REMINDER – Teacher Appreciation Week is next week – May 3-7. Show the Shepherd teachers and staff some love for all they’ve done during this super challenging school year! SHEPHERD YEARBOOK UPDATES – need pics uploaded by May 1 It’s been a unique year, and we have overcome many obstacles. Let’s celebrate all that your children have, and will, accomplish by working together to create a fabulous yearbook. All families should follow the steps below to be included in the yearbook: Become a member of TreeRing.   If you ordered a yearbook in the past, click hereLinks to an external site. to log-in to TreeRing. If you are new to TreeRing, click hereLinks to an external site. to set up an account. You will need the school’s passcode: 1013930010262632 At the time you become a member, you will be given the option to purchase a yearbook.  Please note you can upload photos even if you do not purchase a yearbook. Upload a portrait of your child.  Click hereLinks to an external site. for directions. You are welcome to contribute to as many or few of the categories below.  Please note that each category has a different e-mail address because the pictures are being sent to different folders.  Please make sure that your … Read More

Attention 5th Grade Families – BIG DEAL DAY THIS SATURDAY! On Saturday, April 24th from 10-2pm, the Alice Deal Community Association (ADCA) invites all rising 6th grade families to join us for a Big Deal Day. Don’t miss this chance to come together as a community and share in all that makes our school a really BIG DEAL. Shop Deal Gear, buy plants, welcome new families, enroll for SY 21/22, donate to the Green Wall, meet Principal Neal, and get involved with the ADCA. We look forward to meeting our new students and families. Event details here.  SHEPHERD YEARBOOK UPDATES – need pics uploaded by May 1 It’s been a unique year, and we have overcome many obstacles.  Let’s celebrate all that your children have, and will, accomplish by working together to create a fabulous yearbook.  All families should follow the steps below to be included in the yearbook: Become a member of TreeRing.   If you ordered a yearbook in the past, click hereLinks to an external site. to log-in to TreeRing. If you are new to TreeRing, click hereLinks to an external site. to set up an account. You will need the school’s passcode: 1013930010262632 At the time you become a member, you will be given the option to purchase a … Read More

APRIL PTO MEETING – TOMORROW (WED, APRIL 21) at 6:30 pm Joins us on TEAMS for our monthly chat with Dr. Hedlund, hear about the latest on the new DCPS Foxhall and MacArthur school sites and the Shepherd Park Community Center, and get more details about the upcoming Spring Fling events. SPRING FLING EVENTS – VIRTUAL BAKING CLASS THIS SATURDAY, April 24 at 5 pm Does your family like to watch baking shows? Or do you or your kids like chocolate chip mini cookie cakes with vanilla buttercream frosting? Then join us for a Shepherd school-wide virtual family baking class hosted by Tiny Chefs! This event is great for the whole family and proceeds go to Shepherd PTO. Unfortunately, the “add-ins” ingredient kits and Shepherd aprons and chef hats are sold out. But you can still get tickets for the virtual event here! Listening Session for Shepherd Recreation Center – Thursday, April 22 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm The purpose of this listening session is to ascertain the community’s interest in the use of the Shepherd Park rec center with ANC Commissioners Green and Whatley. Please join the meeting to help us continue to push to secure dedicated space in the Rec Center for … Read More

Shepherd’s Spring Fling Family Engagement Events – April – June Let’s get together to have fun, see each other and raise a little money for next school year! SAVE THESE DATES! Sat, April 24th at 5pm – virtual family baking class hosted by Tiny Chefs, add-ins include ingredient kits and Shepherd aprons and chef hats to be purchased. Appropriate for all ages. Get your tickets and ingredients here. Thurs, May 6th at 8 pm – Adults-only “Shaken AND Stirred” cocktail making class hosted by the Quarantine Cocktail Club. End of May – School “photos” to be taken outside in front of the school marquee to make sure this year doesn’t fly by without your sentimental (and cheesy!) annual school picture. Each student will sign up for a specific time. JUNE OUTDOOR EVENT – We have some clearance from DCPS to start to do things together OUTSIDE! So, we’re planning a gathering IN PERSON FOR LATE JUNE! If you’d like to help plan, email info@shepherd-elementary.org SHEPHERD WINS “Lettuce Grow” Farm Stand grant project FROM WHOLE KIDS FOUNDATION Thanks to the amazing grant writing by Shepherd parent, Siri Warkentien, we’ll be receiving our first farm stand with initial seedlings, as well as future seedlings, nutrients, and pH test kits. Our … Read More

TONIGHT’S WEBINAR on COVID and the Pediatric Population with Dr. Bud Wiedermann – 7-8 pm Stephen Whatley, ANC4A03 Commissioner, and Children’s National RIC will host a webinar around COVID and some of its impacts on the Pediatric Population. Our speaker will be Dr. Bud Wiedermann from the Infectious Disease program at Children’s National.  Dr. Wiedermann is a national expert in pediatric infectious disease and a noted educator.  We anticipate a talk of around 20-30 minutes with about 10-30 minutes for questions at the end. Please use the chat function for questions. Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George will give the opening remarks. Click here to join! Spring Egg Hunt – Sat, April 3 at Shepherd Community Center On April 3rd from 11am to 1pm, DPR will be hosting a Spring Egg Hunt and Basket Decorating Activity at the Shepherd Park DPR location for a small group of children ages 2 to 5 years old.  Participants will participate in an egg hunt on different sides of the School building then join inside the center to decorate in baskets and partake in prepackaged refreshments.  You’ll never know what you will get if you find that special egg! Due to Phase 2 restrictions, the activity requires registration … Read More

