Dear Families, Thank you for a very successful first week of school. We got off to a great start because of your herculean efforts on Beautification Day. Thanks to all the families who came out to clean and organize the school. Your work is greatly appreciated! Students seem very happy and comfortable, and it has been a joy to have them return to the building. The field is our own, and the children are enjoying every inch of it during P.E. and recess. The culture of achievement at Shepherd is palpable, and I am proud to be a part of this dynamic community. There are announcements that follow. Please take a look and let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy the long weekend, and we will see you on Tuesday! With gratitude, Phyllis Announcements Students may wear jeans and Shepherd spirit t-shirts/or plain white shirts on Fridays. Please continue to support carpool and kiss and go by not parking on 14th Street directly in front of the school (west side of the street). Please take note that the doors open at 8:20 am, and dismissal ends at 3:30 pm. Upcoming Events Grahams with Grands is Monday, September 9th from 2:30-3:15 pm … Read More
PTO Bulletin
WELCOME TO OUR PK3 AND PK4 STUDENTS!We’re excited to welcome our newest Mustangs, the PK3 and PK4 students, and their teachers and staff tomorrow – Thursday, Aug 29! We hope you have a GREAT first day!“Kiss and Ride” drop off on 14th Street in the mornings STARTING TOMORROW – NO PARKING ZONE14th Street between Kalmia and Jonquil Streets (closest to the school) will be designated as a “Kiss and Ride” drop off area in the mornings from 8:20-8:40 am. Staff and administrators will be there to help your children out of the car and to get them to their morning drop off locations.INCLEMENT WEATHER DROP OFF LOCATION FOR 4TH AND 5TH GRADERSIf there is rain, snow, sleet, hail, or it’s below 32 degrees on school mornings, please drop off your 4th and 5th graders in the multipurpose room.GET YOUR T-SHIRTS!PTA will be selling t-shirts again on Thurs morning at school in the atrium from 8-9 am. We’ll have more in stock in the smaller sizes and some new designs available, including a unisex navy polo! More hoodies, long sleeve shirts and winter gear will be coming by Fall Fest on Oct 19!SHEPHERD BEAUTIFICATION DAY SUCCESS!Thanks to the more than 75 … Read More
PTO Bulletin
MOVIE NIGHT – SECRET LIVES of PETS 2Join us Friday, September 27th at 6:30 pm for a screening of The Secret Lives of Pets 2! Bring your blankets; come in your pajamas! There will be snacks and drinks for sale. Most importantly, a good time will be had by all.BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CLUBSSeveral of our staff members are offering special programming for our students this year. Please check out these options, with more to come soon:Kindness ClubIs your child interested in changing our school and community by being a part of The Kindness Club at Shepherd? We will be recognizing acts of kindness at Shepherd, participating in The Great Kindness Challenge, giving back to those in need, and more! Kindness Club is for students in grades K-5.Where? Mrs. Zepeda’s room (A101).When? Kindness Club begins the week September 30th.• Kindergarten – 2nd Grade: Tuesdays from 3:30 – 4:30• 3rd Grade – 5th Grade: Thursdays from 3:30 – 4:30If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Mrs. Zepeda via email at sarah.zepeda@k12.dc.gov.Culture ClubDo you enjoy learning about different cultures from around the world? Activities will include:• Playing geography and culture games• Art and craft activities• Tasting different foods from … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Families, We had a great week here at Shepherd! Teachers arrived on Monday, and we spent time reviewing data, setting goals, learning together, setting up our classrooms and simply getting to know one another. Many of you were here for our Open House, and it was a great opportunity for children to reunite and meet their teachers. Thank you to all who were in attendance, and thank you to the PTA for dinner on Thursday for the Open House and lunch on Friday. Both are greatly appreciated! Monday is the first day of school for grade K-5, and we are so excited to greet your children and begin their best school year yet. To ensure it is a smooth start this week, please keep the following in mind: Doors open at 8:20, and all students should be at Shepherd no later than 8:40. PK and K students enter through our main entrance. Parents should walk them to their classrooms. I know that it is hard to say goodbye, but try to make your classroom visit as brief as possible. It is actually easier for them to transition to school that way. All DCPS children receive breakfast at no cost. If … Read More
PTO Bulletin
BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAY DATE – THURS, AUG 22 FROM 5-7 PMCome meet new families, teachers and staff, and help us make sure the school is stocked with supplies for this school year.NOTE – these supplies will be used in the specials’ classrooms and general school locations, not the supplies needed for your child’s class.We have a curated Amazon link for the supplies needed for Art, Music, Library, French, Spanish, Special Ed, etc. Any purchase made will be MUCH APPRECIATED and can be shipped right to the school – 7800 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20012.AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO TARGET FOR THE GENEROUS SCHOOL SUPPLY DONATION!SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION DAY – SAT, AUG 24 from 9 am-noonWOW! We have more than 40 parents signed up to come help! But we still need you! Sign up for a shift – we’ll take whatever time you have this Saturday.Lastly, WE’RE LOOKING FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS!If you’d like to be on a PTA committee, help at an upcoming event, or serve as a room parent, click here to sign up! WE NEED YOUR HELP TO DO ALL THE GREAT THINGS WE HAVE PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR!See you all on Thursday at the “Sneak Peek” play date … Read More
PTO Bulletin
It’s the LAST week before school starts, vacations are almost over (ugh!!!) and the weather looks a bit cooler for this Saturday’s Beautification Day and School Supply Drive! That can only mean – it’s time to sign up for a shift and get back in the swing of things! Come meet new families, work on projects to make the school FABULOUS for next week, and help us make sure the school is stocked with supplies for this school year. NOTE – these supplies will be used in the specials’ classrooms and general school locations, not the supplies needed for your child’s class. We have a curated Amazon link for the supplies needed for Art, Music, Library, French, Spanish, Special Ed, etc. Any purchases made will be MUCH APPRECIATED and can be shipped right to the school – 7800 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20012 – or dropped off on Thursday from 9 am – 7 pm, Saturday from 9 am – 3 pm or the first week of school. Lastly, WE’RE LOOKING FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS! If you’d like to be on a PTA committee, help at an upcoming event, or serve as a room parent, click here to sign up! WE NEED YOUR HELP TO DO ALL THE GREAT THINGS … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
Dear Shepherd Families, Thank you to all of you who came out to our Shepherd play date last Sunday. It was a beautiful morning, and it was a joy to meet you and your children. Please mark your calendars for our play date and open house on Thursday, August 22nd from 5:00-7:00 pm. Your child/ren will have the opportunity to visit their classrooms and tour the school. I hope to have a lot of staff on hand that evening. I am including the supply list in this email just in case you have not had a chance to visit the PTA website. Please feel free to bring your supplies with you if you come on the 22nd. Please find here a link to indicate your dismissal preferences for your child/ren. This year, we will add Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students to carpool. All carpool students will be brought to the multi-purpose room and dismissed to our 14th Street exit. There will be adults along their route to help them get to you. We are requesting this information so we can create signs for your dashboard with your names to make our carpool line as efficient and orderly as possible. If you are a 5th grade parent and … Read More
PTO Bulletin
Hi Mustang families, It’s that time of year already…please join us for Shepherd’s Beautification Day on Sat, Aug 24 from 9-noon! Come help us rake, weed, organize, clean, create, make copies, or paint. We’ll have outdoor and indoor projects – so something to fit everyone’s skills, interests and availability. Bring a friend, family member or a neighbor too. Kids are more than welcome to come help! Sign up for a shift here and come help us make the school SHINE before everyone starts back to school the week of Aug 26! We are also doing a school-wide supply drive and have identified some additional items on Amazon. These items are meant for our specials’ teachers and general school usage. Share the link with Shepherd neighbors or family members who may not be able to help on Beautification Day but want to support our school. Supplies can be dropped off on Thurs, Aug 22 from 9 am-7 pm and Sat, Aug 24 from 9 am-3 pm. See you on Saturday, Aug 24!
PTO Bulletin
Good evening, Mustang families!We are excited to kick off the first of our back-to-school play dates TOMORROW! Hope many of you can join us! And as you gear up for coming back to school, see a few fundraisers below to help you get ready, organized and support Shepherd Elem!Shepherd Play Dates – TOMORROW at 10 am and Thurs, Aug 22 from 5-7 pmThe PTA will be hosting play dates to meet Dr. Hedlund, the many new Shepherd staff and teachers, and get to know other students and families prior to school starting.Shepherd t-shirts will be on sale during both play dates.Sun, Aug 11 from 10-noon at the park on Jonquil Street next to the lower field and down the hill from the schoolThurs, Aug 22 from 5-7 pm come for a “sneak peek” at schoolFUNDRAISER ALERTLOOKING FOR QUALITY SCHOOL UNIFORM CLOTHING?We have an “online store” with Primary.com where you can get great quality navy and white clothing items. With each purchase, Shepherd PTA gets 10% back on every sale! And we get credit for ALL Primary.com purchases – not just what’s in our store. So be sure to use this link when making all purchases. https://www.primary.com/school/shepherdNEED LABELS FOR YOUR CHILD’S … Read More
Message from Principal Hedlund
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