News & Events

Hi Shepherd families, I hope this finds you well. We are attending School Leadership Institute this week to prepare for the opening of school and are learning a lot more detailed information on the systems and structures that will be in place. Please look for more communication from me at the end of this week, and thank you for your patience. The majority of students took belongings home with them in March, but that is not the case for all of you. We will be having curbside pick up for students’ belongings from Friday, August 7 until Friday, August 14. There is a time slot for pick up in the morning and one for the afternoon. Please sign up here so we can have your student’s belongings ready for you. Thank you, Phyllis

Good afternoon Shepherd families, Today, in consideration of guidance from DC Health, Mayor Bowser announced that we will start School Year 2020-2021 virtually with all students learning at home. This will apply for all grades — Pre-K through 12 — and last at least through Term 1 from August 31 to November 6. Summer Bridge for students in grade 3 will also be virtual. You can watch this short video DCPS prepared for our students and families for additional information. You can access sample student schedules here. Now that we are no longer working with hypothetical scenarios, we can dig in and start planning for school year 2020-21, and I hope and believe it will end with us all back in the building together. I certainly would enjoy my “first” Field Day, gala and live promotion ceremony. Late spring field trips would be another bonus. We will get there! Next week, we will be attending School Leadership Institute and will learn a lot more about the resources DCPS staff has been creating for the last several months. The previews I have seen are exciting, and Shepherd staff has become seasoned virtual educators and communicators, which will make the opening of school less stressful than the … Read More

Hello Mustang families. On Thursday, we marched and drove as a community to speak out against racism and call for justice. For many of our students, it was an event they will never forget. I know I won’t. I have had many powerful and moving moments as an educator, but our walk was the most moving. We are a formidable community, and we demonstrated that in word and deed. Providing a safe space for our young students to demonstrate against racism was an important step of moving our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Progamme into action. Teachers are analyzing curricular units to devise more ways to extend learning into action, and students’ voice and choice will guide that work. Thank you to our families who made who participated, and check out our social media pages for photographs of the event. When I came on as Interim Principal last July, in my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined how school year 2019-2020 would unfold. We have been through a lot together, but through it all, we have communicated, providing feedback and changing course as necessary. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Shepherd community. Our families and staff are thoughtful, creative, action-oriented … Read More

Hello Mustang families. On Thursday, we marched and drove as a community to speak out against racism and call for justice. For many of our students, it was an event they will never forget. I know I won’t. I have had many powerful and moving moments as an educator, but our walk was the most moving. We are a formidable community, and we demonstrated that in word and deed. Providing a safe space for our young students to demonstrate against racism was an important step of moving our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Progamme into action. Teachers are analyzing curricular units to devise more ways to extend learning into action, and students’ voice and choice will guide that work. Thank you to our families who made who participated, and check out our social media pages for photographs of the event. When I came on as Interim Principal last July, in my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined how school year 2019-2020 would unfold. We have been through a lot together, but through it all, we have communicated, providing feedback and changing course as necessary. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Shepherd community. Our families and staff are thoughtful, creative, action-oriented … Read More

Good morning everyone, Across the world, people are horrified by the murder of George Floyd, a murder once again demonstrating the cruelty, injustice and indignity that Black Americans suffer. I am sickened and outraged. It is impossible to wrap your mind about what happened during that video. That someone meant to protect would kill. That these officers’ saw George Floyd so much as other that they had no value for his life. No value at all. And if it had not been captured on video, it very likely would have been business as usual. Parents worry about their children — it is what they do, but to worry that your child may be killed for jogging or walking down the street is unconscionable. I do not know what it means for my child to be viewed as suspect. I do not know that kind of worry, and that is a privilege. Systemic racism is a reality in our country, and it must be eradicated so all people can experience the fundamental rights our democracy guarantees. In my heart, I believe we can achieve that by holding people accountable for their biases and crimes, but that is a struggle that Black … Read More