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 – avani.mack@k12.dc.gov. 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
Note from the Chancellor
Dear DCPS Community, DC Public Schools has a responsibility to provide every student with an equitable, rigorous, and joyful education — no matter if they are learning at home or learning in school. While we planned to offer in-person learning at the start of Term 2 for select elementary school students, this timeline will need to be adjusted. This means all students in grades PK-12 will now begin Term 2 on Monday, November 9 with learning at home. Please also note that this week’s academic calendar will not shift as previously announced. We apologize for any inconvenience this update may cause. Monday, Nov. 2 — Instructional day Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Election Day; no school for students and teachers Wednesday, Nov. 4 — Instructional day Thursday, Nov. 5 — Instructional day Friday, Nov. 6 — No school for students; 1/2 Records Day and 1/2 Professional Development Day for teachers We commit to supporting our students, families, teachers, and staff in our urgent mission to safely reopen schools. We have heard feedback from many in our community about #ReopenStrong plans, and we will use this moment to adjust our timeline and staffing plans for reopening. We are still taking steps to reopen and will … 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 info@shepherd-elementary.org 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.
Message from Principal Hedlund
Happy Friday Families, It was great to see so many of you at Wednesday’s PTO meeting. We are so fortunate to have so many engaged and supportive families. I will continue to share information as it becomes available, but here is the latest on Shepherd re-opening: Students who have been selected for in-person learning will be notified later today. On Monday, Ms. Mack, Ms. Brooks, Ms. Rottman and I will make phone calls to those families to see whether they want to accept their seat. Please feel free to email me if you want to accept your seat at phyllis.hedlund@k12.dc.gov, but we will follow up with a call on Monday morning. Please note that we will not be able to confirm your student’s teacher assignment at this time because of ongoing labor negotiations. On 10/30, families will learn whether their student has been selected for a CARES classroom. The custodians have been setting up classrooms and common areas for social distancing. We are receiving a large shipment of supplies today. The LSAT walk through of the school building will occur on or after 10/30. November 9th in-person learning begins November 16th CARE begins for PK3-1st grade November 30 CARE begins for grades 2-5 Please let me … Read More
Note from the Chancellor
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