Dear DCPS Community, Since the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency, DC Public Schools has remained grounded in the firm belief that to best serve students furthest from opportunity, learning should take place in the classroom with clear safety precautions. This is a responsibility we take very seriously, and we would not present school reopening plans that did not prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of our students, staff, and families. While our current reopening plans are focused on elementary schools, our health and safety commitments apply to anyone who may return to the classroom. We cannot reopen our schools without our educators. DCPS has engaged in more than 100 hours of discussions with the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) around reopening plans, including health and safety matters. We will continue to act in good faith with everyone, including the WTU, to ensure students are able to access high-quality instruction and the resources they need and deserve. Earlier today, I joined Mayor Bowser to detail how DCPS will implement all health and safety precautions for school reopening outlined by DC Health, as well as additional safeguards recommended by our union partners. You can review our full presentation here (begins on … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Thanks to the MANY parents, teachers and staff who joined the PTO call tonight. As promised, here are a few follow up items: Sharing Your Concerns on the Reopening Plans Friday, Oct 23 will be a rally/alternative hearing hosted by the WTU in front of the John A. Wilson building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW) in downtown DC at 2:30 pm. Masks are required and please maintain social distancing. You can also submit a question or statement you would’ve shared had there been an official Council hearing. Click here to share with the WTU. Also, email your statement to Chairman Mendelson at pmendelson@dccouncil.us and CM Brandon Todd at btodd@dccouncil.us. A few issues to bring up: online class sizes when some teachers are back in the classroom (particularly how smaller schools will be impacted), how testing will be handled for all going in person, and how to ensure schools have all the gear, materials, and updated HVAC systems and working water fountains, soap dispensers, dedicated space for those with symptoms, etc. Support Our Shepherd 180 Fund We’d love your support in lieu of Fall Fest and the many other fundraisers we’d be doing this fall. 180 accounts for 180 days of school for our kids, so it means … Read More
PTO Bulletin
PTO MEETING TOMORROW – Wed, Oct 21 at 6:30 pm We’ll dedicate a full 30 mins to a conversation with Dr. Hedlund about the DCPS School Reopening plan, process and next steps. To expedite the Q&A, please send your questions in advance to info@shepherd-elementary.org by 3 pm tomorrow (Wed, Oct 21). Join the virtual meeting on Teams here. Support the 180 Fund in lieu of Fall Fest The 180 Fund is Shepherd PTO’s annual fundraiser that supports the many things the PTO covers each year – classroom supplies, STEM materials, field trips, in-school performances, annual Jazz Night, Camp Fair, Movie Nights, Beautification Day, support for our sports and academic teams, etc. The 180 Fund will allow us to rise up to meet the unexpected challenges we are presented and meet our goal to provide a safe and stable environment for our students, staff, teachers and families. We would normally be planning and hosting the annual Fall Fest FUNdraiser – a super fun, community-building festival out in front of Shepherd with dunk tanks, climbing walls, carnival games, face painting and treats…but given the circumstances, we’d appreciate your support for the 180 Fund this year. Buy your Shepherd Gear online now! We’ve got a new online store set … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Families, Ms. Rottman and I continue to prepare for the reopening of school. Next week, the custodians will set up socially distanced classrooms and place decals to maintain distance in common areas. Student selection begins next week as well, and we will be reaching out to families who are offered a spot to confirm their enrollment decisions. And virtual school continues. I visited a variety of math classrooms today and observed your children discussing terminating decimals, counting to nine and making true number sentences. Students and teachers are working hard regardless of their learning environment, and I commend their efforts, perseverance and ability to make the best out of a tough situation. Thank you for all of your efforts to support distance learning. I know it is challenging to be responsible for your work and your children’s work, and you keep your home running too. I look forward to the day when we can look back on all of this and wonder how we did it. Until then, I am grateful for your patience, grace and most of all for your children who give us all hope, inspiration and light. Enjoy your weekend! Phyllis Kids Ride Free Cards If you … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Attention all NEW families to Shepherd This Thursday, October 16th from 6:30-7:30 pm, we will be hosting an informal Zoom meet-up with families who are new to Shepherd. We’ll do some introductions, answer questions, and try to establish some connections by grade level. If you are interested in attending, please email Caroline Smith (mom to Henry, grade 4) at mrthbtn@gmail.com for the link. Congrats to our new PTO Board Members and LSAT representatives! Liz Bradley and Taryn Losch-Beridon win, PTO Co-Presidents Ayana McIntosh wins, PTO Vice President Karen Sloan wins, PTO Treasurer Andrea Smith wins, PTO Assistant Treasurer Sara Faulman wins, PTO Recording Secretary Sara Faulman, Dominic Ju, and Tina Moss win, Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) Member OPEN – LSAT Member (taking nominations at the Oct 21 PTO meeting) OPEN – Corresponding Secretary (taking nominations at the Oct 21 PTO meeting) Support the 180 Fund in lieu of Fall Fest The 180 Fund is Shepherd PTO’s annual fundraiser that supports the many things the PTO covers each year – classroom supplies, STEM materials, field trips, in-school performances, annual Jazz Night, Camp Fair, Movie Nights, Beautification Day, support for our sports and academic teams, etc. However, this year our school year looks much different than in the past. Despite our … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Hi Shepherd families, I hope you all enjoyed this long fall weekend and took time to rest, relax, and have fun. Ms. Rottman and I have been filling out templates, attending webinars, visiting classroom simulations and thinking through logistics for November 9th. We hope to have more information to share this week. In the meantime, please read the following items carefully and respond if applicable. Your responses will assist our planning. With gratitude, Phyllis Parent Portal DCPS is activating Parent Portal for families to view student attendance and receive published report cards starting with Term 1. Please respond to this email only if you do not want Portal Access. If you agree to participate, you will receive an email the first week of November with information on how to login and use Parent Portal to view 1st Semester grades. Siblings with Different Last Names If your family has siblings with different last names, please let us know their names immediately. This will help us plan live instruction since DCPS is striving to keep siblings together if they are physically in school.
