Category Archive

Good afternoon Shepherd families, On Monday, April 18, students are to take the easy to use, at-home test and follow the instructions provided. Families may choose to utilize your own testing option, but tests administered before April 18 will not be accepted. Upload your test results the same day. Provide proof of your test results to dcpsreopenstrong.com/safereturn by Monday, April 18 at 9 PM. Coming out of Spring Break, I have some important staffing announcements: Ms. Scott will be the new Shepherd librarian for SY22-23.  Mr. Morris will be the CES teacher for grades 3-5. Ms. Zepeda is back as of today!!!!! Ms. Deane will teach Art for the remainder of this school year.  Ms. Hernandez will teach Spanish for the rest of the school year. Mr. Hernandez is on leave. AP Phillips will not be returning as Assistant Principal next year. Thank you for your service to our community. We are almost fully staffed for next school year. We are still in search of a custodian and 6 instructional aides for our CES classrooms. Thank you for your support, Principal Hedlund April 19th         3rd grade Coffee and Conversation  April 2oth        Faculty Meeting  April 20th         LSAT 4:30 pm  April 20th    … Read More

Dear Shepherd Families, Today was the 1st grade marketplace, which provide hands-on experience in economics. Parents and fifth graders (and, of course, our fantastic 1st grade team) were there to support their learning. Check it out! Thank you for the kind emails and texts that I received today. I am taking a year to pursue a creative project and determine in what capacity I would like to return to education. When you lead the best school in town, there is no other school to go to. Erin Scott, fifth grade teacher, will be the new librarian at Shepherd Elementary. With her deep knowledge of IB and STEM expertise, Ms. Scott will be a valued thought partner across grade and content areas. Thank you for taking on this role that will enhance the learning experience of all students. We are excited to see what you will do!! Attached is information for our i-Ready challenge in Math and ELA for students in K-5. The challenge starts on 4/11-4/30. Top performers will be invited to an all-school celebration!! Please enjoy the break and time with family and friends. We will see you on April 19th. Principal Hedlund April 11-15 Spring Break April 18th … Read More

Dear Families, This week fifth graders wowed us at their Science Fair. They taught us so much. I learned which water bottle will keep my water the coldest. I learned about impact of disposable diapers. I learned which light will make marigolds grow most quickly. I learned the impact of energy drinks on speed. I learned which surface grew the most bacteria. I learned what type of balloon to buy if longevity is key. I learned that tap water has more bacteria than rainwater. Their projects were creative, thoughtful, well-researched and beautifully presented. As a former middle school teacher and principal, I can safely safe that these projects would have earned high grades as eighth grade projects. Many thanks to Ms. Caola who coordinated this opportunity for our students to shine. We continue to experience behavior incidents and have made some shifts in structures and systems in response. Please continue to discuss what it means to be a good friend and community member. Remind them when to seek help from adults. Review strategies for remaining calm in a crisis or when things do not go their way. If you find out any information you think you should share, please contact … Read More

Dear Families, Spring has sprung at Shepherd Elementary, and students are enjoying a comfortable outdoor recess. In the last several weeks, we have seen an uptick in behavior incidents. Please spend some time over the weekend speaking with your student about what it means to be a good friend and community member. Remind them when to seek help from adults. Review strategies for remaining calm in a crisis or when things do not go their way. If you find out any information you think you should share, please contact me. I can only address issues when I know about them. Thank you, as always, for your partnership. Thank you so much to everyone who completed our Panorama survey! We have reached our goal, and I will share the results with you as soon as we receive them. Ms. McIntyre’s 10th Annual Toiletry Drive in honor of Women’s History Month, which benefits DASH Safe Housing Alliance, ends on Thursday. Please donate toiletries in the bins in between the doors at the man entrance. Have a great week! Phyllis Dates to remember: April 5th – Deal Feeder School Chat for Shepherd 5th grade families at 6:30 pm April 11-15 – Spring Break … Read More

Dear Families, I hope you enjoyed your weekend and the warmer weather. I was able to see the cherry blossoms on my way to the East Potomac Park yesterday, and all the tourists who were in town to see them too. It definitely seemed like old times. Please pardon the delay with this week’s newsletter. My youngest was back from college for Spring Break, and I tried to spend all my non-Shepherd time with him until I dropped him at the airport this evening. The Panorama family survey window is open, and I encourage every family to complete the survey. You can find it here. At this point, we have 180 responses, which means we need 20 more responses to meet our Comprehensive School Plan (CSP) goal of maintaining or increasing the parent participation rate of 69% survey participation rate from last year. Please know that the data from the survey informs our Comprehensive School Plan, and your participation matters a lot. Ms. McIntyre’s 10th Annual Toiletry Drive in honor of Women’s History Month, which benefits DASH Safe Housing Alliance, is in full swing. Please donate toiletries in the bins in between the doors at the man entrance. Have a … Read More