School Resumes for Students Monday, April 13, 2020 via DISTANCE LEARNING

Distance Learning Parent Letter

Happy Birthday to our Quarter 3 (January, February, March) Birthday Book Club Members – Reagan Polnaszek and Titus Aquino! Hope you had a wonderful birthday.

Quarter 3 Award Recipients will receive their Award Certificates in the mail since the Awards Assembly was canceled. Also, beginning Monday, April 13 Award Recipients will be announced on a daily Blog and Phone Message as follows: Kinder – 4/13; 1st Grade – 4/14; 2nd Grade – 4/15; 3rd Grade – 4/16; 4th Grade – 4/17; 5th Grade – 4/20; 6th Grade – 4/21.

LAST CALL: Yearbook deadline has been extended to April 13. https://commpe.pictavo.com/.  Yearbooks will be distributed 1st week in June.

Check out the Sanford Harmony social and emotional well-being toolkit for parents.

The District will resume meal distribution at nine school sites for much of the week following Spring Break: Tuesday, April 7 – Friday, April 10. Meal bags will contain breakfast and lunch servings. District and school staff will start distributing the meal bags at 10:00 a.m., and will stop once all bags are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Meals are intended for our neediest children between the ages of 1 to 18. Please click here for a list of schools where meals will be distributed.

Monday, April 13 – 3:00 pm SSC Mtg. via Zoom

Tuesday, April 14 – 6:00 pm PTA Executive Board Mtg. via Zoom

Friday, April 17 – 3:00 pm Reclassification Ceremony “Online”

CENSUS INFO: Important for School Funding and Due by April 30.
When you receive your letter in the mail from the Census Bureau, it will include your Census ID number which is most likely linked to your address. If you are unable to complete your 2020 Census questionnaire online, they will send you a paper questionnaire in a few weeks for you to complete and mail back. In addition, if you need help completing your 2020 Census questionnaire, you can call the toll-free number 1-844-330-2020.

San Diego Resources for Food and Other Services.

Good Evening Camarena Families and Friends,

We are embarking on a new challenge.  We will get through this together.  Below is a message and information from the Superintendent.  Please note that teachers are doing grade level planning as well as meeting with me, virtually.  They will be communicating with you and helping you to get prepared for distance learning that officially begins April 13.  Stay tuned for further information from me and your child’s teacher.  Please be sure to click on the our newsletter link below for a video from Dr. Escobedo as well as detailed information and links.

Campuses Closed for Remainder of School Year, Student Academic Progress to Continue Via Distance Learning

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As our scheduled Spring Break comes to an end, I want to inform you that Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) facilities and campuses will remained closed for the remainder of the school year unless health officials determine it is safe to reopen. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Governor have each recommended closing school facilities for the remainder of the school year out of concerns and needs for ongoing social distancing. This means that classes will not resume for CVESD students on April 6 in the traditional sense. Instead, our District will embark on a Distance Learning initiative. The first week back from Spring Break will be reserved for teacher planning, preparation, and professional development. Distance learning will commence, to the extent possible, on April 13.

Our instructional team has worked diligently with our teacher leaders and peers from across San Diego County to rapidly develop plans to support students’ academic progress while at home. I ask for your patience and flexibility as we all adapt to new ways of teaching and learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. Our goal now is to ensure a continuity of education to the greatest extent possible, given current conditions. I know this is a difficult period for many.

Please be reassured that the safety of students and staff remains our highest priority. It is important to continue to comply with the Governor’s “Shelter in Place” directive. Our duty as a school district during this period is to carry out the following essential services:Meal preparation and distribution to students.

Good Evening Camarena Families and Friends,

We are embarking on a new challenge.  We will get through this together.  Below is a message and information from the Superintendent.  Please note that teachers are doing grade level planning as well as meeting with me, virtually.  They will be communicating with you and helping you to get prepared for distance learning that officially begins April 13.  Stay tuned for further information from me and your child’s teacher.  Please be sure to click on the our newsletter link below for a video from Dr. Escobedo as well as detailed information and links.

