Hi Shepherd friends and family,

It’s now mid-August and that means school will be starting (virtually!) soon…on MON, AUG 31!

You’ll start to see more updates coming from the PTA and Dr. Hedlund soon…here are a few quick ones to share.

Enjoy those last few days of summer!

Liz Bradley

Shepherd PTA President

SHEPHERD COMMUNITY CENTER

An update from DGS on the Community Center is attached below. Check out the pics of the new basketball court and the great space we’ll have access to when the project is completed. Dr. Hedlund has been onsite to do walk throughs recently and is pleased with the progress and the updated indoor space it will give our students. The project is still expected to be completed by Fall of this year.

Shepherd Construction Update_August 2020.pdf

ELECTIONS

We want to thank you for your patience. Things are very different this year. Returning families may recall that we delayed our election, scheduled for May 2020. Last year’s Board members have remained in their roles and we have been working on transitioning, but that transition remains in flux. We anticipate setting an election date soon. There will also be tremendous changes and challenges ahead, so we appreciate your support and encourage families to get involved. We need all hands on deck.

We anticipate holding Shepherd PTA and LSAT elections later this month virtually. If you’re interested in running for a position, please take a look at the PTA and the Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) information. Email info@shepherd-elementary.org if you’d like to learn more or are interested in running.

SHEPHERD PTA COMMITMENT

Certainly, this year will be different than others and we won’t get to do the many fun things we usually do to welcome staff, teachers and students back to school, but the PTA will still be focusing on the issues we care most about – communication, virtually engaging our families, supporting our students, teachers and staff, helping to create a more peaceful and just world, giving back, and fundraising to make sure our students, staff and teachers have what they need to be successful during this unprecedented time!

CONNECTING VIRTUALLY

Because of the DCPS guidelines and to ensure that all families (including those whose health risks preclude them from attending in-person activities) can participate, the PTA will not be facilitating in-person events, including learning pods, playdates or the usual Back to School “meet and greets.” Instead, we will help facilitate virtual connections and are looking for creative activities we can use to engage us all together. We’d welcome your suggestions and ideas!

DCPS PARENT UNIVERSITY SESSIONS

There are several virtual webinars coming up to help us all get ready for the start of the school year. Take a look at the offerings here and RSVP. You can also see past recordings if you’ve missed one. Coming up next week are sessions on Supporting Specialized Instruction and Accessing Canvas 101 for Families. These are highly recommended, especially the session on Canvas.

CLASS LISTS

Students will find out their teacher assignments the week of Aug 24. If you’re looking to connect your child with other students in class, visit the PTA’s student directory (AtoZ Connect) to find out contact info for parents. More info coming soon!

THE SHEPHERD 180 FUND

Our annual fund, named the Shepherd 180 Fund, is one of our major fundraising efforts. The name comes from the required 180 instructional days per school year and the notion that all we’re asking for is one dollar per day. The Shepherd PTA provides thousands of dollars annually to support our school community and programs, including grade-specific events, extracurricular programs, academic enrichment, field trips, classroom materials, and more. We know there will be a lot of adjustment at the start of the school year, and we are meeting with Dr. Hedlund to learn more about what the school needs to start the year. Therefore, more information on how to donate to the Shepherd 180 Fund will be sent to you in the next couple of weeks. If you’d like to donate now, we thank you!