spirit Booth

March 6 – 10, 2023: Scholastic Spring Book Fair (BOGO)

March 9 – 16, 2023: Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences (dismissal at 2 pm for all students in grades TK-6)

Monday, March 13, 2023 – Parent Meetings (in person in MPR and online)

  • ELAC at 3 pm
  • SSC at 3:30 pm
  • PTC at 6 pm

Friday, March 17, 2023Green Spirit Day and dismiss for Spring Break

March 20 – 31, 2023: Spring Break – NO SCHOOL

Monday, April 3, 2023 – Classes resume (with a 2 pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6)

CVESD Science Adoption Materials Input

This week is your last chance to preview the materials up for consideration as 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”

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!

Q2 Awards Ceremonies Coming Soon!

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.

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.

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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. Our Allen PTC will also have their monthly Spirit Gear Booth with great items for sale!

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!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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Sunday Update (Winter Break 2022)

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).

Happy Holidays from your friends at Ella B. Allen Elementary School!

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:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s 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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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, 2023NO 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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

Comments Off on Sunday Update (Winter Break 2022)

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Sunday Update (11 Dec. 2022)

Hello Allen Families and Staff,

Happy last week of school before 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).

Happy Holidays from your friends at Ella B. Allen Elementary School!

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.

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 11th, 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:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s Common Courtesies

The Core Value for this upcoming week of school is Respect. The Common Courtesy for that week is I apologize for…

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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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. 12 – 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

Monday, January 16, 2023NO 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)

PTC Winter Family Movie Night

Join us in your pajamas or cozy winter clothes (onesies, winter flannel, etc…) for a Winter Family Movie Night at Allen Elementary this Tuesday, December 13th from 5:30 pm to 7 pm. Space is limited for this event and doors will open at 5:15 pm. Special treats will be available for sale to benefit both the PTC and our 6th grade end of the year activities. Families may wish to bring comfy blankets and pillows to sit on in the MPR. There is limited seating and space for adults so adults may wish to bring a warm jacket for adult time outside or a folding camp chair for the back of the MPR. The movie will be a family-friendly PG rated film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carey.

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.

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

This is the last week to vote for the Bonita Elementary Schools Preserve & Protect Bonita Art Contest!

Vote for your favorite art that embodies the “Preserve & Protect Bonita CA” theme. 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!

bit.ly/SVCA-BonitaArtContest

**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 next workshop is on December 13th at 6 pm and titled “Keeping Kids Safe Online.”

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: “Keeping Kids Safe Online”

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. Look for this new report card this Friday, December 16th!

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:

Scholastic Book Fair

The Book Fair is this week! The Book Fair is being hosted by our PTC and will be in the MPR from Dec. 12 – 16. While the book fair will be closed during all recess and lunch breaks, students will have opportunities during the school day and at the PTC Movie Night to shop. 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 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!

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

Register here

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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 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!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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Sunday Update (4 Dec. 2022)

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:

Sunday Update Video 12/4/2022

Please see our updated 2022-2023 Family Handbook here: Link to Family Handbook

A reminder of our school’s Core Values and Common Courtesies:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s 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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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!

bit.ly/SVCA-BonitaArtContest

**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

Register here

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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Allen Update (1 December 2022)

Allen Families and Staff,

Some friendly reminders…

Winter Art Night

Tonight is the PTC Family Winter Art Night at Allen in the MPR.  This event is free for all families who registered in advance online.  Please note that both sessions (session 1 is at 5 pm; session 2 is at 6:30 pm) are now full and there are NO extra spaces available.  If you have note secured a spot already, you will not be able to participate in the Family Art Night.

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!

Link to VOTE: bit.ly/SVCA-BonitaArtContest

**4 Vote Limitation Per IP Address

Family First Friday

All adults are invited to join our Family First Friday for free coffee and conversation in front of the school from 8 am to 9 am, tomorrow, Dec. 2nd.  The Nitro Monkey Coffee Cart returns tomorrow, along with our PTC Spirit Gear booth!

Questions?

Please contact the office at (619) 479-3662.

– The Allen School Team

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Sunday Update (Thanksgiving Break 2022)

Hello Allen Families and Staff,

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break! Classes resume on Monday, November 28, 2022 at 8:50 am and there is a regular dismissal at 3:10 pm for all students in grade TK through 6.