Campuses Closed for Remainder of School Year, Student Academic Progress to Continue Via Distance Learning

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As our scheduled Spring Break comes to an end, I want to inform you that Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) facilities and campuses will remained closed for the remainder of the school year unless health officials determine it is safe to reopen. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Governor have each recommended closing school facilities for the remainder of the school year out of concerns and needs for ongoing social distancing. This means that classes will not resume for CVESD students on April 6 in the traditional sense. Instead, our District will embark on a Distance Learning initiative. The first week back from Spring Break will be reserved for teacher planning, preparation, and professional development. Distance learning will commence, to the extent possible, on April 13.

Our instructional team has worked diligently with our teacher leaders and peers from across San Diego County to rapidly develop plans to support students’ academic progress while at home. I ask for your patience and flexibility as we all adapt to new ways of teaching and learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. Our goal now is to ensure a continuity of education to the greatest extent possible, given current conditions. I know this is a difficult period for many.

Please be reassured that the safety of students and staff remains our highest priority. It is important to continue to comply with the Governor’s “Shelter in Place” directive. Our duty as a school district during this period is to carry out the following essential services: Meal preparation and distribution to students and keeping the continuity of learning moving forward.

Our journey will not always be smooth or easy. I look forward to the day when we can meet again in person. Until then, please stay healthy and well. Go through our newsletter in  detail, and  keep informed about our plans for Distance Learning.

Sincerely,
Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Related

Related

Coming Soon! Information on what school will look like after spring break. Stay tuned. Learn more about Distance Learning as we work on our districtwide plan for our schools.

The Camarena Teachers have been using a special program called Sanford Harmony to support our students social and emotional well-being. Due to recent events, Sanford Harmony now has a parent toolkit with great activities you can do at home.

CENSUS INFO: Important for School Funding and Due by April 30.
When you receive your letter in the mail from the Census Bureau, it will include your Census ID number which is most likely linked to your address. If you are unable to complete your 2020 Census questionnaire online, they will send you a paper questionnaire in a few weeks for you to complete and mail back. In addition, if you need help completing your 2020 Census questionnaire, you can call the toll-free number 1-844-330-2020.

San Diego Resources for Food and Other Services.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

As you may have heard, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide “shelter-in-place.” This latest directive aligns closely with actions taken earlier this week by our San Diego County officials, which means we will continue limiting gatherings to no more than 10 individuals and enforcing social distancing. 

In a unified effort to protect the health of students, staff and school communities, the Chula Vista Elementary School District and other school districts countywide, in collaboration with the County Department of Public Health, made the collective decision to remain closed indefinitely. We will send you weekly updates while our schools are closed until further notice. We are taking a proactive and aggressive approach to maintain the health, safety and well-being of our schools and communities.

The Governor’s order does not change or impact the role of CVESD, which is considered essential, nor our duty to carry out the following essential services:

• Meals being prepared and distributed to students.
• Any function associated with keeping the continuity of learning moving forward.

As we all adjust to the ongoing reality of school closures, I want to provide a message of encouragement and support to you, our families. CVESD is comprised of staff, parents, students, and our community partners. Together each of us is being asked to do our part. These are truly unprecedented times and ones that can be challenging for our children to understand. I appreciate the difficult task that families face in keeping their loved ones healthy, safe and informed.

CVESD will be providing “Grab & Go” Boxed Meals (more than 1) during Spring Break on Tuesday, March 24 and Tuesday, March 31 ONLY. The Boxed Meals distribution will take place at nine school sites across the region. Students who are receiving the meals must be physically present. The hours are: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon) each day.

