Good morning Shepherd families, We’re SOLD OUT NOW and are going to have to even use 2 days! To those who’ve signed up, more details coming soon re: time slots and date options for the mini sessions. We’re also closely watching the weather for Saturday – really, really hoping we don’t have rain! If you didn’t get in this time, we’re looking to do another photo session in the Spring. Stay tuned. BUT…you can still support our efforts AND get something for the holidays! We’re excited to be working with Lynch Creek Farms again this year to do online ordering and direct home delivery of holiday wreaths and greens for the season. Their products are lovely and anyone across the country can order items and help support Shepherd PTO. Share with your family and friends near and far! Every time someone shops for holiday decor through our group’s fundraising page, Shepherd PTO will receive 15% of the purchase! Help us meet our $1000 goal and make purchases online at https://www.lynchcreekfundraising.com/c/253742. Happy Holidays! Shepherd Exec Board
IB Newsletter
UPCOMING EVENTSStay up-to-date on all upcoming IB events December – Human Rights MonthDecember 7th-9th – IB EvaluationDecember 4th –Classrooms Going GlobalDecember 11th –Classrooms Going GlobalDecember 16th – Register for Step Afrika Holiday MusicalDecember 18th –Classrooms Going Global FEATURED IB FAMILY CONNECTION RESOURCE Human Rights Family Activities!Here are some ideas for simple yet meaningful ways for your family to celebrate the rights and responsibilities that we all share as human beings. IB PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY AND IB POLICIES Click here IB LEARNER ATTRIBUTE OF THE MONTH: RISK-TAKER Click here APPROACH TO LEARNING OF THE MONTH: SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS Click here for family resource WE NEED PARENT INTERVIEWEES FOR OUR UPCOMING IB EVALUATION 🙂 Click here to volunteer HAS YOUR CHILD TAKEN ACTION IN HIS OR HER COMMUNITY? Click here to nominate your child for an IB award Shepherd’s Virtual IB Programme Overview VideoWatch this video to find out more about Shepherd’s Virtual IB Programme!
PTO Bulletin
RE-OPEN COMMUNITY CORPS SURVEY FOR SHEPHERD PARENTS Please take some time to fill out this important survey to inform Shepherd’s Elementary reopening plans. The deadline is 12/4. It will only take a few minutes. Happy Thanksgiving! Click here to complete the survey. Tómese un tiempo para completar esta importante encuesta para informar los planes de reapertura de Shepherd’s Elementary. La fecha límite es el 4 de diciembre. Solo te llevará unos minutos. ¡Feliz día de acción de gracias! Clic aqui “Porchtrait” Family Photo PTO Fundraiser – Sat, Dec 5 We’re bringing back holiday family photo sessions this year – but with a twist! Our photographer, AJ, will come to your home and do pics on your porch, back yard or front yard. You’ll pay the sitting fee as a donation to the PTO and then purchase pics from the photog directly. Photos will be ready about a week after they’re taken. DATE: Sat, Dec 5th TIME: 15-min sessions will start at 10 am – everyone will be scheduled based on your location so we can minimize travel time for the photographer and you’ll find out a few days before the event your specific time slot. COST: $50 sitting fee (donation to … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
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
PTO Bulletin
PTO meeting – TONIGHT at 6:30 pm via TEAMS. Click here to join. Agenda: Updates from Dr. Hedlund Shepherd IB Evaluation Update – Ms. Mack PTO Meeting minutes review – Sara Faulman PTO Budget review – Andrea Smith and Karen Sloan Upcoming Fundraising – PTO team Parent Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) update – Meaghan Mountford Questions? Closing – next meeting is Wed, Dec 16th at 6:30 pm GIVING TUESDAY – Tuesday, Dec 1 Take advantage of your employer match or give a little extra this holiday season to help us prepare for the unexpected and ensure our students and staff have what they need this year. Please consider giving to Shepherd’s 180 Fund this Giving Tuesday. Shepherd PTO EIN number is 47-0879109. The PTO has recently purchased touchless thermometers and docu-scanners to aid in virtual learning to support teachers and staff this school year. We would appreciate your support for the 180 Fund this year. Click here to donate. Annual DCPS Ed Fest – Dec 12th Come help us talk with prospective parents about Shepherd at this year’s virtual event. If you can volunteer some time to be in our “booth”, please let Ms. Mack know – [email protected]. Date: Saturday, December 12, 2020 Time: … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
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
PTO Bulletin
