Gratefulness and Hope This Holiday Season

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff Members:

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude this holiday season to all of our students, parents, and staff members for incredible work during this most extraordinary of years. The District has continued to provide targeted support for small stable cohorts of students to ensure our most vulnerable populations can access distance learning with the assistance of partners such as the YMCA. We have more than 1,000 students participating in the Distance Learning Support Program and the Special Education Support Program on school campuses. I have heard from so many parents who expressed gratitude for these programs! The real “thank you” goes to all the staff members who made this possible. This includes the 96 instructional aides who have worked on-site with our special needs population. This includes the YMCA staff for ensuring general education students from our families in need can access distance learning support. And I want to publicly thank and appreciate our Facilities and Child Nutrition Services staff for ensuring our campuses are cleaned and sanitized and our students are fed, respectively.

Let me reassure you that District staff, from principals to classroom teachers to facilities workers, gardeners, transportation, and front office personnel—are all working together to ensure that teaching and learning can resume safely in person once COVID-19 rates improve. Our District has been busily preparing for in-person instruction in a “hybrid” instructional format—meaning a limited number of students return to school in cohorts that alternate with other students who are participating in distance learning. Parents will have the option to keep their child(ren) in distance learning for the remainder of 2020-21 school year. Click here to learn more about our campus preparations.

Until then, we need every resident in Chula Vista to help ensure the Four Pillars are followed: Physical Distancing, Hygiene and Disinfecting, Health Screening and Monitoring, and use of Personal Protective Equipment—wear a mask, please. There is also a fifth element to our safety efforts. We call it CVESD Safe! and it consists of our testing and tracing program to detect and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. For this holiday season, my fondest hope is you will each stay positive, stay safe, and stay #ApartTogether. If you can do this, we will see you and your children soon!

Warm regards,

Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Help Needed for 'Santa's Shop'

Brendaly Rodriguez, Director of the Chula Vista Community Collaborative (CVCC), is asking for support to make this year's Santa's Shop a success. In particular, the program needs donations of $25 gift cards for teenagers; unwrapped toys/gifts for children ages 11-14 (the breakdown is 12 boys and 21 girls); and gifts for boys ages 7-10. The CVCC currently operates five Family Resource Centers (FRCs) in the South County, with each one providing a gateway to a full range of family-strengthening services.?Most of the families assisted through the Santa’s Shop program have been referred to the FRCs by area schools. Donations from partner organizations, including toys from the Chula Vista Police Activities League?and food from Chula Vista Welfare Council, helped this program. But with the impact of the pandemic, more help is needed. To assist the Santa's Shop, please contact Brendaly Rodriguez at brendaly.rodriguez@cvesd.org or christina.ross@cvesd.org to make an appointment to drop off donations.

CVESD Cares: Please Donate to Families in Need

Each December, Chula Vista Elementary School District staff members come together to celebrate the holidays with a luncheon that raises much-needed funds for the Chula Vista Welfare Council (CVWC). That partnership has resulted in thousands of dollars annually dedicated to supporting local families with food boxes, grocery gift cards, and toys for children of families with limited resources. This year, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and required safety protocols, CVESD’s Holiday Luncheon has been cancelled. While employees at the Education Service and Support Center will not be able to gather in person, employees and the community still have the opportunity to help families who could benefit greatly from a little holiday cheer. More than ever, the need exists to support the organization’s work as the ongoing health crisis has negatively impacted the amount of food and toys collected to date. Please click on this link to make a tax-deductible donation: https://gf.me/u/y97bhh

EastLake Educational Foundation Hosts ‘Come Together Community Campaign’

The coronavirus pandemic has created a crisis for all, and schools have been one of the hardest hit in the community. Everyone is bending to make education work. However, the needs are still great and there is no better time to be a part of the solution. Schools are in need of critical supplies and resources. Items like computers, tablets, internet access, WiFi hotspots, and professional development for teachers top the list. A donation to the COME TOGETHER COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN is an excellent investment because 100% of the money raised will go to local public schools. To donate go to eefkids.org or text community to 619-333-5548. A check can also be sent to The EastLake Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 21004, Chula Vista, CA 91921. For questions or to help with the Campaign, contact Janet Francis, Executive Director at the EastLake Educational Foundation at janethfrancis@eefkids.org.