TODAY at 4 pm – Black History Month Planning Meeting We met last Wednesday, but would love to have more people involved. Our theme is “A Celebration of Black History in the District.” Join us on Wednesday, February 3rd at 4 pm. Topic: Black History Month Committee Time: Feb 3, 2021 04:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81995036561?pwd=L3BwcmhoNjM5NWVBTmxIdmg0anU5Zz09 Meeting ID: 819 9503 6561 Passcode: 5zYYV8 Thurs, Feb 4 at 6:30 pm – DPR MASTER PLAN MEETING – Ward 4 RAISE YOUR VOICE AROUND PROGRAMMING/USE FOR THE NEW SHEPHERD COMMUNITY CENTER FOR STUDENTS AND USE OF THE FIELD FOR THE SCHOOL DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is excited to announce the next phase of our #Ready2Play Master Plan with a series of upcoming virtual meetings that will focus on parks and recreation within each ward. This is YOUR opportunity to focus on particular recreation centers and parks in YOUR ward that you want to see prioritized for capital improvements and/or new programming in the future. It will also be a chance to suggest new sites for possible future facilities. The content of each interactive meeting will focus on a particular ward. We will share findings from the Ready2Play citywide survey and … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
** UPDATE: All students will be virtual on Monday, Feb 1 due to inclement weather Dear Families, This week we will welcome more students back to Shepherd Elementary, and we are so excited to see them. There have been a lot of grade level meetings with families this past week and communication shared, but please see the chart below to see grade-by-grade shifts that are being made to accommodate in-person learning. Please note that we made two hires this week. Our new instructional aide who will work with Ms. Johnson in PK 3 is Ms. Scott who is an experienced early childhood educator who has experience in conducting in-person learning during the pandemic. In addition, we hired another experienced educator, Ms. Russell, as a long-term substitute for Mr. Mack who will be out until April 1st. Also, the good news is Mr. Garner’s condition continues to improve. Please reach out with any questions, and we will be checking in throughout the transition to see how things are going. Your feedback will be invaluable. Black History Month Planning – Feb 3 at 4 pm We met last Wednesday, but would love to have more people involved. Our theme is A Celebration of Black … Read More
PTO Bulletin
ATTENTION 5TH GRADE FAMILIES – DEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE TODAY Join prospective families and Principal Neal for the virtual open house on TODAY at 10 am. Register here to get all the meeting details. DCPS Town Hall – TODAY at 5 pm Hear from Chancellor Ferebee and his colleagues about the latest Re-opening Plans for Term 3 from a district level. Click here to register. Shepherd PTO meeting – TODAY at 6:30 pm Join us on Wednesday, Jan 27 at 6:30 pm. Click here to join the meeting via TEAMS. We will cover Term 3 updates with Dr. Hedlund, Shepherd Park Library updates, Shepherd advocacy updates, PAVE updates, plans and activities for the Spring, etc. Black History Month Committee Planning Meeting – TODAY at 5 pm Please join us in planning Shepherd’s celebration of Black History Month. This year’s focus will be on Washington, DC. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, January 27th at 5:00 pm in advance of the PTO meeting. Please join us here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85470721682?pwd=aFBVelE5blZmNUs0c1pXV3RIaDZVZz09 Meeting ID: 854 7072 1682
PTO Bulletin
ATTENTION 5TH GRADE FAMILIES – DEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE THIS WEEK Join prospective families and Principal Neal for the virtual open house on Wed, Jan 27 at 10 am. Register here to get all the meeting details. DCPS Community Town Hall – Wed, Jan 27 at 5 pm Hear the latest from Chancellor Ferebee and his colleagues on the plans for Term 3 Re-opening. Click here to register. PTO meeting – THIS WEDNESDAY! Join us on Wednesday, Jan 27 at 6:30 pm. Click here to join the meeting via TEAMS. We will cover Term 3 updates with Dr. Hedlund, Shepherd Park Library updates, Shepherd advocacy updates, PAVE updates, plans and activities for the Spring, etc. Eureka Math Workbook Pick Up TODAY AND TUESDAY Attention K-5 families: Eureka Math workbooks may be picked up at Shepherd Elementary Monday, January 25th and Tuesday, January 26th from 8:30-3:30 in the multi-purpose room. Please use the Jonquil entrance. Thanks! Black History Month Committee Planning Meeting – Wed, Jan 27 at 5 pm Please join us in planning Shepherd’s celebration of Black History Month. This year’s focus will be on Washington, DC. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, January 27th at 5:00 pm in advance of the PTO meeting. Please join … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Families, Term 3 starts on February 1, and next week, staff will close out Term 2 and prepare for all the changes headed our way. On Thursday, Jan 28th, your child will not have synchronous (live) instruction if his/her homeroom teacher is returning to the school building to teach in person Term 3: Ms. Conte, Mr. Spriggs, Mr. Morris, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Rajwani, Ms. Saxton, Ms. Murali, Dr. Wilson and Mr. Clayborn. Please check their Canvas pages for asynchronous learning options that day. They will be here at Shepherd preparing their classrooms. On Friday, January 29th, there will be no school for students, and teachers will participate in professional development and complete Term 2 grades. At this time, in person learning and CARE seats for Term 3 are full. We will not be offering any more seats until further notice. PK 3 CARE will not open on 2/1, but we hope to have it up and running by mid-February. Staffing Updates Mr. Garner is making slow but steady progress in his recovery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. He is in good spirits. Ms. Hipps will have her last day at Shepherd on Friday, January 29th. We … Read More
IB Newsletter