Updates from Dr. Hedlund Our staff is continuing to engage in professional development and deepen our knowledge of social emotional learning. We’ve recently spent time exploring the relevancy of the five love languages in school. As a staff, we are deeply invested in ensuring your students feel loved while they are in our care. Ms. Browne, our social worker, defined different types of bullying that occur in school and strategies to prevent bullying. Ms. Mack, our IB Coordinator, began preparing us for our IB re-accreditation evaluation, which will occur virtually in early December. Finally, Ms. Bosman, our Central office team member for Special Education, spoke with us about the eligibility process for special education and service delivery. Last Friday, the faculty spent time grading and writing student comments for report cards. This week you will receive an email about parent portal access in Aspen. I wrote about this earlier this fall in several newsletters asking families to contact me if they did not want access to the portal. You will have the capability to review grades through the portal, but will also receive paper report cards in the mail. More specific information will follow from DCPS this week. Last week, … Read More
IB Newsletter
Shepherd’s Virtual IB Programme Overview VideoWatch this video to find out more about Shepherd’s Virtual IB Programme! Join us on Wednesday, October 28th at 5pm as we celebrate the work completed by DCPS students related to the global pandemic! Click Here to Register for the Living Through History Showcase! UPCOMING EVENTSStay up-to-date on all upcoming IB events September 15th-October 15th- Hispanic Heritage Month Friday, October 2nd- IB Learner Profile Attribute Kick-Off Friday, October 9th- Parent Teacher Conference Day Monday, October 12th- Indigenous Peoples’ Day Friday, October 16th- Classrooms Going Global Morning Meeting Friday, October 23rd- Classrooms Going Global Morning Meeting Wednesday, October 28th at 5 pm- Living Through History Showcase Friday, October 30th- Classrooms Going Global Morning Meeting FEATURED IB FAMILY CONNECTION RESOURCE Living Through History Family Activities!DCPS Families, like yours, are an integral part of the Living Through History Cornerstone. As students explore different perspectives, both personal and societal, these activities have been designed for families to participate in the cornerstone by creating your own artifacts and contributing your individual perspective to this project.READ MORE IB PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY Click Here ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SUPORRTING SHEPHERD’S IB PROGRAMME? Click Here HAS YOUR CHILD TAKEN ACTION IN HIS OR … Read More
PTO Bulletin
VIRTUAL Shepherd Halloween Parade!! In lieu of our annual school parade, the PTO will host a “virtual parade!” We’ll collect photos of kiddos in their costumes for a slideshow for our website and for Facebook, so our community can share those amazing, creative, and spooky costumes! Please send a photo of your costumed kiddo to [email protected] anytime between now and Monday, Nov 2. A NOTE FROM THE WASHINGTON TEACHERS UNION On November 9th, DC Public Schools (DCPS) plans to begin offering in-person classes for 7,000 students. While we understand the desire to return students to our classrooms, we, as teachers, do not believe the plan put forward by the city is in the best interest of students and our community. Teachers believe that every school community must receive clear, transparent information on how we’ll be safe before we return to our school buildings. To date, DCPS has refused to share detailed information about the improvements they’ve made to ensure the air we’ll breathe in our classrooms is healthy and free of the coronavirus. They have not provided clear protocols or information on the protections that will be in place for your students and for us, as teachers. The DCPS plan to reopen schools … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Hi Shepherd family, Just a reminder about the two virtual meetings tonight relating to the DCPS Re-opening Plans: 5:00 – Update from Mayor Bowser and the Chancellor 6:30 – Parent Huddle with Dr. Hedlund Call-in details are below. Tele-town Hall with Mayor Bowser – TODAY at 5 pm Please join the Bowser Administration for a Telephone Townhall on the DCPS Reopening Plan. This call will focus on facility and operations readiness details on how we are prioritizing health and safety while preparing our educational campuses for in-person learning. Wednesday, October 28, 2020 5:00 p.m. Dial-in: 844-881-1314 mayor.dc.gov/live This event can also be streamed live on DCN Channel 16, Twitter, and Facebook Parent Huddle with Dr. Hedlund – TODAY at 6:30 pm Right after the Mayor’s Update, Dr. Hedlund with share any more info she has relating to Shepherd and will answer questions as she can. Join here.