We have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks: Parent Teacher Conferences this coming Friday, Fall Fest on Oct 19 and Halloween. We have encouraged our staff to schedule conferences as needed to ensure they can meet with all families before, on, or after that date. Our building will be open with regular hours 7:00 am-7:30 pm on Friday, October 11 for conferences. We look forward to sharing your child’s progress with you! Fall Fes is in two weeks, and I know the PTA has a lot of great activities for families to enjoy. Make sure to volunteer and I will see you there. Back by popular demand is the Halloween Parade. At 2:30 pm on Oct 31, our students will parade around the block in costume and can be dismissed afterwards if their parents are present. This past week, Ms. Pereira, Ms. Mack and I launched Shepherd Student Government (SSG) with our fifth graders. There will be elections for officer roles next week: President, Vice President, Secretary and Historian. We then will seek a homeroom representative in homerooms K-4. Representatives will rotate at the end of the second and third quarters to offer room for more … Read More

Last night’s community meeting was well attended. Questions were sensible yet urgent. We have outstanding parent advocates working on our students’ behalf. The community center was the focus of the meeting, but time was also spent on lead contamination on DC playgrounds. You can find DPR’s presentation here. Construction will start in mid-October, and there are sure to be bumps along the way for the community, government agencies and construction firm. I will give you weekly updates on the construction and more frequent ones if conditions demand them. In the end, however, we will have a gorgeous new gymnasium, cafeteria and kitchen to enjoy. I feel confident it will be well worth the wait. This week we nearly had a tragedy when a driver blinded by the morning sun as they traveled on 14th Street almost struck one of our Pre-K 3 students. The boy’s father literally had to pull him out of the car’s path, and the family was in the crosswalk at the time of the incident. Although we are all busy with countless responsibilities, we need to take the time to travel safely, especially in the vicinity of our school. We all know that lives can be … Read More

Thank you to all the family members who attended the first PTA meeting this past Wednesday. It was well attended and representative of students in all grades. You make our community strong and welcoming. Go Mustangs! Please check today’s announcements closely as clubs will begin in the next several weeks. At the PTA meeting, I announced that Shepherd will have a Winter Concert and a Musical this year. Students will have input on the selection of the Musical, and the Winter Concert will involve all grades. Keep an eye out for additional details as they are determined. Movie Night is Friday, September 27th, and Fall Festival will be here before you know it. Picture Day is Friday, October 4th, and Parent Teacher Conferences will be on Friday, October 11th. Please remember that there will be no school for students that day. Mrs. Hagan and Mrs. Zepeda will host a breakfast on Tuesday, September 24th for our English-language learner families. Madame Gadie and Mr. Hernandez will host a World Language Information Session on Friday, October 4th from 8:00-8:40 am in the Library. They will provide an overview of the curriculum and objectives for language instruction at Shepherd. Enjoy this beautiful fall … Read More

It has been a busy, busy, busy week at Shepherd Elementary. Our All School Meeting was amazing. We danced, we sang, we launched Hispanic Heritage Month and the Golden Broom award, we learned about Shepherd Elementary School’s past and its IB offerings for 5th graders. Above all, we took the time to come together as a community to appreciate one another and create common experiences. So many thanks and countless words of praise to our 5th grade students, Ms. Scott, Dr. Leonard and the Specials teachers. It is wonderful to begin your day as a school community filled with pride and joy and laughter. You can watch some video of today’s event here and here. Thank you for the outstanding turn out for Back to School Night. It was great to have you all in the building, and teachers were excited to share what students are learning in their classrooms. Please let me know any constructive feedback you have about this event. Many parents shared that they were happy to have more time in classrooms this year. Next week, we have our Local School Advisory Team and Parent Teacher Association meetings on Wednesday. All are welcome! During the LSAT meeting, we will work … Read More

Happy Friday Families, Thank you for another great week at Shepherd Elementary! Next week will be a busy one. On Monday afternoon from 2:30-3:15 pm, our grandparents/special friends have an opportunity to visit Shepherd during Grahams with Grands. We are all very excited to welcome these very important people to our building. Back to School Night is Wednesday, September 11th from 6:00-7:30 pm. Please remember that the PTA will provide free childcare during the event. Here’s what to expect: 6:05-6:25 Welcome in the Multipurpose Room 6:30-6:55 Session I Go to your child’s homeroom for an overview of the curriculum for the year and classroom systems and procedures 7:00-7:30 Session II Go to your other student’s homeroom or another one of your student’s teacher’s rooms for 4th/5thgraders Specials teachers will have tables and chairs in the atrium so they are easily and have the opportunity to highlight and discuss their programs. Please remember that teachers do not have time for individual conferences on Back to School Night, and the program will end promptly at 7:30 pm. Thank you for your cooperation. Next Friday, September 13th, our 5thGrade and Specials teachers will host our first all school morning meeting! Please join us … Read More

