Board Strengthens COVID-19 Masking Guidance, Safety Protocols

***Starting Monday, August 30, ALL Parents will be required to wear masks on school grounds when picking up and dropping off students. This means Adults must wear masks while waiting out by the flag pole and coming upfront stairs at McMillin. 

Changes to the “Injury and Illness Prevention Program, the COVID-19 Prevention Plan, and District Guidance to Staff, Students, Parents/Guardians, and community regarding COVID-19 were approved by the Board of Education. Below are the changes that were approved and take effect on Monday, August 30:

• The Chula Vista Elementary School District will mandate properly positioned and correctly fitted masks to be worn at all campuses, including District offices, at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Adults may only remove masks when actively eating or drinking. Masks must be worn if anyone is around, students or staff, vaccinated or not. This includes parents/guardians who may be walking their students onto campus. Another example of the policy’s intent might be when staff are in the break room–they need to be masked unless actively eating or drinking. Students may remove their masks only to play at recess and to eat, both of which should happen outdoors, weather permitting. Masks are required in hallways while traveling to and from the playground and lunch area.
• The Chula Vista Elementary School District will form a District-level Safety Committee, with representation from certificated, classified, and non-represented employees, as well as parents, to advise on the creation and implementation of COVID-19 safety measures, and to oversee site-level committees. All school sites will create a Site Safety Committee, with representation from certificated, classified, and non-represented employees, as well as parents, to address site-specific safety concerns and help implement District safety measures.
• The Chula Vista Elementary School District will publish a weekly COVID-19 update with simple, bulleted information, including current District case numbers (including the last reporting date for those numbers) as well as any changes made in COVID-19 guidelines that week. It will be sent directly to stakeholders including, but not limited to, staff and parents/guardians via email and School Messenger and published on the District website in an easily accessible location.

La Mesa Directiva fortalece la Pauta COVID 19 de cubre boca, protocolos de seguridad Los cambios al “Programa de Prevención de Lesiones y Enfermedades”, el Plan de Prevención COVID-19, y la Pauta del Distrito para el Personal, Estudiantes, Padres y Tutores y la comunidad con respecto a COVID-19 fueron aprobados por la Mesa Directiva de Educación. A continuación, se presentan los cambios que se aprobaron y entran en vigencia el lunes, 30 de agosto: El Distrito de Escuelas Primarias de Chula Vista exigirá se use cubre boca colocado y ajustado correctamente en todo momento, en todos los planteles, incluidas las Oficinas del Distrito independientemente del estado de vacunación. Los adultos solo pueden quitarse el cubre boca al comer y beber. Se debe de usar cubre boca si alguien está alrededor, estudiantes o personal, vacunados o no. Esto incluye a padres y tutores que puedan estar llevando a sus estudiantes dentro de la escuela. Otro ejemplo de la intención de esta política podría ser cuando el personal está en la sala de descanso: deben usar el cubre boca a menos que estén comiendo o bebiendo. Los estudiantes pueden quitarse el cubre boca solo para jugar en el recreo y comer, lo cual debe suceder al aire libre, si el clima lo permite. Se requiere cubre boca en los pasillos mientras se viaja hacia y desde el patio de recreo y el área de almuerzo. El Distrito de Escuelas Primarias de Chula Vista formará un Comité de Seguridad a nivel Distrito, con representación de personal certificado, clasificado y empleados no representados, así como padres de familia, para asesorar sobre la creación e implementación de medidas de seguridad COVID -19, y para supervisar a los comités de las escuelas. Todas las escuelas crearan un Comité de Seguridad Escolar, con representación de personal certificado, clasificado y empleados no representados, así como padres de familia, para abordar inquietudes de seguridad específicas del plantel y ayudar a implementar las medidas de seguridad del Distrito. El Distrito de Escuelas Primarias de Chula Vista publicará una actualización semanal de COVID-19 con información simple y viñetas, incluidos los números de casos actuales del Distrito (incluida la última fecha de notificación de esos números), así como cualquier cambio realizado en las pautas de COVID-19 esa semana. Se enviará directamente a las partes interesadas, incluidos, entre otros el personal y los padres y tutores por correo electrónico y SchoolMessenger y se publicará en la página web del Distrito en un lugar de fácil acceso.

