Category Archive

Dear Shepherd Families,Welcome to school year 2019-20! I am so excited to serve as the Interim Principal at Shepherd and am grateful to the families and community members whom I have already met for their warm welcome and invaluable assistance this summer. For the last five years, I served as the Chief Academic Officer at E.L. Haynes PCS. Prior to that, I worked as teacher educator and curriculum developer for Urban Teacher and Capital Teachers Residency programs. Over the course of my career, I have taught fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, eleventh and twelfth grades and worked as an elementary, middle and high school principal. I trained to be a principal at Francis Junior High School and earned my M.A. and Ed.D at The George Washington University. I am thrilled to be back in a traditional public school system. All three of my children attended DCPS schools.Throughout my career, increasing equity and building connections among students, their families and school have motivated my work. When I started my career, tracking dominated schools, particularly at the secondary level. Students in different tracks had distinctly different educational experiences with students in the “lower” tracks receiving less or zero access to the high status … Read More

Dr. Harold Barber – New Principal Dr. Harold Barber has been selected as the new principal of Shepherd! Dr. Barber holds a Bachelor of Sociology from Frostburg State University along with two master’s degrees and a Doctor of Urban Education Leadership from Bowie State University. His first day will be Tuesday, July 2nd. Congratulations A group of Shepherd fourth graders won the Peer Positive Power Challenge for a video they created with Ms. Browne and Mr. Garner for The Music in Me Foundation International. Honorable Mention Congratulations Luke Commodore, Derek Daniels, Sala Queen, Timothy Snow, and Addisen Suber for receiving Honorable Mention in the 31st Annual “Celebration of Youth” essay contest sponsored by Global Harmony Through Personal Excellence, Inc. Field Day Field Day will be on Tuesday, June 11th. Students are welcome to wear their Field Day t-shirts! International Day International Day will take place on Wednesday, June 12th. Awards Day Awards Day will take place on Thursday, June 13th. The K-2 assembly will begin at 9:30 and the grades 3-4 assembly will begin at 10:30. Last Day of SY18-19 The last day of the school year is Friday, June 14th. Enrollment Season Thank you to all of the families … Read More

Fifth Grade Exhibition Our fifth graders will present their culminating projects on Thursday, May 30th from 5:00 – 7:00pm. Fifth Grade Promotion The fifth grade promotional exercise will take place on Friday, June 7th in the multi-purpose room at 9:30am. Field Day Field Day will be on Tuesday, June 11. If you would like to volunteer to run a station or contribute water or popsicles, please contact Mr. Langrock at Jeff.langrock@dc.gov or sign up here – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e4eaeae29a1fc1-shepherd1. International Day International Day will take place on Wednesday, June 12. Awards Day Awards Day will take place on Thursday, June 13. Last Day of SY18-19 The last day of the school is Friday, June 14. Enrollment Season Thank you to all of the families that have registered for next school year! Currently, 58% of our students are registered for SY19-20. Our goal is 85% by June 1st. The enrollment packet, which includes forms located online at http://enrolldcps.dc.gov, should be completed and presented to Mrs. Brooks along with proof of residency. The first class to register 100% of returning students for SY19-20 will receive extra recess! 2019-2020 School Calendar The calendar for the 2019-2020 school year is available: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY19-20%20Calendar.pdf OTHER UPCOMING DATESTeacher Breakfast … Read More

PARCC Testing Third through fifth grade students will take PARCC this week. Students will take one unit each day for up to 90 minutes. Attendance is extremely important on these days. Please support your child by making sure they are on-time, well rested and have a healthy breakfast. Field Day Field Day will be on Tuesday June 11th. If you would like to volunteer to run a station please contact Mr. Langrock at Jeff.langrock@dc.gov or Karen Sloan at info@shepherd-elementary.org. Enrollment Season Thank you to all of the families that have registered for next school year! The enrollment packet, which includes forms located online at http://enrolldcps.dc.gov, should be completed and presented to Mrs. Brooks along with proof of residency. The first class to register 100% of returning students for SY19-20 will receive extra recess! 2019-2020 School Calendar The calendar for the 2019-2020 school year is available: Summer School The dates for summer school are Monday, June 24th – Friday, July 26th, from 8:00 – 1:00pm. Our students have been assigned to Bancroft ES, 1755 Newton Street, NW. If you would like to register your child for a different summer site than the one assigned, register your child for the assigned summer … Read More

15th Annual Spring Gala Thank you everyone who was able to attend and support Saturday’s gala. This year’s event was a HUGE success! Teacher Appreciation Week – May 6-10 This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Join me in showing our wonderful teachers how much we appreciate their service and commitment to our school community. The PTA has some events planned this week, but please show your own teachers how much you appreciate all that they do! PARCC Testing Third grade students will take the ELA portion of PARCC this week. Students will take one unit each day for up to 90 minutes. Attendance is extremely important on these days. Please support your child by making sure they are on-time, well rested and have a healthy breakfast. Congratulations Catherine Foss Catherine Foss won the 2019 Law Day Contest sponsored by the National Capitol Lawyers Auxiliary. Catherine will read her essay at the Supreme Court on May 10th. Congratulations Aasha Rocca Aasha Rocca was selected the 2019 Elementary World Language Student of the Year for her outstanding work and joy of language learning. Aasha will receive her award at the 2019 DCPS World Language Festival at Deal MS on May 11th in … Read More

