As many of you have already heard, Ms. Brooks, an anchor to our Shepherd Elementary community, passed away on October 29th. Ms. Brooks served the Shepherd community for over 22 years. She took care of the students, staff, faculty and community as if they were her family.  She will be dearly missed.

Tomorrow,November 10 from 5-6pm, the community is invited to join the family in the Courtyard at Shepherd Elementary to share fond memories of Ms. Brooks and dedicate a special space at the school in her memory.  

Great news! As we shared last week, the library at Shepherd is getting a much-needed refresh. The floors have been replaced and now it is time to paint! We need your help! 

If you have a few hours to spare this week, please come help us. 

What: We need parents to help prep, paint, clean up, and restock the library. 

When: This week and weekend. Do you have a few hours after school/work? Or have availability this weekend? Our goal is to have the library painted and ready for the kids next Monday, November 14.

If available to help out, please email amy.zettle@gmail.com and let her know when you have some time to help, and she'll provide you with the details.

The Ward3 EdNet meeting is tonight at 7 pm.  On the agenda is the upcoming 2023 boundary review which will likely affect Deal/Wilson feeders.  The meeting will host staff from the offices of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) and DC Public Schools (DCPS) Planning Office. They will talk about the upcoming boundary review, master facilities plan, enrollment outlook, and school building plans, including MacArthur and Foxhall.  To register to participate, Click Here!  

Each month, the Bulletin will feature parent resources courtesy of Dr. Persephone Brown, our wonderful School Psychologist.  These resources provide tips to help with your physical, social and emotional well-being.  Take a few moments to read or listen to some of these pieces and know we're here for you and your students.     

• Resources for Families
  • The 9 Best Happiness Apps for 2022
  • The Science Behind how Parents Affect Child Development
  • Tameka Montgomery: 5 parenting tips for raising resilient, self-reliant kids
  • Parents' Views of What K-12 Children Should Learn in School
  • SEL Strategies to Share: Foundational Skills to Reimagine Relationships
  • 8 Tips for Parents and Caregivers: Restoring a Child’s Sense of Safety After School Shootings
• Resources for Children
  • Common Sense Media - Parent Tips & FAQs for the Online World 
  • Common Sense Media - Native Narratives for the Next Generation
  • Thanksgiving 2022:  Food Ideas, Decorations and More
  • These Thanksgiving Movies Will Get You in the Turkey Day Spirit
• Practicing Gratitude
  • Why it is Good for your Health to Practice Gratitude
  • 7 Ways to Protect Your Mental Health During Thanksgiving this Year

Shepherd Mustangs will be celebrating International Ed Week! We have a variety of activities planned throughout the week of November 14th-18th. 

• 2nd/3rd graders will learn about the different ways students get to school around the world.
• 4th/5th graders will learn about what it is like to live and study abroad in another country!

There will also be lots of connections made in Related Arts throughout the week! 

Kindergarten Families: Please mark your calendars for a "Conversations with Principal Russell" on Tuesday November 15th at 8:45 am.  It's a great opportunity to chat with Principal Russell and get to know other Kindergarten families.

Our November PTO Meeting will be held Wednesday, November 16th. We will hold an in-person session at 5:30 pm in the Shepherd Cafeteria.  

We will also offer a virtual option as well. A virtual meeting link and call-in number will be provided in advance.  

The agenda will include:

• Fall Fest Retrospective 
• November's TAP nomination
• Upcoming Events
• Principal Russell's Report
• Dr. Brown Presentation on Social-Emotional Learning
• PTO Treasurer's Report
• PTO Facility Committee Highlights

Our next virtual all-school meeting will be held on Friday, November 18^th from 9:00-9:45am. The theme is American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month and will be hosted by the All-School Committee. We hope that you can join here! 

EdFEST, DC’s annual public school fair, will be held virtually on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Students and families will be able to visit Shepherd's virtual booth, chat directly with school representatives and learn about the public school lottery – all from their device. With the launch of the public school lottery application on Dec. 12, 2022 for the 2023-24 school year, EdFEST is a timely event to help families make informed choices.

• Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022 

• Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm 

• Location: Expo XP event platform (same platform as last year)

  
  

We're excited to be working with Lynch Creek Farms again this year to do online and direct home delivery of holiday wreaths and greens for the season. Their products are VERY lovely and anyone across the country can order items and help support Shepherd PTO. Every time someone shops for holiday decor through our group's fundraising page, Shepherd PTO will receive 15% of the purchase!

Be on the lookout for more communication next week when the fundraiser officially opens!

The PTO Board is asking the community if any families would be able to donate an iPad or similar tablet device.  This device would be used to ensure quicker and more efficient onsite sales for events, gear, and spirit wear. If you have a device that you think would fit our need, please email info@shepherd-elementary.org. Thank you!

Congratulations to Mr. Reginald Smith as our October TAP winner!

The Teacher Appreciation Program, or TAP, gives parents an opportunity to recognize a teacher at Shepherd for their great work and dedication. TAP invites parents to write a letter of appreciation recognizing a teacher who has been especially helpful or admirable in the classroom. 

Once a month, a special teacher will be selected from the nominations to receive a Wishlist fund bonus.  The recognition letters will also be shared with the selected teacher and school community.

TAP a teacher today by submitting a nomination here.

Keep up with the latest updates, events and fun things going on at Shepherd by following our FB page (@ShepherdElemPTO) and Instagram (shepherd_elem_pto)