 

New Traffic Pattern for Pickup starting Monday, August 30th at 2:30.

All students in grades 1st – 6th that are picked up in front of the school will now be picked up on the blacktop. Please see the new traffic pattern. This will hopefully get more cars off of Santa Cora. It has been such a problem for our community and our parents. Please follow the new traffic pattern.

Only SDC students will be picked up in front of the school unless other arrangements have been made.

The gate on the north side of campus will open at 2:30 p. This is not the back walking gate. That gate will open at 2:45.. Parents are not allowed out of cars.  Students will only be picked up in the “pick-up area” located on the map. This is not for walk-in traffic. Gate for walk-in parent pickup will continue at 2:45 pm and 2:30 for Kinder parents.

Starting Monday, teachers will bring students to the blacktop drop-off area if they are being picked up by car.

The pickup area in front of the school will be closed STARTING MONDAY. All parents pick up will need to loop around to the blacktop area.

• Tuesday, 8/24 – 12:00-2:00 DAC/DELAC Meeting (Virtual)
• Wednesday, 8/25 – 5:00 PM – CVESD Special Board Meeting – cvesd.org
• Thursday, 8/26 – 6:00 CVESD B-LAC Meeting CVESD BLAC Meeting August and October 2021 (1)
• Monday, 9/6 – Labor Day NO SCHOOL
• Sept. 9th -17th – Parent-teacher conferences
• Sept. 20th-October 4th – Fall Break * Students’ 1st day back is Tuesday, October 5th.

---

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held September 9^th – 17^th and the K-6 students will be on a minimum day schedule. Teachers will be reaching out soon to schedule a conference with each one of our families.  At this time, conferences will be virtual.  If you have any specific questions, please let us know.

---

Would you like to Volunteer in the parking lot?

Our safety patrol is working hard to keep our McMillin Beagles safe, and traffic flow. Adult volunteers would be helpful. Please email cynthia.orr@cvesd.org if you would like to help. Here are some safety reminders:

• The parking lot is only for Kinder, SDC, and TK parents. You must have a pass to park in the lot. **We will be monitoring this lot.
• Please pull all the way forward into the open space in the drop-off area.
• NO dogs allowed during arrival and dismissal.
• Please do not park in the staff parking lot.
• Students must walk bikes on the sidewalk.
• The drop off window is between 7:45-8:15 AM
• Your child will be considered tardy if they are not on campus by 8:15 AM.
• Please plan accordingly and arrive a few minutes earlier to avoid traffic.
• For everyone’s safety BE PATIENT, KIND, and CONSIDERATE.

---

LCFF Surveys – Sent Digitally 

This past week, you should have received an email from CVESD Child Nutrition Services about a survey for our families to fill out regarding household income. This survey is in lieu of the Free and Reduced Lunch Forms that were sent out in previous years. We sent the same survey a few weeks ago on paper.  If you did not return the survey, please take a few moments to fill out the digital link.  This information is tied to potential additional funding for our school, so it is very important that as many of our families participate as possible.  If you have any questions, please reach out and we will be able to answer them. Please call (619) 397-0103 or email our school secretary at Moraima.Silahua@cvesd.org

---

COVID Testing in Chula Vista

As you may know, our District offers a robust COVID-19 testing program as a service to our students and staff. In response to on-going demands, we are adjusting hours on Fridays. New Friday hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointments are necessary. Walk-ins are welcome UNTIL daily capacity is reached; we stop accepting walk-ups at 3:40 p.m. Please arrive by 3:30 p.m. The District Office (Education Services and Support Center) is located at 84 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Please remember this service is for students and staff only. (Monday – Thursday 8 am – 4:00 pm).

When in need of COVID-19 testing for the whole family, we highly recommend checking first at a free County facility, or your medical provider (Kaiser, Sharp, etc.). Free testing is available at several locations across San Diego County. Click here to view a complete listing of no-cost testing options.

What type of test do I need???

CLICK HERE for information regarding what type of COVID test you are your child may need

---

We want to share a few important reminders:

You may have many questions regarding current school procedures. Please view the CVESD Safe Return to School Parent Playbook  & CVESD Safe Return to school Parent Playbook-SPANISH for current COVID-19 Safety Information. There is also more information on the safe reopening of schools on the CVESD website.