Greetings Shepherd Family, It is with many emotions that I write to inform you that this will be my last year as principal at Shepherd Elementary. My decision to leave was extremely difficult, however, I am looking forward to spending more time with my growing family. Our school community continues to grow as a school of choice for families all over the District. Since 2015, Shepherd Elementary has experienced many successes including an increase in PARCC scores in both ELA and math by more than 10 percentage points as well as an increase in access to technology by tripling the number of laptops. From learning sight words to converting fractions to decimals, it has been a pleasure watching your children learn and grow academically, emotionally, and socially in order to achieve our shared vision of global citizenship. Over the last four years, Shepherd Elementary has explored many bold initiatives: Shepherd Electives, including digital photography, service learning, and reader’s theatre Young Man, Let’s Talk Mentoring Group Home Visits for new families through the Family Engagement Collaborative Student-led conferences Grahams with Grands The Shepherd Elementary staff is extremely committed to our school community—the level of talent is inspiring. They have helped me to … Read More

Hi Mustangs! I hope everyone enjoyed a delightful spring break! PARCC Practice Tests Our third through fifth graders will participate in practice PARCC testing Tuesday, April 23rd and Wednesday, April 24th. Please make sure your child is well rested and eats a healthy breakfast. PARCC Tests Third through fifth grade students will take the actual PARCC tests in grades 3-5 from April 22-May 24 on the following days by grade level: 3rd – 5th grade: PARCC Practice Tests, ELA and Math (April 22 – 26) 3rd grade: ELA (May 6-10), Math (May 20 -24) 4th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13-17) 5th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13-17) There are three days of English Language Arts (up to 90 minutes each), three days of math (up to 60 minutes each) and 2 days of science (up to 90 minutes each). Fourth grade has an extra ELA day due to a field test. Schools are not informed about which section will contain the field test. Attendance is extremely important on these days, so we want to make sure you have the schedule ahead. For practice opportunities and general information, please visit here. https://parcc-assessment.org/parent-resources/. … Read More

First Annual Health and Wellness Fair Thank you for making Shepherd’s first Health and Wellness Fair a SUCCESS! From massages to kickboxing, there was something for everyone. Bravo Zulu Chess Team – Mid–Atlantic Champions Congratulations to Shepherd Star Achievers’ Chess Team, Bravo Zulu! Bravo Zulu has competed in tournaments in Baltimore and Virginia, earning recognition for their professionalism and sportsmanship. The March Madness Box Tops CONTEST WINNERS! Thank you to all of the participants in our March Madness Box Tops Challenge! Congratulations to the following winners: First Place – Ms. Holt’s and Ms. Lewis’ Pre-K4 classes Second Place – Mr. Mack’s third grade class Third Place – Ms. Carney’s Kindergarten class Enrollment Season Time to enroll for School Year 19-20! The enrollment packet, which includes forms located online at http://enrolldcps.dc.gov, should be completed and presented to Mrs. Brooks along with proof of residency. The first class to register 100% of returning students for SY19-20 will receive extra recess! No School – Thursday, April 4th Thursday, April 4th is a professional development day for teachers. There is no school for students. No School – Friday, April 5th Friday, April 5th is a 1/2 Records Day and 1/2 professional development day for … Read More

PARCC Tests The PARCC assessments are designed to give schools and teachers more information to improve instruction. Moreover, PARCC is designed to let parents know how their child is progressing academically. DCPS administers the PARCC Assessment in grades 3-5 at the elementary level. For your planning purposes, students will take the PARCC tests in grades 3-5 from April 22-May 24 on the following days by grade level: 3rd – 5th grade: PARCC Practice Tests, ELA and Math (April 22 – 26) 3rd grade: ELA (May 6-10), Math (May 20 -24) 4th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13- 17) 5th grade: ELA (April 29 – May 3), Math (May 13- 17) There are three days of English Language Arts (up to 90 minutes each), three days of math (up to 60 minutes each) and 2 days of science (up to 90 minutes each). Fourth grade has an extra ELA day due to a field test. Schools are not informed about which section will contain the field test. Attendance is extremely important on these days, so we want to make sure you have the schedule ahead. For practice opportunities and general information, please visit here. https://parcc-assessment.org/parent-resources/ 2019-2020 School … Read More

Thank You Fourth Grade Families The staff was truly appreciative for Monday morning’s fare, especially the coffee! We cannot thank you enough. Young American Poetry Digest Congratulations are in order for the following Shepherd third graders in Mr. Clayborn’s class for their original haikus: Dalia Bolanos, Ellison Doomes, Callum Gray, Zuri Relayo, Makayla Jones, Riley Greenwood, James Walker, and Carmen Garner! Their poems will be published in the Young American Poetry Digest publication. Belgium Day It was quite a pleasure to host the Ambassador, his wife and various volunteers (including a Smurf!) from the Embassy of Belgium. Our guests made traditional cookies, played soccer and created comic strips with our students through our partnership with the Embassy Adoption Program. DCPS Panorama Survey Each year DCPS uses the Panorama Survey to measure social emotional learning, satisfaction, and engagement across staff, families, and students. Our third through fifth graders completed the survey last week and parents are encouraged to participate as well. It takes only 5-10 minutes. The survey can be accessed at bit.ly/dcpsfamily. The survey will remain open until March 29th. March Madness Box Tops The following classes will advance to the next round of our Box Tops competition: Ms. McIntyre, … Read More