Category Archive

Good afternoon Shepherd families and friends, As we’re getting back to normal, we’re excited to announce a few upcoming events highlighted below – the School Halloween Parade and Shepherd Fun Race. We look forward to seeing everyone back in person again soon! Reminder that we have our Oct PTO meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. Join us via TEAMS here. In this week’s PTO Bulletin… DCPS Town Hall – TONIGHT (Wed, Oct 20th) at 5 pm October PTO meeting – TONIGHT (Wed, Oct 20th) at 6:30 pm SAVE THE DATE – Halloween Parade and All School Morning Meeting on Oct 29th Shepherd’s first-ever Fun Race – Sat, Nov 13th THANKS to our PTO Committee Chairs and volunteers Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! DCPS Town Hall – October 20th Join DCPS leadership for a Town Hall on “Creating Safe Environments in DCPS” on Wednesday, Oct 20th at 5 pm. Register here. PTO Meeting TONIGHT at 6:30 pm Join us via TEAMS tonight to hear from Dr. Hedlund as she shares beginning of the year (BOY) data, details about upcoming events and committee updates. School Halloween Parade – Fri, October 29th It’s BAAACCCKKK this year! YAHOOOO! … Read More

Good evening Shepherd families and friends, As we’re getting back to normal, we’re excited to announce a few upcoming events highlighted below – Halloween Parade and Scavenger Hunt. We look forward to seeing everyone back in person again soon! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… PK3 “Coffee and Chat” with Dr. Hedlund – Tues, Oct 19th October PTO meeting – next Wednesday, Oct 20th at 6:30 pm SAVE THE DATE – Halloween Parade and All School Morning Meeting on Oct 29th What is IB? Learn more about Shepherd’s program Shepherd’s first-ever Scavenger Hunt – Sat, Nov 13th Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! DCPS Town Hall – October 20th Join DCPS leadership for a Town Hall on “Creating Safe Environments in DCPS” on Wednesday, Oct 20th at 5 pm. Register here. School Halloween Parade – Fri, October 29th It’s BAAACCCKKK this year! YAHOOOO! Save the date to come watch the cutest and best Halloween parade in the city! More details coming soon on time of the parade and costume attire. Save the date – All School Morning Meeting This month, the 4th graders will be hosting the All School Morning meeting on Friday, October 29th … Read More

Hi Shepherd families and friends – just a reminder that Parent-Teacher Conferences are Thurs, Oct 7th (no school day for kids), Fri, Oct 8th is a professional staff development day (no school for kids) and Mon, Oct 11th is a holiday for all! See everyone back on Tues, Oct 12th! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… Walk to School Day Pics Introducing Teacher Appreciation Program (TAP) Review DCPS calendar proposals for upcoming years Star Achievers Aftercare Open Board Positions Upcoming DCPS Parent University sessions Seeking PTO Committee Chairs – Facilities Improvement and Curriculum and Staff Support Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! Walk to School Day Success! YAY! The rain held off today and we were able to once again host the annual Walk to School Day! Thanks to the many walking captains, volunteers, parents, staff and students who participated! If you’ve got pics, send them our way – info@shepherd-elementary.org Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant Update Thanks to the hard work of Siri Warkentien, we’ve now got the supplies and the $3K in grant money from the Whole Kids Foundation to kick start our new Garden Club and supplement what the 2nd graders will learn … Read More

Happy Wednesday, Shepherd family! We have our first PTO meeting TODAY (Wednesday, Sept 29th) at 6:30pm. Link is below. Join us to hear from Dr. Hedlund, Dr. Brown (Shepherd’s school psychologist), updates from the Committees, and hear about upcoming plans and events for the Fall. We’d love to hear your voice and ideas too. In this week’s PTO Bulletin… Walk to School Day – Wed, Oct 6th Introducing Teacher Appreciation Program (TAP) First PTO meeting – Wed, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm Room Parent Orientation – Wed, Sept 29th at 8 pm Upcoming DCPS Parent University sessions Seeking Room Parents and PTO Committee Chairs Supporting the Annual Shepherd 180 Fund Calendar of Events AND MUCH MORE! Walk to School Day – October 6 Join us for this before school event! Either walk your normal route or meet us at one of three meet-up locations: Marvin Caplan Park at the corner of Alaska Ave. and Holly Street. Group leaves at 8:10am. Triangle Park at the corner of Luzon Ave. and Van Buren St. Group leaves at 8:00am. Lowell Field at the corner of Kalmia and 17th Streets. Group leaves at 8:10am. FIRST PTO MEETING – WED, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm … Read More

It’s BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT! We look forward to seeing everyone virtually! In this week’s PTO Bulletin… – All School Morning Meeting – this FRIDAY at 9:15 am! – Upcoming DCPS Parent University sessions – TAP a teacher program – First PTO meeting – next Wed, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm – Seeking Afterschool Club Leaders, Room Parents and PTO Committee Chairs – Supporting the annual Shepherd 180 Fund – AND MUCH MORE! THIS FRIDAY – ALL SCHOOL MORNING MEETING Be sure to join virtually this Friday, Sept 24 at 9:15 am to see the fifth graders host our first ALL SCHOOL MORNING MEETING of the school year to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Join here to watch! Upcoming DCPS Parent University Sessions Join families across the District and DCPS Central Office teams to learn how we can collaborate to enrich your child’s education. Families are encouraged to ask questions and offer solutions. Together, we will walk away with activities to try or useful information to accelerate our children’s educational development. All sessions are virtual. Sept 26 at 5:30 pm – Making the Most of Your Parent Teacher Conferences Oct 6 at 5:30 pm – Social Emotional Development and Learning During Challenging Times … Read More

We hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend and an AWESOME first week of school!  In this week’s PTO Bulletin… – Special PTO Board Election results -T-shirt sales and Uniform Swap this Friday morning! – Seeking Afterschool Club Leaders, Room Parents and PTO Committee Chairs – Supporting the annual Shepherd 180 Fund – Star Achievers Enrichment Programs Registration – AND MUCH MORE! Results from Special Election for Open PTO Board Positions We’re very excited to announce that we have a full PTO Executive Board for this school year!  Derek Musgrove was nominated and elected as Co-President and Alexis White as Assistant Treasurer.  THANKS to Derek and Alexis for stepping up to volunteer.  To see the rest of the board members for this year, check out our page on the new school website!  Our first full meeting will be virtual on Wed, Sept 29th at 6:30 pm. Shepherd T-shirt Sales and Uniform Swap this FRIDAY Morning! We’ll be out in front of the school selling Shepherd spirit gear and hosting the uniform swap this Friday morning – Sept 11!  We’ll have some new and older t-shirt designs for sale, and can take cash or cards. Save yourself from the white … Read More

Happy First Week of School! And a BIG welcome to the PK students starting TOMORROW!  Look for your special WELCOME sign right out by the PK class entrance.  In this week’s Bulletin… – Special PTO Board Election results – PTO selling new Shepherd t-shirts THIS Friday morning – Volunteer opps – Seeking Afterschool Club Leaders, Room Parents – Supporting the annual Shepherd 180 Fund – Star Achievers Enrichment Programs Registration – Shepherd Wins New Garden Grant from Whole Kids Foundation – Immunization clinics at schools around us – AND MUCH MORE! Seeking Leaders for Afterschool Clubs Are you a gardening enthusiast wanting to pass on your green thumb? Do you love teaching your children how to cook or bake? Have a special hobby that you love to share with others? Consider leading an afterschool club for students this school year! Interested Shepherd community members should contact Dr. Hedlund directly with your club ideas at Phyllis.Hedlund@k12.dc.gov. Please note that anyone wishing to volunteer at Shepherd must complete the DCPS Clearance process before a club can be initiated. Shepherd Awarded Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant Thanks to the amazing grant writing by Siri Warkentien, we were able to secure a garden grant … Read More

Less than a week until we have all of our Mustangs back in the classroom. HOORAY!  Here are a few key updates to help you kick off the new school year.  In this week’s Bulletin, you’ll find: – Dates and times for the school open house sessions TOMORROW (Fri, Aug 27th) – Reminder for the final “Back to School” playdate on Sun, Aug 29th at 1 pm  – Reopen Strong info and links to Medical and Dental forms required for all students by DCPS  – Link to our new, updated SCHOOL WEBSITE! – Tips and articles from Dr. Brown (our amazing school psychologist) on transitioning back to school  – Parent Volunteer Opportunities – Welcome Ambassadors for New Families and After School Club Leaders – AND MUCH MORE! See you all on Friday, Shepherd PTO Board Open Houses this FRIDAY! Come join us to meet your teacher and see your classroom on Friday, Aug 27, Below is the schedule for the day so we can better manage safety for all: PK4 students – come from 1-2 pm PK3 students – come from 2-3 pm Kinder-5th grade students – those with last names beginning with A-L should come from 3-3:30 pm; and those with last … Read More

It’s almost the last week of SUMMER! Here’s all the info to help you gear up for the start of the new school year. In this newsletter, you’ll find: School re-opening info from DCPS  Tips and articles from Dr. Brown (our amazing school psychologist) on transitioning back to school  Reminders about Sunday’s Playdate and Garden Clean Up  Dates and times for the school open houses on Fri, Aug 27 Volunteer opps – PTO Audit Committee, Parent Equity Panel, Welcome Ambassadors for New Families and Club leaders Immunization clinics at schools around us AND MUCH MORE! Don’t miss out on the latest news from Shepherd PTO! Our AtoZ Connect database has been updated to the newest version powered by Membership Toolkit. In order to keep you on the PTO email roster, we need all parents to re-register in AtoZ as soon as possible to confirm contact info. Please create your family’s new account here, ideally using the same email you used for your initial AtoZ registration. You will then receive a verification email that you must acknowledge within 2 hours in order to authorize your account. See you all real soon! Shepherd PTO Board School Supplies and Class Lists Just a reminder … Read More

Happy Almost-Back-to-School time! Welcome new and returning families – we can’t wait to see you and your children in real life again soon. This email is packed full of key info – school calendar of events, Back to School events, School Beautification Day info, Shepherd gear updates, uniform swap, and PTO volunteer opportunities! Don’t miss out on the latest news from Shepherd PTO! Our AtoZ Connect database has been updated to the newest version powered by Membership Toolkit. In order to keep you on the PTO email roster, we need all parents to re-register in AtoZ as soon as possible to confirm contact info. Please create your family’s new account here, ideally, using the same email you used for your initial AtoZ registration. You will then receive a verification email that you must acknowledge within 2 hours in order to authorize your account. See you all real soon! Shepherd PTO Board School Community Beautification Project – Jonquil Hill “Clearing” and Garden Clean-upMembers of the Shepherd community will come together on Sunday, August 22 from 10am-2 pm to clear the hill on the Jonquil St. side of the building and to perform other garden clean-up projects. As they say, “many hands … Read More