• Please do not send your child to school if they have symptoms.
• Do not send your child to school if they live with someone who is positive for COVID.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Orr

PTA

Are you Interested in joining our AMAZING McMillin’s PTA board? We are in need of a PTA President for our 2021-22 school year. We have all our board members except a president. We cannot yet hold meetings, plan activities, fundraise, or sell spirit gear until we have a president in place.

If you are interested in please email me at cynthia.orr@cvesd.org

---

McMillin School Site Council

Congratulations to our new parent representatives for McMillin’s School Site Council: Renee Ellar Hendrix and Gabby Smith.

Our first meeting this year will be on August 18th from 3:00-4:00. The meeting will be virtual and the public is welcome. The link will be posted on Blog next week.

---

Important Dates:

August 11: CVESD Board of Education Meeting at 6 pm (www.cvesd.org)

August 18: School Picture Day

August 18: McMillin School Site Council Meeting @3:00

August. 24: DAC/DELAC @ 12p

Sept. 6: Labor Day Holiday

September 9th – 17th: Parent-teacher conferences are minimum Days

September 20th – October 4th: Fall Break –  *Students return October 5th.

We have had a great opening. Students are very happy and learning. We are so excited to have such a great start.

---

Traffic

Traffic is a huge problem at the end of the day as you may have noticed. I have hired supervision for students from 2:45-3:15 Monday through Thursday and 1:15-1:45 on Fridays/minimum days. Please consider picking your child up at 3:00 M-TH or 1:30 on Fridays. We have benches for students to sit and relax before you come. There is magically no traffic at this time. No waiting, no lines means more smiling faces.

Also, if you can please walk instead of drive to pick up your child. This would help tremendously. McMillin community was built as a walking community. The fact that there is only one way in and one way out in front of the school causes many problems if everyone comes at one time to pick up students.

We have in the past meet with the police, the city, homeowners association, and district to help solve this problem. They all left with no answers.

We are looking again to get some help. Would you like to volunteer to help with traffic or be a part of a committee to help with this continued problem? Please email me at cynthia.orr@cvesd.org if you are interested. In the meantime, if you can walk or come to pick up your child after 3:00 or 1:30.

Our Student Safty Patrol will be out in a couple of weeks, but before then please do not block crosswalks.

---

Reminders

Pets: Please do not walk dogs on campus. Dogs are not allowed even up the stairs at the school. Dogs are allowed on the city sidewalk but not once you walk onto the school campus.

Lunches: If you need to drop off your child’s lunch after school starts, we will try to deliver it before lunch. Please communicate to your child to come to the office to pick up the lunch during their lunchtime if it has not been delivered. Parents will not be allowed on campus during the school day to deliver items to your child. We will do the best we can to get the items to your child in a timely manner.

---

School Picture Day

School Picture Day is August 18th

Makeup Picture day is August 26

---

FREE COVID TESTING

Chula Vista Elementary School District is offering free testing at the Education Services and Support Center at 84 East J Street, Chula Vista 91910:

• Monday – Thursday 8:00AM – 4:00PM
• Friday 8:00AM – 3:00 PM

To find another testing location near you, please visit:  Testing (sandiegocounty.gov)  OR  https://bit.ly/SDCOUNTYC19TEST

El Distrito de Escuelas Primarias de Chula Vista está ofreciendo pruebas gratuitas en las Oficinas Centrales, 84 East J Street Chula Vista CA 91910:

• Lunes a jueves 8:00 AM a 4:00 PM
• Viernes 8:00 AM a 3:00 PM

Para encontrar otro centro de pruebas cerca de usted visite: Testing (sandiegocounty.gov)  OR  https://bit.ly/SDCOUNTYC19TEST

NOTE:  CHULA VISTA COUNTY TESTING LOCATION (however, always refer them to the county link above, as this could change at any time, without notification. )

The Former Boys and Girls Club, 1301 Oleander Ave, 91911, Tuesday – Sunday, 7 AM – 7PM

---

Visual Arts and Performing Arts

VAPA will start this week. Students will be going to Art class and PE classes. We are still looking for a Music teacher. 

---

McMillin School Site Council Ballot 

---

Important Dates:

August 18: School Picture Day

September 9th – 17th: Parent-teacher conferences are minimum Days

September 20th – October 4th: Fall Break –  *Students return October 5th.