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 for Thanksgiving Break, 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:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s Common Courtesies

The Core Value for this upcoming week of school is Honesty. The Common Courtesy for that 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:

  • 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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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:

November 21 – 25, 2022 – Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, November 28, 2022 – 5th grade at Living Coast Discovery Center

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 – Kickball Game at Heritage at 4 pm

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

  • Family Focus Series – 6 pm

Thursday, December 1, 2022

  • PTC Family Art Night (Session 1) at 5 pm
  • PTC Family Art Night (Session 2) at 6:30 pm

Friday, December 2, 2022

  • Family First Friday 8 am to 9 am
  • Required 6th grade camp COVID testing on campus 11-3 pm

December 5 – 9, 2022 – Sixth Grade Camp

Dec. 12 – 16: Winter Spirit Week and Scholastic Book Fair

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – Family Winter Movie Night at 5:30 pm in MPR

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 – CVESD Board of Education meeting at 6 pm

Dec. 19 – Jan. 9: Winter Break

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – Classes resume with a minimum day (2pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6)

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.

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 coming weeks!

Family Focus Series

The Chula Vista Elementary School District is starting a new Family Focus Series for families to learn more about pressing topics such as bullying, social and emotional well-being, and more! Below, there is a flyer with information about the series and upcoming dates. Free childcare and dinner are provided for all attendees.

The first workshop is on November 30th at 6 pm and titled “Bullying Basics: What Families Need to Know.”

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: “Bullying Basics: What Families Need to Know”

PTC Family Winter Art Night

The Allen PTC creates activities and opportunities to fundraise and build community for our school. This year, the PTC is doing a Family Winter Art Night. This event is FREE and will have two 1 hour sessions. However, families will need to register online in advance to guarantee materials and a spot for each member of your family. All supplies will be provided free for those who register in advance to secure a spot.

Thursday, December 1, 2022 in the Allen MPR

  • Session 1: 5 pm to 6 pm
  • Session 2: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Click this link to register your family for this first-come, first-serve opportunity: http://allenfamilyartnight.eventbrite.com

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

Register here

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 RSV

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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, Dec. 2, 2022 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 December 12, 2022 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 December 12, 2022 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 December 12 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!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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Sunday Update (13 November 2022)

Hello Allen Families and Staff,

We invite all adults in the Allen Elementary School community to attend our parent meetings tomorrow. All meetings will be held both in person in the school’s MPR and online (links are available below at https://allenelementary.org/).

Be sure to check out our Q2 Calendar of Events below:

We wanted to acknowledge that American Indian Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States during the month of November!

American Indian/First Nations Heritage Month 2022

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 for the week of November 13th, at the YouTube link below:

Don’t forget that next week is Thanksgiving Break!

Please see our updated 2022-2023 Family Handbook here: Link to Family Handbook

A reminder of our school’s Core Values and Common Courtesies:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s Common Courtesies

The Core Value for this week of school is Caring. The Common Courtesy for that week 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!

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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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:

Allen celebrates its 75th year in 2022!

Monday, November 14, 2022 – Parent Meetings

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

  • DAC/DELAC meeting at 12 noon at 84 East J. Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910
  • Kickball Game at Allen (v. Hedenkamp) at 4 pm

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 – CVESD Budget Advisory Committee at 6 pm

Thursday, November 17, 2022

  • Folk Dancing with Barry and Gurule’s class at 9 am
  • Kindergarten Stone Soup at 1 pm
  • Kickball Game at Muraoka at 4 pm

November 21 – 25, 2022 – Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, November 28, 2022 – 5th grade at Living Coast Discovery Center

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 – Kickball Game at Heritage at 4 pm

Thursday, December 1, 2022

  • PTC Family Art Night (Session 1) at 5 pm
  • PTC Family Art Night (Session 2) at 6:30 pm

Friday, December 2, 2022 – Family First Friday 8 am to 9 am

December 5 – 9, 2022 – Sixth Grade Camp

Dec. 12 – 16: Winter Spirit Week and Scholastic Book Fair

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – Family Winter Movie Night at 5:30 pm in MPR

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 – CVESD Board of Education meeting at 6 pm

Dec. 19 – Jan. 9: Winter Break

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – Classes resume with a minimum day (2pm dismissal for all students in grades TK-6)

CVESD Canned Food Drive

The Chula Vista Elementary School District is sponsoring a district-wide food drive in collaboration with the Chula Vista Welfare Council from November 7-16. Our school will collect food either at the front office and/or in classrooms. 

The food collected will be boxed and provided to families in our community around the Chula Vista area. All food donations will be picked up on Nov. 16. It’s not mandatory for schools to participate in the food drive. 