The locations are:

• Casillas Elementary School
• 1130 East J St
• Chula Vista, CA 91910
• Harborside Elementary School
• 681 Naples Street
• Chula Vista, CA   91911
• Juarez-Lincoln Elementary School
• 849 Twining Avenue
• San Diego, CA   92154
• Loma Verde Elementary School
• 1450 Loma Lane
• Chula Vista, CA    91911
• Muraoka Elementary School
• 1644 Santa Alexia Ave
• Chula Vista, CA 91913
• Rice Elementary School
• 915 Fourth AV
• Chula Vista, CA   91911
• Salt Creek Elementary School
• 1055 Hunte Parkway
• Chula Vista, CA   91914
• Sunnyside Elementary School
• 5430 San Miguel Road
• Bonita, CA  91902
• Vista Square Elementary School
• 540 G Street
• Chula Vista, CA   91910

For additional Food Resources, please review the options listed below.

Both the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego are operating as usual. By calling 211, clients can provide their address and be directed to the closest food distribution in their area.

The San Diego Food Bank website will direct to their distribution sites as contained on the 211 website (https://my211.force.com/s/service-directory?code=BD).

The San Diego Food Bank is in need of volunteers. Feeding San Diego distributions can be found on the ‘Need Help’ tab (https://feedingsandiego.org/need-help/food-distributions). Non-regular volunteer shifts have been canceled.

CalFresh (SNAP)

The CalFresh program and local CalFresh application assistance continue to operate as normal. Benefits will be received by enrollees as normal. Feeding San Diego continues to offer application assistance, however, all appointments will be conducted via telephone or Zoom conference. Feeding San Diego will not host any in-person visits or workshops.

San Diego Hunger Coalition

The coalition is putting together a COVID-19 food assistance-specific webpage, where visitors can get updated information on food distribution sites, CalFresh updates, CalWORKS updates, and WIC. They will also have opportunities for advocacy regarding emergency food funds from the State and Federal levels.

During these uncertain times, it is important that we remain calm, follow the advice of trusted sources, and remember that we will get through this together.

Sincerely,

Debra McLaren, Ed.D. – Principal

The Listening Walk (Music)

Audio Read Alouds in Spanish

Lunch Doodles with Author/Illustrator Mo Willems

20 Virtual Fieldtrips

60+ websites for teaching and learning math

Art Resources

30 Great Educational Netflix Shows

Free Educational Websites

More Virtual Field trips

20 Screen Free Activities to do indoors

Coronavirus Explained for kids

3 weeks of Maker Space Challenges

Comic Book Activities-Create your won comics/finish this comic

Free Science lessons for remote learning

Disney Paper Craft

March 16-20 our school will provide FREE Grab & Go Breakfast (8:00 am – 8:30 am) and Lunch (11:00 am -12:00 pm) to children ages 1-18. Grab & Go meals will be available to pick up in the auditorium only during the allocated times (not both at once)! Children must be present to receive meals.

While at home please consider having your child READ each day. You child can read books on or off line, listen to books on Podcasts or Alexa, read recipes, read directions to a board game or you can read a popular series like Harry Potter to your child a little at a time. A great way to practice writing is to keep a journal or write letters to family and friends. Board games, card games, and following recipes are great ways to practice math skills. Students still have at-home access to the computer programs they use at school. For Achieve3000 (2nd-6th) and Imagine Learning (some English Learners) go to the CVESD students page.

The school office is closed to the public this week. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have via email at debra.mclaren@cvesd.org.  Sign up to follow the blog by entering your email address in the Address Bar above the “Subscribe” text box to the bottom right of the blog home page. You will get information each time the blog is updated.

CVESD has posted some helpful information about the district’s response and about staying safe during the pandemic on the district website.

Updates about school closures will also be sent out via the CVESD messaging system, so please ensure we have your correct phone number and email on file. Let us know if there are any family members or care providers you would like added to our distribution list.  Text YES to 67587 to receive all CVESD and Finney info via text message.

Camarena Families and Friends,

Here is the latest information regarding our response as a district to the COVID-19 events that have been unfolding.

• Schools will be closed March 16 – 20 and are expected to reopen April 6.
• YMCA and ALL After School Programs will be cancelled through April 6.
• All before/after school events and scheduled through April 30 are cancelled.
• Breakfast (8:00 – 8:30) and Lunch (11:00 am – 12:00 pm) sacks will be available for pick up only in our school cafeteria for students who received FREE or Reduced breakfast and/or lunch.
• If you travel to high risk countries or states over the break, notify the school office before bringing your child to school April 6.
• The school office will be closed until April 6.

