Good evening Shepherd families and friends, Wow – it’s almost November and our school schedule of events is picking up again and nothing makes us more excited! Mark your calendar because we have a lot you won’t want to miss. In this week’s PTO Bulletin… DATE CHANGE – Halloween Parade is now TOMORROW (Thurs, Oct 28th) at 2:30 pm All School Morning Meeting hosted by the 3rd graders is on Fri, Oct 29th at 9:15 am via TEAMS Sign your team up now for Shepherd’s first-ever Fun Race to Fundraise – Sat, Nov 13th starting at 11 am Get your families ready for holiday photos with our PTO family photo shoot fundraiser – several November dates noted below Thanks to our Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Donors Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! Register Your Fun Race Team Here DATE CHANGE – Halloween Parade is now TOMORROW (Thurs, Oct 28) Time is still 2:30 now on Thurs, Oct 28th due to rain forecasted for Friday. We will parade around the perimeter of the school like last time, and parents will be able to sign their children out at the end of the parade. All School Morning Meeting – Fri, Oct 29th … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Good afternoon Shepherd families and friends, As we’re getting back to normal, we’re excited to announce a few upcoming events highlighted below – the School Halloween Parade and Shepherd Fun Race. We look forward to seeing everyone back in person again soon! Reminder that we have our Oct PTO meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. Join us via TEAMS here. In this week’s PTO Bulletin… DCPS Town Hall – TONIGHT (Wed, Oct 20th) at 5 pm October PTO meeting – TONIGHT (Wed, Oct 20th) at 6:30 pm SAVE THE DATE – Halloween Parade and All School Morning Meeting on Oct 29th Shepherd’s first-ever Fun Race – Sat, Nov 13th THANKS to our PTO Committee Chairs and volunteers Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! DCPS Town Hall – October 20th Join DCPS leadership for a Town Hall on “Creating Safe Environments in DCPS” on Wednesday, Oct 20th at 5 pm. Register here. PTO Meeting TONIGHT at 6:30 pm Join us via TEAMS tonight to hear from Dr. Hedlund as she shares beginning of the year (BOY) data, details about upcoming events and committee updates. School Halloween Parade – Fri, October 29th It’s BAAACCCKKK this year! YAHOOOO! … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Good evening Shepherd families and friends, As we’re getting back to normal, we’re excited to announce a few upcoming events highlighted below – Halloween Parade and Scavenger Hunt. We look forward to seeing everyone back in person again soon! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… PK3 “Coffee and Chat” with Dr. Hedlund – Tues, Oct 19th October PTO meeting – next Wednesday, Oct 20th at 6:30 pm SAVE THE DATE – Halloween Parade and All School Morning Meeting on Oct 29th What is IB? Learn more about Shepherd’s program Shepherd’s first-ever Scavenger Hunt – Sat, Nov 13th Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! DCPS Town Hall – October 20th Join DCPS leadership for a Town Hall on “Creating Safe Environments in DCPS” on Wednesday, Oct 20th at 5 pm. Register here. School Halloween Parade – Fri, October 29th It’s BAAACCCKKK this year! YAHOOOO! Save the date to come watch the cutest and best Halloween parade in the city! More details coming soon on time of the parade and costume attire. Save the date – All School Morning Meeting This month, the 4th graders will be hosting the All School Morning meeting on Friday, October 29th … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Hi Shepherd families and friends – just a reminder that Parent-Teacher Conferences are Thurs, Oct 7th (no school day for kids), Fri, Oct 8th is a professional staff development day (no school for kids) and Mon, Oct 11th is a holiday for all! See everyone back on Tues, Oct 12th! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… Walk to School Day Pics Introducing Teacher Appreciation Program (TAP) Review DCPS calendar proposals for upcoming years Star Achievers Aftercare Open Board Positions Upcoming DCPS Parent University sessions Seeking PTO Committee Chairs – Facilities Improvement and Curriculum and Staff Support Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! Walk to School Day Success! YAY! The rain held off today and we were able to once again host the annual Walk to School Day! Thanks to the many walking captains, volunteers, parents, staff and students who participated! If you’ve got pics, send them our way – info@shepherd-elementary.org Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant Update Thanks to the hard work of Siri Warkentien, we’ve now got the supplies and the $3K in grant money from the Whole Kids Foundation to kick start our new Garden Club and supplement what the 2nd graders will learn … Read More
PTO Bulletin
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 Phyllis.Hedlund@k12.dc.gov. 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