UPCOMING EVENTSStay up-to-date on all upcoming IB events January- Chinese New Year and MLK Day January 8th-IB Learner Profile and Approach To Learning Kick-Off January 15th-Classrooms Going Global Friday Morning Meeting January 18th- Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 20th- Inauguration Day January 22nd-Classrooms Going Global Friday Morning Meeting FEATURED IB FAMILY CONNECTION RESOURCE A Guide to Resources for Parents on Martin Luther King Jr. Day“For my 4-year-old daughter, the reason there’s no school on a given day doesn’t usually register. But last week, she remarked on how there was no school Monday because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day…” IB PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY AND IB POLICIES Click here IB LEARNER ATTRIBUTE OF THE MONTH: BALANCED Click here APPROACH TO LEARNING OF THE MONTH: SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS Click here for family resource HAS YOUR CHILD TAKEN ACTION IN HIS OR HER COMMUNITY? Examples of Students Taking Action at ShepherdDuring our stand-alone unit 2 (Celebrating My Families), we discussed major celebrations and how families gather and celebrate together. After sharing about “La Fete des Rois”, some students took action by cooking “La Galette” and celebrating at home. Click here to nominate your child for an IB award Shepherd’s Virtual IB Programme Overview … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Good afternoon Shepherd families, Honestly, it feels more like a month than a week since we returned to school. It has been an emotionally devastating week to watch the desecration of our democracy as citizens of the United States and the District of Columbia and the systemic racism that enabled it. As I listened to the discussion our Wellness team facilitated with the students, I was overwhelmed with our children’s capacity to make meaning out of chaos, their ability to express their emotions and their genuine uncertainty about what the future holds, yet they are hopeful, brave and wise beyond their years. This generation will a generation of old souls. Staffing Update You may have noticed that there were no art classes this week, and I waited to share this news until I had the permission of his family. Our deeply beloved Mr. Garner suffered a major stroke a little over a week ago. He was in critical condition and underwent surgery, but his health is improving daily. At this time, he is in good spirits and resting comfortably, and his blood pressure is under control. Mr. Garner’s family asks that we pray for him. Ms. Pereira is putting together a video … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Families, When I next write to you, it will be a new year. What a year we have had! We have bent, stretched, pivoted and LEARNED so many things about so many things. We have also spent more time at our homes with immediate family than we ever could have imagined. Through it all, we have supported one another and treated each other with kindness and compassion — demonstrating the holiday spirit all year long. Through it all, we have remained one Shepherd, and I am so excited to have more students in the building soon and look forward to when we can all be back together again. It will be here before you know it. HVAC replacement starts on 1/11, and it appears that we will have a few more classrooms available to use in Term 3 for CARE/IPL as two rooms have opened up on the first floor of B Wing, and my office and the conference room will be used as isolation rooms, freeing up two more classrooms. HVAC replacement will take place from January until the end of the year and does limit the number of classrooms for use in Term 3 as A Wing (the old … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Good afternoon families, Thank you to families that supported the IB reaccreditation process. The visit was a resounding success, and reviewers commented on how well prepared and organized we were. On Wednesday, they shared their preliminary feedback on a call with me, Ms. Mack and Ms. Rottman, none of which was surprising to us. We should be receiving the written evaluation report in a few weeks — more to come. Kindergarten CARE is off and running. Ms. Rottman and Ms. Mack have created an aesthetically pleasing, socially distanced space, and Ms. Rottman organized student supplies, paperwork and materials to perfection. Thank you Mr. Verastegui, Mr. Henderson, Ms. Jones, Ms. Mack and Ms. Rottman for making it happen. The children are so excited to come to school, and life is much brighter with their presence in the building. Thank you to all of you who are participating in EdFest tomorrow. It is a lot to ask of people to volunteer on a Saturday in December, yet we always have people who do. You are greatly appreciated. I also want to commend all of you working on the Reopening Community Corps. Members of the Corps have been submitted options and plans this week, and … Read More
PTO Bulletin
DECEMBER PTO MEETING – TOMORROW (Wed, Dec 9th) at 6:30 pm Join us via TEAMS here for our monthly PTO meeting. Dr. Hedlund will be updating everyone on: Re-Opening Community Corps updates Launch of the first CARES class New ELA and Math data Shepherd’s Panorama Survey results HVAC updates GET YOUR HOLIDAY WREATHS AND GREENS AND SUPPORT THE PTO – only 5 days left to order! We’re excited to be working with Lynch Creek Farms again this year to do online order and direct home delivery of holiday wreaths and greens for the season. Their products are lovely and anyone across the country can order items and help support Shepherd PTO. Share with your family and friends near and far! Every time someone shops for holiday decor through our group’s fundraising page, Shepherd PTO will receive 15% of the purchase! Help us reach our $1000 goal! Order here and share the link with family and friends – https://www.lynchcreekfundraising.com/c/253742 D.C. Council Roundtable on the Return to In-person Instruction for DCPS Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmember David Grosso hosted a joint roundtable of the Committee of the Whole and the Committee on Education on the Return to In-person Instruction in the District of Columbia … Read More