Please see the notice below that was sent to all schools from our superintendent.

Dear CVESD Community,

As you know, current events involving COVID-19 are developing rapidly in our country and our region. In consultation with County Public Health and superintendents from school districts across San Diego County, all public schools will close beginning Monday, March 16, 2020. In the South County, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, National School District, San Ysidro School District, South Bay Union School District and Sweetwater Union High School District will each close schools through Friday, April 3, 2020. At this time, classes are scheduled to resume April 6, 2020.

Students should stay home and minimize social contact as much as possible to keep their adult family members safe. South County districts are exploring with our cities and County of San Diego, and community organizations what it can do to support students and families while schools are closed during the week before Spring Break, as well as the break.

This decision was made with the best interests of students and staff in mind. Instead of doing reactive, school by school closures, we’re going to focus the next three weeks on how we can provide essential support for our community in this new reality. It is likely we will be seeing many more cases of COVID-19 in the coming weeks and months and this will require a measured, sustained response.

Our staff will be working part of this time, and using the time to prepare and train on how to educate and support community health during this epidemic.

We are considering what, if any, childcare options we can extend to families over the next two weeks during this unplanned closure. We will be sharing detailed information about how families can support student learning during school closures, especially if they are for extended periods. We’ll be sharing more details as soon as possible about what we can make available.

Look for a formal announcement from area school districts later in the day.

For now, take comfort in that we will all do our part to limit spread and transmission of COVID-19 in our respective communities.

Sincerely,
Francisco Escobedo Ed.D.

School Closure English Notice

School Closure Spanish Notice

Congratulations to the following Camarena Staff:

• Maria Ponce, School Secretary is our Classified Employee of the Year!
• Robyn Elsmore 5th grade teacher has been selected as one of three Chula Vista Elementary School Teachers of the Year and will advance to the San Diego County Office of Education Competition!
• Kariann Greenlee 6th Grade Teacher is our Sanford Harmony Inspire Teacher of the Year!

Wednesday, March 11 6:00 pm If you are interested in learning about our Dual Language Immersion Program please attend the Dual Immersion Parent Info Meeting at 6:00 pm in the school auditorium.

Thursday, March 12 – Thursday, March 19 MINIMUM DAYS – Parent/Teacher Conferences. Students in Kindergarten will be dismissed each day at 1:00 pm and all other students will be released at 1:15 pm. Please make sure to notify daycare providers or family/friends who are picking your child/children up on these early days.

Friday, March 13 6:00 pm – VAPA Showcase. The Visual and Performing Arts teachers will be showcasing the arts education that they are providing for our students. Click VAPA Showcase for more information.

Health Reminders as we continue to monitor and provide districtwide updates on the COVID-19 disease. Remind your child to wash their hands when using the bathroom and before eating snack and/or lunch. Students should NOT SHARE food. If your child is sick, keep him/her home. Please note that our school is taking extra precautions in keeping the campus cleaned.

GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK through THOUGHT EXCHANGE. Please take a few minutes to respond to open-ended questions about what we’re doing well and where we can improve. The Chula Vista Elementary School District will use your input to inform our academic priorities in support of student achievement. The Thought Exchange link will be open through March 20. Opt In to receive info via text send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school code 67587.

English  https://my.thoughtexchange.com/?lang=en#p993085497 Spanish  https://my.thoughtexchange.com/?lang=es#p993085497

In order to have an effective response for significant events, it is important for us to be prepared. Though we have regular drills for students and staff, we need the support of our parents, guardians and families in the following ways: 

