PTO MEETING TOMORROW – Wed, Oct 21 at 6:30 pm
We’ll dedicate a full 30 mins to a conversation with Dr. Hedlund about the DCPS School Reopening plan, process and next steps.
To expedite the Q&A, please send your questions in advance to info@shepherd-elementary.org by 3 pm tomorrow (Wed, Oct 21). Join the virtual meeting on Teams here.
Support the 180 Fund in lieu of Fall Fest
The 180 Fund is Shepherd PTO’s annual fundraiser that supports the many things the PTO covers each year – classroom supplies, STEM materials, field trips, in-school performances, annual Jazz Night, Camp Fair, Movie Nights, Beautification Day, support for our sports and academic teams, etc.
The 180 Fund will allow us to rise up to meet the unexpected challenges we are presented and meet our goal to provide a safe and stable environment for our students, staff, teachers and families.
We would normally be planning and hosting the annual Fall Fest FUNdraiser – a super fun, community-building festival out in front of Shepherd with dunk tanks, climbing walls, carnival games, face painting and treats…but given the circumstances, we’d appreciate your support for the 180 Fund this year.
Buy your Shepherd Gear online now!
We’ve got a new online store set up via Custom Ink where you can buy masks, t-shirts and hoodies for students and adults. Each item is a separate fundraising campaign, so you will need to buy each item separately and items will be shipped directly to you. Click here to see what we’ve got!
More gear coming to the store soon. A HUGE thanks to Esther Ntim for setting up our online store!
DCPS Mental Health Support
The DC Public Schools (DCPS) School Mental Health Team and our many partners provide supportive services to students and families who need assistance for any reason, from overcoming academic challenges to handling life-altering events. Our goal is to ensure that all students are physically and psychologically safe and can fully participate in academic learning.
Some of our services include:
- providing strategies and skills to help students improve their focus and concentration;
- linking students to practical resources to help families gain access to food, clothing, and transportation;
- providing therapeutic intervention to help students cope with stress and trauma;
- leading small-group sessions to support students with relationship building;
- providing substance abuse prevention and intervention;
- completing comprehensive assessments to help school teams make data-informed decisions.
- School-Based Health Coordinators (SBHCs) are responsible for processing referral forms for mental health services.
DCPS has a Mental Health Referral Form for teachers or families to complete to submit to our Shepherd Mental Health Team for students who are in need of support. Michelle Browne is our Social Worker Mental Health Team point of contact. She can assist in completing referral forms and processing referral forms at Shepherd. Her contact is Michelle.Browne@k12.dc.gov
The mental health referral form is attached here – DCPS Writable Adult Referral Form Student Mental Health (1) (1).pdf
And here is a link to the form: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/service_content/attachments/DCPS%20Referral%20Form%20Student%20Mental%20Health.pdf