Category Archive

Dear Shepherd families, I hope this email finds you well, and it was wonderful to speak with a number of you this week as you picked up your student’s belongings. If you would like to pick up your student’s belongings, please sign up here. Thanks to Ms. Rottman, we have a draft schedule for virtual learning. Once Superintendent Jackson approves our schedule, I will share it with families. Please know that we carefully reviewed our notes from listening sessions and incorporated your feedback. Key concepts behind the schedule include: All students have the same break and lunch times Students receive instruction from 9-3 Wednesdays will look different with specials and time for family/student check-ins The student experience will be more consistent from grade to grade and day to day and week to week Also, find the grading policy for school year 2020-2021 attached. This document was just released yesterday. SY 20-21 PreK_12_Grading Guidance.pdf I also wanted to share the policy regarding learning/pandemic pods because I have received a number of questions about scheduling students. The focus for DCPS educators is on ensuring outstanding instruction every day for every student and ensuring equity of access through materials and technology. DCPS recognizes the challenges of … Read More

Hi Shepherd families, I hope this finds you well. We are attending School Leadership Institute this week to prepare for the opening of school and are learning a lot more detailed information on the systems and structures that will be in place. Please look for more communication from me at the end of this week, and thank you for your patience. The majority of students took belongings home with them in March, but that is not the case for all of you. We will be having curbside pick up for students’ belongings from Friday, August 7 until Friday, August 14. There is a time slot for pick up in the morning and one for the afternoon. Please sign up here so we can have your student’s belongings ready for you. Thank you, Phyllis

Good afternoon Shepherd families, Today, in consideration of guidance from DC Health, Mayor Bowser announced that we will start School Year 2020-2021 virtually with all students learning at home. This will apply for all grades — Pre-K through 12 — and last at least through Term 1 from August 31 to November 6. Summer Bridge for students in grade 3 will also be virtual. You can watch this short video DCPS prepared for our students and families for additional information. You can access sample student schedules here. Now that we are no longer working with hypothetical scenarios, we can dig in and start planning for school year 2020-21, and I hope and believe it will end with us all back in the building together. I certainly would enjoy my “first” Field Day, gala and live promotion ceremony. Late spring field trips would be another bonus. We will get there! Next week, we will be attending School Leadership Institute and will learn a lot more about the resources DCPS staff has been creating for the last several months. The previews I have seen are exciting, and Shepherd staff has become seasoned virtual educators and communicators, which will make the opening of school less stressful than the … Read More

Hello Mustang families. On Thursday, we marched and drove as a community to speak out against racism and call for justice. For many of our students, it was an event they will never forget. I know I won’t. I have had many powerful and moving moments as an educator, but our walk was the most moving. We are a formidable community, and we demonstrated that in word and deed. Providing a safe space for our young students to demonstrate against racism was an important step of moving our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Progamme into action. Teachers are analyzing curricular units to devise more ways to extend learning into action, and students’ voice and choice will guide that work. Thank you to our families who made who participated, and check out our social media pages for photographs of the event. When I came on as Interim Principal last July, in my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined how school year 2019-2020 would unfold. We have been through a lot together, but through it all, we have communicated, providing feedback and changing course as necessary. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Shepherd community. Our families and staff are thoughtful, creative, action-oriented … Read More

Hello Mustang families. On Thursday, we marched and drove as a community to speak out against racism and call for justice. For many of our students, it was an event they will never forget. I know I won’t. I have had many powerful and moving moments as an educator, but our walk was the most moving. We are a formidable community, and we demonstrated that in word and deed. Providing a safe space for our young students to demonstrate against racism was an important step of moving our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Progamme into action. Teachers are analyzing curricular units to devise more ways to extend learning into action, and students’ voice and choice will guide that work. Thank you to our families who made who participated, and check out our social media pages for photographs of the event. When I came on as Interim Principal last July, in my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined how school year 2019-2020 would unfold. We have been through a lot together, but through it all, we have communicated, providing feedback and changing course as necessary. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Shepherd community. Our families and staff are thoughtful, creative, action-oriented … Read More

Good morning everyone, Across the world, people are horrified by the murder of George Floyd, a murder once again demonstrating the cruelty, injustice and indignity that Black Americans suffer. I am sickened and outraged. It is impossible to wrap your mind about what happened during that video. That someone meant to protect would kill. That these officers’ saw George Floyd so much as other that they had no value for his life. No value at all. And if it had not been captured on video, it very likely would have been business as usual. Parents worry about their children — it is what they do, but to worry that your child may be killed for jogging or walking down the street is unconscionable. I do not know what it means for my child to be viewed as suspect. I do not know that kind of worry, and that is a privilege. Systemic racism is a reality in our country, and it must be eradicated so all people can experience the fundamental rights our democracy guarantees. In my heart, I believe we can achieve that by holding people accountable for their biases and crimes, but that is a struggle that Black … Read More

Dear Families, This week we gained information from the Mayor and Chancellor on the phased re-opening of the District and the opening of school year 2020-21. At this time, DCPS continues to solicit information from families and staff about their preferences and concerns, and there will be more details to follow. Next week is the last week of school for students. Hopefully, you had the opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher last week; if not, please reach out and schedule a time or additional time if necessary. If the stay-at-home order is lifted earlier than June 8th, we will plan to close out the building during the first week of June. I will provide additional information on close out once the dates are clearer. The Academic Leadership Team will be reflecting on the last two months and designing professional development that will complement the professional development the District will provide during the second and third weeks of June. We encourage you to provide feedback to inform that process either by email or attendance at an upcoming listening session. Through our two rounds of listening sessions by grade level, we heard consistent scheduling, clear weekly/daily expectations and more instruction. Please … Read More

Dear Families, I know all of you have questions on a number of important topics: 5th grade promotion celebration, items your child may have left in school, and whether the Clever platform will be available over the summer months and school year 2020-21. Today Ms. Rottman and I will attend the School Leadership Institute, and we hope to provide you and staff with more information afterwards. Last Tuesday, I was speaking with a parent during packet pick up, and we discussed how this is a time of constant innovation cloaked in uncertainty and ambiguity. I look forward to spending time with you and your children in person soon — it has been too long. Parent teacher conferences are next Friday, May 22nd, and your homeroom teacher has been in touch about scheduling a time to talk about your student’s progress. Specials teachers are also available to speak with you. If you would like to speak with one of our Specials teachers, please see the following information for scheduling a time: Art, Carmen Garner: Hi Shepherd families! If you would like to request a conference on May 22, please contact me through e-mail at Carmen.Garner@k12.dc.gov. We can schedule a time to meet … Read More