Dear Families, Thank you for a very successful first week of school. We got off to a great start because of your herculean efforts on Beautification Day. Thanks to all the families who came out to clean and organize the school. Your work is greatly appreciated! Students seem very happy and comfortable, and it has been a joy to have them return to the building. The field is our own, and the children are enjoying every inch of it during P.E. and recess. The culture of achievement at Shepherd is palpable, and I am proud to be a part of this dynamic community. There are announcements that follow. Please take a look and let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy the long weekend, and we will see you on Tuesday! With gratitude, Phyllis Announcements Students may wear jeans and Shepherd spirit t-shirts/or plain white shirts on Fridays. Please continue to support carpool and kiss and go by not parking on 14th Street directly in front of the school (west side of the street). Please take note that the doors open at 8:20 am, and dismissal ends at 3:30 pm. Upcoming Events Grahams with Grands is Monday, September 9th from 2:30-3:15 pm … Read More

Dear Families, We had a great week here at Shepherd! Teachers arrived on Monday, and we spent time reviewing data, setting goals, learning together, setting up our classrooms and simply getting to know one another. Many of you were here for our Open House, and it was a great opportunity for children to reunite and meet their teachers. Thank you to all who were in attendance, and thank you to the PTA for dinner on Thursday for the Open House and lunch on Friday. Both are greatly appreciated! Monday is the first day of school for grade K-5, and we are so excited to greet your children and begin their best school year yet. To ensure it is a smooth start this week, please keep the following in mind: Doors open at 8:20, and all students should be at Shepherd no later than 8:40. PK and K students enter through our main entrance. Parents should walk them to their classrooms. I know that it is hard to say goodbye, but try to make your classroom visit as brief as possible. It is actually easier for them to transition to school that way. All DCPS children receive breakfast at no cost. If … Read More

It’s the LAST week before school starts, vacations are almost over (ugh!!!) and the weather looks a bit cooler for this Saturday’s Beautification Day and School Supply Drive! That can only mean – it’s time to sign up for a shift and get back in the swing of things! Come meet new families, work on projects to make the school FABULOUS for next week, and help us make sure the school is stocked with supplies for this school year. NOTE – these supplies will be used in the specials’ classrooms and general school locations, not the supplies needed for your child’s class. We have a curated Amazon link for the supplies needed for Art, Music, Library, French, Spanish, Special Ed, etc. Any purchases made will be MUCH APPRECIATED and can be shipped right to the school – 7800 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20012 – or dropped off on Thursday from 9 am – 7 pm, Saturday from 9 am – 3 pm or the first week of school. Lastly, WE’RE LOOKING FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS! If you’d like to be on a PTA committee, help at an upcoming event, or serve as a room parent, click here to sign up! WE NEED YOUR HELP TO DO ALL THE GREAT THINGS … Read More

Dear Shepherd Families, Thank you to all of you who came out to our Shepherd play date last Sunday. It was a beautiful morning, and it was a joy to meet you and your children. Please mark your calendars for our play date and open house on Thursday, August 22nd from 5:00-7:00 pm. Your child/ren will have the opportunity to visit their classrooms and tour the school. I hope to have a lot of staff on hand that evening. I am including the supply list in this email just in case you have not had a chance to visit the PTA website. Please feel free to bring your supplies with you if you come on the 22nd.  Please find here a link to indicate your dismissal preferences for your child/ren. This year, we will add Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students to carpool. All carpool students will be brought to the multi-purpose room and dismissed to our 14th Street exit. There will be adults along their route to help them get to you. We are requesting this information so we can create signs for your dashboard with your names to make our carpool line as efficient and orderly as possible. If you are a 5th grade parent and … Read More

Dear Shepherd Families,Welcome to school year 2019-20! I am so excited to serve as the Interim Principal at Shepherd and am grateful to the families and community members whom I have already met for their warm welcome and invaluable assistance this summer. For the last five years, I served as the Chief Academic Officer at E.L. Haynes PCS. Prior to that, I worked as teacher educator and curriculum developer for Urban Teacher and Capital Teachers Residency programs. Over the course of my career, I have taught fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, eleventh and twelfth grades and worked as an elementary, middle and high school principal. I trained to be a principal at Francis Junior High School and earned my M.A. and Ed.D at The George Washington University. I am thrilled to be back in a traditional public school system. All three of my children attended DCPS schools.Throughout my career, increasing equity and building connections among students, their families and school have motivated my work. When I started my career, tracking dominated schools, particularly at the secondary level. Students in different tracks had distinctly different educational experiences with students in the “lower” tracks receiving less or zero access to the high status … Read More