Dear Shepherd Families: We realize that this is an uncertain time as our city grapples with coronavirus (COVID-19). Despite the challenges and concerns this situation presents, we want to assure you that DC Public Schools (DCPS) and our outstanding Shepherd faculty developed a solid plan to ensure that your child’s education continues during a period of school closure. Please read this correspondence in its entirety as it includes specific information from our fantastic teachers. You probably heard from them separately, but we wanted to put it all in one place for you. In addition, there are library and family resources attached from Ms. Blake and Ms. Browne respectively. Printed Information PacketDCPS has prepared a hardcopy packet of materials that contains your child’s instructional materials for March 24 to March 31. These activities have been designed to extend prior learning and engage students during the period of school closure. It contains learning activities across content areas that were planned for all DCPS learners, including English Language Learners and students with special needs. Packets will be available of pick up at Shepherd from 8:30 am – 2:00 pm on 3/19, 3/20, 3/23 and 3/24. Shepherd will be open daily from 8:30 am -2:00 … Read More

Dear Shepherd Families:  We realize that this is an uncertain time as our city grapples with coronavirus (COVID-19). Despite the challenges and concerns this situation presents, we want to assure you that DC Public Schools (DCPS) and our outstanding Shepherd faculty developed a solid plan to ensure that your child’s education continues during a period of school closure. Please read this correspondence in its entirety as it includes specific information from our fantastic teachers. You probably heard from them separately, but we wanted to put it all in one place for you. In addition, there are librarry and family resources attached from Ms. Blake and Ms. Browne respectively. Printed Information Packet  DCPS has prepared a hardcopy packet of materials that contains your child’s instructional materials for March 24 to March 31. These activities have been designed to extend prior learning and engage students during the period of school closure. It contains learning activities across content areas that were planned for all DCPS learners, including English Language Learners and students with special needs. Packets will be available of pick up at Shepherd from 8:30 am – 2:00 pm on 3/19, 3/20, 3/23 and 3/24.  Shepherd will be open daily from 8:30 am -2:00 pm … Read More

Good afternoon Shepherd families,Today Ms. Rottman and I participated in a conference call with other elementary school administrators and central office staff. As a reminder, spring break will now be March 17-March 23. Distance learning will take place March 24-March 31, and we are scheduled to return to school on Wednesday, April 1. Central office content experts have prepared materials for each grade level, and they will be available on line on Monday. These work packets can be found here. Several grades were able to copy those packets and send them home in your child’s backpack today: Pre-K, K and 1st grades. Fifth grade teachers and Mr. Mack (3rd grade) also sent home packets with students. Given the late notice, not all teachers had the time to prepare and distribute materials. The District is printing these packets, and they will be distributed on Thursday 3/19, Friday 3/20 and Monday 3/23 at the school. If your child is in Pre-K, K, 1st or 5th grades, you already have materials. By close of business on Monday, March 16, I will follow up with additional information about packet distribution (if you need one — you may also print it out at home) and … Read More

Good afternoon families,By now, most of you have read the Chancellor’s letter changing next week’s professional development day from Friday, March 20th to Monday, March 16th.Star Achievers will provide child care to our families on Monday, March 16 – please register by Fri, March 13 at this link. We have a few other cancellations/postponements at this time:Tomorrow’s All School Meeting led by Pre-K 4 has been postponed until further notice.The PTA Meeting on Wednesday, March 18th has been cancelled.Health and Wellness Fair scheduled for Friday, March 27th has been postponed until further notice.Aladdin, the musical, scheduled for April 4th and 5th has been postponed until further notice. I will provide any updates as soon as I have them. Our custodians are on a schedule to sanitize common areas, door handles and stair railings throughout the day. Teachers continue to emphasize proper hand washing technique. Attached please find our monthly construction news from Department of Parks and Recreation. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, updates or concerns, and stay well.Shepherd Construction Update_March 2020.pdf Sincerely, Phyllis Phyllis Hedlund, Ed.D.Interim Principal Future Chefs FinalistCongratulations to Sala Queen who is a finalist for the District of Columbia! Wish her luck as … Read More

Dear Families,I hope you had the opportunity to read the DCPS communication on coronavirus earlier this week. Since then, DC government has released a coronavirus website, which will keep District residents up to date. At Shepherd, I have instructed our custodians to disinfect doors and doorknobs repeatedly during the day. We have plenty of soap to dispense in the bathrooms. If you hear otherwise, please let me know immediately. I check bathrooms daily, but I need families to keep me informed, especially during this time. Please remember these actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory disease:Stay home when you are sickAvoid close contact with people who are sickWash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used if soap and water are not available)Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed handsCover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a trashClean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfacesGet the flu vaccine Please feel free to ask any questions or express your concerns during this uncertain time. The health and safety of your children is the utmost concern of every Shepherd staff member. Enjoy you weekend,Phyllis Phyllis … Read More