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Families, This week we concluded our Back to School Nights. Thank you to all of you who attended and provided your support and feedback. We have made some adjustments based on your input. Please continue to let us know how things are going. Today we will have our final pick up for PK-5 students. Please come to Shepherd if you have not yet picked up supplies or any essential student belongings. We are preparing the building as Shepherd is an early voting site and need to clear out the atrium. Thanks so much for your cooperation. This Friday there will not be classes so parents can attend conferences with Shepherd teachers. Your homeroom teachers will communicate their sign up procedures. If you would like to meet with a Specials teacher, please use the links below to secure a time. Art French Library Music Physical Education Spanish Thank you, and have a fantastic weekend! Phyllis LAST CALL PK-5th Grade Supplies and Belongings TODAY PK-5 families can come to pick up learning materials for Math (K-5), ELA (K-2), white boards and any personal belongings left in last year’s classrooms. PK-5 Pick Up Tuesday, October 6th 8:30 am-4:30 pm Please observe social distancing … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Hello Shepherd Families! A QUICK reminder to vote for the PTO board members and LSAT representatives by midnight TONIGHT (Tues, Oct 6). Look for an email from Shepherd Elementary School via ElectionBuddy Elections and check your spam folders if you haven’t seen it. Only those registered in AtoZ Connect (the PTO’s email database) received an online ballot. Again, thanks to Julia Marnon Lipton, Michelle Musgrove and Ronnie Pearcy for leading this year’s nominating committee. DCPS RE-OPENING INFO SESSION TONIGHT – Oct 6th at 5:30 pm! The Chancellor is hosting an info session to go over the news shared in yesterday’s press conference on the schedule and specifics for the first groups to come back to school in person in Term 2. Click here to register for tonight’s session at 5:30 pm. KIDS RIDE FREE CARDS Card pick up is cancelled for tomorrow – we’re waiting on more cards. Next pick up day will be announced soon.
PTO Bulletin
Make Sure to VOTE – PTO Board and LSAT Representatives If you’re in AtoZ Connect, you should’ve received an online ballot from ElectionBuddy. Make sure to vote by Tues, Oct 6th at 11:59 pm. 2020 PTO Budget and Bylaws Approved Thanks to the many who voted – we’re happy to announce the proposed PTO budget for the 2020-2021 school year shared at the first meeting was approved. The updates to the PTO bylaws were also approved and will be updated. Both will be posted on the school’s website. Mayor’s Oct 5th COVID Update – DCPS News Click here to see the latest updates for Term 2. Are You New to Shepherd? Attention New Shepherd Families! The PTO would like to host some Zoom meet-ups for parents new to the school. We’d like to do some large group sessions as well as smaller group meet-ups. And, we’d also love to get new students connected with other Shepherd students! If you are a new family and have any interest in being a part of these Shepherd meet-ups, email Caroline Smith (mom of Henry, 4th grade, mrthbtn@gmail.com). Please include your name, contact information, and the names and grades of your students. Connecting with Specials’ Teachers This Friday … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Families, It was wonderful to see so many of you at this week’s Back to School Nights. We appreciate your attendance and thoughtful questions and feedback. As I reflect on the milestones I shared at Back to School Nights these last two weeks, I wonder how our students can possibly reconcile their passion for fairness and justice with the failure of the grand jury in Kentucky to hold the police officers in the Breonna Taylor case accountable. The answer is that they cannot and should not; none of us can. Kentucky’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, announced Wednesday that one police officer would be charged, not in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, but with endangering her neighbors with reckless gunfire. What does that scream to Ms. Taylor’s family and all of us about the value of her life in our justice system? The case forced no one to be held responsible for her murder. When we cannot grasp that, what do our students do? Our call to action is greater than it has ever been. Since our last newsletter we also lost Ruth Bader Ginsburg. What does the replacement of her seat on the Supreme Court mean for justice? … Read More