Dear Families,

I know the beginning of the week was stressful with the announcement of two confirmed Covid-19 cases at Shepherd. Many of you reached out for more information; others just expressed concern. No news is good news on that front, and I am glad that we did not have to send additional community announcements this week.

On Wednesday afternoon, faculty engaged in a Courageous Conversation during our staff meeting.Ms. Scott, fifth grade homeroom teacher, thoughtfully facilitated the meeting. We discussed developing our racial consciousness through challenging our assumptions. Next we analyzed the Four Agreements that will guide our work: (1) Stay engaged; (2) Experience discomfort; (3) Speak your truth; and (4) Expect and accept non-closure. Teachers were engaged and generously shared their experiences and insights. Our monthly faculty meetings this school year will be grounded in Glenn Singleton’s Courageous Conversations about Race.

Some important announcements follow. Have a great weekend!

Principal Hedlund

Health Self-Assessment

Thank you for your adherence to this important policy. If your child is experiencing two or more symptoms related to Covid-19, please keep them home and have them tested. It is our responsibility to keep the greater community safe and will need to follow our isolation protocol if your student is exhibiting or reporting two or more symptoms.

School communication:

As a staff, we  decided Friday is the day we communicate with families. The Panorama Survey data informed this decision as parents clearly stated that standardizing communications should be a priority. If you are not hearing from your student’s homeroom teacher on Fridays, please let us know. There may be an error in your contact information that we can easily address.

Back to School Night:

Back to School Night is Wednesday, September 22nd. You should have a link to your meeting. There will be three sessions to accommodate families with multiple Shepherd students. If you were unable to attend our Open House and would like to tour the school, please sign up here.

Water Bottles:

We have water coolers throughout the school. To help us avoid waste and spills, please send your child to school with a water bottle. We also have water bottles on hand and can provide your student with one.

Clubs and Tutoring:

Please stay tuned for details on clubs and tutoring next week. Thank you for your patience. The launch of the school year was a little more complicated than we envisioned, and we wanted daily school operations to run smoothly before adding more activities.