Dear Families,February was a month filled with celebrations here at Shepherd Elementary, and our celebrations conclude with Jazz Fest this evening. Thank you to all who attended last night’s 3rd grade production of Now Let Me Fly. It was an outstanding performance, and by popular demand, we will have an encore performance very soon! Please stay tuned for the date and time. A huge shout to all students who participated and to Ms. Moorer and Ms. Denmark who initiated, directed and produced the play. It was unforgettable. On Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, students participated in the Black History Bowl, and they knew the information so well that it took two tie-breaking rounds to declare a winner. Please join me in congratulating Levi Sedalia 1st place, Ainsley Sedalia 2nd place and Sydney-Grace Ntim 3rd place for their extensive knowledge. Another huge shout out to Ms. Romero for organizing and leading the Black History Bowl. Thank you! Students are already clamoring for another one! Today, thanks to our PTA, our students watched Step Afrika! Perform, and they were sensational. Students and adults learned the history of stepping and got on their feet to participate. Many thanks to Dr. Leonard who led … Read More

Dear Families, All Shepherd students are invited to dress up for the Great Kindness Challenge beginning on Monday, February 10th. Classrooms may choose to participate in the KINDNESS themed door decorating contest. Judging will take place on Friday, Feb 14th. Students in the Kindness Club developed this initiative, so please show them your support! Dress up days:Monday (Feb 10)/Kindness never gets old – Dress up like a senior citizenTuesday (Feb 11)/Be Hip for Kindness – dress like a hippie or hip hopWednesday (Feb 12)/Be WACKY for Kindness – dress with wacky hair & socksThursday (Feb 13)/Kindness ROCKS – dress like a musicianFriday (Feb 14)/Dream of a world that is KIND – pajama day Students in grades K – 5 are invited to join our Kindness Read-a-thon beginning on February 10th – March 13th. Donations can be made to Heifer International directly here or given in an envelope to Mrs. Hagan. Checks should be made out to Heifer international.Students who would like to participate will be bringing home more information. Students can collect donations or donations can be made online. Be prepared for Black History Week at Shepherd, which starts on Monday, February 24, immediately following February Recess. Take a look … Read More

It’s the beginning of February and we have a lot of exciting events planned for students and their families.Last week the Black History Month committee, which is comprised of staff and parents, met and decided to make the week of 2/24 Black History Month Week. Each day we celebrate with a different event or activity. The schedule is as follows: Monday, February 24REP HBCU Colleges with shirts/sweatshirts Tuesday, February 25thDress up like an honorable Black History Month figure Wednesday, February 26thBlack History Month Bowl Thursday, February 27Now Let Me Fly @ 6:30-8 pm (families and students invited)3rd grade production of the play, which is based on hundreds of oral histories and personal interviews to tell the story of the unsung heroes and heroines in the battle for civil rights. Friday, February 28thStep Afrika (tentative)Jazz Night @ 6:30 In addition, we will have a door decorating contest, a daily Black History fact during announcements and a Shepherd Black History Month t-shirt. More details to come . . .The week of 2/10 will be Great Kindness Challenge, sponsored by the Kindness Club, and will include dress up days Monday through Friday, a door decorating contest with kindness themes and a launch of … Read More

On Monday and Tuesday, we will attend professional development, and teachers will work on second quarter grades. It is hard to believe that we are midway through the school year! On Tuesday, teachers will attend district-wide professional development based on their grade bands or content area. Here at Shepherd on Monday we will work together as a faculty on restructuring recess and achieving equity. Carissa Harrison, our SEL (Social Emotional Learning Coordinator from Central Office) will lead the recess reboot with Mr. Garner who is working as our SEL Liaison this year. Mr. Taylor and Ms. Scott will facilitate Courageous Conversations: Got Passion? Our objective for the session is to understand the framework of Courageous Conversations and to open up as a staff to connect our personal and professional passions to racial equity work. Ms. Morgan Williams started today as our temporary Physical Education teacher and will be with us until Mr. Langrock returns in early May from leave. She is off to a great start. This week, I selected a temporary Librarian for hire, Ms. Blake, who has extensive classroom experience as a Special Education teacher. She currently works with DC Public Libraries, and we hope to have her … Read More

We continue to work on The 15-day Culture Challenge. This past week, students reviewed expectations for hallways, recess, cafeteria and restrooms in morning meetings. In addition, teachers were challenged to spend two minutes a day for ten days connecting through conversation with a student in their classes. The technique is known as two-by-ten, and it is intended to build relationships. Please note that we will host an Open House on Wednesday, January 15th at 9:00 am. Encourage any families that have expressed interest in Shepherd to attend. Word of mouth is our most effective marketing strategy! There are a number of updates this week. Please scan the headings and see what is of interest to you and your family: Girls on the Run — I met with the Program Director this week, and if there is interest, I would like to restart the program at Shepherd. The program is for girls in grades 3-5, and the season begins mid-March and ends in early June. Practice would be twice a week from 3:15-4:30, and the program culminates in running a 5K in late May/early June. If your daughter is interested in running or if you are interested in being a coach, … Read More