• Ensure that you and family members who want to be notified are registered to receive text messages on your cell phone through our emergency notification system. To opt in, please text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587.
• Check and update the emergency card information in the school’s front office any time you or one of the contacts change information.
• If you or any of the emergency contacts are ever asked to pick up a child at the school during an emergency or a medical event, please remember to bring your identification card. We are unable to release children to any person who does not have proper ID. We are only allowed to release children to those individuals listed on the emergency card, no exceptions.
• In any emergency, please remember that we want to keep phone lines open so our first responders such as fire, law enforcement and emergency medical personnel can use the phone lines to get life-saving resources to the scene(s). Therefore, the BEST form of communication between family members and friends during an emergency is texting.
• If an incident happens at your child’s school, please know that our staff will first handle the emergency, ensure life safety, and then communicate with you. It is critical to take life-saving measures before texting about it.
• If an incident happens at your child’ school, follow the instructions of law enforcement and school administrators.

Parents can now access their student score reports for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and English Learner Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). Go to http://www.cvesd.org, Parents tab, My Child’s School, Home Access Center or click Register. Parent information for students taking the California Spanish Assessment (CSA) click here.

Our 6th Grade student collaborative Art Work will be displayed at the Cabrillo National Park Exhibit on April 1 – May 30.

Otay Water District Poster Contest –  A first and second winner will be awarded from each category. Each of the six chosen participants will win a certificate with their name on it, $50-$75 gift card, art kit, and goodie bag.

Family Resource Center Activities

After School Basketball

Chess Club begins on Thursday, March 5

Filipino Language Classes

Soccer Schedule

Team Dance begins Session 5 begins Friday, March 6

• March 16 – 19 Scholastics Bookfair (Hours: 7:30 am – 8:00 am, 8:30 am – 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm)
• Thursday, March 19 Awards Assembly – 8:30 am Grades 4-6
• Friday, March 20 Awards Assembly – Grades 4-6 8:30 am; Grades 2-3 9:15 am
• March 23 – April 3 NO SCHOOL – SPRING BREAK

Students with PERFECT Attendance January 14 through May 4 will receive one free ticket to the San Diego County Fair!

Camarena Spirit Wear is available for purchase! Order Here.

Garden Cleanup Project – If you would like to support our school garden click the link for more information.  Thank you to everyone who has come out to help so far.

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS AND  PROGRAMS

• Soccer Shots Registration Form
• Camarena Basketball Team Schedule
• Team Dance
• Heartlight Afterschool Dance
• LYFE is a new afterschool care Program – K-6.
• After School Homework Club
• Chess Club

School Hours and Daily Schedule 2019-2020
Camarena Calendar of Events 2019-2020
District Year Round Calendar 2019-2020 District Year Round Calendar 2020-2021

Text Messenging is available to receive our weekly school information!  Send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school code 67587.

Campus Safety Update

This morning our school was notified by law enforcement to go to a Secure Campus status. The following are brief definitions of the types of safety protocols we follow and have been trained for:

SHELTER IN PLACE. This protocol is used when environmental conditions necessitate occupants to get inside or remain indoors. This may occur when there are nearby wildfires and/or hazardous materials released in the atmosphere.

SECURE CAMPUS is implemented as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staffs when there is danger in the surrounding community. Classroom instruction and/or activity may continue as long as all classroom and office doors are locked and all students and staff remain inside through the duration of the event. This is considered a low level threat.

LOCKDOWN means imminent danger is on or approaching campus. Lockdown is initiated to isolate students and school staff from danger when movement withing the school and within rooms on the campus will put students and staff in jeopardy. It may also require employees to initiate Options Based Response Actions (Run, Hide, Fight; Escape, Barricade, Defend; etc.) Lockdown is used to prevent intruders from entering occupied areas of the buildings. This is considered a high level threat.

Please know that we make every effort to notify parents when we can. We receive direction from law enforcement who may or may not provide us with the specifics of what is happening in real time. Law enforcement officials and school personnel have as our first priority the safety of everyone. To support our efforts we need to have all staff and our communication lines as available as possible to ensure everyone’s safety. When we have been directed by law enforcement that everything is clear we will notify our families as soon as we get that information.

Please contact the school office and leave your name and contact information if you would like to serve on our Safety Committee.

Your feedback is always welcomed.

Dr. McLaren – Principal