Happy Wednesday, Shepherd family! We have our first PTO meeting TODAY (Wednesday, Sept 29th) at 6:30pm. Link is below. Join us to hear from Dr. Hedlund, Dr. Brown (Shepherd’s school psychologist), updates from the Committees, and hear about upcoming plans and events for the Fall. We’d love to hear your voice and ideas too. In this week’s PTO Bulletin… Walk to School Day – Wed, Oct 6th Introducing Teacher Appreciation Program (TAP) First PTO meeting – Wed, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm Room Parent Orientation – Wed, Sept 29th at 8 pm Upcoming DCPS Parent University sessions Seeking Room Parents and PTO Committee Chairs Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! Walk to School Day – October 6 Join us for this before school event! Either walk your normal route or meet us at one of three meet-up locations: Marvin Caplan Park at the corner of Alaska Ave. and Holly Street. Group leaves at 8:10am. Triangle Park at the corner of Luzon Ave. and Van Buren St. Group leaves at 8:00am. Lowell Field at the corner of Kalmia and 17th Streets. Group leaves at 8:10am. FIRST PTO MEETING – WED, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm … Read More
PTO Bulletin
It’s BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT! We look forward to seeing everyone virtually! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… – All School Morning Meeting – this FRIDAY at 9:15 am! – Upcoming DCPS Parent University sessions – TAP a teacher program – First PTO meeting – next Wed, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm – Seeking Afterschool Club Leaders, Room Parents and PTO Committee Chairs – Supporting the annual Shepherd 180 Fund – AND MUCH MORE! THIS FRIDAY – ALL SCHOOL MORNING MEETING Be sure to join virtually this Friday, Sept 24 at 9:15 am to see the fifth graders host our first ALL SCHOOL MORNING MEETING of the school year to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Join here to watch! Upcoming DCPS Parent University Sessions Join families across the District and DCPS Central Office teams to learn how we can collaborate to enrich your child’s education. Families are encouraged to ask questions and offer solutions. Together, we will walk away with activities to try or useful information to accelerate our children’s educational development. All sessions are virtual. Sept 26 at 5:30 pm – Making the Most of Your Parent Teacher Conferences Oct 6 at 5:30 pm – Social Emotional Development and Learning During Challenging Times … Read More
Chancellor Note
Dear DCPS Community, Across DC Public Schools, it is exciting to see students are settling into their classes and new routines, building friendships, and connecting with their teachers. The well-being of our students and staff is our priority. We recognize that with our robust health and safety measures in place, this school year feels different for most students and families. We know families have questions, and we are committed to keeping you informed about our health and safety measures. Today’s email covers: What happens when there is a COVID-19 positive case at your child’s school. What to do if your child feels unwell or tests positive for COVID-19. What should I do if my child doesn’t feel well? Each day, families should follow our daily symptoms checklist (often referred to as “Ask. Ask. Look.”) to monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19 before your student leaves for school. If your child is not feeling well or is showing any symptoms, they should stay home. Your school can also provide information about the learning materials available for your student while they are unwell and can arrange for an at-home technology device to be available if you need … Read More
PTO Bulletin
We hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend and an AWESOME first week of school! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… – Special PTO Board Election results -T-shirt sales and Uniform Swap this Friday morning! – Seeking Afterschool Club Leaders, Room Parents and PTO Committee Chairs – Supporting the annual Shepherd 180 Fund – Star Achievers Enrichment Programs Registration – AND MUCH MORE! Results from Special Election for Open PTO Board Positions We’re very excited to announce that we have a full PTO Executive Board for this school year! Derek Musgrove was nominated and elected as Co-President and Alexis White as Assistant Treasurer. THANKS to Derek and Alexis for stepping up to volunteer. To see the rest of the board members for this year, check out our page on the new school website! Our first full meeting will be virtual on Wed, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm. Shepherd T-shirt Sales and Uniform Swap this FRIDAY Morning! We’ll be out in front of the school selling Shepherd spirit gear and hosting the uniform swap this Friday morning – Sept 11! We’ll have some new and older t-shirt designs for sale, and can take cash or cards. Save yourself from the white … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Happy First Week of School! And a BIG welcome to the PK students starting TOMORROW! Look for your special WELCOME sign right out by the PK class entrance. In this week’s Bulletin… – Special PTO Board Election results – PTO selling new Shepherd t-shirts THIS Friday morning – Volunteer opps – Seeking Afterschool Club Leaders, Room Parents – Supporting the annual Shepherd 180 Fund – Star Achievers Enrichment Programs Registration – Shepherd Wins New Garden Grant from Whole Kids Foundation – Immunization clinics at schools around us – AND MUCH MORE! Seeking Leaders for Afterschool Clubs Are you a gardening enthusiast wanting to pass on your green thumb? Do you love teaching your children how to cook or bake? Have a special hobby that you love to share with others? Consider leading an afterschool club for students this school year! Interested Shepherd community members should contact Dr. Hedlund directly with your club ideas at [email protected]. Please note that anyone wishing to volunteer at Shepherd must complete the DCPS Clearance process before a club can be initiated. Shepherd Awarded Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant Thanks to the amazing grant writing by Siri Warkentien, we were able to secure a garden grant … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Less than a week until we have all of our Mustangs back in the classroom. HOORAY! Here are a few key updates to help you kick off the new school year. In this week’s Bulletin, you’ll find: – Dates and times for the school open house sessions TOMORROW (Fri, Aug 27th) – Reminder for the final “Back to School” playdate on Sun, Aug 29th at 1 pm – Reopen Strong info and links to Medical and Dental forms required for all students by DCPS – Link to our new, updated SCHOOL WEBSITE! – Tips and articles from Dr. Brown (our amazing school psychologist) on transitioning back to school – Parent Volunteer Opportunities – Welcome Ambassadors for New Families and After School Club Leaders – AND MUCH MORE! See you all on Friday, Shepherd PTO Board Open Houses this FRIDAY! Come join us to meet your teacher and see your classroom on Friday, Aug 27, Below is the schedule for the day so we can better manage safety for all: PK4 students – come from 1-2 pm PK3 students – come from 2-3 pm Kinder-5th grade students – those with last names beginning with A-L should come from 3-3:30 pm; and those with last … Read More
PTO Bulletin
It’s almost the last week of SUMMER! Here’s all the info to help you gear up for the start of the new school year. In this newsletter, you’ll find: School re-opening info from DCPS Tips and articles from Dr. Brown (our amazing school psychologist) on transitioning back to school Reminders about Sunday’s Playdate and Garden Clean Up Dates and times for the school open houses on Fri, Aug 27 Volunteer opps – PTO Audit Committee, Parent Equity Panel, Welcome Ambassadors for New Families and Club leaders Immunization clinics at schools around us AND MUCH MORE! Don’t miss out on the latest news from Shepherd PTO! Our AtoZ Connect database has been updated to the newest version powered by Membership Toolkit. In order to keep you on the PTO email roster, we need all parents to re-register in AtoZ as soon as possible to confirm contact info. Please create your family’s new account here, ideally using the same email you used for your initial AtoZ registration. You will then receive a verification email that you must acknowledge within 2 hours in order to authorize your account. See you all real soon! Shepherd PTO Board School Supplies and Class Lists Just a reminder … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Happy Almost-Back-to-School time! Welcome new and returning families – we can’t wait to see you and your children in real life again soon. This email is packed full of key info – school calendar of events, Back to School events, School Beautification Day info, Shepherd gear updates, uniform swap, and PTO volunteer opportunities! Don’t miss out on the latest news from Shepherd PTO! Our AtoZ Connect database has been updated to the newest version powered by Membership Toolkit. In order to keep you on the PTO email roster, we need all parents to re-register in AtoZ as soon as possible to confirm contact info. Please create your family’s new account here, ideally, using the same email you used for your initial AtoZ registration. You will then receive a verification email that you must acknowledge within 2 hours in order to authorize your account. See you all real soon! Shepherd PTO Board School Community Beautification Project – Jonquil Hill “Clearing” and Garden Clean-upMembers of the Shepherd community will come together on Sunday, August 22 from 10am-2 pm to clear the hill on the Jonquil St. side of the building and to perform other garden clean-up projects. As they say, “many hands … Read More
PTO Bulletin
HAPPY SUMMER! This will be the last PTO Bulletin email of the school year. Whew – we made it! We’d like to thank the outgoing PTO Board, LSAT reps and the MANY, MANY parent and teacher volunteers we’ve had over the last two years who’ve helped us do Fall Fest, Auction/Gala, Movie Nights, Field Day, Book Fair, Restaurant Nights, Holiday Parties, Teacher Appreciation, School Beautification Day, Meet the Teacher Night, grant writing, PTO meetings, website revamping, Shepherd gear designs and many, many other events and initiatives we’ve done together. You all helped us keep things moving and growing for our kids and school community. We’re DEFINITELY looking forward to getting back together in REAL LIFE and engaging with our AMAZING community once again! Again, congrats to the new PTO Board and LSAT reps! We’ll be doing floor nominations for the two open PTO positions (Co-President and Assistant Treasurer) at our first meeting of the school year in Sept. And we’re looking for Committee Chairs too. More details to come there soon. REMINDER – “MOVING UP” CEREMONIES TOMORROW Come join us for popsicles and praise! The last few ceremonies will be tomorrow (Thurs, June 24) at the times noted below. Enter the playground through … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Farewell Drive-by for Ms. Johnson on FRIDAY, JUNE 18th (4-5 PM) In just two days, we’ll be waving goodbye to one of Shepherd’s long-time favorite teachers, Ms. Beverly Johnson, who is retiring after this school year concludes. Please join us for a “drive-by” celebration on Friday, June 18th, from 4 to 5 PM to thank her for all she has done for our children and wish her the best. If you and your child would like to bring her a small gift or card as a token of your appreciation, we are certain she would be very touched…staff and parents who are helping with the event will help to gather these from passing well wishers. We expect to see lots of creative signs, balloons, and don’t forget to honk those horns! To keep the drive-by procession flowing, we ask that everyone please enter 14th St from the north (Kalmia) side and head south in front of the school. Even if you can’t join the live celebration, please consider sharing photos/videos, memories, and well wishes on Ms. Johnson’s Kudoboard, a keepsake memory board that we’ll present to Ms. Johnson at the end of the school year. We look forward to seeing lots … Read More