Greetings Shepherd Family, It is with many emotions that I write to inform you that this will be my last year as principal at Shepherd Elementary. My decision to leave was extremely difficult, however, I am looking forward to spending more time with my growing family. Our school community continues to grow as a school of choice for families all over the District. Since 2015, Shepherd Elementary has experienced many successes including an increase in PARCC scores in both ELA and math by more than 10 percentage points as well as an increase in access to technology by tripling the number of laptops. From learning sight words to converting fractions to decimals, it has been a pleasure watching your children learn and grow academically, emotionally, and socially in order to achieve our shared vision of global citizenship. Over the last four years, Shepherd Elementary has explored many bold initiatives: Shepherd Electives, including digital photography, service learning, and reader’s theatre Young Man, Let’s Talk Mentoring Group Home Visits for new families through the Family Engagement Collaborative Student-led conferences Grahams with Grands The Shepherd Elementary staff is extremely committed to our school community—the level of talent is inspiring. They have helped me to … Read More

Hi Mustangs! I hope everyone enjoyed a delightful spring break! PARCC Practice Tests Our third through fifth graders will participate in practice PARCC testing Tuesday, April 23rd and Wednesday, April 24th. Please make sure your child is well rested and eats a healthy breakfast. PARCC Tests Third through fifth grade students will take the actual PARCC tests in grades 3-5 from April 22-May 24 on the following days by grade level: 3rd – 5th grade: PARCC Practice Tests, ELA and Math (April 22 – 26) 3rd grade: ELA (May 6-10), Math (May 20 -24) 4th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13-17) 5th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13-17) There are three days of English Language Arts (up to 90 minutes each), three days of math (up to 60 minutes each) and 2 days of science (up to 90 minutes each). Fourth grade has an extra ELA day due to a field test. Schools are not informed about which section will contain the field test. Attendance is extremely important on these days, so we want to make sure you have the schedule ahead. For practice opportunities and general information, please visit here. https://parcc-assessment.org/parent-resources/. … Read More

First Annual Health and Wellness Fair Thank you for making Shepherd’s first Health and Wellness Fair a SUCCESS! From massages to kickboxing, there was something for everyone. Bravo Zulu Chess Team – Mid–Atlantic Champions Congratulations to Shepherd Star Achievers’ Chess Team, Bravo Zulu! Bravo Zulu has competed in tournaments in Baltimore and Virginia, earning recognition for their professionalism and sportsmanship. The March Madness Box Tops CONTEST WINNERS! Thank you to all of the participants in our March Madness Box Tops Challenge! Congratulations to the following winners: First Place – Ms. Holt’s and Ms. Lewis’ Pre-K4 classes Second Place – Mr. Mack’s third grade class Third Place – Ms. Carney’s Kindergarten class Enrollment Season Time to enroll for School Year 19-20! The enrollment packet, which includes forms located online at http://enrolldcps.dc.gov, should be completed and presented to Mrs. Brooks along with proof of residency. The first class to register 100% of returning students for SY19-20 will receive extra recess! No School – Thursday, April 4th Thursday, April 4th is a professional development day for teachers. There is no school for students. No School – Friday, April 5th Friday, April 5th is a 1/2 Records Day and 1/2 professional development day for … Read More

PARCC Tests The PARCC assessments are designed to give schools and teachers more information to improve instruction. Moreover, PARCC is designed to let parents know how their child is progressing academically. DCPS administers the PARCC Assessment in grades 3-5 at the elementary level. For your planning purposes, students will take the PARCC tests in grades 3-5 from April 22-May 24 on the following days by grade level: 3rd – 5th grade: PARCC Practice Tests, ELA and Math (April 22 – 26) 3rd grade: ELA (May 6-10), Math (May 20 -24) 4th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13- 17) 5th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13- 17) There are three days of English Language Arts (up to 90 minutes each), three days of math (up to 60 minutes each) and 2 days of science (up to 90 minutes each). Fourth grade has an extra ELA day due to a field test. Schools are not informed about which section will contain the field test. Attendance is extremely important on these days, so we want to make sure you have the schedule ahead. For practice opportunities and general information, please visit here. https://parcc-assessment.org/parent-resources/ 2019-2020 School … Read More

Thank You Fourth Grade Families The staff was truly appreciative for Monday morning’s fare, especially the coffee! We cannot thank you enough. Young American Poetry Digest Congratulations are in order for the following Shepherd third graders in Mr. Clayborn’s class for their original haikus: Dalia Bolanos, Ellison Doomes, Callum Gray, Zuri Relayo, Makayla Jones, Riley Greenwood, James Walker, and Carmen Garner! Their poems will be published in the Young American Poetry Digest publication. Belgium Day It was quite a pleasure to host the Ambassador, his wife and various volunteers (including a Smurf!) from the Embassy of Belgium. Our guests made traditional cookies, played soccer and created comic strips with our students through our partnership with the Embassy Adoption Program. DCPS Panorama Survey Each year DCPS uses the Panorama Survey to measure social emotional learning, satisfaction, and engagement across staff, families, and students. Our third through fifth graders completed the survey last week and parents are encouraged to participate as well. It takes only 5-10 minutes. The survey can be accessed at bit.ly/dcpsfamily. The survey will remain open until March 29th. March Madness Box Tops The following classes will advance to the next round of our Box Tops competition: Ms. McIntyre, … Read More

