Kindness Club T-Shirt Sale – until Jan 20th
The Shepherd Kindness Club designed shirts that will be available to purchase online through Mon, January 20 and will arrive the last week of January. Shepherd will be participating in The Great Kindness Challenge in February. Students may wear these items throughout that week to celebrate our participation in the Great Kindness Challenge.
T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and hoodies are available for purchase in youth and adult sizes at the following link: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/ses-kindness-club
With the money earned from t-shirt sales, the Kindness Club, in conjunction with the PTA, will purchase art materials to create a kindness mural on the wall by the playground entrance, design a buddy bench for the new playground where students who are looking for a friend to play with can sit and when others see they need a friend can invite them to play, and to purchase items for the Great Kindness Challenge (pencils, bracelets, stickers, etc.) in February.
Shepherd Elementary Summer Camp Expo – Wed, Jan 15th
Join us for the 3rd annual Shepherd Elementary Summer Camp Expo!
Meet representatives from a variety of local camps, ask questions, participate in fun activities, and learn about the array of options for the summer!
The 2020 expo will be held on Wednesday, January 15th from 5-7 pm in the Atrium. The January PTA meeting will begin at 6:30 pm, so Shepherd families should feel free to attend the expo and then stay for the meeting (free childcare and pizza for Shepherd students whose parents are attending the PTA meeting will be provided). The Summer Camp Expo is open to everyone (you don’t have to be enrolled at Shepherd ES attend), so bring your friends and neighbors! See the full list of camps that will be present: https://www.shepherd-elementary.org/summer-camp-expo/
And check out two more of our participating camps:
Adventures on The Hill is a DCPS Approved Program Partner whose focus is all about making learning a fun, hands-on experience that children will remember for years to come. Adventures on The Hill’s well-rounded curriculum lets campers explore their interests in STEM, sports, culture, health and wellness, and more. Visit Adventures on The Hill to learn more.
At HoopEd, kids will spend each day rotating around all different sports, learning rules of the playground, incorporate all of the kids regardless of abilities. Games include kickball, soccer, flag football, whiffle ball, basketball, dodge ball, capture the flag, and even old school “kick the can!” For more information, visit HoopEd.
NEXT PTA MEETING – Wed, Jan 15th at 6:30 pm
Principal Neal from Deal Middle School will join us at our meeting in January to talk about Deal, the transition to middle school, and answer any questions parents would like to ask! As one of the feeder schools to Deal, we love having Principal Neal come to Shepherd every year to do a “meet and greet” to share all of what Deal has to offer and how we can best prepare our students!
Looking for Volunteers – Shepherd Jazz Night
SAVE THE DATE…our 31st annual Shepherd Jazz Night will be Fri, Feb 28th in the Shepherd Multipurpose Room and we’re looking for parent/teacher volunteers to help organize the potluck dinner, decorate the room, and help with promotion!
For those who haven’t been before, the event includes a potluck dinner, live and up-close jazz music by outstanding artists (including both talented students and veteran professionals), creative activities, and fine company!
Jazz Night founder, Dr. Michael Wallace, introduced this special event 31 years ago—when his own children were Shepherd students – and he still helps us plan and execute this long-standing event every year. Jazz Night was created with Shepherd students in
mind; to introduce them to jazz music in a kid-friendly environment. Bring your children to enjoy the music and see the musicians—and their instruments—close up.
Email Caroline Smith at [email protected] if you can help be on the committee!
Breakfast for Faculty and Staff – Hosted by the Fifth Grade families – Fri, Jan 24th
The Parent Engagement Committee is starting a monthly breakfast to show gratitude for all the Shepherd ES teachers and staff who support our children everyday. Below you will find a sign-up link for the full year. Note – this is for Fifth Grade families. There should be NO NUTS or NUT PRODUCTS brought into the school. Items should be dropped off on the assigned date noted in the sign-up form between 7:30 am and 8:00 am to the teachers’ resource room. If you have any questions, please reach out to Lyly Yonkwa Rijmen at [email protected]. Sign up here: Shepherd Teacher/Staff Appreciation Breakfast
STAR ACHIEVERS’ “NO SCHOOL DAY” – Jan 17th, 27th and 28th
Star Achievers has partnered with Trak Sports to engage kids in a variety of exciting sports games and fun activities for ALL AGES (PK3-5th grade), including basketball, kickball, soccer, arts and crafts, and much more!
