Category Archive

Good afternoon families, Thank you to families that supported the IB reaccreditation process. The visit was a resounding success, and reviewers commented on how well prepared and organized we were. On Wednesday, they shared their preliminary feedback on a call with me, Ms. Mack and Ms. Rottman, none of which was surprising to us. We should be receiving the written evaluation report in a few weeks — more to come. Kindergarten CARE is off and running. Ms. Rottman and Ms. Mack have created an aesthetically pleasing, socially distanced space, and Ms. Rottman organized student supplies, paperwork and materials to perfection. Thank you Mr. Verastegui, Mr. Henderson, Ms. Jones, Ms. Mack and Ms. Rottman for making it happen. The children are so excited to come to school, and life is much brighter with their presence in the building. Thank you to all of you who are participating in EdFest tomorrow. It is a lot to ask of people to volunteer on a Saturday in December, yet we always have people who do. You are greatly appreciated. I also want to commend all of you working on the Reopening Community Corps. Members of the Corps have been submitted options and plans this week, and … Read More

Good afternoon Shepherd Families, Our Kindergarten CARE classroom opens on Wednesday, December 9th with Mr. Verastegui and Mr. Henderson and Ms. Jackson from Alice Deal MS. Thank you so much for the tremendous response to our Term 3 Reopening Survey. We have over 300 responses. This data will inform the Reopening Community Corps’ work. At this point we have had two meetings with two to go to draft our plan. The Corps will report out to the Shepherd community in early January. Thank you to all who are participating in this work. Attached please find work from Elinor Foley, a student in Ms. McIntyre’s class. She presents it as an exemplar of grade 2 IB students taking action. Elinor’s submission was completely unsolicited. Her dedication to this subject matter, as well as her display of the risk taker and knowledgeable learner profile is noteworthy. It is particularly timely to showcase as our IB reaccreditation team is conducting its evaluation next week virtually with students, staff and families. Wish us luck, and please send good wishes Ms. Mack’s way. Her tireless dedication to the process, her flexibility with working with others and her ingenuity make her a fantastic addition to the … Read More

Good evening families, We are almost at Thanksgiving Break — a well-earned respite from screens, mute buttons, chats and participant lists. We are on the verge of saying goodbye to 2020, and even though it has tested us, we continue to be reminded of how much for which we are grateful. When I count my blessings on Thursday, all of you will be among them. I am so thankful for the warmth, support, compassion and commitment of our community.  This week, we received some ELA achievement date and the results of the Student Panorama survey. Beginning of the year data for ELA conveys that students are performing at approximately the same level at BOY as they did in SY 2019-20. Although Shepherd saw a decrease of 6% in Dibels (K-2), which measures early literacy, for 20-21 BOY, there was a 2% increase in TRC (K-1), which measures fluency and comprehension, and a 7% increase in RI (2), which measures comprehension. The Student Panorama data, which is collected through a survey of students in grades 3, 4 and 5, demonstrated that virtual relationships, though not what we desire, are working, and Shepherd continues to make gains in making its students feel love, challenged and … Read More

Good afternoon families, It has been a lot of fun visiting with families during materials pick up today. Your support, praise for our staff and positivity were so uplifting. Thank you! I know we are all frustrated with the uncertainty and responsibilities that the pandemic has brought, but I feel so fortunate to be a part of a community that remains steadfast and upbeat in such challenging times. It is a gift. It was a big week here at Shepherd! The Mayor and Chancellor were here on Tuesday. The Mayor led a ribbon cutting for the community center. Then the Chancellor and the Mayor led a walk through of our facility for the media. Yesterday, the Mayor’s Office came to film a short piece on our facility improvements, which I hosted. I will share the link as soon as I get it:). As you know, Shepherd will not open a CARE classroom next week. As the Chancellor noted in his email, more schools will phase in CARE classrooms in the weeks to come. I will provide as much information as possible at the PTA meeting on Wednesday. I look forward to seeing you then. I am hopeful about the efficacy … Read More