Category Archive

(View full newsletter for accompanying graphics) Dear families, Unfortunately, we have a rainy weekend in store, but rain is great for sleeping, relaxing and cleaning. My youngest comes home from college tomorrow, and everyone will be in the house with me for a brief time. I cannot wait! Speaking of cleaning, we have moved all the lost and found items to the atrium. The atrium is open to families all next week to search through the lost and found. Items are sorted by color. Any items not retrieved by next Friday will be donated. There are many, many jackets and many, many sweatshirts in those piles. We received some excellent news this week that I will share in more detail at the PTO meeting. We have significant gains in our LCP index, particularly in the Loved domain:). Family survey data held steady with neither increases nor decreases. No major changes with staff data either, but it remains low. The comparison is to DCPS.  Have a great weekend, and stay well!   Phyllis  Upcoming Events:  LSAT 5/18 4:30 pm  PTO 5/18 6:30 pm 

Dear Families, I have made a lot of decisions in my life, and the very best one was to have children. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and grandmothers in our community. I hope you enjoy a beautiful weekend with the people who love you most. We have completed PARCC testing for third and fourth graders. On Tuesday, May 10th, our fifth graders will take the PARCC. So far we only have a handful of students for make up testing — thank you! Madame Gadie’s fifth grade students performed for parents, classmates and a representative from the French Embassy this week. The students and Madame Gadie outdid themselves as usual, and having a live audience was a real treat. Thanks to all the parents who joined us. Today, some of our fifth grade girls travelled with Ms. Pereira to participate in DC Honors Chorus for a day of intensive rehearsals and recording. Thank you to Ms. Pereira who provided students with this fantastic opportunity. Once again, Happy Mother’s Day,Principal Hedlund May PTO Meeting 5/18 6:30 pmMay LSAT Meeting 5/18 4:30 pm5th grade promotion 6/22 4:30 pm

Dear Families, When I went to thank PK 4 this morning, I asked them whether they were 4 or 40 because it is hard to believe children that young were able to create such an AMAZING all-school meeting. Many thanks to Ms. Holt, Ms. Hunter, Ms. Raji and Ms. Conte for their creativity, patience and tons of hard work. Well done!! Thanks to Ms. Mack this week’s PARCC testing for third graders went off without a hitch. Next week, fourth grades will take the PARCC on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Thursday, May 5th is the PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW DAY. I am sure that the panel will find an outstanding leader for the Shepherd community. The PTO Gala is tomorrow evening, and I hope to see many of you there. It is my first in my three years of service:). Attached are some photos from Ms. Conte’s African Dance Club. Enjoy your weekend,Phyllis

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