• Group Relays- Focusing/Emphasis on Effort, Leadership, Integrity, Teamwork
• Exercise Fitness Circuits- Exercise stations focused on healthy habits and healthy living. (I.E fun fitness assessment)
• Basketball- Focusing on Teamwork, Sportsmanship
• Capture the Flag – Focusing on motor skills, reaction, quick thinking
• Cup Stack Relay- Focusing on speed, teamwork, motor skills
• Speed & Agility – Focusing on footwork, motor skills, teamwork
• Sharks and Minnows- Focusing on strategies, motor skills, communication, teamwork
Students need to arrive as early as 8:30 am and must be picked up by 3:00 pm or no later than 6:00 pm depending upon your registration. You will be billed an additional $20 if you do not arrive by 3:00 pm. Additional late fees will also occur if you are not at the school by 6:00 pm.
ALL STUDENTS are required to bring a BAG LUNCH along with multiple SNACKS. Breakfast or lunch will not be served.
Children need to wear proper athletic shoes along with relaxed clothing. Also, PK3 and PK4 scholars will have quiet time after lunch.
Register at https://www.sesstarachievers.com/
IB Corner with Ms. Mack
We will be celebrating multilingual week each day during the first week of March 2020. We will dedicate one day during multilingual week to multilingual career day. Do you have a job that requires foreign language skills and/or know of jobs in your company/organization that require foreign language skills? We’d love to have you come speak in classrooms on March 5, 2020 from 8:40 am-9:10 am to encourage students to understand the importance of learning foreign languages. Please email me at [email protected] if you’re interested.
Our learner profile attribute of the month is risk taker! Risk Taker-We are courageous and determined. We work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and strategies. Encourage your child to be a risk taker at home by trying new activities and hobbies, making new friends, and participating in public speaking opportunities.
As many of you all may know, Shepherd is in its self-study year for our upcoming IB Evaluation in December 2020. The self-study year is a chance to reflect as a school on our IB program’s strengths and weaknesses over the past five years. Use the self-study survey to submit your thoughts. We want to hear from Shepherd parents on how we can improve our program! As always, if you have any questions please email me at [email protected].
Friendly reminder: International Day is on the calendar for Thursday, May 21st at 6 pm. Please mark your calendars for an evening of fun. We will be asking for families to contribute international dishes for this event at a later date in the school year.
We kicked off our Mini Embassy Adoption Program during International Education Week on November 18th. Our Mini Embassy Adoption Program is an opportunity for teachers to globalize their lessons and to make connections to other cultures and perspectives in the classroom. Teachers shared videos and other resources to introduce their host country partner. If you are interested in supporting this program, please click this link to find out more information and to sign up: Parent Sign-Up.docx. We are looking for parents who are from these countries and/or are interested in helping teachers find resources to share more about these countries. We have several volunteers so far, but looking for more!
Local Information of Interest
The Multilingual Education Fair of DC will be held on January 25 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. It is free and open to the public. For more information, please see: https://www.mefdc.org/register/.
Reminder of Upcoming Dates:
• Wednesday, Jan 15th – Summer Camp Expo (3:00-6:00 pm)
• Wednesday, Jan 15th – Prospective Parent Open House
• Wednesday, Jan 15th – LSAT and PTA meetings (4:00 pm and 6:30 pm)
• Friday, Jan 17th – Parent-Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL) – STAR ACHIEVERS OPEN
• Monday, Jan 20th – MLK Day (NO SCHOOL)
• Friday, Jan 24th – All School Morning Meeting (hosted by 1st grade) at 8:45 am
• Friday, Jan 24th – Staff and Teacher Breakfast provided by Fifth grade families
• Monday, Jan 27th – Records Day (NO SCHOOL) – STAR ACHIEVERS OPEN
• Tuesday, Jan 28th – Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL) – STAR ACHIEVERS OPEN
• Wednesday, Feb 12th – LSAT and PTA meetings (4:00 pm and 6:30 pm)
• Monday, Feb 17-Fri, Feb 21 – February Break (NO SCHOOL)
• Friday, Feb 28th – Jazz Fest (6:30-8:30 pm)
• Friday, March 27th – Health/Wellness Fair
• Saturday, April 25th – Gala and Auction
• May 4-8th – Teacher Appreciation Week
• Thursday, May 21st – International Day