Monthly PTO meeting – TOMORROW – Wed, March 24th at 6:30 pm Join us on TEAMS for this month’s PTO meeting featuring updates from Dr. Hedlund on Term 4, Spring family engagement events planned for April and May, and more mental health resources to be shared by our own school psychologist, Dr. Brown. NEW Shepherd ONLINE GEAR SALE EXTENDED until Mon, March 29! All of you who’ve been asking about buying gear – especially stuff for adults…here you go! New adult and youth options with some of your favorite brands like Nike and Adidas! Youth options include t-shirts, hoodies, and masks, also find stadium chairs, blankets, winter hats and tumblers…all shipped directly to your home. Place orders by MON, March 29. Orders shipped after March 29. Get your new swag here! Shepherd’s Spring Fling Family Engagement Events Let’s get together and raise a little money for our school as we plan for Term 4 and next school year! SAVE THESE DATES!  Sat, April 24th at 5pm – virtual family baking class hosted by Tiny Chefs, add-ins include ingredient kits and Shepherd aprons and chef hats to be purchased. Appropriate for all ages. Thurs, May 6th at 8 pm – Adults-only “Shaken AND Stirred” cocktail making class hosted by the … Read More

Get Your NEW Shepherd GEAR – PLACE ORDERS BY MARCH 22 All of you who’ve been asking about buying gear – especially stuff for adults…here you go! New adult and youth options with some of your favorite brands like Nike Adidas! Youth options include t-shirts, hoodies, and masks, also find stadium chairs, blankets, winter hats and tumblers…all shipped directly to your home after the end of the sale. Place orders by MON, March 22. Get your new swag here! DPR Shepherd Rec Center Survey – please respond by Thurs, March 25 Thanks to those that offered in-person and written testimony for the DPR hearing last week and offered feedback on the Community Center. DPR moved forward with a survey without community input and it is framed unfairly. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ShepherdParkSurvey Please consider the following when you complete the questionnaire: The objective of our negotiation as a parent body with DPR is to obtain fair and open access to specified areas of the DPR center both during and immediately after school, which will give Shepherd flexibility for student enrichment programs after hours, e.g., having the space dedicated such that our basketball teams may train and play games in the wonderful new gym, etc. Wherever possible … Read More

DPR Shepherd Rec Center Survey – please respond by Thurs, March 25 Thanks to those that offered in-person and written testimony for the DPR hearing last week and offered feedback on the Community Center. DPR moved forward with a survey without community input and it is framed unfairly. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ShepherdParkSurvey Please consider the following when you complete the questionnaire: The objective of our negotiation as a parent body with DPR is to obtain fair and open access to specified areas of the DPR center both during and immediately after school, which will give Shepherd flexibility for student enrichment programs after hours, e.g., having the space dedicated such that our basketball teams may train and play games in the wonderful new gym, etc. Wherever possible in the survey, please consider indicating times that you would be interested in using the facility (e.g., weekends, weekday evenings after 6PM, etc.) which would not conflict and, indeed, would support the position of our advocacy team that the DPR center (and field), with the exception of the fitness room, should primarily be available to Shepherd students on weekdays (including after school) during the entire school year. Further, we call attention to the portion of the survey … Read More

DCPS REOPEN Town Hall – Wed, March 3 at 5 pm Join DCPS Leadership as they share updates on In-Person and Virtual Learning in Term 3. Register here to join. Family Panorama Survey – SHARE YOUR VOICE! We currently have 170+ responses to the family survey — thank you! Please help us obtain a complete data set by completing the survey as soon as possible. Share your comments here. DCPS Performance Oversight Hearing – Tues, March 9 at 9 am Sign up to represent Shepherd at next week’s DCPS Oversight Hearing. See more details here. We’ll be sharing messaging later this week. Supporting Mr. Garner Mr. Garner is continuing to improve and hopefully heading home from rehab soon. If you’d like to help him or his family, Dr. Leonard is collecting funds through CASH APP, his name on the app is $dreducator. Money will be spent on food, groceries, home items that are needed, etc. Ward 3 EdNet Meeting – Mon March 8 at 7 pm Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn will be on hand to talk about reopening, school budgets, and overcrowding.  Mr. Kihn will begin with some remarks and then we will have a Q&A session. ****************************************************************** The Ward 3 … Read More

February PTO meeting TONIGHT – Wed, Feb 24 at 6:30 pm At this month’s PTO meeting, we are bringing in experts to talk with us about mental health concerns facing parents, teachers and students during the pandemic. We’ll tackle everything from the stress and challenges faced when kids are learning from home while parents are working from home to managing the transition of returning to in-person learning for students, parents and teachers alike. Our panelists will include: Dr. Gishawn Mance is a clinical psychologist with a practice in downtown Silver Spring. She is also an asst. professor at Howard University. She will give a short slide presentation on how to identify what you’re feeling, understanding that you are not alone and suggesting coping mechanisms to overcome it. Barbara Paulson is deputy director of Child Services at DC’s Dept. of Behavioral Health. She will give a short slide presentation on available services in DC to help overcome the challenges. Hahva Gallagher is a licensed clinical social worker and a Shepherd parent to a first grader. She will have the dual role of giving perspective from both sides. If you have a question to ask, please send to info@shepherd-elementary.org. Join us here on TEAMS for the discussion … Read More