New Schedule for Spanish-language Students Beginning Monday, March 4th, all students with Spanish as their world language will be reassigned to an extra elective of Music, Art, PE or Library. March Madness Box Tops Who will win the title for collecting the most box tops? Students in Pre-K3 to grade 5 will compete throughout the month of March against one another to clip the most box tops and earn the most points. To see the bracket for the box top tournament, check out the bulletin board in the multipurpose room. For participating products, see: https://www.box tops4education.com/earn/participating-products. Annual Women’s History Toiletry Drive Mrs. McIntyre is sponsoring Shepherd’s annual Women’s History Month Toiletry Drive to collect items to donate to the District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH), an organization providing access to safe housing & services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Body soap, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, band-aids, deodorant, dental floss and feminine hygiene products can be dropped off in the bin in the atrium throughout the month. No School – Friday, March 8th There is no school for students on Friday, March 8th. Six Flags Tickets Sixty-three Shepherd students in grades K-5 will receive a certificate and tickets to Six … Read More

Read Across America Week – Spirit Week! February 25 – March 1 is Read Across America Week! Monday – Fox in Socks Students may wear silly socks. Tuesday – Cat in the Hat Students may wear their favorite hat. Wednesday – Who’ville Students may wear colorful hair accessories Thursday – Oh The Places You’ll Go Students will discuss their career goals. Friday – The Sleep Book Students may wear pajamas and receive a Dr. Seuss bookmark. Saturday – Official Read Across America Day Read a book with a loved one and share a picture of the experience on social media or bring a hard copy of the picture to school! Awards Assemblies Thank you for the feedback on our awards assemblies. The concerns and suggestions raised will inform ongoing discussions with the PTA and LSAT. Black History Month Assembly Shepherd Elementary School will celebrate Black History Month by remembering and honoring black music and the performing arts during our annual assemblies on February 28th. The first program for ECE through grade one will begin at 9:30am and the second program for grades 2-5 will begin at 1:45pm. We hope you will be able to join us. Principal Neal Principal Neal … Read More

Thank You First Grade Families! The entire staff enjoyed last Monday’s breakfast. We appreciated all of the healthy and fulfilling breakfast options, especially the coffee! Visit from Acting Chancellor Dr. Ferebee On Thursday, January 31st, Acting Chancellor Dr. Ferebee spent time at our school. During his visit, Dr. Ferebee observed instruction several classrooms and was encouraged by the level of student engagement. Shepherd Science Fair – THIS WEEK The science fair preview will take place Monday, February 4th from 4-6pm at the NOAA building in downtown Silver Spring. All visitors must present a valid ID. The science fair judging will take place Tuesday, February 5th. International Baccalaureate (IB) Nights – New Dates THIS WEEK Come and experience the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) at Shepherd! On Tuesday, February 5th (grades K–5) and Wednesday, February 6th (ECE), families are encouraged to join us for an evening of inquiry-based learning! Both events will begin at 6:00pm in the multi-purpose room. Girls Basketball Schedule Our lady Mustangs are scheduled to face Eaton ES at Amidon-Bowen at 5:00pm on Monday, February 4th. Boys Basketball Schedule The team will take on Lafayette ES at Lafayette Tuesday, February 5th at 4:00pm. Shepherd Tutoring Program The Shepherd … Read More

Inclement Weather DCPS will be closed tomorrow. The best source of information about school delays and closures is the DCPS twitter account (@dcpublicschools). Information will also be shared on the DCPS website (dcps.dc.gov), DCPS social media accounts, and local TV and radio stations. Impacted by the Government Shutdown? DCPS is actively looking to recruit substitute teachers to support schools. Candidates need a Bachelor’s degree and must pass a background check and drug test to be considered. Contact the school and next steps will be shared. Music Teacher Update Quanice Floyd, the candidate scheduled to begin at Shepherd after the winter break, unexpectedly decided to pursue another opportunity in another state. However, another candidate has been selected and the hiring request has been escalated to move through the hiring process as quickly as possibly. Spanish Teacher Update It has been incredibly difficult to find a quality candidate to fill the Spanish teacher vacancy. NAEP Our fourth graders will take the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on January 29th. The NAEP is given every 2 years. Parents will receive a detailed letter on Tuesday, January 15th. Spelling Bee Our annual Spelling Bee for students in grades 3-5 will take place on … Read More

DC Report Card Shepherd received a STAR rating of 4 out of 5 stars! In addition to the letter sent home on Friday, please use the link below for more detailed information about the STAR Framework. I am coming to the PTA meeting on Dec 19th to talk more about the new rating program and our score. https://dcschoolreportcard.org/schools/1-0313 Shepherd Tutoring Program The Shepherd Tutoring Program is in its 22nd year at Tifereth Israel Congregation. Between 5 and 6 pm most Sunday nights, members of Tifereth Israel and the Shepherd Park community are available to tutor students across subject areas at no cost to parents. Please reach out to Ms. Catler, shepherdtutoringprogram@gmail.com, for more information. Winter Reading Festivities – Dec 21 On Friday, December 21st, students will engage in various reading festivities led by our school librarian, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Pethtel. All students are welcome to wear their pajamas to school! Shepherd Science Fair – Jan 31 All third through fifth grade students should have a received an information packet, including a timeline, for their science fair projects. The science fair will take place on January 31st at the NOAA building in downtown Silver Spring. Pizza Hut Book It! Pizza … Read More