Suggestions for donations:

Proteins: Peanut butter, meat (chicken, tuna, spam, chili w/meat), and bagged dried beans.

Healthy carbs: Mixed vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, soup, canned tomatoes, and green beans. 

Fruits: Any canned fruit.

Milk: Canned or powdered.

Sauces: Tomato, pasta, gravy, and broth.

Pasta/carbs: Bagged rice, pasta, mac and cheese, stuffing, rice mix, mashed potatoes, canned pasta, and peas.

Original Works – Last Call!

Our children love to paint and create! With Original Works, we turn these amazing works of art into high quality products such as cups, grocery bags, ceramic tiles, t-shirts, wall art, key chains, and pendants. Monday is the final day to submit an order for our Original Works fundraiser. These make unique holiday gifts! Please submit all order forms to the school office no later than Monday, Nov. 14th. Questions? Contact the school office at (619) 479-3662.

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

Register here

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.

Winter Holiday Card Competition

The Chula Vista Elementary School District’s winter holiday card competition is back! The competition is open to all students in CVESD. The first-place winner will have their artwork used as the district’s 2022 holiday card and will receive a $100 prize. Three district-wide winners will be chosen. Good luck to all students!

Ask your child’s teacher for more information on how to submit your child’s artwork!

RSV is on the rise!

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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, Dec. 2, 2022 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 November 14, 2022 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 November 14, 2022 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 November 14 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 November 17, 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.

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 November 17 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. November 16th 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 started the 2022-2023 school year on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 and will end the school year on Friday, June 2, 2023.

Key breaks include:

  • 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/or booster shots), and to test regularly. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is our number 1 concern!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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Sunday Update (6 November 2022)

Hello Allen Families and Staff,

Happy November!

Did you forget to turn your clocks back one hour before you went to bed on Saturday night?

Daylight saving time ends 6 november 2022. Clock change back one hour.

Don’t forget that there is no school on Friday, Nov. 11th due to the Veterans Day holiday.

Be sure to check out our Q2 Calendar of Events below:

We wanted to acknowledge that American Indian Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States during the month of November!

American Indian/First Nations Heritage Month 2022

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 for the week of November 6th, 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:

Allen’s Core Values
Allen’s Common Courtesies

The Core Value for this 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:

Students can solve conflicts by using their words.

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:

Allen celebrates its 75th year in 2022!

Monday, November 7, 2022 – 4th grade swim lessons begin

Tuesday, November 8, 2022 – Election Day (polls open 7 am to 8 pm)

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

  • Kickball Game at Casillas at 4 pm
  • CVESD Board of Education meeting at 6 pm

Thursday, November 10, 2022

  • Campus Clinic Care Cart Team on campus
  • Kickball Game at Allen (v. Rogers) at 4 pm
  • Positive Solutions to Challenging Behaviors at 5 pm online (see below for more details)

Friday, November 11, 2022NO SCHOOL (Veteran’s Day Holiday)

Monday, November 14, 2022 – Parent Meetings

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 – Kickball Game at Allen (v. Hedenkamp) at 4 pm

Thursday, November 17, 2022 – Kickball Game at Muraoka at 4 pm

Monday, November 21 – 25, 2022 – Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, November 28, 2022 – 5th grade at Living Coast Discovery Center

Tuesday, November 29, 2022 – Kickball Game at Heritage at 4 pm

Thursday, December 1, 2022 – PTC Family Art Night [details coming soon]

Friday, December 2, 2022 – Family First Friday 8 am to 9 am

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.

Online Parent Workshop This Thursday

Our district’s Early Childhood Education department is hosting an online parent workshop on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 5 pm.

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:

Winter Holiday Card Contest

The Chula Vista Elementary School District’s winter holiday card competition is back! The competition is open to all students in CVESD. The first-place winner will have their artwork used as the district’s 2022 holiday card and will receive a $100 prize. Three district-wide winners will be chosen. Good luck to all students!

Ask your child’s teacher for more information on how to submit your child’s artwork!

Know the Signs of RSV

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.

  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
  3. 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, Dec. 2, 2022 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 November 14, 2022 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 November 14, 2022 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 November 14 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, November 9 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 November 17, 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.

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 November 17 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. November 16th 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 started the 2022-2023 school year on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 and will end the school year on Friday, June 2, 2023.

Key breaks include:

  • 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/or booster shots), and to test regularly. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is our number 1 concern!

🦅  Allen Eagles: Together, we SOAR!

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